IDEAL Department

Our Role at Lehigh

To enhance security in its buildings, Lehigh University Campus Safety Division together with the Lehigh University Police Department, controls access to all buildings by limiting and controlling the use and function of both access cards and keys issued to all faculty, staff, students, contractors, outside vendors, as well as conference and camp participants.

IDs (Lehigh ID/GoldPLUS), ELECTRONIC ACCESS & LOCKSMITH (IDEAL) Department USEFUL LINKS:

• Access and Security (Fraternity and Sorority Houses)
• Access and Security (Housing Services)
• Electronic Access Authorization Forms (Residential, Academic, Key Authorization, Designated Signatory Form)
• General Building Access Policy and Procedures
• Lehigh Building Access Schedule
• Lehigh GoldPLUS
• Lehigh ID Cards
• Letter to Contractors - Background Checks and Credentials
• PA State Police - PATCH (Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History)

WHEN SUBMITTING BACKGROUND CHECKS TO OBTAIN ELECTRONIC ACCESS CARD/ID CREDENTIALS:

• Vendors/Contractors:  Electronically request and save/print your completed background certification through the Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History Website: PA State Police - PATCH
• Ensure the company name/company phone number for which the background check is being submitted is referenced on the background check.
• Background checks performed within a year of the date of submission will only be accepted.
• Ensure you are submitting the completed background check certification which has the Pennsylvania State Seal in the background.
• Submit your background check directly to LUPD electronically by email to inlcs@lehigh.edu - Do not wait until the last minute to submit background checks to the police station in person.
• Please allow up to 72 hours for processing of background checks.
• Ensure ALL employees on the job site complete background checks - no exceptions.
• Your credentials should be entered and cleared within 72 hours.  LUPD will NOT contact you by phone to let you know you are clear and/or that you are able to obtain your credentials. Correspondence will be sent via email once a background check is reviewed/cleared.
• If there is a discrepancy with a background check which has been submitted, LUPD will contact you and speak to you directly.

Please note: Submit all completed background check certifications directly to Elizabeth Miller Coleman or Ashley Strause, Lehigh University Campus Safety by email: inlcs@lehigh.edu 

PRIOR TO PICKING UP YOUR ELECTRONIC ACCESS CARD/ID CREDENTIALS AT THE IDEAL OFFICE:

• In order to expedite the process, please submit a color photo of each employee as a .jpg file electronically by email to inideal@lehigh.edu prior to your arrival on campus.  Do not send a photo of a driver's license.
• All photos must be a color, head-and-shoulders photograph of you facing the camera with a plain background. We cannot accept photos that would make it difficult to determine your identity.
• We reserve the right to refuse any photo, due to poor quality, unacceptable content, or other variables.
• We reserve the right to crop or edit the image in order to produce an acceptable ID picture
• Recommended picture size is a minimum of 400 x 400 pixels, and a maximum of 800 x 800 pixels."

Please note: Submit all photos directly to IDEAL Department by email inideal@lehigh.edu

If you have any questions concerning these forms or Access Control in general, please contact: