Overview

Students and employees of Aquinas College are issued identification cards by the college. Individuals are required to carry their Aquinas ID card with them while they are on campus property and when attending college-sponsored events off campus. Your ID card is what identifies you as a member of the Aquinas community and must be presented upon the request of any College official. Failure to present your ID card may result in you being asked to leave campus.

Building Access

In addition to a form of identification, your ID card also acts as a key to your residence hall or workspace, allows after-hours access to academic buildings when authorized by a College employee via the Long-Term Authorization (LTA) procedure, and provides access to campus facilities and services such as the Library, Wisdom Chapel, Sturrus Center, and Moose Cafe during their hours of operation. Campus Safety may provide admittance into a building for you in the case of a forgotten card but will not grant remote access, or “buzz,” people into buildings. A form of identification will be required in the case of these admittances.

Aquinas ID cards may only be in the possession of and utilized by the individual to whom they were issued. Individuals are prohibited from providing their ID card to others for their use and from possessing or utilizing another individual's ID card. When violations of this policy occur, Campus Safety will confiscate the ID card, document the incident with a report, and notify the appropriate departments (Human Resources, Student Affairs, etc.). Repeated infractions will result in the suspension of card access privileges.

Obtaining an ID Card

ID cards are issued at the Campus Safety Office, with the exception of incoming student ID cards, which are issued during orientation programs. New employees are issued an ID on their first day of employment. Campus Safety is requesting that individuals submit a photo for use on their college ID card, or you may choose to have your photo taken by one of our staff members at our office.  Photo submissions must meet the following guidelines in order to be considered for use:

  • You should be the only subject in the photo.
  • Your entire head and face must be visible, with a clear gap left around your head on all sides.  We recommend leaving a wide margin around your head to ensure adequate space for processing.  
  • Your hand(s) and/or arm(s) may not be visible near or touching your face or head.
  • Your head, shoulders and eyes should be facing forward, with your eyes open and your head not tilted in any direction.  
  • The photo must be taken from the same level as the subject so that the subject is looking forward at the camera/viewer.
  • You may have a neutral facial expression or you may smile; other facial expressions will be rejected.  
  • The background of the photo should be plain and light-colored.  
  • No hats, bandanas or sunglasses may be worn on your head or face. Religious head coverings are allowed but should not obscure your face.  Prescription eyeglasses are allowed, but your eyes must be visible through the glass.
  • Photos should be recent (within the last 12 months), in full color, and unaltered (no filters, no image editing, etc).  
  • Do not submit a photo of a photo or a screenshot – it must be the digital file of the actual photo.

According to federal law, ID cards cannot be issued without one of the following forms of photo identification. A class schedule or tuition bill may also be required when obtaining an ID for the first time.

  • State ID card
  • Driver license
  • Military ID
  • Passport

Replacement ID Cards

If a card is lost or stolen it may be replaced at the Campus Safety Office for $20. Broken or malfunctioning cards should be brought to the Campus Safety Office to be repaired or replaced; a fee of $5 will be charged if it is necessary to issue a replacement card. Expired IDs may be exchanged for an updated card at no charge. Replacement fees can be paid with cash upon receipt of the replacement card or they can be charged to your Aquinas account. The aforementioned fees apply to students, staff, faculty and guests of Aquinas College.

Guest IDs

Guest ID cards are issued by the College on a case-by-case basis. Requests should be made to stevejes@aquinas.edu.