By Harlee Hunsaker
The first stop every incoming freshman makes on campus is the BYU ID center. BYU requires each student to own an ID card for functions like door access and Cougar Cash. However, the ID center is making a few big changes to the way they issue ID cards.
“That is a super exciting change that we initiated right before COVID hit interestingly,” said Elaine Laurizine. Laurizine is the managing director for HR and support in the Office of IT, so she works directly with the ID Center.
“We wanted to try and shorten the amount of time people were spending trying to get their ID card,” Laurizine said.
Instead of taking ID photos in the center, they now ask for students and faculty to submit their photo through the ID Center website. However, the submitted photo still must abide by BYU’s dress and grooming standards. Those standards are found under BYU’s policies and BYU’s Honor Code requires students to follow them.
“Sometimes with clothing or piercings or hair it can be a little more personal or sensitive,” said ID Center employee Gabby Aros.
“We are one of the only centers that enforces the dress and grooming standards and that can be difficult because students aren’t reminded of it very often,” said ID center employee Gabrielle Orndorff. “But usually, people are really nice about it.”
For Aros and Orndorff as employees, it’s their job to approve or deny photos sent in if they don’t meet BYU’s dress and grooming standards. Once the photo is approved online, the student still has to come into the center to print it and activate it.
However, this might also change. “That is a direction we would like to take. Get it all digital,” said Laurizine. But for the time being, students like Aros and Orndorff will aid students in the process.
Aros says they have to deny an ID photo about 5-10 times a week due to a student not following the dress and grooming standards. So, if it’s time for you to renew your ID card, review the standards and then submit a photo online.
