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New ID cards available to students, faculty, staff

April 1, 2005

KALAMAZOO--Beginning Monday, April 4, all Western Michigan University faculty, staff and retirees--as well as WMU students--can get new ID cards at the temporary card-processing center in Lawson Arena. More than 10,000 students were issued new cards during the preceding two-week period, which was reserved exclusively for students.

Until May 2, only old ID cards will work in campus card-swipe readers; after that date only new cards will work. For that reason, all faculty, staff and students are encouraged to get new cards during April, although the card center will remain open weekdays in Lawson through May. For those employees using electronic time cards--Kronos cards--the new ID replaces both their old WMU ID and their electronic time card.

During the two weeks when 10,062 students were processed, everything ran smoothly, according to Bob Coffman of WMU's Department of Public Safety, who directs the card processing. "Most students were in and out with their new card in five minutes or less," says Coffman.

There are seven card-processing stations, where students, faculty and staff are photographed and write their signatures on an electronic pad. A new ID card, containing the photo and signature, is created on the spot.

The week of April 4, the card center at Lawson will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday.

Beginning April 11, the card center at Lawson will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays, through the end of May. In June, the center returns to its normal home in the Bernhard Center and will be open on a reduced summer schedule.

Staff supervisors are asked to give their staff employees release time during normal business hours to get a new card. Each supervisor should decide how best to implement that process with the least disruption of service in his or her area.

New cards are part of the university's switch from Social Security numbers to Western Identification Numbers--or WIN--as the primary way of identifying students and employees. The change, which was mandated by the state, will provide greater protection from identity theft.

Media contact: Thom Myers, 269 387-8400, thom.myers@wmich.edu

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