ID Cards
Columbia requires you to have a university ID card with you whenever you're on campus. You'll receive instructions for getting one as part of the hiring process. The ID gives you access to the locked floors of our building (including the main entrance during non-business hours), and to Columbia libraries, Lerner Hall and certain other secure areas on campus. It also entitles you to a modest discount at the university bookstore and to free or discounted tickets to certain cultural events and institutions in New York City. (See Arts Discounts, right.)
What to do if:
Once you've completed your HR paperwork and we've entered your profile in the university system, you'll be able to upload a photo for your ID card at https://webphoto.columbia.edu/wps/
You'll then be notified when their ID Card is ready for pick-up from the ID Center at 204 Kent Hall on Morningside Campus; see map below. The center is usually open Monday-Friday 9am -12pm.
You can call the ID office with any questions at 212-854-5883
About half the time, ID cards work from the get-go, and about half the time we have to make a call on your behalf to get them activated. If yours doesn't work, contact the school's building department: [email protected], with a copy to Associate Dean George Miller at [email protected].
If you lose your ID card, contact Public Safety immediately at (212) 854-2797. They'll deactivate it to prevent fraudulent use, and can reactivate it if you later find the card. If you need a replacement, you can obtain one from the ID Card Center at 204 Kent Hall, as long as you hold a current appointment. The cost of a replacement card is $20, and you should bring a government-issued ID such as a passport or driver's license with you when requesting a replacement.
As long as you hold a current appointment, you can take your old ID card to Kent Hall for a free update.
If your ID card is stolen, contact university Public Safety immediately by calling (212) 854-2797. They'll deactivate it to prevent fraudulent use. If you verify the theft by presenting a copy of the police report at the ID Card Center at 204 Kent Hall, the university will issue you a new ID card free of charge.
Columbia's ID card center is located on the north side of College Walk at Amsterdam Avenue, with the entrance on College Walk.