ID badges still required at Michigan school

Even though a majority of students are against the requirement to wear ID badges, it is still a necessity, according to a University of Detroit-Mercy official.

The Varsity News, a UDM student newspaper, reported that the new policy has been openly opposed by a number of students, but administrators underline the importance of campus security.

“I do believe that the policy has helped with the (entrance) gates,” said Tamara Batcheller, associate vice president for facilities management. “It would help a lot more if more students were to wear them. I understand that it’s a minor inconvenience, but that’s what security is.”

Batcheller added that when an individual boards an airplane, even though he or she is a paying customer, it is common practice to go through numerous security measures. Even though some students find it inconvenient to wear a lanyard with their ID on it, Batcheller said that it falls within those same lines of safety.

Chelsea Bates, a UDM senior who has been vocally against the new ID policy, told The Varsity News that the only place on campus where she has been asked to show her student identification photo is the gym.

Batcheller was adamant though that the policy would not disappear, even with dwindling participation. She predicts that eventually, all campus buildings will have proxy readers – like those at the Fitness Center and dormitories – so it will be convenient for students and faculty to fix their IDs to their clothing.

In order to create custom badge designs that students or employees will want to wear, organizations should invest in a color label printer. That way, everything from employee name tags to photo IDs can be unique as well as accurately printed in a durable fashion.