CUID
The CUID or Columbia University ID is the official ID card for Columbia students and faculty. It prominently features the ugly mug shot you sent in over the summer before your freshmen year unless you get lose it and ask for a new shot with the replacement card. However, Alma Mater gets more real estate on the card than your face though. Saving grace?
Contents
Term sticker
Several CUID functions require that you have a valid term sticker (eg, Passport to New York). Keep this term sticker up to date by getting a new one each semester from Housing Services at 125 Hartley Hall. If it peels off, go get a new one.
Replacements
You can replace your ID by going to the ID Center on the lower level of Kent Hall. It's more easily accessed from College Walk than the upper campus level entrance of Kent.
On your 21st birthday go to the ID Center and request an over-21 replacement ID and you'll be issued a new ID for free with a bright red stripe where it says 'student'.
Also, you can get a free replacement if your ID gets worn out.
Students returning to Columbia in a new program (e.g. coming back as a grad student) are expected to turn in their old ID Card or pay a $15 fee for their "replacement" new ID.
Payment functions
- Redeeming meal plans at John Jay Dining Hall and Hewitt Dining Hall.
- Paying with Dining Dollars or First Year Points at Dining Services on-campus dining locations and vending machines.
- Paying with Flex or Dining Dollars at the Columbia University Bookstores.
- Paying for laundry in the laundry rooms of the CC/SEAS residence halls.
Access privileges
- Your CUID can function as an over-21 ID on campus.
- Swiping into Columbia's restricted access buildings. Depending on your privileges, these may include CC/SEAS residence halls, Dodge Physical Fitness Center, and the libraries.
- Signing friends into your own residence hall, but not any others.
- Swiping into Lerner Hall.
- Swiping into IAB, at any hour of day or night. This is convenient to access the many IAB vending machines, or to take a shortcut to East Campus or Wien when you're walking south on Amsterdam Avenue.
- Getting into most of the major New York City museums for free via Passport to New York.
- Getting into Bobst Library at at NYU.
- Getting into all Columbia athletics events for free.
What it's not good for
- Swiping into Barnard dormitories, unless you live in one, like Plimpton.
- Getting into academic buildings, except IAB, at night unless you have special access
- Getting you laid.
Secure Identity and Access Control Project
In 2004 the University created a task force to explore an overhaul of the CUID system in order to protect private information of student, such as their Social Security numbers which are currently the primary ID numbers embedded in the system, and allow the flexibility to use the system for off-campus purchasing. The University had been aware of the security problem since 2003.[1] With approval from the Trustees, the overhaul plan was announced in October of 2005 with a time line calling for implementation by New Year's 2008. [2] Shockingly, it appears that the University will make it's deadline, with complete overhaul expected by the end of 2007. The "Secure Identity and Access Control" project, a $6 million undertaking by Student Services (which oversees the ID Center), will replace SSNs with University-assigned randomized ID numbers.[3] In addition, the cards will incorporate a magnetic wire allowing the University the option of replacing certain swipe boxes around campuses to 'proximity boxes.' The Med Center is already taking steps to take advantage of this option. The University will be overhauling it's database system as well, allowing students to register guests online rather than in person. Once all 80,000 students, faculty, and staff have been issued new ID cards by the end of Fall 2007, the off-campus flex plan will be feasible, and possible as early as 2008.
According to Lisa Hogarty, executive vice president of student and administrative services, "What most universities have done is just taken the Social Security number off the card. Once we finish this project, Columbia will be best in class." Considering that Columbia was among the last Ivy schools to address the SSN-related security concerns, and that peer schools have had FlexLife type programs and proximity box based access systems for years, the statement sounds a bit like self-congratulatory back-slapping and begs the question, "Well what the hell took so long?"
