Students - Your Whitman College ID Card

Upon arrival at Whitman College, you should have received an picture ID Card. This is your ID Card for your stay at Whitman and it serves several functions.

Obtaining a Card

If you have not obtained your card since starting at Whitman then you will need to do the following:

• Go to the Human Resources office to obtain your Campus ID number.
• Contact the Security office to get a card made. Their office is located in the Technology Services building, 416 E. Main St. and they are able to make ID cards Tuesday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Once the card has been made contact Technology Services to make sure your card get has been added to the system.

Building Access

Your ID card will allow you after-hours access to various places on campus that are equipped with doorswipes. The hours will vary from building to building.

The buildings and rooms you have access to by default are:

• Baker Ferguson Fitness Center (during posted hours)
• Sherwood Center (during posted hours)
• Bratton Tennis Center
• Hunter Conservatory
• Maxey Hall (7 a.m. - 1 a.m. during the school year except holidays)
• Music Building
• Olin Hall (7 a.m. - 1 a.m. during the school year except holidays)
• Penrose Library (during posted hours)
• Prentiss Hall Spirituality Room (7AM -8PM during the school year except for holidays)

Other buildings and rooms will require permission from the building's office before you can access them. More info on how doorswipes work can be found by clicking here.

Library Resource Usage

Your Whitman ID gives you access to library resources (borrowing books, etc.). After 8pm, you will need it to swipe into the building. Please consult our Circulation FAQ for more information.

Bon Appetit (Food Service) Usage

Your ID card will allow you to use the on-campus Bon Appetit food venues. 

• Most on-campus students are required to purchase a meal plan. Each of the three meal plans have a fixed amount of “Board Flex” associated with them, which you may use to purchase food at Cleveland Commons or at the Grab ‘n Go locations in Jewett and Reid, by tapping your ID card at the cash register. 
• If you have a meal plan but run out of board flex before the end of the semester, you may purchase “Cash Flex” in increments of $50; this purchase is charged to your Student Account, payable by the end of the following month.
• If you live off campus, but want to eat in the Bon Appetit food venues, purchasing cash flex in increments of $50 will save you Washington State sales tax. 
• All students, regardless of where they live, may charge Bon Appetit purchases directly to their Student Account, including sales tax. If you did this in error, and would rather have used your Flex, please contact Student Accounts to correct the transaction. 

Other Charging

Your ID card will allow you to charge things to your account at the college's Business Office. If there is a problem charging that is not related to a bad card you need to contact the Business Office

The places you can charge at are:

• Health Center
• Outing Program Office
• Penrose Library
• Post Office
• Whitman College Bookstore

If Your Card Doesn't Work

If your card does not work, here are some tips to help find what is wrong:

• Is it not working on a Doorswipe?
  • Is the Doorswipe accepting swipes? (See Doorswipe Swiping in Doorswipe Operations) If not then the building's office has decided that the cardswipe shouldn't be working at this time for some or all of the cards. You will need to talk to them if you feel you have a valid reason for using the doorswipe when you are trying to use it.
  • If it should be accepting your swipe can other people (that it should be accepting) successfully swipe into this door? If not then it may be a general doorswipe problem. Contact Technology Services so that we can get it fixed.
  • Do you have the privilege for this door? If not then you may will need to contact the building's office to get their authorization.
  • Does your card work in other doorswipes or Mini, Midi, or Maxiwedges? If not then there is probably a problem with your card. Bring it to Technology Services to get it examined and recoded.
• Is it not working on a Mini, Midi, or Maxi Wedge?
  • Is the wedge accepting swipes? If not then the office using the wedge has decided that the wedge shouldn't be working at this time for some or all of the cards. You will need to talk to them if you feel you have a valid reason for using the wedge when you are trying to use it.
  • If it should be accepting your swipe can other people (that it should be accepting) successfully swipe through this wedge? If not then it may be a general problem with the wedge. Have the Manager or Cashier contact Technology Services so that we can get it fixed.
  • Do you have the privilege for this wedge? If not then you may need to contact the wedge's office to see if you can get their authorization to use it. Some wedges are not usable with some people's cards.
  • Does your card work in other Doorswipes or Mini, Midi, or Maxiwedges? If not then there is probably a problem with your card. Bring it to Technology Services to get it examined and recoded.
• If your card is damaged then you need to follow the instructions for getting it replaced in the Lost Cards section. There may or may not be a charge for this depending on the damage.

If Your Card Is Lost Or Stolen

ID Cards are an important asset here on campus. It is very important that you keep track of yours because it is like a building key and also a debit card that could allow anyone that finds it to misuse your meals, flex dollars, or even charge to your student account. If you happen to lose your card or if it gets stolen it is very important that you do the following:

• Notify the Campus Security Office (campus at extension 5777 or 527-5777 if off-campus) to make sure your card gets suspended so that no one else can use it. 
• If you are unable to find or recover your card then contact the Security office again to get a new card made. Their office is located in the Technology Services building, 416 E. Main St.  Please call for an appointment. A replacement card costs $15.00.
• Once the new card is issued or if you find your old card (so that you don't need a new one) come into the Technology Services office to make sure your card gets reinstated properly.

When You Leave Whitman

When you leave Whitman or you no longer need your card it would be appreciated it you would return it to Technology Services. This will help us make sure no one else tries to use your identity and it will help us in keeping our system up to date.