Fordham University has made the decision to stop automatically issuing physical identification (ID) cards to incoming students, making electronic ID cards on students’ smartphones the default for the class of 2029, according to university spokesperson Jennifer Petra.
What began as an attempt to “build upon technology introduced years ago” has instead left Fordham’s first-years and transfer students feeling “worried” and “uneasy” about relying on their phones to access campus amenities.
Students shared their experiences with the electronic ID cards, with many reporting they’ve felt “frustrated” with their ID’s slow loading times, repeated glitches and the fear of not being allowed back on campus if their phone dies. Several students have reported that their electronic IDs “don’t even work half of the time” and create redundant technical difficulties. According to university officials, physical ID cards “remain available to students if the electronic ID is not an option.”
“I dislike the fact that we no longer have physical IDs. It has been difficult navigating the app because I’m new to it and also because it was having a bunch of technical difficulties,” said Kendra Trummer, FCRH ’29. “I am worried that if my phone dies that I won’t be allowed back on campus or be able to get into my dorm because my ID is solely electronic.”
Aeyla Sainsbury-Carter, GSB ’29, said that not having the option of a physical ID can be annoying at times when she doesn’t have reception on her phone and needs to get back into her dorm. “Every single time you go to open your ID you have to login which can take like up to a minute,” Sainsbury-Carter said. “And then every time you hold it up to a sensor, it brings up your wallet on your phone if you have that turned on.”
Fordham officials say that electronic ID cards were made the default because most first-year students already own smartphones. They said that 4,700 electronic ID cards have already been activated.
“Approximately 90 percent of adults in the U.S. have a smartphone, and that number is even higher when we look at first-year students at Fordham,” Petra said. “Building upon technology that was successfully introduced at Fordham years ago, the Entering Class Management Committee (ECMC), Public Safety, IT, and Strategic Sourcing have made electronic IDs the default for the incoming Class of 2029.”
Petra said that physical ID cards are still available for those who cannot access electronic ones. She also said that Service Desk ticket volume has heavily declined.
“While a very small percentage of students did not have their electronic IDs activated prior to arriving on campus we are pleased to share that all initial Service Desk requests have since been resolved,” Petra said. “Service Desk ticket volume has decreased significantly and any new issues that arise are being resolved as quickly as they come in.”
According to several students, first-year students are not the only ones impacted by Fordham’s transition to electronic ID cards.
Alexandra Lake, GSB ’28, had an electronic ID card for the entirety of her freshman year and said that she had planned to transition to using a physical ID card for her sophomore year. When Lake found out that physical ID cards were no longer an option, she said she was “shocked and disappointed.”
Lake described some of the difficulties she has faced while using an electronic ID card. “It glitches sometimes and it can be kind of slow sometimes,” she said. “Sometimes, it doesn’t scan. You have to scan it around five times for it to work … Another big issue is when your phone dies and you have to get into your building.”
Gianna Cortez, GSB ’28, initially had an electronic ID card when she began her first-year at Fordham, but switched to a physical ID card because she “realized how inconvenient it was for [her] to keep going on [her] phone.”
“Sometimes, it wouldn’t even load, sometimes other things would pop up instead of my ID. It would hold up lines when I had to scan it, so it was just a lot more convenient for me to switch to an actual ID,” Cortez said.
Before the fall semester began, students took to social media to warn incoming first-years about the inconveniences of owning an electronic ID. In a TikTok video posted in July of 2024, Katherine Zaino, GSB ’27, gave advice to incoming first-years at Fordham saying not to choose the electronic ID option because of the many difficulties that come with it.
“My number one thing is that when you get your school ID, they are going to offer you a digital school ID or a physical school ID. Get the physical school ID,” said Zaino in her video. “The digital ones won’t work half of the time. They are so finicky. Everyone switches to a physical one, so just get the physical ID. Also, if your phone dies, you can’t use your digital ID.”
Although Fordham officials have talked about the positive aspects of having an electronic ID card, students have continued to voice their frustrations and concerns about no longer having the option of a physical ID card.
“What if you’re out late and your phone dies? You can’t get into wherever you need to go on campus,” Sainsbury-Carter said.
