Policies for Departments

i‑card Programs is responsible for managing and overseeing the development, provision, and use of all identifying devices for all University of Illinois System units and locations. We use the term "identifying device" to refer to any i‑card, ID card, key fob, smart card, mobile phone, or other physical device—whether sophisticated or simple—that may be used for identification or any service authorization, including physical or logical access. Identifying technologies include, but are not limited to, magnetic stripe, bar code, proximity wire, RFID, biometrics, and contactless chips, such as in iCLASS. Our oversight also includes devices that are not assigned to an individual. 

In addition, we are the authoritative source for all identifying device data, including the photos of identified persons and the appearance, encoding, and graphic design of identifying devices.

We also generate and own University Identification Numbers (UINs).

Because of our responsibilities and ownership related to identifying devices and UINs, there are limits to their development and use by other units. We work with units to form cooperative solutions for their identification, service, and/or UIN needs. Policies pertinent to system, university, and campus units are provided in this section, as follows: