For reasons relating to both institutional identity and promotion of safety for all members of the university community, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHSC-H) issues identification badges to all faculty, staff, students, visiting scholars, volunteers, observers, contractors, agency temporary workers, and consultants.
All members of the university community are to display their badges to identify themselves and their association with the university at all times while on campus or on the premises of UTHSC-H owned or leased space.
Identification badges include a color photograph of the individual, his or her full name, and an operating unit designation (e.g., medical school, nursing school, etc.) to indicate where that individual has a primary affiliation. Identification badges for faculty and administrators routinely also include a listing of the individual's earned degrees beneath his or her name on the badge; inclusion of degrees is at the department head's discretion.
The university provides these badges free of charge upon employment, appointment, or enrollment. If a badge is lost or damaged due to negligence, the badge holder must reimburse the university for the cost of a new badge.
Identification badges are the property of UTHSC-H and will be retained by the university when an individual terminates his or her employment, ceases to be enrolled, or otherwise ends his or her association with the university.
The Bursar's Office is responsible for assembling appropriate information for the production of student identification badges. Hiring departments are responsible for providing appropriate information for all employee identification badges.
Human Resources is responsible for identification badges for new employees and volunteers. Observers, visiting scholars, contractors, consultants, and agency temporary workers who will remain on campus for a stated period of time will receive badges at the Bursar's Office. Please refer to the Identification Badge Information sheet for more detailed information as to schedules and so forth.
Departments are responsible for providing the Bursar's Office with information to be displayed on identification badges for observers, visiting scholars, contractors, consultants, agency temporary workers, and so forth prior to issuance of a badge. This information must be provided in the form of a memorandum, either printed or faxed, or an email to the Bursar's Office. The correspondence must include such information as the individual's name, affiliation, work location, and projected duration of stay and expiration date. Departments must take care to assure that information relating to the earned degrees of visiting scholars, consultants and so forth do not suggest an inaccurate identification of the individual's role within the university to other persons, particularly patients, within and outside the university community. The Bursar's Office may request some type of identification of an individual such as a driver's license, etc. prior to issuing a badge.
In most cases, lost or stolen identification badges will be replaced at a cost to the individual of $10 payable in cash or check at the time of replacement. Refer to the Identification Badge Information sheet for more detailed information as to guidelines relevant in these situations.
Updated 3/04