Cristina Zecena-Hernandez, a Marquette Student Government senator on the Business Administration committee, is collaborating with management at Union Station to clarify the student ID replacement fee policy after her student ID was stolen.
“It hits you more when it personally happens to you,” Zecena-Hernandez said. “People can tell you about it but when it personally happens to you, you realize, ‘wow this is a problem.’”
Zecena-Hernandez’s wallet, which included her money, student ID and UPass, was taken when she was robbed getting off the bus at 12th St. and Wisconsin Ave. two weeks ago.
“Usually you think you’re going to react in situations like this, but I just kind of stood there,” Zecena-Hernandez said.
She reported her stolen wallet to the Marquette Police Department and then went to Union Station to replace her UPass and ID. Zecena-Hernandez said she thought students were entitled to a free ID if proven stolen. To her dismay she had to pay the full $25 even after she showed a police report.
It is a common misconception that students can get a free replacement ID if they show a police report and prove it was stolen.
“I just had my wallet stolen,” Zecena-Hernandez said. “How was I supposed to pay?”
Zecena-Hernandez said she was told by student employees at the Union Station that a new policy was in place and the one she was referring to no longer applied. However, Rob Mullens, manager at the Union, said the policy never changed.
Mullens said for the fee to be waived it must be proven that the ID was “forcibly taken” from a student. He said students usually file a police report in these cases but one is not required.
“We make a decision on a case-by-case basis,” Mullens said in an email. “In general, if this standard is not met, the card is considered lost and the fee is assessed.”
The exact policy for stolen ID replacement fees is not made clear in the terms and conditions for the Marquette Card. It states that students must pay for lost or damaged cards, but no mention is made to fees about stolen student IDs.
Zecena-Hernandez plans to collaborate with the Union Station staff to make sure this policy is well communicated among student workers in the union and the student body. She plans to meet with Union Station managers and staff next fall.
“At the end of the day it’s a training issue,” Zecena-Hernandez said. “It’s a miscommunication and it’s something students should be more aware of.”
