New students may submit their photo online before arriving on campus or have their photo taken in the One Card & Dining Services office.

Students are strongly encouraged to submit their photo online, ahead of respective deadlines, to avoid the long lines associated with move-in.

Save the dates:

• Fall semester online photo submission deadline is July 31
• Spring semester online photo submission deadline is December 11

If your photo is not approved you will receive a notification to resubmit, or you may come into the One Card & Dining Services office to have your photo taken.

Incoming undergraduates participating in Eagle Summit will also have an opportunity to have their photos taken during Eagle Summit.

New staff members will receive their One Card during their New Hire Orientation. 

Staff may also receive a One Card before New Hire Orientation once granted a status of current staff by Human Resources. 

Their supervisor must request their access clearances by contacting University Police at access@american.edu.

New faculty may receive a One Card once granted status as a current faculty member. New adjunct faculty members may have their photo taken by the One Card & Dining Services office during their orientation. 

Their supervisor must request their access clearances by contacting University Police at access@american.edu.

Alumni are eligible for an Alumni One Card that grants:

• lifetime borrowing privileges in Bender Library
• a 10% discount at the Campus Store
• Career Services
• the Alumni Audit Program
• and much more!

Alumni One Cards do not include access to buildings.

Alumni One Cards are free to all alumni who have completed a degree or non-degree program. Replacements for lost or stolen cards, however, follow our replacement guidelines and incur a fee of $20 to be paid by cash or credit.

Alumni residing in the continental United States are eligible for an Alumni One Card to be mailed to your current mailing address free of charge. We are unable to mail internationally.  

To request your card, please contact us at idcards@american.edu and include the following information:

1. Your legal first and last names
2. AU ID number
3. Date of birth
4. Graduating class year
5. Current mailing address
6. A photo of you taken in the last year that meets our requirements

Contractors may receive a One Card only at the request of an authorizing AU employee. The AU employee must be the University point of contact for the contractor's company. The AU employee must email idcards@american.edu from their AU email account and include the following information:

1. The contractor's legal first and last names
2. The contractor's company name
3. The contracts expiration date, which will serve as the card's expiration date

All building access requests must be sent to the University Police at access@american.edu by the authorizing AU employee.

Guests and unpaid interns not currently affiliated with the University may receive a One Card only at the request of an authorizing AU staff or Faculty Member. The AU staff or faculty member must be the guest or intern's supervisor. The supervisor must email idcards@american.edu from their AU email account and include the following information:

1. The cardholder's legal first and last names
2. The cardholder's department and position title
3. The cardholder's intended guest/intern expiration date

All building access requests must be sent to University Police at access@american.edu by the intern or guest's supervisor.

Departments wanting to schedule production of One Cards for new student, staff, or faculty orientations must submit their request to idcards@american.edu at least 10 business days before the event. Submitting a request does not guarantee production of One Cards. Please choose from one of the following options:

1. (Preferred) Pre-Production of One Cards: The department or cardholders will email photos meeting photo submission guidelines to idcards@american.edu or upload them on the myAU Portal.
2. Card Production in the One Card & Dining Services office: An in-office appointment for fewer than 30 people at once. You must submit the cardholders' legal names, AU ID numbers, and date of card expiration.