NTSU currently practices a blanket photo ID-checking policy for night-time events across its venues, meaning that all students - regardless of age - are required to produce photo ID for entry to the students' union.

While ID-checking is a normal requirement for most licensed venues, such policies are only intended for age verification purposes, to ensure that any customers who look like they might be under 21 (or 25 for some establishments) are definitely over 18 years of age.

There is nothing in NTSU's license from the City Council that stipulates a blanket ID-checking policy is necessary. Meanwhile, NTSU's current policy does not allow the trained, licenced door staff to exercise their professional discretion when it comes to asking for photo ID.

This policy means that any mature and postgraduate students who were not aware of NTSU's blanket policy - and are not used to needing photo ID at licensed venues since they are obviously older than 18 (or 21/25) - get turned away at the door and are denied entry to students' union events if they don't have photo ID on them.

There is an expectation that traditional students, normally being aged between 18-21, will need to have photo ID with them to get into any licenced venues around Nottingham. Unfortunately, NTSU's policy seems to assume that all students attending SU events will be within this age range, and indirectly discriminates against mature and postgraduate students as a result.

The simple solution to this problem is that NTSU relaxes its current internal policy - which exceeds the requirements of its venue licence - so that door staff are able to use their discretion when asking visibly older students for photo ID. 

All students would still be required to produce their student ID to gain entry, as with the current policy, but removing the requirement for older students to show photo ID to prove their age would make the SU more inclusive and remove a barrier to mature and postgraduate students being able to participate fully in university life.