Preferred name

Students: Preferred name can be set by going to the Records and Registration Office webpage and selecting the Preferred Name under the Quick Links tabs. Or complete the Preferred Name Form linked above.

Employees: Faculty and staff can change their preferred or legal names by completing the name change request form available through the HR website.

No, you do not have to enter a preferred name. This is a service for people who wish to be known by something other than their legal name. If you regularly use your legal name, then please do not enter a preferred name. If you enter a preferred name that matches your legal name, the preferred name will not be displayed.

Preferred name will only be used in cases where legal name is not absolutely necessary. Examples of where your legal name are necessary include, but are not limited to, financial aid documents, payroll, official transcripts, and federal immigration documents. In some cases if you indicate a preferred name, it may be necessary to clarify that your preferred name is different than your legal name. Examples of this include, but are not limited to, official interactions with campus police, law enforcement, and verification of medical records. 

Changes will appear within five business days of the day the form was submitted.

Yes, your preferred name, once it is processed, will appear in the UWL directory.

Changing your legal name in university systems to a preferred name can have ripple effects throughout your day-to-day experiences. Changing your preferred name more than once can lead to confusion regarding your identity, challenges in customer service, and/or the interruption of your ability to access some university systems.

Preferred names are limited to alphabetical characters (A-Z and a-z) and a space or hyphen (-). Your preferred name will appear exactly as you enter it on the form. It is a violation of the UW-La Crosse Preferred Name Policy to indicate a preferred name for the purposes of misrepresentation or fraud. For students, fraud and misrepresentation may also violate UWS Student Nonacademic Misconduct Chapter 17.09.09, 17.09.10, and/or 17.09.11. Once entered, a user's preferred name may take up to five business days to reach affected systems. New preferred names are reviewed daily by the Records and Registration Office.

Any preferred names that may be deemed to be an attempt at misrepresentation, fraud, or interpreted as offensive will be denied by the Records and Registration staff or by Human Resources. For students, if this happens more than once, the student’s name may be forwarded to the Office of Student Life. 

Students: Once the online survey reaches the Records and Registration Office, the name will be changed in system and passed on to the IT Department. If your preferred name change is related to your gender identity/expression or there are special extenuating circumstances, your request will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Employees: Faculty and staff should complete the appropriate question on HR's name change request form.

Yes, your preferred name will be on the front of the card and your legal name will be on the back of the card.  

Students: If you have entered a preferred name and later decide that you would prefer to use your legal name everywhere on campus, simply contact the Records and Registration Office.

Employees: Please contact the HR office.

Students: If you have questions about setting up your preferred name, please contact the Records and Registration Office or the Pride Center Office.

Employees: If you have questions about setting up your preferred name, please contact HR.

Students: Legal name can be changed by going to the Records and Registration Office webpage and selecting "Name Change Form" under the "Quick Links" section. Complete the form and supply a legal ID or documentation that references your new name. Examples of documentation are driver’s license, birth certificate, passport, court or other legal document.

Employees:  Legal name can be changed by going to the Human Resources webpage, selecting "Forms," and selecting "Name Change Request Form" under the "General Forms" section.  Complete the form and supply a legal ID or documentation that references your new name. Examples of documentation are driver’s license, birth certificate, passport, court or other legal document.

Preferred name is for use within the university community. International students may feel free to select a preferred name for on campus use. However, this does not apply in situations where one's legal name is required to be used. For the purpose of F-1 or J-1 student visa status, the legal name must be used on I-20s and DS-2019s. An individual's legal name is what appears in the passport.

University mail will use your name from the directory. The UWL directory will use your preferred name. That means that any mail sent to your home address will use your preferred name.