Chosen Name Policy
Chosen Name Policy
Purpose
The University of Dayton, guided by its Catholic and Marianist values, is committed to respecting the dignity of every person. As stated in the University’s Statement on Dignity,
“Recognition of and respect for the person are central to our life as a Christian and educational community and are what allow us to pursue our common mission while being many diverse persons.”
In support of this commitment, the University has adopted a process that enables students, faculty, staff and alumni who identify themselves by a name other than their legal name to use a chosen name for University records and systems that do not require use of a legal name.
Scope
This policy applies to all students, faculty, staff, and alumni of the University of Dayton.
Policy History
Effective Date: June 3, 2019
Approval: June 3, 2019
Policy History:
- Approved in Original Form: June 3, 2019
Maintenance of Policy: Office of Human Resources, Office of the Provost, Office of the Registrar, and Office of Student Development
Definitions
(a) Chosen Name – A chosen name is an alternative to the individual’s legal name as designated by the individual in University systems.
(b) Legal Name – A legal name is the name a person uses for official governmental documents, such as licenses, passports, and tax forms.
Policy
Students, faculty, staff, and alumni who identify themselves by a name other than their Legal Name may request use of a Chosen Name.
Students, faculty, and staff are expected to refer to individuals by their Chosen Name unless otherwise requested by that individual. The intentional or persistent refusal to utilize an individual's Chosen Name is a violation of University policy.
Additional Information:
When there is a Chosen Name on record, the Legal Name will be used by offices that require use of legal name for business, regulatory, legal, and external reporting purposes including, but not limited to, student bursar accounts, financial aid documents, official transcripts, federal immigration documents, police records, conduct records, medical and health records, payroll, and professional licensure records. Where feasible, offices that require the use of the Legal Name will maintain a record of both Legal and Chosen Name to strive for use of Chosen Name where possible.
To ensure accurate records, students, faculty, and staff also should routinely identify themselves with their Chosen Name and ID number. When identifying, referring to, or requesting information about others, students, faculty, and staff should use the Chosen Name of the other individual as well as the individual’s ID number.
Faculty, staff, or students who update their Chosen Name after being issued an identification card may request one replacement card at no cost, as long as they turn in the previous ID card.
If applicable, UDit may create a new University email address and username to reflect the Chosen Name in accordance with UDit’s established practices for the generation of email addresses and usernames.
The University reserves the right to remove a chosen name if it contains inappropriate or offensive language, or is being used for misrepresentation.