Chosen Name

Chosen Name

Procedure

As a champion for equity, Durham Technical Community College (Durham Tech) embraces the diversity and uniqueness of the students, employees, and communities we serve. The College recognizes the importance of supporting students and employees who wish to communicate an essential part of their identity by using their chosen first name. A chosen first name may be any of the following:

• A middle name;
• A variation of a first name instead of a legal first name;
• A frequently used nickname;
• A first name that an individual is in the process of legally changing; or
• A first name that aligns with an individual’s gender identity or expression.

Chosen first names may not include symbols, punctuation marks, or numbers, with the exception of apostrophes, periods, and hyphens. Chosen names cannot be used for the purpose of misrepresentation, avoiding legal obligations, or in any manner that violates College policy or federal, state, or local laws. Students and employees who violate College policies and procedures are subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct and the Disciplinary Actions, Suspension, and Termination of Employment policy, respectively. 

The College reserves the right to remove any chosen name without prior notice if an individual violates this procedure by using offensive or derogatory terms in their chosen name and/or uses their chosen name for the purpose of misrepresentation or avoiding legal obligations. 
 
Please Note: Use of a chosen first name does not constitute a change to a legal name, which is the individual’s name as it appears on official documents (e.g., birth certificates, state-issued identification cards/licenses, passports, transcripts etc.). Students who wish to request a legal name change must submit a Change Name form (available via the SIR section of the Document Library in eForms). Employees who wish to request a legal name change must submit a Change of Personal Information form (available via the Employees shared folder under Human Resources > Forms for Current Employees or by request from Human Resources).

Limitations

Technological limitations prevent the display of a chosen first name across some College platforms. Refer to the Chosen Name Change webpage for a list of platforms where a chosen first name will appear. Federal and state regulations require the use of a legal name for certain departments and processes. Refer to the Legal Name Change webpage for a list of departments and processes that require the use of a legal name. Department- and program-specific identification guidelines regarding the use of a legal or chosen name may vary due to requirements set forth by external agencies, including but not limited to clinical and work-based learning sites and licensing agencies. Due to these limitations, students and employees who use a chosen first name should be prepared to reference their legal name and provide corresponding identification, as required. 

Specifying A Chosen First Name

Students who wish to use a chosen first name are encouraged to specify their name prior to the start of a semester/term and should immediately notify all impacted parties (e.g., instructors and advisors) of their wish to be addressed by their chosen first name. It is the responsibility of students using a chosen name to ensure that instructors can identify their work for grading and other academic purposes. Employees who wish to use a chosen first name are encouraged to specify their name as soon as possible and should immediately notify their supervisors and other impacted parties. 

Students and employees may specify their chosen first name online by completing the steps outlined on the Chosen Name Change webpage.
 
Students and employees should allow at least twenty-four (24) hours for the processing of their name change. Once processed, the name will appear across platforms that accommodate chosen names. Students and employees are encouraged to notify impacted parties that their name change has been processed. 

Pronouns and Gender Identity

The College recognizes students’ and employees’ choice of pronouns and gender identity. Refer to the Pronouns and/or Gender Identity section of the Chosen Name Change webpage for additional information.

College Identification Cards

Students who need to replace their Durham Tech identification card because of a name change should bring their cards to the Campus Police and Public Safety office (Building 8, Main Campus). No replacement fee will be charged if proof of the name change is provided.

Non-Legal Last Name Changes 

Students and employees who need to change their last name due to extenuating circumstances (e.g., domestic violence), but do not have the ability to do so legally, should contact Admissions, Registration, and Records and Human Resources, respectively.

Definitions

Chosen First Name – A middle name; a variation of a first name instead of a legal first name; a frequently used nickname; a first name that an individual is in the process of legally changing; or a first name that aligns with an individual’s gender identity or expression.
  
Employees – Individuals of any status (full-time, part-time, permanent, temporary) who are employed by Durham Technical Community College. Students employed under the Federal Work Study Program are considered College employees if the work performed is for the College. For work performed for a federal, state, local public agency, a private non-profit or a private for-profit agency, students are also considered College employees unless the agreement between the College and the organization specifies that the organization is considered the employer.
 
Legal Name – An individual’s name as it appears on official documents (e.g., birth certificates, state-issued identification cards/licenses, passports, transcripts etc.).
 
Students – Any individuals, regardless of age, who are currently enrolled in Durham Tech courses, who have active program status, and/or who are currently participating in Durham Tech instructional programs, including Middle College High School, Career and College Promise, and College and Career Readiness programs. Individuals with active program status are those who have been accepted into a program, have taken classes within the program, and have been continuously enrolled at the College since beginning the program.