Teachers College recognizes that some members of the Teachers College community may prefer to identify themselves by names other than their legal name. As set out below, the College is required to use an individual’s legal name for certain purposes, but members of the Teachers College community may, if they wish, choose a preferred name for other purposes. This Policy addresses how students and employees can change their legal name and preferred name in College records.
Legal Name
Teachers College must maintain a “legal name” as part of the official records of all students and employees. The College will use the legal name for:
A community member who wishes to change the legal name on file with the College must present appropriate documentation that shows the legal name as it should appear. This documentation should include the following items:
Students should report legal name changes to the Registrar’s Office, while employees and students who are also employees should report legal name changes to Human Resources. Finally, international students who make a legal name change should also report it to the Office of International Services.
Preferred Name
Individuals may add a preferred name to their records. The College will use preferred names as follows:
Preferred names will not appear on official documents and will not be used for official College business.
To add or change a preferred name to the record, students should complete the Change of Information form with the Registrar’s Office. Employees and students who are also employees should contact Human Resources.
Last updated: August 2017