Name Change / Update Student Information / Using a Nonlegal or Preferred Name

Students who legally change their names must notify Washburn University of these changes. Name changes entered into the Administrative Information System flow through integrated systems, affecting everything from e-mail to class rosters. The following information will assist law students with the name change procedure.

Requesting A Name Change

If your name has legally changed OR you believe your name is entered incorrectly in the administrative information system, take a social security card reflecting the name change OR legal name change documents (e.g., marriage license, divorce decree, driver's license) to the appropriate office:

• Washburn Students (includes student workers): Student One Stop, Morgan Hall, (785) 670-2162 (if off campus it is ok to email scanned copies with your name change request to sos@washburn.edu. Please also complete and submit the Washburn University Change of Student Information form (14 KB PDF; requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).
  • Law students should also alert Cory Payne, Student Records Administrator (cory.payne@washburn.edu, (785) 670-1663, Room 104E) to ensure law school records are updated.
• Faculty: Academic Affairs, Bradbury Thompson Alumni Center Room 200, (785) 670-1648.
• Staff - Human Resources, Morgan Hall Room 118, (785) 670-1538.

Confirming Name Change

Within 48 hours of requesting a name change, expect an email in your old MyWashburn account providing your new MyWashburn user name and e-mail address. Please make sure this information correctly reflects your name change. If not, reply to the email and consult with Cory Payne to ask for assistance. Note the activation date for your new account provided in the confirmation e-mail.

Using Your New Account

On your new account activation date, the name on your account will be changed and you may begin to use the new account reflecting your name change. You will be able to use the same password.

Using a Nonlegal/Preferred Name

Washburn recognizes that the ability to use a name that is not necessarily one's legal name is important to many individuals.

Students and employees may designate that a nonlegal/preferred name be used in certain University-related documents, records, and programs in place of their legal name. This includes course rosters, university email address, web applications using single sign on (e.g., MyWashburn), D2L, iCard, official university correspondence (mail and email), honor lists, Navigate and other advising software, Handshake, diploma, and commencement program.

Please be aware that only a legal name may be used for financial aid, transcripts, payroll documents, immigration documents, and other documents where a legal name is required.

Please also be aware that when a student or employee designates a nonlegal/preferred name, this name may be used on documents and communications the University mails to their permanent address, as well as honors lists shared with local community newspapers.

Please follow these steps to designate a nonlegal/preferred name across a variety of programs.

Banner Profile

1. Go to the "Student Academics" in MyWashburn (https://my.washburn.edu/web/home-community/student-academics).
2. Click on "Update your address and preferred name".
3. Enter nonlegal/preferred name in the "preferred name" field.
4. Click save.

Where will this name appear?
This name will appear in parentheses after the student's legal name on University course rosters. It will also appear in the University's online student directory. This name may also be used to generate honor rolls that may be shared on social media and with local community newspapers.

Please note you can also enter gender pronouns and gender identity by completing the appropriate fields. However, the Banner system is not currently configured to utilize gender pronoun or gender identity information that is entered (in other words, this information will only be visible to the user).

Washburn Email Address and MyWashburn

1. Students and employees should contact the OneStop either in person (on the ground level of Morgan Hall) or via email (sos@washburn.edu) and make the request. (A request via email must be sent from the student's existing official Washburn email address.) In request, student should specify that name should be changed for email address, D2L, and/or in MyWashburn.
2. The OneStop will submit the request to ITS.
3. ITS will contact the student/employee via email to verify the name change and correct spelling. If ITS receives no response from the student/employee in the allotted time frame, or if the student/employee responds to ITS to verify the name and spelling, the process moves forward.
4. The student/employee will receive an email notifying them when the process is complete.

Where will this name appear?
This name will appear in the student's official Washburn email address, in all D2L functions (e.g. discussion boards, gradebook), and in MyWashburn.

Washburn iCard

1. After nonlegal/preferred name has been added to a student or employee's Banner profile, the student or employee should go to the iCard shop on the main level of the Memorial Union and request an iCard utilizing this nonlegal/preferred name.
2. If the student/employee does not also want their legal name to appear on the iCard, they will need to request that it be omitted. The default is to include both.

Where will this name appear?
This name will appear on the student/employee iCard.

Washburn Diploma

When a student applies for graduation, they will be asked to complete an online form that includes a field for how their name should appear on their diploma. Students may enter a nonlegal/preferred name.

Where will this name appear?
This name will appear on your printed Washburn diploma. The name you designate to include on your diploma will also appear in the commencement program unless you check the box on the graduation application that it should not.

Updated: April 27, 2022.

Short URL for this page:
https://washburnlaw.edu/namechange