Updating Your Chosen Name

CCAD recognizes that students may choose to be addressed by a name other than their legal first name. Similarly, students may wish to declare a gender identity different from their legal sex. By doing so, certain systems and documents can adopt these changes according to the policy and process outlined below.

Declaring a Chosen Name

When a student declares their chosen name, this change will occur in Moodle, CCAD email (name only, not email address), Teams, and Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, etc.). Documents that will reflect the chosen name are course rosters, grade reports, class schedule, disability accommodation letters, among others. Please note that documents serving as official records for a student will maintain a student’s legal first name, such as official transcripts, financial aid paperwork, billing statements, among others. Declaring a chosen first name can only be done by the individual who will be using the chosen name.

To request your chosen name, follow these steps:

Log in to your Self Service account at: links.ccad.edu/selfservice
Hover over the Profile at the top right and click Profile. Click the Preferred Name tab.
Click the Pencil button. (You may see a reference to Display Name in this section. This is a system delivered field that means the name to display in certain areas of the system).
At this time, there is also an option to declare a Gender Identity. This is optional and not required to proceed with the Chosen Name request. See below for more information about declaring a gender identity.
Click Save to submit the form.
The Office of Students Records reviews chosen name requests. If a chosen name is declined (see below for reasons why it could be), students will receive notice within 72 hours from the Registrar, otherwise, the name will be approved along with a confirmation email from the Registrar.

Updating CCAD ID with Chosen Name

Current students may have their CCAD Student ID card changed to reflect their chosen name. To do so:

Complete the “Declare a Chosen Name” process described above.
Print a copy of the approval email that you receive from the Registrar’s Office.
Bring the approval email to the CCAD Safety & Security Office located in the Administration Building. There, you can produce the email and request a new student ID at no additional cost.

Declaring a Gender Identity

Current students can declare their gender identity in Self Service. When a student declares an identity, it’s viewable to the student in their profile on Self Service, as well as by staff who regularly use our student information system that’s connected to Self Service. This information will not transfer to class rosters, schedules, or other systems at CCAD. Declaring a gender identity can only be done by the individual to whom the request applies. To declare a gender identity:

Log in to Self Service at links.ccad.edu/selfservice.
Hover over the Profile at the top right and click Profile. Click the Preferred Name tab.
Click the Pencil button and select a Gender Identity from the drop down.
Click Save to submit the request form.

Gender identity forms will be reviewed by the Office of Student Records. Students will only receive a confirmation email if there is an issue with the request, otherwise, it’s automatically approved. Note: When updating this field, you will see that the Display Name field automatically populates the legal name, if not already changed to a chosen name previously. You don’t need to change the Display Name field if you don’t want to and you can just complete the Gender Identity section.

Pronoun Assistance

If students are having challenges with faculty or staff using the correct pronouns and the student would like support or advocacy, they can email inclusion@ccad.edu. Likewise, if a student would like the Student Engagement & Inclusion Office to officially notify faculty about their pronouns so as to not have to do so on their own, they can also email inclusion@ccad.edu and staff will be happy to assist.

Q&A

If I declare a chosen first name in Self Service, will it automatically change in Moodle and as the name associated with my student email?

Yes, this will occur once the request has been processed by the Office of Student Records. This will change the name associated with the email address. It does not change the actual email address.

Can I use a different chosen first name in each system?

No. Your chosen name will be the same in each system where the name is changed per this policy.

Are there any restrictions to the chosen name and/or the gender identity I declare?

In general, CCAD will not restrict a student’s name and/or identity declarations, however, under certain circumstances, the Office of Student Records may deny a request. Those include situations when requests breach character limits within our systems, contain non-letter characters, or when a request is determined to be offensive, grounded in hate-based speech, racist in nature, anti-semitic, or any other type of demeaning or degrading language that will invoke offense or hate. As appropriate, the Registrar will consult with staff in the Division of Student Affairs on these instances.

How often can I change my chosen name?

A chosen name declaration may be made once per academic year. Declaring a chosen name is an important decision that impacts how you will be regarded on campus and should be made with careful consideration.

Where will my chosen name be used?

The chosen first name (otherwise known as the “display name” in Self Service) will show up on class rosters, advising reports for advisors, and some internal pages of Self-Service and Moodle. It will not show up on financial aid documents, billing statements, academic plans, transcripts, or official enrollment or degree verification documentation. See the Chosen Name vs Legal Name Summary for a detailed breakdown of where the chosen name and legal name are used on specific college systems, documents, and records.

How does CCAD identify me to individuals outside CCAD, such as an employer or parent/guardian, if they were to call?

In general, CCAD takes caution when referencing a student with their chosen name. This is to protect the student and to avoid any unintended outing or consequences to the student, should these parties not be aware of the student’s chosen name. If the third party is clearly aware of the chosen name and referencing the student as such, then we’ll move forward under the assumption that that individual is aware of the chosen name use of the student.

How do I change my legal name with the college?

Students need to furnish the college with legal documents verifying the change of name, such as a Social Security card, marriage certificate, or driver’s license. Contact registrar@ccad.edu for more details.