Update Revision Responsibility: Director of Human Resources and Registrar

Authority

Minnesota State Procedure 1B.1.2 Preferred Name

Purpose

St. Cloud Technical & Community College and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities recognizes and supports the members of its community who wish to use preferred names where legally permissible. This policy outlines a process by which individuals may designate a preferred name to be used in the course of business and education.

Definition

Preferred Name: A preferred name is a name that a person has chosen to identify themselves within the Minnesota State system that is different, in whole or in part, from their legal name.

Designating a Preferred Name

An individual shall generally be permitted to designate any preferred name, including first, middle and/or last name. St. Cloud Technical & Community College and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities reserves the right to deny an inappropriate preferred name including, but not limited to, those that: avoid legal obligations, misrepresent, or violate other system policies, etc. Preferred names may not be used for commercial or promotional purposes and thus may not be a company name, group name, or message.

Implementation

The system office information technology division will be responsible for implementing the use of preferred names within the student and employee records system.

SCTCC will use preferred names where technically and legally possible: email account, diploma, class rosters, honor program lists, D2L homepage, commencement programs, advisee lists, ID card, and alumni records. This list is subject to change.

Legal names shall be used by default in all cases except where specifically identified in the preferred name list. This list shall be periodically reviewed and updated as necessary to achieve the overall goal of this policy, which is to provide for the use of “preferred names where legally permissible.”

Information about this policy shall be included in new student and employee orientation as well as to faculty each semester as a reminder to share the policy with their students.

The Registrar shall be responsible for handling preferred name submissions from students and alumni; the Human Resources Director shall be responsible for handling preferred name submissions from employees.

S1.4.1 Preferred Name Procedure

This procedure outlines a process by which individuals in the system may designate a preferred name to be used in the course of business and education.

  1. Submission Process
    • For students to submit a preferred name, they can do so on the initial application to the college, or via student eServices (Account Management > Name & Address Info > Preferred Name > Edit). The preferred name is entered directly by the student as they wish it to appear.
    • For employees to request a preferred name, they will complete the Employee Preferred Name form and submit to the SCTCC Human Resources Office.
      REMINDER: a photo ID is required when submitting the form
  2. Decision (Approval/Denial) Process
    • The Registrar (students) or Human Resources Director (employees) will review the submissions.
    • In the event a submission is denied, the preferred name will be not be processed or removed and a written notice will be sent to the requestor as received/discovered by SCTCC.
    • The requestor will be notified only if a Preferred Name is denied. Notification will include the reason for the denial and be sent to the employee/student within ten (10) business days of the date of denial. 
  3. Appeal Process
    • The student has ten (10) business days from receipt of the denial to file a Student Petition.
    • The employee has ten (10) business days from the receipt of the denial to file an appeal.  Appeals should be sent to HR@sctcc.edu.
    • SCTCC will respond to the student/employee with a final decision within ten (10) days of receipt of the appeal.
    • SCTCC has the ultimate authority in determining the appropriateness of preferred names for SCTCC students/employees and decisions are final.
  4. Additional Information
    • For those students and employees who request a Preferred Name and are associated with more than one Minnesota State institution, please note that the timing of the appearance of your Preferred Name may vary at each institution based on each institution’s available technical resources.
    • Students/employees are not obligated to select a preferred name.


Printable PDF of Policy S1.4

Appeals or questions regarding the Preferred Name process should be directed to the appropriate office:
Employee Preferred Name Request Form

Complete this form if you would like St. Cloud Technical and Community College to use a preferred name in its record, consistent with Minnesota State System Procedure1B.1.2 (https://www.minnstate.edu/board/procedure/1b01p2.html)