Updating Chosen Name and Gender Identity at Lehigh

This page provides information on how and where you can update your legal name, chosen name, and gender identity. Please note, that not all University systems, databases, and processes may be able to display a chosen name.  The University continues to explore ways to allow those systems to display chosen names and will update this policy as those changes occur.

In addition, because legal names will still be contained in the University’s systems, they may appear in an unexpected context.  As the University utilizes a number of systems, the timeframe in which changes can or may be updated within those systems may differ. 

Where to start...

To start the process of identifying your chosen name, submit your information via go.lehigh.edu/UpdateChosenName

Chosen Name & Gender Identity Policies

To review the official policies, please go to:

Chosen Name Policy at go.lehigh.edu/chosennamepolicy


Gender Identity Policy at  go.lehigh.edu/genderidentitypolicy


Current Systems that Display Chosen Name

The University continues to work through the implementation of chosen name and gender identity. We appreciate your patience as we work through the many systems that display names campus wide.

System

How to update chosen name

Email

Individuals wishing to change how their name appears when they send an email can update this information in Google.  To change how your name appears:

  1. Sign into your Google account.
  2. In the top right corner, click on the gear.
  3. Select “Settings.”
  4. Select “Account.”
  5. In the “Send mail as” section, locate the email address you would like to edit and click “edit info” next to the email address.
  6. In the “Name” section, specify what you would like your chosen name to be and click “Save changes.”

At this time, the user name of your email address (e.g. abc123) cannot be changed. 

Faculty Name in Catalog

Chosen names are displayed in the catalog.

If you have a special character in your legal name that you would like to have included, please follow the process of updating your legal name with the university.

To provide your chosen first, middle, and/or last name to be included in the system of record, please visit  go.lehigh.edu/UpdateChosenName

Lehigh ID card

Chosen names are printed on the Lehigh ID card for new students, faculty, and staff if one has been provided. 

In some contexts, you will be asked to provide your Lehigh ID card. If a legal form of identification is required, your Lehigh ID card will not suffice. We encourage you to carry a legal form of identification (such as a driver’s license) should that be needed.

If you already have a Lehigh ID card and would like an updated one with your chosen name, contact pridecenter@lehigh.edu with your LIN and the name that you would like on your card. 

On-Campus Housing Rosters

Chosen names are displayed in the Housing & Dining portal as well as on the housing rosters used by various offices across campus. 

To provide your chosen first, middle, and/or last name to be included in the system of record, please visit go.lehigh.edu/UpdateChosenName

Course Site or Moodle

Chosen names are displayed in both the user profile and class lists for faculty members and students. 

To provide your chosen first, middle, and/or last name to be included in the system of record, please visit go.lehigh.edu/UpdateChosenName

Diplomas

Students may opt to have their chosen name rather than their legal name printed on their diploma. When a student applies for graduation, they can enter their name as they would like it to be displayed on their diploma. This will also be the name that is printed in the commencement ceremony booklet. Please note that this does not change a student's name in their student record but rather only changes how it is displayed on the diploma itself. 

Faculty Name in Course Evaluation Forms

Chosen name will be displayed for faculty members on the course evaluation forms. To provide your chosen first, middle, and/or last name to be included in the system of record, please visit go.lehigh.edu/UpdateChosenName

Instructor Name in Course Roster (Registration)

Chosen name will be displayed for the instructor on the course roster during registration. To provide your chosen first, middle, and/or last name to be included in the system of record, please visit go.lehigh.edu/UpdateChosenName

Self-Service Banner 9 (accessed by clicking "Banner" at connect.lehigh.edu)

LTS rolled out Self-Service Banner 9 (SSB9) at the end of October 2022. Chosen name is the default display name for all new pages/forms in SSB9. 

Please refer to the LTS Knowledge Base article here for additional information on the SSB9 transition.

Lyterati (used by faculty members for the PAR)

Chosen names are displayed in Lyterati. 

To provide your chosen first, middle, and/or last name to be included in the system of record, please visit  go.lehigh.edu/UpdateChosenName

PyraMed

Students’ chosen names are displayed in the Student Health Portal, PyraMed. If a chosen name has been provided, it will be displayed to the Health Center staff on a student’s record, as well as on the student-facing patient portal.

To provide your chosen first, middle, and/or last name to be included in the system of record, please visit go.lehigh.edu/UpdateChosenName

Mail Center

Your chosen name is displayed at the kiosk when you swipe your ID card to pick up a package. The staff at the Mail Center are able to look up your package using your chosen name. The kiosk and display monitors at the Mail Center also display chosen names. To ensure a smooth pick up process, please include your box number on all mail.

To provide your chosen first, middle, and/or last name to be included in the system of record, please visit go.lehigh.edu/UpdateChosenName

Central Receiving

Incoming packages for faculty and staff are received by Central Receiving and labeled using chosen names for campus delivery.

Current & Past Students

As a legal document, your legal name will continue to be the name used on your official transcripts.


Process for Changing Legal Name 

Once you've changed your legal name, contact the appropriate University representative below:

Primary Relationship with LehighWho to contact
Current or Past Students (including all Alumni)

To change the legal name on your student record, you must submit a copy of your court documents (i.e. marriage license) and a copy of your driver’s license or passport to Registration & Academic Services. Individuals who wish to submit these documents electronically should use LU FileSender to securely send an encrypted copy of the required documents to ras@lehigh.edu.

To change your legal sex, please contact ras@lehigh.edu.

Benefits Eligible Faculty/Staff 

To change your legal name, a copy of your updated Social Security Card displaying your updated legal name is required as well as completing the Personal Information Change Form (DocuSign).

If you're not sure if you're benefits eligible or not, contact inhro@lehigh.edu 

To change your legal sex, please contact inhro@lehigh.edu

Temporary/ Wage employees

Contact Payroll inpayrol@lehigh.edu 

To change your legal sex, please contact inpayrol@lehigh.edu 

Parents or FriendsContact askrecords@lehigh.edu to request a change.

Note:

(info) If you previously provided a Chosen Name and you are now updating your legal name, you may want to check to see if you also need to update your Chosen Name. 

(info) If you have a OneCard in a prior name, you may need to update the name on your OneCard using the OneCard Maintenance Form, which can be found on this page (click here).

(info) If you have a Cisco phone assigned to you in a physical office space on campus and would like to request an update to the display name, submit an LTS Help Request by selecting "Telephone & Network Infrastructure Help". 

Process for Updating Gender Identity

Follow these instructions to update your Gender Identity.

Process for Updating Personal Pronouns

Follow these instructions to update your Personal Pronouns.



For more help:

If your chosen name or legal name is not displaying where you expect it to based on the information above, please submit an LTS Help Request by selecting “Enterprise Software Help” and choosing your associated area.