Students who want to change their legal names to their preferred ones can now do so on Canvas.
Distance Education Coordinator Wendy Bass explained the importance of the change.
“I like the idea of students choosing their preferred name because I think that’s their identity and that’s who they prefer to be,” Bass said. “Students are entitled to have the name they want to choose.”
Bass said that this change will make it easier on students who want to change their legal names.
“Before they would have to go through my office where they would have to take a screenshot and prove they have changed their preferred name and that we change it on canvas,” Bass said.
Students can go to SIS and change their name and the grades at the end of the semester will be under the preferred name. However the name will change only on canvas.
President Alexis Montevirgen said that students had been asking to change their names in the past.
“This is in response to several of our students wanting to be able to identify using another name preference,” Montevirgen said.
Montevirgen said that some issues might arise as a result of students changing their names.
“I think that there were several other students that also expressed concern though, that if they changed their name in canvas, can we ensure that the SIS change in any communication that goes to the home not be changed,” Montevirgen said. “And then sometimes even doing something in the best interest ends up harming or sort of having a detrimental impact that’s unforeseen. I just want to make sure that we have all of those bases covered.”