Employee Name Policy

Gettysburg College Employee Name Policy

Approved by: President’s Council

Approval date: 4/19/2023

Effective date: 1/1/2024

Revision history: none

Gettysburg College recognizes that employees may choose to identify themselves by a first and middle name other than their legal/government name. For this reason, employees may request that HR enter a chosen name for them in the College’s system of record.  This name will be used where possible in the course of College business and education, provided the name is not for inappropriate purposes, such as misrepresentation or fraud. 

Things to know and consider:

Why might an employee use a chosen name?

  • An employee may go by a name other than their legal/government name for gender identity/expression, cultural, religious or professional reasons.
  • An international employee may also choose to go by a name other than their legal/government name while they are working in the United States.
  • Chosen names will appear on communications from the College to you and your family.

What is a chosen name versus a legal/government name?

  • A chosen name is specified by entering first and middle names in the College’s system of record.
  • A legal/government name is the full name that appears on an individual's passport, driver’s license, birth certificate, U.S. Social Security Card, or other government issued identification (including an F1 Visa).

What are some examples of where chosen name versus legal/government name may appear?

Chosen Name

Legal/Government Name

PeopleSoft Self-Service pages

Payroll and HR related data in PeopleSoft and CNAV

Employee ID Card (Employee must make this request if making a change from legal to chosen name)

Tax Forms (W-2, 1099, 1042-S, 1098-T, W-9, W-8BEN)

CNAV pages

Health Insurance Information & Employee Accounts Billing System

Email Display Name (Employee must make this request; alias does not change)

I-20, F1 Visas

 

Campus Experience pages

 

Navigate

Payments and related notifications (payroll, employee refund checks, fellowship stipend checks, etc.)

Moodle

Loan Documents

 

FAQs:

Regarding legal name changes:

What is the process to update my account and email username due to a legal name change?

Three weeks prior to the start of a semester, submit the documentation of the legal name change to Human Resources, and HR will in turn submit a Helpdesk ticket to Information Technology requesting the change.

Why does Information Technology need three weeks to change my username due to a legal name change?

When an employee has a legal name change, IT must create all new accounts in all systems and then manually copy any existing information from previous accounts to the new accounts.   Additionally, time is needed for the new information to propagate through all data and technical systems.  To reduce any negative side effects of migration and the propagation delays of the change through systems (email, Office 365, network file drives, system permissions, course rosters, financial aid, payroll, semester reporting, etc), a legal name change is not performed during a semester. 

Regarding chosen names:

What if I don’t want my chosen name used on public information or external communications including those sent to my family.

Gettysburg College will always use chosen name (with the exception of the required areas listed above under the legal/government name section). 

Step by Step Guide on how to change your chosen name

What is the process to update my name in campus systems?

  • Submit request including full chosen email display name and the individual components comprising the email display name to Human Resources.
  • To edit your email display name and cloud system name information, also submit a request to Human Resources.
  • To get a new College ID card, follow the instructions on the ID card office website.

Contact the following for additional support and resources:

Human Resources

Office of Diversity & Inclusion

 

DISCLAIMER: Technological platforms are continuously evolving. Should you find that a system is using the incorrect name, please complete this form.