Service Overview
The Name Change Request Service is offered to all Niagara College faculty, staff, and students. This request is to be used as follows:
Employees: For changes to legal and/or Lived name, please register your Legal/Lived Name Change with Human Resources before filling out this form.
Students: For changes to legal, preferred and/or lived name, please register your Preferred Name Change, Lived Name Change or Legal Name Change request with Enrolment Services before filling out this form.
**Please Note: Changing your name will typically result in a change to your username and email address. When the name change is complete, an email notification will be sent to your personal email account (if provided), or to the employee submitting the Name Change Request, containing your new email address and username. Your old mailbox will be renamed to your new mailbox and your old email address will continue to forward mail to your new email address. Don't forget to let all your contacts know your new email address as soon as you receive it.
Additional Information
There are 3 options for requesting a change to your name:
- Preferred Name Change
- Lived Name Change
- Legal Name Change
Before submitting any name change request, first review how your name currently appears on your Niagara College record.
Students: You can do this by following these instructions: How-to: Update your Contact Information.
Employees: You can do this by accessing your Employee self-serve for preferred name change.
Name Change Options
Preferred Name Change
A Preferred Name is a name an individual wants to be called or identified by and is different from their Legal Name.
A Preferred Name change may be made to first and middle names only.
Students: Once a student’s request is completed, this name will appear on the Class list used by Faculty, displayed in the student’s Blackboard, Student ID card and campus email if you specify on the form.
Employees: Your preferred name can appear in various ITS college systems such as Outlook mail, phone directory, portal, Blackboard and other Niagara College records and documents. Add/modify your preferred name by logging into the Niagara College Portal, selecting Oracle-Employee Self Service and then selecting the Preferred Name link. Record your name the way you want others to see it.
Note: This does not change your username or email address.
Lived Name Change
A Lived Name is a name an individual identifies with and uses in all aspects of their life and, therefore, is not merely a preference. Requesting a Lived Name change is an option for individuals whose name change reflects a gender transition where supporting documentation for a Legal Name change is forthcoming.
Once an individual’s Lived Name change request is completed, this change will reflect on all their Niagara College records.
If an individual’s name change request is completed at Niagara College, they are still required to make separate third-party name change requests. This includes but is not limited to making direct requests to OSAP, banks, Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) providers, passport offices, potential work placements and employers, educational institutions, licensing bodies, Canada Revenue Agency, health insurance providers and police.
Legal Name Change
For Canadian citizens, the Legal Name is the name an individual is registered under in a province, typically the name assigned at birth. For non-Canadian citizens, the Legal Name is the name registered in Canada and taken from their immigration documents and passport.
A Legal Name change requires supporting documentation that displays an updated name on a piece of government-issued ID (driver’s license, marriage certificate, etc.) with submission.
Once an individuals Legal Name change request is completed, this change will reflect on all their Niagara College records.
When should employees not fill out a Name Change Request Form?
In some cases, employees will choose to change their name with HR but do not want their professional or college name and email to change. In this situation, please do not fill out a Name Change Form.
Service Request Options
Select the Create Ticket button to fill out a Name Change Request Form.
If you require assistance filling out the form or have general questions related to it, please call the IT Service Desk at 905-735-2211 x7642.