Employees

Places where my Chosen Name will be Used

Applicant Tracking System

Campus Directory*

CatCard (Optional)

Course Catalog

DegreeWorks

D2L

Rec Sports and Fitness Center

Employee Information System (Banner)

Many University Communications

University Email

Places where my Legal name will be Used

Employment Verification

Employee Information System (Banner)

Federal and State Agency Reporting

Immigration Status Reporting

Medical Insurance and Retirement Processing

Payroll

Tax Processing

Website FAQ

Q:  What is the chosen name request service?

A: The chosen name request service is the method by which members of the campus community can request to use a chosen name on campus.

Q: What is a chosen name?

A:  A chosen name is a first, middle, and/or last name that is different from your legal name. A chosen name is one you wish to use during your employment or academic career at the University.

Q: Am I required to request a chosen name?

A: No, you do not have to request a chosen name. This service is for people who wish to be known by a name other than their legal name.

Q: Who can indicate a chosen name?

A: Any student, faculty, or staff at any Montana State University campus.

Q: Why do people use a chosen name?

A: People use a chosen name for any number of reasons. Here are some of the major ones:

• They wish to be known by a nickname.
• They use an abbreviated form of their first name.
• They use their middle name in place of their first name.
• To align with an individual's gender, religious or other protected class identity.
• They wish to use their former last name professionally.
• They wish to use a pseudonym such as pen name or stage name (common in literature and the arts).
• To adopt a local name (International students.)
• To provide an added degree of safety for victims of physical, sexual, or other types of violence.

Q: How will I be able to request a chosen name?

A: You may request a chosen name using the chosen name request service which will be made available in MyInfo starting October 21st, 2021.

Q: When will I be able to request a chosen name?

A: This service is scheduled to go-live October 21, 2021.

Q: Who can I contact if I have questions?

A: Please send questions to hrservicecenter@montana.edu

Q: Where will my chosen name be used?

A: Following a chosen name request, an individual's chosen name is entered into the Employee Information System (Banner). The individual's University email address may be updated as part of the process. Once these updates are complete, their chosen name is displayed in a wide variety of 3rd party systems such as D2L, the Applicant Tracking System (ATS), Recreational Sports and Fitness Center and many more.

Do note that some places may support updates but require an additional step in order to reflect a chosen name.  For example, employees wishing to have the online directory updated will need to complete a Telephone and Network Services Form which can be found at the following URL. https://www.montana.edu/uit/telephone/tnsr-form/

Q: Can a chosen name be printed on a CatCard?`

A: Students, faculty, and staff may have their chosen name printed on their CatCard.  This is optional and replacement charges will apply.

A CatCard which displays a chosen name may longer be used as a form of legal identification.

Q: Is a CatCard a form of identification accepted off-campus?

A: Entities off campus are not likely to consider the CatCard as a valid government ID.  Employees are advised to carry a government-issued form of ID such as a driver’s license, U.S. social security card, or passport to access resources that require identification, but which are not on the Montana State University campus.

Q: Can a student, faculty or staff member use any chosen name that they wish?

A: Students, faculty and staff members are free to determine the chosen name they wish to be known by in the University's information system. The University reserves the right to deny or remove any chosen name that disrupts the academic or work environment of the University.

Q: Are there instances where a chosen name will not be used?

A: Yes. There are many instances where legal name must continue to be used. While this is not an exhaustive list, below are a number of examples where legal name will continue to be used.

Degree Verification

Employment Verification

Enrollment Verification

Federal and State Agency Reporting

Financial Aid

Immigration Status Reporting

Official University Transcripts

Payroll

Student Information System

Tax Processing

Q: If my university email address changes, will I still receive an email sent to my former email address?

A: Yes, when your university email address changes, the former email address is set as an alias to the new one.  If someone sends an email to your former email address, it will be routed to your new university email address.

Q: My chosen name has been updated and I noticed that my Techsmith Relay account does not reflect my chosen name or email address.

A: Some 3rd party systems do not enable us to update profile information after it has intially be set.  Techsmith Relay is one case.

If you wish to update your Techsmith Relay account, please following the instructions below.

1. Log into your TechSmith library: https://montana.techsmithrelay.com/
2. Once logged in, click the avatar in the upper right hand corner of your library and then click "My Account"
3. This will prompt you to log-in with your email address (use the address that shows up when you clicked the avatar in step 2). Enter your email address and then hit continue. When prompted to enter a password, click "Forgot Password" and follow the steps to set-up a new one.
4. Once you are set-up and logged in under the My Account page, you should see all your account details. In the upper right hand corner click the "Edit" button.
5. This should bring you to a page where you can enter a preferred first and last name as well as a "display name". Enter that information and then select "Save Changes”

If you need additional assistance please contact: MSUTechSmith@motana.edu

Q: My chosen name was just processed and now I am unable to log into Brightspace/D2L, what should I do?

A: This is a known issue and is caused by a sync’ing issue between Brightspace/D2L and Banner.  As your chosen name was processed a notification was automatically sent to the D2L Team prompting them to make the necessary changes. In most cases, the D2L Team will resolve this issue within about 2 hours from the time your chosen name was processed.  If this disruption lasts longer than two hours or if your access is time sensitive, please contact the D2L team by phone at 406-994-3255 or email ecat@montana.edu before 5:00 PM.  If for some reason, this issue is not resolved prior to the close of business on the day that your chosen name was processed, it will automatically resolve itself overnight as Brightspace/D2L synchronizes with Banner.