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About the Policy

Under Dartmouth’s Chosen Name and Identity policy, any student may choose to identify a Chosen Name in addition to their Legal Name. Students may request this option via their DartHub profile. The student’s Chosen Name may be used in many contexts, including DartHub, class rosters, Canvas, and on ID Cards. For some other records, Dartmouth is legally required to use a student’s Legal Name. Whenever reasonably possible, a student’s “Chosen Name” is used.

Limitations of Chosen Name

A Chosen Name is the name students have chosen to use within the Dartmouth campus community.  When not on campus, students who have elected a Chosen Name on their ID card are cautioned that their campus ID should not be viewed as official identification.  Students who are U.S. citizens are encouraged to have official identification (such as a driver’s license or social security card) if they need to officially identify themselves.

  • Students who are foreign nationals are required to carry and use their passport and current I-94 for identification as well as evidence of valid immigration sponsorship such as valid Form I-20 or DS-2019, I-797, admission and visa stamps.
  • U.S. Permanent Residents are required to carry their U.S. Permanent Resident card.
  • For more information about the limitations of Chosen Name contact the Office of Visa and Immigration Services.

Chosen Name vs. Legal Name

The Chosen Name replaces the Legal Name in multiple administrative areas, each of which has systems that source their data from Banner.  This includes:

  • ID Card*
  • Class Rosters
  • Canvas
  • Dartmouth email
  • Public Directory, unless a FERPA information block has been requested. Graduate and professional school students should refer to their school's handbook for school-specific details.

Use of Legal Name is required for certain offices that perform administrative processes which legally necessitate the use of a Legal Name. These include:

  • Office of Visa and Immigration Services (OVIS)
  • Campus Billing and DartCard Services
  • Financial Aid
  • Office of Institutional Research
  • Registrars' Offices
  • Athletics
  • Safety and Security
  • Human Resources/ Student Employment Office
  • Payroll
  • Accounts Payable

Administrators in these offices have access to lookup both Chosen and Legal names.

Dartmouth Transcripts

Students may elect to release their transcript with either a Chosen Name or their Legal Name. Learn more about how to release a transcript with a Chosen Name.

After graduation, withdrawal, or separation, whichever name is on the transcript remains permanently as the transcript name with certain exceptions.

  • Students who are not U.S. citizens are cautioned that transcript names which differ from official passport names could result in government requests for additional evidence or possibly denial of certain benefits such as applications for work authorization.
  • For foreign nationals, this could result in government requests for additional evidence or possibly denial of certain benefits such as applications for work authorization, petitions for change of status e.g. H-1B as all documents should match for purposes of government applications, benefits, admission to the U.S. etc.

Gender Identity and Pronouns

Students may also choose their pronoun and indicate their gender identity.  Only some systems used by departments on campus support pronouns. Certain departments require sex as well as gender information for business reasons, however, most areas can view gender information only.

Departments, programs, or systems that support pronouns:

  • Banner
  • First-year advising
  • Multiple student services areas connected with the Dean of the College
  • Student data warehouse
  • Photo lists and rosters including the faculty application “Names and Faces”

Privacy

Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) a student’s name, including one’s Chosen Name, may be disclosed to the public as “directory information” unless the student opts not to permit such disclosure by requesting a FERPA information block.

Graduate and professional school students should refer to their school’s handbook for school-specific details on both FERPA and requesting information blocks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn more about the Chosen Name and Identity policy and procedures.