7,011: Policy for Use of Preferred Names

Revised: June 2018

The University recognizes that students and/or employees of our community may most closely identify by a name other than their official legal name. To support our community and their sense of identity, students and/or employees will be referred to by a preferred name whenever possible within the campus community. When it does not constrain the university's ability for compliance with federal or state regulation or law or ability to enter into a contract, the designated preferred name will be used in place of, or in addition to, the legal name in selected university-related systems and documents. The official legal name will be used in all university-related systems and documents (including but not limited to academic transcripts and formal records of employment) that require a verified legal name.

To request use of a preferred name at the University in a system application that does not allow self-service name changes, employees should contact Human Resources; students should contact Admissions and Records.

The University reserves the right to refuse to implement a) a preferred name that would lead to misrepresentation (for example, a "preference" to have the same name as the university president, or the governor of Nevada), b) multiple preferred names simultaneously for the same individual; and c) preferred names that contain obscenity, threats of violence, or violations of copyright or other legal claims.