Procedures Supporting the SHU Chosen Name Policy

Overview

Once specified in SHU Systems, according to these Procedures, only a person’s Chosen Name will be displayed in SHU Systems’ user interfaces, where technologically feasible, unless display of their Legal Name is required.

When a person specifies a Chosen Name, SHU’s use of that Chosen Name is inclusive of all SHU Systems and SHU Publications consistent with this Policy. For clarity, a person cannot elect to use a Chosen Name in some SHU Systems or SHU Publications and not in others. SHU will communicate with external entities and family members, consistent with SHU’s privacy obligations, including FERPA and HIPPA, using a person’s Chosen Name.

System Default

If a person does not specify a Chosen Name in any name field (first, middle or last) SHU Systems will automatically use the Legal Name. Please note, not all SHU Systems display middle name fields.

How to notify SHU of your Chosen Name

New Students

Enrolling students who specify their Chosen Name in the application process do not need to take further action. SHU Systems will automatically integrate the Chosen Name provided in the student’s application.

Current Students, Faculty & Staff

Complete this Chosen Name Change Form
Once the Chosen Name Change Form is submitted it will be processed by the Office for Inclusive Excellence in communication with the Office of the Registrar and Human Resources.
Chosen Name Change Forms may take up to ten (10) business days for processing.
Current Students, Faculty and Staff who indicated a “Preferred” first name in the SHU System prior to August 2023: those “Preferred” first names will automatically be entered as Chosen Name in the first name field after August 2023.

SHU’s Right to Refuse

SHU reserves the right to refuse use of a Chosen Name which it deems, in its reasonable discretion, vulgar, offensive, obscene or otherwise used as a form of misrepresentation or in violation of another SHU policy, including the Student Code of Conduct and the Employee Handbook. If SHU intends to refuse use of a Chosen Name, it will attempt to contact the person to provide notice and resolve concerns.

SHU Identification Card

SHU Identification Cards will show a person’s Chosen Name and their SHU Student ID number. Once a person’s Chosen Name is in the SHU System, that person can obtain a new SHU ID card without charge.

Legal Name Changes

Legal Name Changes are changes to the one’s name shown on their valid passport, US birth certificate or other United States or US state government issued identification that may be subsequently modified by a United States or US state court document, such as a marriage certificate or valid court order.

Legal Name changes for students are processed by the Office of the Registrar according to the Registrar’s Change of Legal Name Procedure instructions. Legal Name changes for faculty and staff are done by logging into Dayforce and choosing “Forms.”

How to indicate Pronouns in the SHU System

Log into your SHU Student Planning and Advising (SPA) account
Choose “User Profile”
Choose “Edit Personal Identity”
There is a drop down menu to choose from a list of common pronouns. If you do not see the pronouns you use, contact Freda Grant at 203-396-8067 or grantf2@sacredheart.edu or the general equitycompliance@sacredheart.edu for assistance.

Record Retention

SHU retains both a person’s Legal Name and current Chosen Name in SHU Systems to protect and authenticate personal information, maintain legal obligations and facilitate the use of Chosen Names. A person is always associated with only one assigned SHU ID number.
Legal Names are part of the University’s permanent record to be used when it is required or necessary for SHU to comply with legal, regulatory or policy obligations.
SHU Systems retain Legal Name histories, but do not retain Chosen Name histories.

Legal Name Required

There are circumstances where SHU is required by law or regulation to use a person’s Legal Name. However, SHU will limit Legal Name use to the specific document(s) and communication(s) requiring the Legal Name and will continue to use one’s Chosen Name wherever possible, for example in conversation and informal communication around the circumstance requiring the Legal Name. These circumstances include but are not limited to:

Human Resources employment records including
- Tax forms
- Payroll
- Benefits
- Background checks
Financial aid
- Student employment records
Accounting records
Student Transcripts
NCAA records including:
- Eligibility Center distributions
- National Letter of Intent
International Student Services records including:
- Visa
- Immigration documents
Public Safety documents
Counseling Center records
Some professional licensure documents
Insurance documents
Information provided to airlines for issuing tickets

Relationships with external entities including agencies, internship providers, accreditation programs, licensure and volunteering:

SHU engages with external entities in several formal and informal ways to coordinate degree and professional program requirements as well as offer experiences outside the SHU community.
Except where required by law, regulation or legitimate SHU purpose, SHU will communicate only a person’s Chosen Name to an external entity, and where Legal name is required, encourage partners to support practices of belonging.
However, this Policy does not extend to those external entities.
Where an external entity has and/or utilizes a person’s Legal Name, SHU encourages that person to engage directly with that entity to address the entity’s use of their Chosen Name in those settings by those entities.

SHU System Displays, Capabilities and Updates

The Use of Chosen Names and Pronouns in SHU Systems lists current SHU Systems and how Chosen Names are supported and displayed.
As SHU works to fully implement this Policy, it will continue to modify and update SHU Systems. See Use of Chosen Names and Pronouns in SHU Systems for current SHU Systems information.
When upgrading systems or adding new systems or vendors, SHU will prioritize and make all reasonable efforts to acquire systems and vendors that support use of Chosen Names consistent with the SHU Chosen Name Policy.

Questions or Concerns

Contact Freda Grant, Director of Institutional Equity Compliance & Support with any questions or requests for assistance relating to the Chosen Name Policy and these Procedures at 203-396-8067, equitycompliance@sacredheart.edu or grantf2@sacredheart.edu.

Concerns of discrimination based on any protected characteristic except sex and gender, are handled by the Director of Institutional Equity Compliance & Support. Contact Freda Grant at 203-396-8067 or grantf2@sacredheart.edu.

Student concerns of discrimination based on sex and gender are handled by the Title IX Coordinator, Beth Anne Voight-Jause, at voight-jauseb@sacredheart.edu or 203-416-3420. For employees, contact Freda Grant, Director of Institutional Equity Compliance & Support and Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Employees at grantf2@sacredheart.edu or 203-396-8067.

Definitions

For purposes of the SHU Chosen Name Policy and these Procedures, the terms below have the following meanings:

Legal Name is the name shown on a person’s valid passport, US birth certificate or other United States or US state government issued identification unless subsequently modified by a United States or US state court document, such as a marriage certificate or valid court order.
Chosen Name is the name a person uses consistently and publicly to identify themselves. SHU students, faculty and staff who would like SHU to use their Chosen Name must notify SHU by specifying their Chosen Name in the SHU System according to the Procedures Supporting this Policy. SHU is working to support the use of a Chosen Name for first, middle and last name fields in SHU Systems (See updated list below).
SHU Systems are all SHU technology systems that collect, use and/or manage the personal information of students, faculty and/or staff.
SHU Publications are any public communications issued by SHU. SHU Publications include, but are not limited to, SHU ID cards, online athletic rosters, promotional materials, websites, social media, playbills, organization membership lists, news releases, awards and some mailings.
A pronoun is a word(s) that one may substitute for a noun or noun phrase. As such, people frequently refer to each other using pronouns. Often, when speaking of a singular individual in the third person, these pronouns imply a gender -- such as “he” to refer to a man or “she” to refer to a woman. These associations are not always accurate or helpful, and people can indicate the third-person pronouns by which they wish to be referred to, often to indicate their gender identity. SHU offers the opportunity for all students, faculty, and staff to specify their pronouns in the SHU Systems according to the Procedures Supporting this Policy.