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.

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

No. A chosen name is an optional service available to students, faculty, and staff.

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.
  • They wish to use their former last name professionally.
  • They wish to use a psuedonym 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.
  • To align with an individual's gender, religious or other protected class identity.

Students, faculty, and staff engage with one another every day. Below are just a few examples in which chosen name may be used.

  • Searching for a student or faculty member in the campus directory.
  • A student reviews their schedule and list of faculty members for their classes.
  • A faculty member taking roll during the first day of class.
  • A staff member serving as a review commitee member for scholarship selection.
  • A student meeting with an advisor.
  • Two students collaborating virtually in D2L.

Following a chosen name request, an individual's chosen name is entered as an alternate name in Banner. The individual's University email address will be updated as part of the process. Once these upates are complete, this information will be displayed in the campus directory and in a wide variety of 3rd party systems such as MyInfo, DegreeWorks, D2L, and many more.

Chosen name may be printed on an ID card at the option of the student or employee. 

Do note that an ID card with a chosen name can no longer be used as a form of legal identification.

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.

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

  • Federal Financial Aid Processing
  • Human Resources Benefit/Retirement Information
  • Immigration Reporting
  • Payroll Processing
  • State reporting
  • Student Accounts
  • Student Employment
  • Tax Processing
  • Transcripts

This service is scheduled to roll out on October 21, 2021.