Names & Pronouns
Index of Topics
- 'Legal Name', 'Legal Sex' Changes at OIT
- Preferred First Name Changes at OIT
- Housing 'Nicknames' and Housing Mail
- First Name Change Student ID Card Replacement Is Free
- Length of OIT E-mail Addresses and Usernames
- Setting Preferred Pronouns in Canvas
'Legal Name', 'Legal Sex' Changes at OIT
It's possible to change what OIT calls your 'legal name' and 'legal sex', as well as your preferred first name. Oregon Tech uses a Biographical Changes Request form to update your biographical information on record at the school. This process goes through the Registrar's Office. The form cannot be accepted by email or fax, and must be turned in in-person, or by mail with notarized copies. The form can be found in Techweb, in Web for Student/Staff, in the Personal Information Tab, in the hyperlink "Name Change Information". If you need support or guidance with this process and would like the support or advice of fellow students, please reach out to us, we are happy to help.
Student B: (Regarding the Biographical Changes Request Form) The form is pretty easy to fill out, there's a couple fields. After you turn it in you can get a free card replacement with your updated preferred name (at least it was free at the time I did it). The email updating doesn't impact anything as far as I have noticed. It may take a little while for it to update. Though my experience is limited to when it was initially implemented.
Student D: Changing legal sex with OIT is pretty simple. It's on the same form as the preferred name change and legal name change form. You will need to bring a copy of the official legal change for them to put on file for their records. They will photocopy the form and you should get it back. For me I was pretty intimidated going to file the legal sex change with OIT since it's in the registrar's office, in the basement of Snell Hall in Klamath Falls. But just breathe and it isn't really that bad, very straightforward process. If you happen to be working under your dead name with OIT, you will need to bring in a new social security card before you can get moving forward.
Preferred First Name Changes at OIT
Your preferred first name can be changed with this same Biographical Changes Request form, and legal documentation is not required if all you are doing is changing your preferred first name.
Student E: (Regarding preferred name changes) It worked out, and they changed my e-mail too. It was painless.
Student H: Well, my story is a weird one? Because I ended up knowing the entire school and made friends with everyone including staff and I would always introduce myself as my name (as opposed to my deadname). By the time I started actual classes, everyone knew me already by my preferred name. OIT made it very obvious they wanted me to be comfortable and took steps to reach it. My school e-mail didn’t always use my preferred name, one day it just changed. This was in my first year, in 2018.
Housing 'Nicknames' and Housing Mail
When OIT's Housing & Residence Life sends mail home, they use the student's legal name. Housing's internal digital system 'pulls' the student's name from OIT's Admissions system. This is done by the Housing system essentially asking the Admissions system "Hey, what is the name associated with this Student ID 918 number?"
Housing does allow students to set what Housing calls 'nicknames' for themselves with Housing. Any student can contact Housing and ask that Housing use this 'nickname' when addressing the student through e-mail or by phone or in person.
By e-mail in January 2021, Tiffany Virtue stated that if students are concerned about their nickname accidentally being used in mail, Housing could make a note of this concern in the student's file, and she can guarantee it won’t go out in a mailing.
This Housing 'nickname' system is separate from OIT's 'Preferred First Name' change system. That is, if you use OIT's Biographical Changes Form to set your Preferred First Name, OIT will make changes, but Housing will not, unless they hear about this preferred name preference somehow.
When applying for Housing, this nickname can be set, or a student can contact Housing later to set or change a nickname.
First Name Change Student ID Card Replacement Is Free
If you change your legal name or preferred name, the Information Desk will not charge you for the first replacement student ID card. They will charge you for subsequent replacement cards due to subsequent name changes.
Length of OIT E-mail Addresses and Usernames
ITS has let us know that usernames and e-mail addresses can support quite a few characters (meaning long first and last names can be accommodated). If you're concerned that your name might be close to the character limit, you could reach out to ITS to let them know you'd like your full name used, if that's your preference.
Setting Preferred Pronouns in Canvas
Canvas is the online student interface for classes, and can be reached through Techweb. It is possible to set your pronouns using Canvas, and these pronouns are seen by other students and staff using Canvas.
To find these settings, log in to Canvas, go to the Account tab on the left, select Settings out of the list of hyperlinks, and then choose Edit Settings out of the gray bars over on the right-hand side.
