Please be advised that if you are changing your name, your WesternU network, e-mail, and Elentra/Canvas log-ins will be changed by Technical Support once this form is submitted to our office. You will need to provide a current contact number so Technical Support can contact you with your new log-in ID.
WesternU Students Who Are WesternU Employees
If you are a current WesternU employee, as well as a current, incoming, or previous WesternU student, do not continue to complete the Name Change Request. Instead, please contact Human Resources, HROperations@westernu.edu, to initiate the name change process.
What You Need Before Changing Your Name
The Name Change Request requires you to enter specific information regarding your student profile at WesternU. In order to complete a legal name change, you must also attach one of the following documents to the name change form:
- Naturalization Certificate
- Marriage License
- Divorce Decree
- Driver’s License
- Social Security Card
- Passport
Please note that the documentation you submit must be legal and it must include your new name. Documents uploaded that do not include your new name will not be accepted, and the name change request will be denied.
What Happens After Submitting a Name Change Request
Once you have completed the Name Change Request and attached the appropriate legal documentation, a ticket will be created with the Registrar’s Office. Within 3-5 business days, your request will be reviewed for completeness and approved for processing. Once approved, you will receive an automated confirmation notice. Additionally, a separate email is triggered to various campus-wide stakeholders, including administrators in your College, tech support, and other departments that rely on managing systems that will need to be updated following your official name change. Please allow approximately 3-5 business days for these updates to be made. If you do not see your new name reflected on a WesternU-related system after 5 business days, please contact the individual responsible for that specific system.
Changes to Your Email Address
Students who are changing their names have the ability to change their email address display. Please note that you will still log into WesternU resources using your previous email address/username. For example, John Doe, a WesternU student whose current WesternU email address is jdoe@westernu.edu submits a legal name change request. Their new legal name is John Smith. John’s username and email for the purposes of logging in to WesternU resources will remain ‘jdoe’ and jdoe@westernu.edu – however, his name will appear as ‘John Smith’ on WesternU resources, and all messages sent to his new email, jsmith@westernu.edu will be delivered to his jdoe@westernu.edu inbox.
Technical Support strongly advises against changing your email to match your new name. Changing your username/email can create issues with permissions to various resources such as the MyPortal, Elentra, Canvas, Google Docs, SharePoint, Examsoft, WIFI and Self-Service. If you elect to change your email, it can take several weeks for all permissions to be corrected. TechSupport may not be able to update permissions to College Specific, username-based functions.
Obtaining a New Student ID Badge
If you would like to order a new Student ID badge following your legal name change, please contact the Access Control team, located on the first floor of the University Services Center (USC Building). They can be reached by email, accesscontrol@westernu.edu.
Chosen/Preferred Name vs Legal Name
Students interested in updating their chosen/preferred name should not submit a name change request. Instead, visit the My Portal and locate the “Personal Pronoun and Chosen/Preferred Name” card to submit a separate request.