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Manager’s Guide to the Preferred Name Approval Process for Employees

Employees can request an update to their preferred name (prefix, first name, middle name, last name and suffix), however they must comply with the following guidelines.

  • The requested name must be in good taste and business-appropriate
  • Does not contain inappropriate or offensive language/meaning
  • Should not violate any University Regulation, policy or law
  • The name should not include any symbols or numbers
  • Preferred last names are approved on a limited basis and must reflect some reasonable justification
  • Preferred names must receive final approval of the Vice President of Human Resources

Note: Montclair State University reserves the right to decline or revoke an approved Preferred Name (prefix, first name, middle name, last name and suffix) if it is used for criminal or misrepresents the university’s reputation or interests in any way

Approval Process

  • Employees may request preferred names by entering the desired change in Workday self-service. Preferred last names are approved on a limited basis, and should be based on some reasonable justification such as use of a Professional Name that is different from the legal name, such as a maiden name. The reason for the request should be submitted as a Comment when requesting Preferred Name in WorkDay.
  • The request is initially approved by the requesting employee’s immediate supervisor.
  • All requests are routed to the Vice President for Human Resources for final approval.

When requests to update or change a preferred name are submitted, the preferred name will be visible upon final approval by the Vice President of Human Resources.