Guidelines on Adding or Editing a Chosen Display First Name in University Information Systems
The University of Toronto recognizes that some students, faculty, staff and librarians use first names that are different from those that appear on their legal documentation. These “chosen” first names are how individuals identify, navigate through the University, and are displayed (where possible) in official University information systems and applications when a formal legal name is not required.
Information Technology Services, under the leadership of Information Security, maintains an application to simplify the process for maintaining a “display first name” for eventual synchronization across the centralized enterprise systems at the University of Toronto.
The University will use this single-source application to add and/or update an individual’s display first name in University systems. The application (my.auth.utoronto.ca)
will update only how an individual’s first name is displayed in some University systems and will not change the individual’s formal legal name. Systems that use the display first name are listed on my.auth.utoronto.ca. For those individuals who have completed a University of Toronto “Change of Name Form” or “Change of Name and Gender Form” with the registrar’s office or divisional HR/business officer, the name identified on this form will be used as your display first name and no further action is required.
Information on how to change a formal legal name, and/or the procedure for changing one’s gender identity information at the University is outlined on the Sexual and Gender Diversity Office website here.
You may change your display first name at any time without having to complete these processes.
U of T students and employees are not required to identify a display first name. When a display first name is not set, a person’s formal legal first name (as it appears in ROSI for students or HRIS for employees) is used. An individual’s formal legal name will be used where a legislative or policy requirement exists. If an individual chooses to set a display first name, they are reminded that this name will be widely displayed to members of the University community and that names that are intentionally offensive, promote hatred or illegal behaviour (or the like) are discouraged.
At present, the chosen display first name has a limited number of uses including UTmail+/Office365 systems, Quercus, Success Factors, HRIS as well as a limited number of reports from HRIS associated systems that use reports for these to identify users. It is not used for student TCards, graduation parchments, or transcripts where a formal legal name is required. For a full list of systems using the display first name option, please see the website: https://isea.utoronto.ca/services/displayname/list-of-applications/
How to set a display first name:
Students and employees are able to specify or update their chosen display name using the My Auth online application. Newly specified or updated display names will appear in University systems within 24 hours.
NB: These guidelines are subject to change. This document was last reviewed and updated on February 20, 2020.