Implementation of the Chosen Name Initiative

Dear Colleagues,  

As part of the University’s Chosen Name Initiative, effective September 1, 2022, employees will be able to designate a chosen name to be utilized in the course of university business in lieu of their legal name[1]. If you do not wish to designate a chosen name, you do not need to take any action. Employees may elect to set a chosen name by following the steps outlined below:

  • Navigate and log in to myRutgers Portal with your NetID and password.
  • Select the “Employee Self Service” tab.
  • Click “Update Chosen Name” which is located under the Personal Information section on the left side menu.
  • Click the “Add/Update Chosen Name” button on the bottom of the screen to make the desired updates.
  • Once complete, click “Save” to view a confirmation of the changes. Please note, changes may take 24-48 hours to take effect in any downstream systems.
  • To view screenshots of the above steps, please download the Setting a Chosen Name User Guide.  

It is important to note that a chosen name will replace a legal name in multiple administrative systems. However, not all systems utilize the same information source for an employee’s name and subsequently will not update automatically once a chosen name has been set. The following systems will be updated within 24-48 hours: 

  • Rutgers Search Directory
  • myRutgers Portal
  • Class Rosters
  • Canvas
  • REGIS  

For consistency, employees may also wish to set a chosen name in the following platforms:

To view guidelines for acceptable chosen name formats, FAQs, or additional resources, please visit the University Human Resources Chosen Name webpage.  

Sincerely,

Vivian Fernández, Senior Vice President Human Resources

[1] Whenever reasonably possible and with limited exceptions. The use of an employee’s legal name is required for certain offices that perform administrative processes which legally necessitate the use of a legal name (i.e., payroll, W2, pension, benefits, financial aid, etc.)