Preferred Name:

1. What is a "Preferred Name"?

Setting up a preferred name allows you to decide how your name will be displayed in on-line systems and reports that have elected to replace your legal name with your Preferred Name.

2. What are examples of a Preferred Name?:

1. Different First Name: Your legal name is Samuel Jones but you go by “Sam”. You may set up “Sam” as your preferred name. Your preferred name will now be displayed as “Sam Jones”

2. First and Middle Name: Your legal name is Mary Sue Smith. You go by “Mary Sue” but the university directories list your name as “Smith, Mary”. You may set up “Mary Sue” as your preferred first name.  Your preferred name will be displayed as Mary Sue Smith.

3. Middle Name as your First Name: Your legal name is William Robert Smith. You go by “Bob Smith”.  You may set up “Bob” as your preferred first name. Your preferred name will be displayed as “Bob Smith”.

3. Does my preferred name replace my legal name?

NO. Only some systems (to be determined) will use your preferred name; others will continue to use your legal name.  Your legal name will still be used for business processes, such as for payroll records.

4. Can I make my preferred name whatever I want?

NO. CSUN reserves the right to deny any preferred name that is deemed inappropriate.

5. How do I set up a Preferred Name?

From the portal, under Human Resources/Employee, click on Update My Personal Info and click on Change name and click on Edit Name.  First and Last names must be entered. Click on OK and Save.

6. Do I have to maintain a Preferred Name?

NO. if you go by your legal name, the system has automatically copied it over to Preferred Name.

7. Why are you asking to have me to key my Preferred Name in upper and lower case letters?

This is the format of your Primary name and for consistency, we want to keep the format the same.