Name and Gender Changes

Updating Gender

As of 2023, students are able to update their gender identity information in CUNYfirst. To update this information, log into CUNYfirst and navigate to Self Service -> Personal Details -> Gender Identity. Options for gender include male (M), female (F), transgender (T), gender nonconforming (G), non-binary (X), a gender not listed (L), and not specified (U).

Students can also update their gender by submitting a Change of Gender form through the Registrar’s Office at any time. No documentation is required. Please find the Change of Gender form by visiting this page. 

Please be aware, however, that changing your gender in CUNYfirst may cause a mismatch if you are a recipient of federal financial aid. You are advised to contact the financial aid office to discuss further.

Please submit the completed form to The Office of the Registrar at CCNY either in-person or through email:

Wille Administration Building
Room 102
160 Convent Avenue
New York, NY 10031

p: 212.650.7850
e:  registrar@ccny.cuny.edu

Updating Preferred Name Through Registrar

The City College of New York respects students’ names and recognizes that students may be unable to go through a legal name change during their time here. CUNY is committed to using a student’s preferred name during their time as a student.  Any student can update their preferred name on CUNYfirst (see below) or by submitting a Preferred Name Request Form to the Registrar office located in the Wille Administration Building in Room 102.

Please note that this will only change your name on CUNYfirst, it is not a legal name change. After making this update, your preferred name will also be shown on class rosters and Blackboard.  Please see directions below on updating your e-mail display name, e-mail username, Zoom and Teams/Office 365 display name.

Please submit the completed form to The Office of the Registrar at CCNY either in-person or through email:

Wille Administration Building
Room 102
160 Convent Avenue
New York, NY 10031

p: 212.650.7850
e:  registrar@ccny.cuny.edu

Updating Preferred Name Through CUNYfirst

You can also update your preferred name entirely online through CUNYfirst. See instructions below:

1. Log onto CUNYfirst and follow the below navigation
   CUNYFIRST MENU > Campus Solutions > Self Service > Student Center
    
2. In the Personal Information section, select the Names link to edit your name.
    
3. Click on ADD A NEW NAME green button.
    
4. For the Name Type, select Preferred. Enter your preferred name accordingly in the appropriate fields below. 
    
5.  Click on SAVE green button.

Please note that this will only change your name on CUNYfirst, it is not a legal name change. After making this update, your preferred name will also be shown on class rosters and Blackboard.

Class Rosters

The class roster that faculty download will reflect your preferred name the following semester after you update it in CUNYfirst or by submitting the form to Registrar. We recommend making these changes during the Summer or Winter sessions, so your name is correct for the following semester.

Your preferred name will be reflected on CUNYfirst, Blackboard, and class rosters.

Updating Student ID Card with Preferred Name

Students can request a new ID card free of charge with their preferred name.  Once your preferred name has been updated on CUNYfirst, you can visit the ID office and request a new card with your preferred name, free of charge.  Due to COVID-19, visit the ID Office webpage for updated procedures.  

Getting New Email Display, Name, Email Username, Zoom, and Teams (Office 365)

CUNY policy states that students and employees are permitted to use a preferred first name and middle name on all non-official records such as identification card, email address, and course rosters, without the need to provide documentation.  Students and employees are also permitted to change their gender in CUNY records without documentation. Official records such as student transcripts and diplomas require a legal name change. 

To update any one or all of the following (Email Display Name, Email username, Zoom and Teams/Office 365) please follow the instructions below

1. ​Click this link to access the CCNY Email and Name Change Form.
2. Under "Check all that apply", checkmark the box that says "Citymail (Student)".
3. Under "Reason for Request", checkmark the box next to "Preferred".
4. Under "Reason for Request", next to "Update" check all boxes that apply that you want to change (Email Display Name, Email username, Zoom, Teams (Office 365).
5. Under "Applicant Information", fill out "Last Name, First Name, Current CCNY Email ( _____@citymail.cuny.edu ), EMPLID, Personal Email, and Phone Number".
   NOTE: You do not have to use your former first and/or last name for this section - what matters most is that you record your "Current CCNY Email" and "EMPLID" correctly in this section.
6. Under "Applicant Acknowledgement", print your current full name, Sign, and Date.
7. Submit this completed form either by going in person and delivering this form to the CCNY Service Desk (NAC 1/301) or by emailing CCNY Service Desk at servicedesk@ccny.cuny.edu - A Service Desk ticket will be created and reviewed by OIT staff to update you on the status of your form.

Student Transcripts and Diplomas

At this time, student can only change their names on their transcripts and diplomas through a legal name change. If there is a discrepancy between the name you wish to appear on your diploma or transcript and the name Registrar has for you in the Student Information System, you must contact the Office of the Registrar and complete an Application for Change of Name Form. For this form, students must include 1. their name change Court Order, 2. their Social Security card, and 3. their State ID or Driver’s License.

Please submit the completed form to The Office of the Registrar at CCNY either in-person or through email:

Wille Administration Building
Room 102
160 Convent Avenue
New York, NY 10031

p: 212.650.7850
e:  registrar@ccny.cuny.edu

Typographical/Spelling Errors

Students are entitled to update records to reflect new or resumed names in accordance with any court ordered legal name change. To obtain the change, a student must show an original or certified copy of the order.  

If there is a typographical or spelling error in your legal name, contact the Registrar for a request an "Application for Change of Name/ID Form."  Documents needed to verify the error include birth certificates, passports, social security cards, driver’s licenses, or other documents issued by federal, state or local government agencies.

As with students, the law affords employees the right to use a preferred name and gender on all records, regardless of the individual’s legal name or sex assigned at birth, except in circumstances where legal name may be required on official records by law (such as payroll records or for purposes of employment eligibility verification with the federal government).

Updating Preferred Name and Gender 

As of 2023, employees are now able to update their gender identity information themselves in CUNYfirst. To update this information, log into CUNYfirst and navigate to Employee Self Service -> Personal Details -> Gender Identity. As with students, the options for employee gender include male (M), female (F), transgender (T), gender nonconforming (G), non-binary (X), a gender not listed (L), and not specified (U).

Employees who wish to select a preferred name for internal CUNY purposes (or to change their gender information on CUNYfirst if self-service is unavailable) in CUNYfirst should contact Human Resources at 212-650-7226. Self-service to make preferred name changes is not currently available in CUNYfirst. Computer updates have not yet been made to allow the importing of preferred name in CUNYfirst to flow to unofficial documents. However, employees may request use of a preferred name in college directories, course catalogues, and other internal documents. 

In addition, because gender is a shared field for students and employees in CUNYfirst, a change in gender for students who are also employees will automatically change their gender in their employee record.

Updating Staff/Faculty ID to Preferred Name

Employees should contact Human Resources at 212-650-7226 to request a preferred name and new ID card.

Getting New Staff/Faculty Email, Display Name, Email Username, Zoom and Teams (Office 365)

CUNY policy states that students and employees are permitted to use a preferred first name and middle name on all non-official records such as identification card, email address, and course rosters, without the need to provide documentation.  Students and employees are also permitted to change their gender in CUNY records without documentation. Official records such as student transcripts and diplomas require a legal name change. 

To update any one or all of the following (Email Display Name, Email username, Zoom and Teams/Office 365) please follow the instructions below

1. ​Click this link to access the CCNY Email and Name Change Form.
2. Under "Check all that apply", checkmark the box that says "Webmail (Faculty/Staff)".
3. Under "Reason for Request", checkmark the box next to "Preferred".
4. Under "Reason for Request", next to "Update" check all boxes that apply that you want to change (Email Display Name, Email username, Zoom, Teams (Office 365).
5. Under "Applicant Information", fill out "Last Name, First Name, Current CCNY Email ( _____@ccny.cuny.edu ), EMPLID, Personal Email, and Phone Number".
   NOTE: You do not have to use your former first and/or last name for this section - what matters most is that you record your "Current CCNY Email" and "EMPLID" correctly in this section.
6. Under "Applicant Acknowledgement", print your current full name, Sign, and Date.
7. Submit this completed form either by going in person and delivering this form to the CCNY Service Desk (NAC 1/301) or by emailing CCNY Service Desk at servicedesk@ccny.cuny.edu - A Service Desk ticket will be created and reviewed by OIT staff to update you on the status of your form.
8. Employees should also contact Human Resources at 212-650-7226 to inform them of any updates to their email and computer login.

Typographical/Spelling Errors

If there is a typographical or spelling error in your legal name, contact Human Resources to make any necessary updates.

Getting Student Transcripts With Name Change

At this time, students can only change their names on their transcripts through a legal name change. If there is a discrepancy between the name you wish to appear on your transcript and the name Registrar has for you in the Student Information System, you must contact the Office of the Registrar and complete an Application for Change of Name Form. For this form, students must include 1. their name change Court Order, 2. their Social Security card, and 3. their State ID or Driver’s License.

Please submit the completed form to The Office of the Registrar at CCNY either in-person or through email:

Wille Administration Building
Room 102
160 Convent Avenue
New York, NY 10031

p: 212.650.7850
e:   registrar@ccny.cuny.edu

Getting Diploma With Name Change

Getting your diploma with a name different from your original copy is a two-step process and can only be done if you have a legal name change.

First, you must contact the Office of the Registrar and complete an Application for Change of Name Form. For this form, students must include 1. their name change Court Order, 2. their Social Security card, and 3. their State ID or Driver’s License.

Second, after the Application for Change of Name Form is submitted and changed in the system, you must complete and submit a Duplicate Diploma Request Form in order to receive your updated diploma. For this form, please remember to check of the box that says "Name changed" for the "The original diploma was (please check one):" section. Students must include a copy of their Social Security card with their changed name and any one of the following documents: a court order, marriage license, or divorce documentation. NOTE: Please ignore the part of the form which states that the original diploma must be sent to the Registrar's Office. You do not need to do so.

If you are requesting for your diploma to be mailed, please enclose or hand-in a self-addressed prepaid envelope (U.S. Mail, DHL, FedEx, etc.) with your Diploma Mail Request Form. The prepaid envelope must be at least 9 ¾ x 12 ½ for the mailing of the diploma. 

You can also pick up your new diploma at the Registrar's Office.

1. Please submit the completed and notarized form to The Office of the Registrar at CCNY either in-person, mail, or through email:

Wille Administration Building
Room 102
160 Convent Avenue
New York, NY 10031

p: 212.650.7850
e:   registrar@ccny.cuny.edu

2. Please also and submit a check/money order in the amount of $30 made payable to either in-person or through mail:

The City College of New York
Office of the Registrar
160 Convent Avenue, Room A-102
New York, NY 10031

On June 24, 2021 the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) was signed into law, giving New Yorkers the ability to select M, F, or X gender markers on New York State-issued driver’s licenses, state IDs, and birth certificates. 

The legislation streamlines the process to change the name or gender marker on a New York State-issued driver’s license, ID, or birth certificate, and requires numerous public and private entities to honor a person’s name change. The following information here from the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) explains your rights under the new law and explains how to change the name or gender marker on a New York identity document. Information is available in both English and Spanish.

Changing Your Name and Pronouns Before a Meeting

1. On the Zoom Website

• Sign in to the Zoom web portal
• Click Profile in the left sidebar
• Click Edit, located to the right of your name
• Enter your full name and Display Name (your display name does not have to be your full name) 
• Scroll down and click Save
• From the same page, you can also update things like your pronouns, job title, location, and company

2. On the Desktop App

• Open the app and log into your account, if needed
• Click your Profile Icon, located in the top-right corner of the window
• Select My Profile from the dropdown menu - this will prompt a pop-up window to open
• Click Edit, located to the right of your name
• Enter your desired name
• Click Save

3. On the Mobile App

• Open the app (iOS, Android) and log into your account, if needed
• Select Settings, located on the bottom-right corner of the screen
• Select the banner with your name and email address at the top of the screen
• Tap Display Name
• Enter your desired name and/or display name and tap Save.

Changing Your Name and Pronouns During a Meeting

• Select Participants, located in the bottom toolbar of the meeting window
• Hover over your name and select More (desktop), or Tap Your Name (mobile)
• Click or tap Rename
• Enter your desired name and click Rename (desktop) or Done (mobile)