A preferred first name is the name an individual wants others to call them in daily interactions, which is different from their Legal Name that appears on legal documents such as transcripts and diplomas. Students now have the ability to add, edit or remove their preferred first name, preferred pronoun and preferred gender in Self-Service Banner (SSB9). Any changes to these fields will be reflected in Brightspace, Degree Works and Navigate 360.
Please note: The preferred last name cannot be changed.
Follow these steps:
- Login to Self-Service Banner.
- Using the four-square menu, navigate to Banner > Personal Information > Personal Information/Directory Profile.
- In the Personal Details section, click Edit. The following fields can be changed:
- Preferred First Name
- Personal Pronoun
- Gender Identification
- Marital Status
- To save your changes, hover in the lower right-hand corner until the Update button reveals itself; click this button to save your changes.
Buffalo State allows a preferred first name to appear in many non-legal places such as:
- Self-Service Banner (SSB): The Preferred First Name will replace legal First Name in all Rosters and personal details in Banner SSB9.
- Brightspace (LMS): The Preferred First Name will replace legal First Name.
- Navigate 360 (advisement): The Preferred First Name will replace legal First Name.
- Degree Works (progress towards graduation): The Preferred First Name will show in parenthesis next to legal First Name.