Nickname

[RebekahTwaddell]

The computer says my name is Rebekah, but there is a problem. I'm a recently transgender male and I want to nickname myself with my account on my school computer, but I can't. Nothing I do works, and I need help.

[greydon · Accepted solution]

Hello @RebekahTwaddell 

Thank you for contacting the Instructure Community. We're sorry to hear you've been experiencing issues with changing your display name in Canvas. You should be able to do so following this guide:

How do I change the settings in my user account as... - Instructure Community

However, if that option has been removed or you can't edit that - it is fairly common for schools to disable this setting as it  can affect your official transcripts   and enrollments. If that's the case, please contact  your school registrar's office and they can assist in getting  the  name changed. Hopefully this helps! 

[RebekahTwaddell]

Is there any way to change it without having to speak to someone? I haven't mentioned changing my name to my family and I don't want to tell them yet.

[SusanNiemeyer]

Whether or not you can change your name, in Canvas as well as in SIS, depends on your school's policy.

In addition to contacting your school's registry office, I would contact your school's LGBTQ+ center if there is one. They may be able to better advise you.

My community college started to allow transgender students to change their names in Canvas just a couple of years ago after much advocacy.