Where does Display Name display, and where does it not?

[WebDev]

Hello!

I was hoping for some clarity on Display Name (aka preferred name) and where it will show in a Canvas course vs. some other name.  As far as I understand, Display Name shows in

• Discussions
• Inbox (Conversations)
• Announcements
• Comments
• Groups

Whereas full name shows in:

• Gradebook
• People (Roster)
• SpeedGrader
• Official Reports/Data Exports

We have some people who believe display name was showing on the roster and is no longer doing so.  It appears that Canvas does not use Display Name on the roster, according to Instructure and the Canvas community.

Confirmation of whether Display Name ever was listed on rosters, and if that is possible to change, would be appreciated.

Thank You!

Matt

[natariastx · Accepted solution]

Hi there! The Display Name should not be displaying in the roster. According to the Canvas Basics Guide: "Display Name [2] is how other users will see your name in Announcements, Conferences, Conversations, and Discussions." 

Something to consider if this becomes a larger issue is that Canvas Admins have the ability to disable Display Name editing. Here is a link to the guide for this. I hope that is helpful!

[nwalker1]

@WebDev You're correct.  Canvas syncs the "Full Name" field directly from the SIS. Therefore, the ability to use a preferred name in all Canvas locations is entirely dependent on the institution's policies for updating a student's official name of record in the SIS