Personal Information in UW Records
A wide variety of systems and offices on campus collect and store personal information for both students and employees. The Office of the Registrar is the responsible office and data trustee for student record information. On behalf of the university, we collect and maintain this information and provide it to authorized users. Some information, known as directory information, may be made publicly available without your prior consent in line with state and federal laws; you have the right to restrict that information from being shared.
This page lists the types of information that are most frequently collected and explains how you can update them.
Name in Use (Preferred Name)
You can choose to use a name other than your legal name to identify yourself. This is called a name in use.
Common examples of situations when you may set a name in use include:
- Wanting to be called by a nickname instead of your legal name (i.e. Bucky instead of Buckingham);
- Not wanting your middle name displayed as part of your commonly used campus name;
- Using a name that reflects your gender identity; and
- Being an international student who prefers to use a specific name while studying in the United States.
As long as your name in use is not used for misrepresentation, it will appear instead of your legal name in many university systems and documents — except where your legal name is required for a business or legal need. Refer to the “Related Campus Policies and Guidelines” and “Exceptions” sections below for more information. The Office of the Registrar will remove any name in use that would be generally considered to be an attempt at misrepresentation or fraud, or includes profanity or identity-based slurs. Your legal name will revert to the default legal name displayed on campus systems.
Is this directory information? Yes
Your legal name is required to appear on transcripts, financial aid, payroll, residence for tuition, and federal immigration documents.
In some cases, it may be necessary to clarify that your name in use is different than your legal name, such as verification of medical records or official interactions with law enforcement.
If you are worried about where your legal name appears and/or to hide your legal name in the directory, please contact nameinuse@studentlife.wisc.edu.
- UW Directory: Your name in use will appear as the main name in the wisc.edu people directory.
- Wiscard: If your name in use has been properly entered via MyUW, you can request a Wiscard with your name in use on the front face. Your legal name will appear on the back side for identity verification. Replacement Wiscards are free as long as you surrender your old Wiscard.
- NetID and wisc.edu Email Address: Your NetID is based on your legal name and won’t change if you set a name in use. You can request a change in your NetID after you complete a legal name change in your student record.
- F-1/J-1 Immigration Status: If you are an international student, you will use your legal name (the name on your passport) on many forms from the university. For more information about your name on your immigration documents, contact your International Student Services (ISS) advisor.
- Residence for Tuition: If you are a residence for tuition status appellant, your legal name will appear on official hearing notices and hearing results letters.
- Transcript and Diploma: Your UW–Madison transcript will always be printed with your full legal name. If you change your legal name in academic records, you can order new transcripts and a duplicate diploma with your updated legal name. You can choose to have your legal name or name in use appear in the official commencement ceremony program, in related communications when you graduate, and on your diploma via the application for graduation.
Pronouns
Pronouns are how most of us refer to another person when not using that person’s name. UW–Madison does not centrally collect pronoun data in MyUW; you can set and adjust your pronouns in various tools individually.
Is this directory information? No
Contact Information
Your university-assigned email account will be the main way members of the campus community get in touch with you. We also collect and store your phone number and address (campus and home).
Is this directory information? Yes
Legal Name, Legal Sex, and Birthdate
Your legal name will appear in university records by default unless you set a name in use. Federal and state reporting mechanisms require universities to collect and report certain demographic information, including legal sex and date of birth, for student records. We may also use your date of birth to match student records and/or ask you to provide it to confirm your identity.
Is this directory information? Yes (legal name)
- Students enrolled in any term from Fall 2010 to present: Submit a Personal Info Change Request via MyUW
- Former students with records from 1978 to Fall 2010: Submit a personal info change request via MyInfo. Once logged in, find the “Profile” box and click “Personal Info Change Request”
- Student employees: Contact your employing department’s HR representative(s) (in addition to submitting a request via MyUW)
- Employees: Contact your employing department’s HR representative(s)
If you can’t submit a request via MyUW or MyInfo, you can download and complete a request form PDF. Please send that form and appropriate documentation by email to registrar@em.wisc.edu:
Social Security Number (SSN)
Domestic students: UW-Madison is required by federal law to provide you a 1098-T Tuition Statement, which requires us to collect your Social Security Number (SSN). We also use your Social Security Number for federal enrollment reporting and the awarding of financial aid. You have the right not to provide your Social Security Number in MyUW, but this may cause a number of unintended effects, such as needing to take additional steps to get your 1098-T Tuition Statement.
International students: You may not be required to have – or eligible to apply for – a Social Security Number. Contact International Student Services (ISS) if you have questions about a Social Security Number and/or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).
Is this directory information? No
FAQs
You can change the capitalization of your name by updating your name in use.
The name in use application does not allow for changes to last name. The only way to change your last name is to complete a legal name change request.
The name in use application can only be used for changes to first and middle name. Changes to or removal of last names are not supported by this application.
The name in use application is designed for the name in use to appear across all platforms and cannot be used selectively across different platforms.
Changes to name in use do not automatically hide your legal name; however, if you wish to hide your legal name and only have your name in use visible, you can contact preferredname@studentlife.wisc.edu and request for your legal name to be hidden. This means your legal name will only appear on official documents, such as billing statements and transcripts.
Yes! You can change your name in use at any time.
If you have previously set a name in use under a different first or last name, this name will continue to appear, even if you have changed your legal name
While special diacritical (accent) marks cannot be used in the student record’s primary name or name in use, they can be included for purposes of the diploma and commencement program. To have diacritical marks included with your diploma, please email registrar@em.wisc.edu any time prior to the end of the semester in which you plan to graduate. To have diacritical marks included on the commencement program, please email commence@chancellor.wisc.edu after you’ve applied to graduate. In both scenarios, please write from your wisc.edu email account with information about what accents marks are needed and where they should be placed.
Timing for changes to take effect varies by system, but your updated personal information should appear within 48 hours.
Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, you have the right to restrict some or all of your personal information from being released. Visit our FERPA for Students page to learn more.