For Students: Guidelines on Preferred Name Changes and the MIT ID Card and Online Directory
Many members of the community use a name that differs from their legal name, which is the “last name” and “first name” in MIT’s systems.
Administrative Name Change for MIT ID Card for Students
Individuals may request an ID card using an administrative name. The administrative name is different from their legal name. This pertains to first names only. If a change is made to the administrative name, please be aware that MIT ID cards are for the purpose of Institute business and are not considered government issued ID cards for use outside MIT, such as air travel, for example.
Students can change their first name by going to WebSIS. Once in WebSIS, go to the “administrative name” field and change it to the preferred first name. You cannot change your last name in WebSIS, as that requires a legal name change. Once the administrative name has been changed in the MIT Student Information System (WebSIS), the information is fed to the MIT ID Card Office. The MIT Card Office policy is to publish your preferred name as listed in WebSIS on your MIT ID card. If you would like your legal first name on your MIT ID card, you must specifically request this at the Atlas Service Center.
Once you have changed your first name through WebSIS, the data should be updated within 24 hours in the card database, but sometimes it takes longer. Please go the MIT Atlas Service Center and request a new card with your “administrative (preferred) name”. The Atlas Center staff will provide you with a new ID card as long as the data update is in place.
Administrative Name Change for MIT Online Directory for Students
Changing your name for the purpose of the MIT Online Directory also requires a change in your administrative name unless you are legally changing your name. Once the administrative name is changed in the WebSIS, it will be fed to the MIT Online Directory.
Legal Name change for MIT ID Card for Students
Students may change their legal name based on the policies and procedures outlined below:
In order to change your name on your MIT transcript, enrollment certifications, and other official records, you must complete a Change of Name Form (available in the Registrar's Office, 5-117) and provide documentation with the old and new names, such as a certified copy of a court order, a marriage certificate, or a dissolution decree. Once the name change is complete within the Registrar's system, the name will automatically be changed with the MIT Card Office (who distributes student IDs) and other related student life offices and for the MIT Online Directory.
More information can be found on the Registrar's website.
For Employees: Guidelines for Name Changes in the MIT Online Directory and on the MIT ID Card
For an employee of MIT, we require a legal name for tax and reporting purposes. Many members of the community use a name that differs from their legal name, which is the “last name” and “first name” in MIT’s system.
Individuals may request an ID card using their preferred name, different from their legal name. If this is the case, please be aware that MIT ID cards are issued for the purpose of Institute business and are not considered government issued ID cards for use outside MIT for such purposes as air travel, for example.
Employees may have a preferred name which can be displayed in the MIT Online Directory and on their MIT ID Card. Only first name changes will be displayed as the preferred name on the MIT ID.
In order to make a change, you must do the following:
- Go to Atlas
- Click on “About Me”
- Click on “Personal Information”
- Go to field “Directory Information”
- Click on “Edit”
- Fill out fields for name
- Once that is completed, you need to wait 24 hours
- Go to the Atlas Service Center (email atlascenter@mit.edu during remote operations due to COVID)
- Request a new ID Card due to a preferred name change
For legal name change information, please follow these directions.
