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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.
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!
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.
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