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NOTE:  All forms used for Personal Information Updates must be completed in blue or black ink and may not contain any scribbled or marked out data.

Legal Name

CURRENTLY ENROLLED STUDENTS

A currently enrolled student may change the name on his or her permanent academic record by presenting a signed Legal Name Change/Correction Request form along with the following appropriate original documentation to the Office of the Registrar. 

• To correct the spelling, punctuation, capitalization, middle initial, full middle name or the proper sequence of the name requires:
  • *valid state or U.S. government issued photo identification AND
  • the original or *notarized copy of the student’s birth certificate OR
  • the original or *notarized copy of social security card OR
  • the original or a *notarized copy of valid passport and/or visa.
• To change the name requires:
  • *valid state or U.S. government issued photo identification AND
  • the original or a certified true copy of the signed court order showing current and new name with raised or ink seal showing the new legal name.
• To assume the spouse’s name following marriage requires:
  • *valid state or U.S. government issued photo identification AND
  • the original or a *notarized copy of the marriage certificate AND
  • the original  or a *notarized copy of the updated social security card.
• To discontinue use of the married name and resume use of the original family name, or another name requires:
  • *valid state or U.S. government issued photo identification AND
  • the original or a *notarized copy of the divorce decree or a certified true copy of the signed court order with raised or ink seal showing restoration of the original or other name.

*NOTE:  All copies must be notarized by a commissioned notary and accompanied by the affidavit included with the Legal Name Change/Correction Request form.  Color copies of documentation are preferred.  While notarized copies are accepted for specific situations listed above, the College of Charleston reserves the right to demand production of a certified original or color copies at the sole discretion of the University Registrar (or University Registrar’s designee).  All requests may be subject to review by the Office of Legal Affairs (OLA).

FORMER STUDENTS

The College of Charleston maintains student records under the name the student had when last enrolled. A former student/alumni may not change the name on his or her permanent academic record except by presenting valid state or U.S. government issued photo identification, a signed Legal Name Change/Correction Request form, and a certified true copy of the signed court order with raised or ink seal showing the authorized name change. 

NOTICE:  Identification theft is taken seriously by the College of Charleston and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent available under law. Completed forms and documentation must be submitted in person by the individual requesting the change or via postal mail, no exceptions. The College of Charleston reserves the right to request further evidence to authenticate identity for all legal name change or correction requests. 

Preferred First Name

The College of Charleston recognizes that as a community, many of its members use first names other than their legal names to identify themselves.   Our campus began a phased implementation of a Preferred First Name process in Fall 2018.  A preferred first name is a name that you commonly use that is different from your legal first name.  Other than cases where legal name is required, this is the name that will be used whenever possible in the course of College of Charleston business and education. 

The ultimate goal of this implementation is to display the preferred first name wherever legal name is not required.  Currently, your preferred first name will appear on:

• Cougar Cards issued after August 20, 2018 
• Degree Works degree audit
• Display name for your Cmail e-mail account
• Microsoft Office 365
• OAKS Learning Management System
• Online Directory
• SSB (Self-Service Banner)

The preferred first name may be up to 25 characters and is limited to alpha characters (A-Z and a-z) and a space, apostrophe (') or hyphen (-).  Individuals should refrain from any of the following in their preferred name:

• Symbols, numbers, unusual capitalization, repeating characters or punctuation;
• Characters from multiple languages;
• Titles of any kind, ex. professional, religious;
• Offensive or suggestive words of any kind; and
• Pretending to be anything or anyone else.

Inappropriate use of the preferred first name (including but not limited to avoiding legal obligation or misrepresentation) may be cause for denying use of preferred names. The College of Charleston reserves the right to deny or remove the record and use of any preferred first name that is deemed inappropriate.

Students can update their preferred first name via the Personal Information Tile in MyPortal. 

View Preferred First Name FAQ (PDF) for a list of commonly asked questions and answers.

Date of Birth Correction Request

To correct your date of birth on your academic record, students must present a signed Date of Birth Correction Request form along with the following appropriate original documentation to the Office of the Registrar.

We require the following documentation:

*NOTE:  All copies must be notarized by a commissioned notary and accompanied by the affidavit included with the Date of Birth Correction Request form.  Color copies of documentation are preferred.  While notarized copies are accepted for specific situations listed above, the College of Charleston reserves the right to demand production of a certified original or color copies at the sole discretion of the University Registrar (or University Registrar’s designee).  All requests may be subject to review by the Office of Legal Affairs (OLA).

NOTICE:  Identification theft is taken seriously by the College of Charleston and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent available under law.  Completed forms and documentation must be submitted in person by the individual requesting the change or via postal mail, no exceptions.  The College of Charleston reserves the right to request further evidence to authenticate identity for all date of birth correction requests. 

Social Security Number Correction Request

To correct your social security number on your academic record, students must present a signed Social Security Number Correction Request form along with the following appropriate original documentation to the Office of the Registrar. 

We require the following documentation:

*NOTE:  All copies must be notarized by a commissioned notary and accompanied by the affidavit included with the Social Security Number Correction Request form.  Color copies of documentation are preferred.  While notarized copies are accepted for specific situations listed above, the College of Charleston reserves the right to demand production of a certified original or color copies at the sole discretion of the University Registrar (or University Registrar’s designee).  All requests may be subject to review by the Office of Legal Affairs (OLA).

NOTICE:  Identification theft is taken seriously by the College of Charleston and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent available under law. Completed forms and documentation must be submitted in person by the individual requesting the change or via postal mail, no exceptions.  The College of Charleston reserves the right to request further evidence to authenticate identity for all social security number correction requests. 

FORM:  Student Social Security Number Correction Request (PDF)

NOTE:  Currently enrolled students who need to update their Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) should email registrar@cofc.edu.

Student Contact Information

All College of Charleston students are required to provide the College accurate and timely information regarding their local and permanent addresses, local and permanent phone numbers, and emergency contact information. Students are required to update their Current Contact Information prior to course registration each semester.  

The Current Contact Information page can be found in MyPortal:

• Login to MyPortal (myportal.cofc.edu/)
• Click on the Personal Information Tile
• Click on the Personal Information Link 
• Click on Edit (Pencil Shape) Icon
• You can also add an additional address by clicking on Add New.

The following information should be provided:

• Local/Mailing address: Your local/mailing address is where you live and receive mail while attending the College of Charleston.  This needs to be a physical address and not a PO Box. The phone number used locally is also required. Mail Services assigns College addresses to on-campus students only, this address cannot be update in MyPortal. 
• Permanent address: The address which a student considers home (where you normally reside when not attending the College of Charleston). The College will mail official communications to the permanent address, so the student will need to be able to  receive mail at this address on a timely basis. Often this is the parent/guardian’s address. A phone number is also required.
• Emergency contacts should include the person(s) that the College should contact on the student’s behalf in the event of an emergency. Name, address, phone, and relationship are required. More than one emergency contact may be listed.
• Students under the age of 21 (who are not legally emancipated) are also required to provide and update parent/guardian addresses and phone numbers. This can be done as one Parent/Guardian address and Phone number or as Parent and Parent 2. This information is entered under Update Phones and Update Addresses as a type of phone and a type of address.

Failure to keep this contact information updated may result in a student’s inability to enter the course registration module of MyPortal to add, drop or withdraw from classes, and other benefits.

Students can view and update additional Personal Information (e.g. email address, marital status, veteran classification) by using the Personal Information link located in the MyPortal.