Kyran Cates
Reporter
From Dec. 11 through Dec. 13, Idaho State University’s IT services rolled out an alteration of the university email format, leaving many students and staff with two email addresses and little explanation as to why the revision was made.
Similarly, students have struggled with updating their preferred name through ISU records and have consequently experienced difficulties with obtaining an appropriate email address, which only makes the circumstances even more frustrating. Chief Information Officer of the IT department, Tony Lovgren, was able to answer a few questions about why “alias email addresses” were assigned, and how students can go about updating their preferred name with ISU.
Previously, ISU emails included the first four letters of individuals’ last and first names. “Information Technology Services was tasked with eliminating the 4×4 email naming convention (e.g. ude.usinull@nnebgneb) and replacing it with a more contemporary naming convention,” Lovgren said. The new aliases hope to better represent students and staff by using their actual names in the ude.usinull@emantsalemantsrif format.
In order to avoid extreme difficulties with the change, ITS chose to preserve the old email addresses in addition to the alias emails. “The old ISU email address still functions since both addresses are part of the same email account. However, any newly sent email messages will default to the new email alias address,” Lovgren said.
While this change may seem intricate, it ultimately should not have any negative consequences for students and staff.
As for students seeking to update their preferred name, whether out of preference or gender affirmation, ISU attempts to make the goal as attainable as possible. According to the preferred first name data standard, ISU recognizes that students, staff, and faculty may identify with names other than their legal names.
There are several formats in which community members are allowed preferred names, such as a shortened derivative of a name, a middle name instead of a first name or a name that better represents the individual’s gender identity. To view the full statement, visit the Office of the Registrar’s website and locate the preferred first name data standard in the student resources section.
To begin the process of updating one’s preferred name, students should log-in to their BengalWeb account then navigate through the academic tools column to the student records section. Under student records is a link to personal information self-service, where students can edit their personal details, including their preferred name.
Once this is done, students should request a new email address using the form found in the ISU service catalog, which can be located by entering “email address update request” in the catalog search bar. Once you have completed and submitted the form, ITS can create an email address using your preferred name. Students may also obtain a new Bengal ID with their preferred name from campus connection in the Pond Student Union Building, the cost of a replacement ID card is $15.00.
Finally, if a student has changed their legal name, they should submit a name change form to the Registrar’s desk instead of taking the above actions. This form can be found in student resources on the Office of the Registrar’s website.
“Once your legal name has been changed, you will need to email the ITS Service Desk at ude.usinull@pleh to request your username be changed to match your new legal name. This is a complicated process that involves IT service staff going through all of ISU’s electronic systems to switch your name to your new legal name,” Lovgren said.
If you are unable to find any of the aforementioned forms or websites or struggle with the procedure, please contact ude.usinull@pleh for assistance.
