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Alternative NetID

  • Effective: 07-12-2012
  • Last Revised: 08-31-2016
  • Responsible University Administrator: Bret Blackman, Chief Information Officer
  • Responsible University Office: Information Technology Services
  • Policy Contact: Information Technology Services • unohelpdesk@unomaha.edu

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Policy Contents
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Scope

This policy applies to all members of the university community who require an alternative NetID to reflect their legal or professional name.

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Policy Statement

The University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) automatically generates NetIDs that reflect the legal and professional names of individuals employed or enrolled at UNO. Individuals may request an alternative NetID if their current NetID is inconsistent with their legal or professional name. Conditions allowing a NetID to be changed include but are not limited to:

  • They use their middle name as a last name
  • They use their middle and last names (with or without hyphenation) as a last name
  • They use their middle name as a first name
  • They use their spouse’s last name professionally but retain their maiden name legally, or vice versa
  • They have changed their legal and professional name (e.g. marriage or divorce). Contact Human Resources (HR) and the Registrar to make legal name change in SAP and MavLINK. HR requires a Social Security card with the new name. The Registrar requires Social Security card or driver's license with new name
  • Their legal name contains characters not found in the English language
  • Their legal name is extraordinarily long and/or deemed cumbersome

Contact Human Resources (HR) and the Office of the University Registrar to make a legal name change in SAP and MavLINK. HR requires a Social Security card with the new name. The Registrar requires Social Security card or driver's license with the new name.

If a new employee or student suspects their legal name will not produce the correct NetID based on the above conditions, they must notify the hiring department prior to completing of the Personal Data Form (PDF) which is sent to HR. HR will notify Information Services so that the requested NetID may be established prior to the new employee start date. The university requires approval by the individual’s chair, dean, or department supervisor for this change.

Alternative NetIDs are to adhere as closely as possible to the naming convention currently used by the university (i.e. the first letter of first name followed by last name). A person whose legal name is “Pat Brown Smith,” for example, will have a NetID as follow, depending on his/her professional name:

  • Professional name is Pat Brown, NetID = pbrown
  • Professional name is Pat Smith, NetID = psmith
  • Professional name is Pat Smith Brown, NetID = psmithbrown
  • Professional name is Pat Smith-Brown, NetID = psmith-brown

The use of special characters (e.g. hyphens) as part of a NetID is not considered best practice. While there are currently no known problems, future computer systems may be impacted by their use.

Occasionally, the preferred NetID will already be in use. In such cases, the conventions used by the university in determining NetIDs will be followed while respecting the professional name as the primary name.

In consideration of efficiency and accuracy, employees may request an alternative NetID only when their current NetID meets one of the aforementioned conditions.

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Reason for Policy

This policy addresses the situation wherein UNO faculty, staff, or students require an alternative NetID to reflect their preferred or changed legal or professional name.

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Procedures

Employees and students of UNO should expect the following when requesting a change to their NetID:

  • Changes to a NetID may take up to five business days to complete.
  • An email will be sent to the alternate email address provided by the employee/student once the NetID has been changed.
  • The current NetID password will not need to be changed.
  • The existing email account will continue to function while this change is being made. All existing emails will remain available before and after the NetID changes.
  • Access to Blackboard may be unavailable for up to twenty-four (24) hours. A notification will be sent indicating that the account has been renamed and then access to Blackboard will be available with the new NetID. Employees/students will need to login to Blackboard using the new NetID to update their email address in Blackboard.
  • The new email address as shown in MavLINK, Firefly, and the University Address Book will automatically update the day after notification is received that the NetID has changed.
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History

This policy is an update to the Alternative NetID Policy that was previously updated in 2012.