More Duke systems to begin displaying preferred names

As of July 28, 2026, Duke has taken another step toward making campus technology more personal and inclusive. As part of an update to Duke's Identity and Access Management (IAM) service, some systems will begin displaying a person's preferred first name instead of their legal first name.

For many members of the Duke community, this means their preferred name will appear automatically in additional systems they use every day, creating a more consistent experience across campus.

Because Duke's technology environment includes hundreds of applications, this change will happen gradually. Some systems will begin showing preferred names after July 28, while others may continue to display legal names. In certain cases, legal names must remain in use because of business, regulatory, healthcare, payroll, safety, or other compliance requirements.

If you notice that your preferred name appears in one Duke application but not another, that is expected. Different systems have different requirements, and some will continue to use legal names where necessary.

This update reflects Duke's ongoing efforts to improve the campus experience while ensuring systems that require legal names continue to meet operational and regulatory obligations.

Should you have questions about how names are displayed in a specific application, contact your local IT representative.