The Compass student information management system maintains a single record for each person. If you are a faculty or staff member who attended Texas A&M University as a student, the name on your Compass record is the name on your official student record.

If you are a TAMU faculty or staff member who is a former student of Texas A&M University employed under a name different from the name on your official student record, you may submit a Faculty/Staff Compass Name Change form to change the way your name will display in Compass to match the name on your TAMU payroll record. This action will affect only your faculty/staff name as it appears in Compass. It will not change the way your name appears on any official University student records (i.e., transcripts, diplomas). For information about changing the name on your official student record, see Changes to the Official Student Record below.

The name on your TAMU payroll record will be verified through the Budget and Payroll Processing System. If you wish to change the name on your payroll record, please contact Payroll Services at 979-845-2711.

Current students must follow Guidelines for Changing the Name on Official Records.

Faculty who wish to display a professional name in Howdy, other than what appears on official University employment or student records, may do so by completing the Request for Use of Faculty Professional Name form. Professional names must be verified through the Dean of Faculties.

The Records Office is responsible for maintaining the legal name on student records for Texas A&M University and for the State of Texas. The following guidelines will assist you in changing your legal name with Texas A&M University . Legal documentation must be presented with the completed Name Change Request form in order to alter your name as it appears on your original application for admission to Texas A&M University . You must present the original legal document, which will be copied in the Records section for your file. If you are requesting a name change via mail, you must submit a certified copy of the legal document that bears an original county certification stamp. No change of name will be processed on the basis of a document sent by facsimile (fax).

1. Acceptable legal documents for name changes are determined by the reason for the change as shown below. A driver's license, social security card, or marriage certificate issued by the church, are not acceptable as legal documentation for a change of name by Texas A&M, except when correcting a minor spelling error such as a transposition of letters.
   • MARRIAGE: Original marriage license bearing the filing stamp from the county or parish in which the license was issued. Church-issued marriage certificates are not acceptable documentation for a name change.
   • DIVORCE: Original divorce decree that includes a specific decree granting restoration of the maiden name. The decree must be signed by the presiding judge and bear the county filing stamp. (If submitting a copy, you need only include the first page of the decree, the page containing the name restoration order, and the page bearing the judge's signature.)
   • COURT ORDER: Original court order signed by the presiding judge and bearing the county filing stamp.
   • CITIZENSHIP BY NATURALIZATION: Original Certificate of Naturalization.
   • CORRECT AN ERROR ON THE ADMISSION APPLICATION: Birth certificate or current, valid U.S. passport.

   IMPORTANT NOTE FOR INTERNATIONAL FORMER STUDENTS: International former students' names must appear on your University records exactly as they appear on the passport issued by your home country. The U.S. entry visa may not be used as documentation for a name change.

2. The legal name as maintained in the Student Information Management System (SIMS) will be the name that appears on your Texas A&M University permanent record, on your diploma, and in the official commencement program. Changes permitted to your name are as follows:
   • FIRST NAME: You may not drop, alter, or change your first name without legal documentation such as a birth certificate, court order, Certificate of Naturalization, or passport. International former students may not alter any portion of their name from the way it appears on their passport.
   • MIDDLE NAME: You may change your given middle name to a middle initial (i.e. change "Sue" to "S.") without legal documentation. A birth certificate, passport, or Certificate of Naturalization is needed to expand the middle name from an initial or to remove the middle name completely. Name changes permitted based on a marriage license include replacement of the given middle name with the maiden name or inclusion of the maiden name with the given middle name. International students may not alter any portion of their name from the way it appears on their passport.
   • LAST NAME (SURNAME, FAMILY NAME): Your last name may be changed only on the basis of a marriage license, divorce decree granting restoration of the maiden name, Certificate of Naturalization, or court order. When changing your name based on marriage, you may replace your maiden name with your married name, or use both names. A combined surname will be hyphenated. International former students may not alter any portion of their name from the way it appears on their passport.