Court-Ordered Name Changes
Such an order may arise in a number of different contexts, including a name change proceeding, an adoption proceeding, a divorce decree, gender reassignment (SEE section on Gender Changes, below), or a witness protection program. In these cases, students should present a final court order (or, where applicable, a marriage certificate will be accepted in lieu of a court order).
In these cases, a student is entitled to change his or her records to reflect the new or resumed name in accordance with the court order. To obtain a change, the student must show an original or certified copy of the order. Thereafter, only his or new name will be reflected on all transcripts, diplomas, and other records issued by the college unless the student requests in writing that his or her transcript and/or diploma include a reference to his or her former name (e.g., John Doe, formerly known as John Roe).
The college will strictly comply with the terms of the court order. For example, a court-ordered name change made as a result of an adoption proceeding, gender reassignment, or as part of a witness protection program may require that the previous name be sealed from the public.
If a diploma has previously been issued with the previous name, the student will be expected to surrender the original diploma. In the event the original diploma has been lost or destroyed, a new diploma will be issued as a duplicate and will bear a notation to that effect.