One thing that online learning is really highlighting for me is how little consideration there is for people changing their names.

My university has a voluntary name change system that changes it on the roster. I understand why transcripts have to have legal name, but why in every class grading and assignment system does it not get changed? It's not only frustrating, but confuses professors.

Some programs like zoom let you set your name, but many require you to contact tech support to get anything changed, and for some reason require it to be a legal name change.

I'm not personally upset by seeing my old name, but many trans people are.

And if professors see one name in the gradebook and the lab website, but a different one on the roster and in zoom, then that's only going to make them unsure of what to call me and inhibit my learning.

Not to mention that even if you can get a voluntary legal name / gender marker change, it costs money ($250 in my state), you have to show up in court, and then you risk all your documents being inaccurate for a period of time, which can potentially complicate some legal matters.

I'm waiting to get mine until after the election, because I don't want to risk being ineligible.

I guess the point of this thread is, for the sake of trans people, those who just prefer a different name, or people who get married,

MAKE VOLUNTARY NAME CHANGES EASIER