The preferred_name field is intended to be used if the student goes by a name that differs from their given first name. You cannot include numerical characters (0-9) in this field. If a student has a number in their name (i.e. John the 3rd), you can change the numbers to roman numerals (i.e. John III)
It is strongly advised to not sync in the user's full name in the preferred_name field, as this will create an undesired (and confusing) effect on the user's profile.
*Note: This field needs to be updated in your student system. If not, then any changes made in Handshake manually will be overwritten on the next import.
Example 1:
Student's full name = Christina Thompson
preferred_name = Tina
Profile will display: Tina Thompson
Example 2:
Student's full name = Christina Thompson
preferred_name = Thompson, Tina
Profile will display: Thompson, Tina Thompson
If you have accidentally processed a file using the student's full name in the preferred_name field, this can be corrected by either:
- Updating the preferred_name to include only their first name or nickname
OR - Inserting **CLEAR** (in preferred_name field) for each student whose name you would like to clear out. When using **CLEAR**, every letter should be capitalized with two asterisks at the beginning and end of the word.