PENN STATE IDENTITY SERVICES
PROCEDURE DOCUMENT
Date: 5/15/2015
Title: Person Biographical Record data element procedure document: Name
Author: Person Bio Record Working Group
1. Procedure Statement
This Procedure Document outlines the procedural requirements to create and change the Name data
element in the Penn State Person Biographical Record (Person Bio Record).
2. Background
In order to simplify compliance with policies and procedures related to the management of person
identity information under Penn State Administrative Policy AD80
(https://guru.psu.edu/policies/AD80.html), Penn State Identity Services (IdS) and the Enterprise
Project Management Office (EPMO) have established the Person Biographical Record (Person Bio
Record).
The Person Bio Record is the shared set of data elements containing authoritative information related
to Person Identity, stored in data fields whose definitions are collectively understood and adhered to,
created and maintained under shared policies and procedures, resulting in a high degree of
consistency, confidence in fidelity of values, and data integrity, for identity information managed
across Penn State information systems.
The Person Bio Record Working Group established a standard format for the Person Bio Record and
developed operational policy for creating, updating, and managing the Person Bio Record.
The Person Bio Record Working Group also established the set of core data elements for a Person
Bio Record.
2.1. Governing Principle
The following language was developed by the Person Bio Record working group under the authority
of IAM governance:
The policies and procedures that govern the establishment or updating of person identity
information stored as values within the data elements comprising the Penn State Person Bio
Record shall be standardized and uniform across Penn State systems, regardless of the person’s
affiliations to the university or which Identity Authority is performing the transaction.
A university entity, in accordance with the rules of IdS access policy, may pull information stored
as data values from the Person Bio Record for use in a local system; however, only an Identity
Authority may write data values to the Person Bio Record. Any Identity Authority serving as the
source for data values written to the Person Bio Record shall do so in conformance to the
standards of format, policies, and procedures governing the establishment and updating of
person identity information in the Person Bio Record.
2.1. Glossary
Central Person Registry (CPR): The Penn State Central Person Registry (CPR) is a unified data
store that combines and consolidates identity information historically stored in separate and nonintegrated legacy sources throughout the University. The CPR is the authoritative source for the
capture and storage of identity information relating to persons referred to in Administrative Policy
AD80.
Person Biographical Record (Person Bio Record): A shared set of data elements related to
Person Identity whose definitions are collectively understood and adhered to, created and
maintained under shared policies and procedures, resulting in identity information that can be
managed across Penn State information systems with a high degree of consistency, confidence in
fidelity of values, and data integrity.
Identity Authority: Penn State business units authorized by IAM Governance with the responsibility
to create or update identities in the Central Person Registry.
Data Element: For the purposes of this document, the term Data Element is used to label a
grouping of information represented in one or more related data fields. For example, the Name data
element is comprised of data fields that store values for family name, first name, etc.
Minimum Data Fields: Person Bio Record Minimum required data fields are those fields that are
required to create a minimally populated Person Bio Record. The minimum data fields required are
Legal Name, Address, Date of Birth, and Gender.
Core Data Elements: Person Bio Record Core data elements are those for which values must be
requested at the time of person record creation. The Core data elements for the Person Bio Record
are Name, Date of Birth, Gender, SSN, Address, and Email.
Non-Core Data Elements: Non-Core Data elements will become part of a Person Bio Record when
collected but will not be required (or not be required to be requested) for the creation of a Person Bio
Record. In other words, Non-Core Data elements will compose the remainder of a Person Bio
Record (in addition to the Core Data Elements).
3. Recommendation / Decision
Legal Name shall be used for doing business at Penn State and is required at the time of record
creation. Legal Name is self-asserted at the time of record creation. Preferred Name shall be optional
and self-asserted at time of record creation and at any time in the future.
In addition to completing the appropriate common elements associated with the Person Bio Record
(see Appendix below), the following procedures shall be followed by an Identity Authority in order to
create and change a Legal Name and Preferred Name within a Person Bio Record within the CPR.
Values for missing or incomplete Minimum Data Fields shall requested at the time any edits are made
to an existing record and shall be treated as a completion of the record-creation process.
Create Name
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Legal Name
Request and enter a value for Legal Name as it should appear in the Person Bio Record.
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Preferred Name
Request and, if provided, enter a value for Preferred Name as it should appear in the Person
Bio Record.
Change Name Procedures
Procedure to change the name data element might vary based on type of name and the relationship
to the University.
Note: Penn State student prospects who have created profiles but have not yet submitted their
applications will be treated as “non-students”; once the application has been submitted, they will be
treated as students.
Change Legal Name (Student, In-Person)
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Financial Aid Check
Check to see if person requesting the change is a student who is receiving any form of
Federal or state student aid; if yes, inform the student that the name must be changed with
the Social Security Administration prior to completing the name change at Penn State.
PSU ID Number or SSN
Request the person’s PSU ID number or Social Security Number.
Current Name
Request the Legal Name as it currently appears in Penn State’s records (include last name,
first name, middle name, and suffix as applicable).
New Legal Name
Request and enter a value of the updated Legal Name as it should appear in Penn State’s
records (include last name, first name, middle name, and suffix as applicable).
Verify Identity
Request and check any two of the following forms of identification, at least one needs to be a
photo ID, and both need to include the new name:
o Government-issued:
 Social Security Card (required for a student receiving federal or state aid)
 Driver’s License
 Passport
 Birth Certificate
o Court-issued:
 Marriage License
 Divorce Decree
 Other Court-issued Document
Verification Record
Record which forms of identification were verified.
Signature
Secure signature and date authorizing Penn State to use the new name for all future
transactions.
Change Legal Name (Student, Remote)
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Financial Aid Check
If person requesting the change is a student who is receiving any form of Federal or state
student aid, then the name must be changed with the Social Security Administration prior to
completing the name change at Penn State.
PSU ID Number or SSN
Provide PSU ID number or Social Security Number.
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Current Name
Provide the Legal Name as it currently appears in Penn State’s records (include last name,
first name, middle name, and suffix as applicable).
New Legal Name
Provide the updated Legal Name as it should appear in Penn State’s records (include last
name, first name, middle name, and suffix as applicable).
Authorize and Print
Sign and date, authorizing Penn State to use the new name for all future transactions. Print a
copy.
Verify Identity
Make copies of two of the following, both of which have the new name listed and at least one
of which is a photo ID:
o Government-issued:
 Social Security Card (required for a student receiving federal or state aid)
 Driver’s License
 Passport
 Birth Certificate
o Court-issued:
 Marriage License
 Divorce Degree
 Other Court-issued Document
Submit Information
Submit the above information, including the identity verification documents, to an Identity
Authority office.
Bio Record Updated (at the Identity Authority Office)
Updated value for Legal Name is entered into the Person Bio Record at the Identity
Authority’s Office.
Verification Record (at the Identity Authority Office)
Record which forms of identification were verified.
Change Legal Name (Non-Student, In-Person)
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Verify Identity
Request and check Penn State ID+ Card.
If not provided, then request and check a government-issued photo ID.
Update Name
Request and enter a value for Legal Name as it should appear in the Person Bio Record.
Change Legal Name (Non-Student, Self-Service)
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Verify Identity
Log into the appropriate self-service portal using Penn State Access Account.
Update Name
Enter a value for Legal Name as it should appear in the Person Bio Record.
Change Preferred Name (In-Person)
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Verify Identity
Request and check Penn State ID+ Card.
If not provided, then request and check a government-issued photo ID.
Update Preferred Name
Request and, if given, enter a value for Preferred Name as it should appear in the Person Bio
Record.
Change Preferred Name (Self-Service)
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Verify Identity
Log into the appropriate self-service portal using Penn State Access Account.
Update Preferred Name
Enter the Preferred Name value as it should appear in the Person Bio Record.
Appendix: Common Elements
Status Indicators
These common elements indicate the status of a record.
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Confidentiality Hold
Identifies confidentiality holds for the record; pertains only to information Penn State
publishes about the individual, not to information individuals have published about
themselves
Decedent Data
Indicates whether the person associated with the Person Bio Record is deceased
Administrative
The following are not among the Person Bio Record Data Elements; however, these common
elements enable administrative capabilities associated with the record, including creating a history for
various data elements. Depending on the procedure being completed, some or all of the following
may need to be updated as part of the procedure.
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Person ID
The unique identifier of the Person Bio Record within the CPR
Start Date
The start date of the Person Bio Record
End Date
The end date of the Person Bio Record (rarely used, such as when a Person Bio Record is
merged with another)
Import From
The Identity Authority from which the record started
Import Date
The date on which the Person Bio Record was imported
Last Updated by
Indicates the person or system that updated the Person Bio Record
Last Updated on
Indicates the date of last update of the Person Bio Record
Created by
Indicates the person or system that initially created the Person Bio Record
Created on
Indicates the date when the Person Bio Record was created