Requesting a Different UBITName

Learn how to request a different UBITName.

Operating System: All

Applies To: UB students, faculty, staff

Last Updated: December 7, 2021

Who Is Eligible

You are eligible to receive a different UBITName if any of these is true:

  • You legally changed your name, and it has been processed by the appropriate UB administrative office and updated in the University Online Directory.
  • Students who have set a preferred name through HUB due to reasons of gender identity.
  • The automatically created UBITName is agreed to be obscene or offensive.
  • You are newly appointed faculty or staff and the automatically created UBITName differs from your identity at a former institution or professional field, or is confusing to others.

See the UBITName Account Policy for more details about who may request a different UBITName.

Step 1: Request a Different UBITName

UBITName Changes for Active Students

It is strongly encouraged that UBITName changes occur between semesters, where possible. Students completing a UBITName change during a semester must notify all course instructors to ensure UB Learns grades, postings and interactions carry forward to the new UBITName account. Instructors can contact UB Learns support for assistance with this process.

Include:

  • The reason you are requesting a different UBITName
  • The UBITName you would like:
    • 2-8 characters in length
    • Cannot contain special characters (such as * or - or _)
    • Cannot begin with a numeric character

Step 2: Activate Your New UBITName

 If your request is approved, activate your UBITName and begin using it.

Step 3: Transition to Your New UBITName

Both your old and new UBITName will remain active for up to 30 days. During that time you must:

  1. Arrange for departmental changes
    • Students: Notify your professors and department that your UBITName has changed. Students completing a UBITName change during a semester must notify all course instructors to ensure UB Learns grades, postings and interactions carry forward to the new UBITName account. Instructors can contact UB Learns Support for assistance with this process.
    • Faculty and Staff: Notify your departmental IT Staff that you are changing your UBITName.
  2. Copy all files from your old UBITName to your new UBITName:
    • Email messages, contacts and files. All new UBITNames will be provisioned on UBmail (Exchange Online). New UBITNames for students will no longer be provisioned on UBmail (Gmail) or have access to any of the Google suite products.
    • Google Drive files (if applicable)
    • MS Teams files and permissions (may be set by your departmental IT staff)
    • OneDrive files
    • Sharepoint files
    • UBbox files (including files shared with others)
    • UBfs files
      Please make sure all email, data and files associated with the old UBITName is migrated before requesting the new UBITName to be made permanent. All data associated with the old UBITName will be permanently deleted and unrecoverable when the new UBITName is made permanent.
  3. Share your new email address with others. Once your new UBITName is made permanent, your old UBITName will not accept new email messages and will return as undeliverable.
  4. If you are a member of a listserv email address, you must log into the listserv Web interface and subscribe to the listserv with your new UBITName before you unsubscribe your old UBITName.
  5. If you currently have access to the following services you will not be able to log into them with your new UBITName until after your new UBITName is permanent: MyUB, HUB, ePTF, eReq. Duo Two-Step Verification will require re-enrollment.
  6. If you currently have access to the following services, you must contact them directly to update your UBITName. These services will not update automatically with completion of a UBITName Change:

Step 4: Make Your New UBITName Permanent

Send email to the UBIT Help Center from your new UBITName asking to remove your old UBITName and make your new UBITName permanent.

Once your request is processed, your old UBITName will be permanently deleted and its remaining contents will no longer be accessible. Email sent to your old UBITName will be returned to the sender as undeliverable.

If you do not request to make your new UBITName permanent within 30 days of it being created, your new UBITName will be deactivated and your request for a new UBITName will be canceled. Contact the UBIT Help Center if you need additional time to transition to your new UBITName. 

Still need help?

Contact the UBIT Help Center.