Chosen Names & Pronouns

Purpose

To provide opt-in opportunities for our students to personalize their gender identity information if they so choose, including pronouns, and chosen name, and provide transparency on where and how this information is displayed.

Introduction

Puget Sound recognizes that for a variety of reasons a student may not use the name that they were assigned at birth as it does not reflect their identity. We also recognize that students may not wish to go through a legal name change or may be in the middle of doing so, but wish to have their records reflect their chosen name before the process is complete.

In a commitment to structural and developmental practices that support inclusivity and student identity, students are able to update their names and pronouns via Self-Service and have that information displayed in campus systems. This includes class rosters, Canvas, Advisees lists, contact information, and more. This is an opt-in process which can be updated at any time and is optional for students.

Please login to my.PugetSound.edu and click on my Information > my Personal Information to view and update your chosen name and/or pronouns.

We are currently working on displaying chosen names and pronouns in student-focused campus systems that are able to display this information. Our list of where this information is currently displayed is available below.

Definitions

• Primary Name: the name a person uses for official governmental documents, such as licenses, passports, and tax forms. Also known as legal name. Cannot be changed via self-service.
• Chosen Name: This is the name you are known by, and by which you want to be referred. An optional alternative to the individual’s legal name as designated by the individual in University systems. Also known as preferred, lived, or updated name. Can be changed via self-service.
• Sex Assigned at Birth: This is the field that is reported upon entry to Puget Sound as a student or employee. Sometimes called Biological Sex, Assigned Sex, or Sex at Birth. This is the field that is used for official business such as Federal Financial Aid Applications.
• Gender Identity: This is the gender that aligns with individual identity, even if it differs from what is currently in the system. This is not collected or stored in myPugetSound.
• Pronouns: This is how we refer to each other in the third person and serve as a reflection of gender identity and expression. Similar to using chosen name, respecting the pronouns of campus community members supports a positive and inclusive campus culture. Can be changed via self-service. Our current pronoun options in myPugetSound are*:
  • any (he/she/they)
  • any (they/he/she)
  • ey/em (ey, em, eir, eirs, emself)
  • he/him (he, him, his, his, himself)
  • ne/nem (ne, nem, nire, nirs, nemself)
  • she/her (she, her, her, hers, herself)
  • she/they (she, her, her, hers, herself, they, them, their, theirs, themself)
  • they/he (they, them, their, theirs, themself, he, him, his, his, himself)
  • they/she (they, them, their, theirs, themself, she, her, her, hers, herself)
  • they/them (they, them, their, theirs, themself)
  • ve/ver (ve, ver, vis, vis, verself)
  • ze/zir (ze, zir, zir, zirs, zirself)
  • use my name
  • enter my own
  • prefer not to say (if selected, no pronouns will be displayed)

*Note: the shortened version of these pronouns, like ey/em, she/they, he/him, etc., will be displayed in places like class rosters.

Procedure

1. Students may update their chosen name and pronouns at any point through Self-Service in myPugetSound. Students may also indicate a pronoun by choosing one from the drop-down list in the indicated area. Students who do not want their chosen name or pronouns displayed are not required to update them.
   • This is a completely opt-in process, and when a student updates this information it can be distributed across campus systems. Information can be left blank or removed at any time.
2. myPugetSound can store primary name and chosen name. If not otherwise specified, a student’s primary name will be the only name stored.
3. Some systems may require additional steps to complete a chosen name update. Other systems may be added over time.
4. Each person is free to determine a chosen name, Use of the chosen name for purposes of misrepresentation or other inappropriate purposes will be cause for removal of the chosen name.
5. A person’s legal name must remain on any documents where a legal name is required by federal or state law.

Where do Chosen Name and Pronoun currently display?

This page will be updated as more campus systems are able to display chosen names and/or pronouns.

Systems Automatically Updated

FAQ

Must I set a Chosen Name and/or Pronoun?

No. The choice to use a Chosen Name and/or Pronoun is entirely up to you. Your chosen name as reflected in myPugetSound will be your Primary Name unless you input a new Chosen Name.

How do I set or change my Chosen Name and/or Pronoun?

Login to my.PugetSound.edu and click on my Information > my Personal Information. You will see your current chosen and primary names and pronouns (blank until set) and can update them here.

If I remove a chosen name or pronouns, will it continue to show up/be stored? How long will it take to be removed and will it be removed from all systems?

Please allow 24 hours for chosen names and pronouns to be updated and removed in myPugetSound and connected systems.

Once I change my Chosen Name, will it affect my Primary Name?

No, setting or changing your Chosen Name will not affect your Primary Name.

What if my pronouns are not on the list?

Students are able to input their pronouns into a field text. The dropdown pronoun list will be expanded to include additional frequently used pronouns.

Can my chosen name be removed by the University?

Puget Sound reserves the right to remove a chosen name for any reason, including misrepresentation or the use of inappropriate, offensive or derogatory language.

What can I do if a Puget Sound community member is unwilling to use my name and/or pronouns?

Students who experience gender-based discrimination from professors, staff, or students are encouraged to inform the Title IX Coordinator, and fill out a report. Elizabeth Wormsbecker and Dave Wright, co-chairs of the Trans Advocacy and Inclusion Committee, are available to discuss and offer support if desired

What are other on-campus resources?

More resources for Transgender Students are available on our Equity & Diversity website. Members of the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity and the Office for Intercultural Engagement are available to meet with trans students to discuss any struggles they may be encountering on campus and will work with students to address issues that could arise. The Transgender Advocacy and Inclusion Committee (TAIC) is an official advisory committee to the Vice President for Institutional Equity & Diversity.

Where will my primary name be displayed?

Your primary/legal name will still be used for such items as a transcript and anywhere else that your legal name is required, including but not limited to insurance claims, medical records, immigration information, tax forms and loan documents. Visit this table to learn where you should expect to see your chosen name.

Your legal name does not have to appear on your diploma or be called as you cross the stage at graduation. In your final semester you will receive a Declaration of Intent to Graduate form where you may designate your name as you would like for it to appear on your diploma.

Documents & Systems Requiring Legal Name

These documents and systems are among those that require your legal name.

• Official Transcripts
• Enrollment and Degree Verification
• Teacher Certification (School of Education)
• Student Accounts and Student Billing
• Immigration Documents
• Financial Aid
• Electronic Health Records
• Insurance and Benefits
• Payroll
• ID card and facility access
• Accounts Payable (for non-payroll student disbursements)
• Form I-9 (for on-campus employment)
• Form W-9 (for accounts payable disbursements)

After I change my Chosen Name and/or Pronoun, who at Puget Sound will have access to my Primary Name?

Due to current limitations of our system and various needs of offices across campus to access legal names for legal business, legal names can still be viewed by some staff and faculty. Faculty and staff are trained to defer to chosen names and the provided pronouns. We will be reviewing any updates myPugetSound may make to their system to determine if limiting access to primary names to those with a specific need is possible.

What name will be on mail sent to my home address?

Mail sent to your home address will typically use your chosen name; please keep this in mind when determining whether to update your name via Self-Service.

Will my email address be updated to my chosen name?

While your display name for your email address will reflect your chosen name, your actual email address is not automatically updated to reflect a chosen name. To do so, students would need to contact servicedesk@pugetsound.edu for a username change which would then update their email address also.

Why aren’t you using the pronouns I provided in my Slate application?

The University is committed to providing you with transparency on where and how this information is used and viewed. We do not use pronouns provided in your Slate application because having your pronouns displayed in campus systems is an optional, opt-in process. You are able to tell us if you want your pronouns displayed in campus systems by completing this process in Self-Service after you are registered.

Where else will this information be displayed in the future?

We are currently working on displaying chosen names and pronouns in student-focused campus systems that are able to display this information. The above list will be updated as this work progresses.

Will staff and faculty be able to edit their chosen names and pronouns through self-service?

We are currently working on similar options for our faculty and staff to be able to provide opt-in opportunities to personalize their gender identity information if they so choose, including gender identity, pronouns, and chosen name. As updates are made, we will provide transparency on where and how this information is displayed.

Background

The Data Governance Committee appointed a Gender Identity in PeopleSoft Subcommittee from departments across campus after PeopleSoft (aka myPugetSound) upgraded their system to allow campuses to gather student data on gender identity, pronouns, and other options. While this data may be of use to understand our student demographics and to better meet their needs, our intent is not to gather this data for reporting purposes, but to provide an opportunity for our students to personalize their gender identity information if they so choose, including pronouns, chosen name, and more, and provide transparency on where and how this information is displayed.

The specific recommendations for gender identity options come from the campus community and stakeholders and will reflect ongoing and evolving needs.

With these capabilities and limitations defined, the subcommittee will provide insight into the new myPugetSound's features. We will rely on the expertise of campus community groups to make recommendations that reflect the evolving needs of students. We will also rely on collaboration between these groups as student needs are identified and more features are released within myPugetSound. We plan to implement the same gender identity options in myPugetSound for staff and faculty in the future.

Gender in PeopleSoft Subcommittee Members: Ellen Peters, Carol Odland, Kelsey Anderson, Sandra Braedt, Kathleen Campbell, Debbie Chee, Vivie Nguyen, Hilary Robbeloth, Erin Ruff, Sean Vincent, and Martha Wilson.