A note from Aspen: I would like to acknowledge our privilege, both my own privilege as a student at a private university and the university’s privilege as a private institution. Our being at Southwestern allows us to use whatever name we choose to, while our peers at public universities do not all have the same privilege at this time. Furthermore, not all gender nonconforming professors at public schools can share their identities with their students, specifically sharing their pronouns if they differ from their assigned gender at birth. This upsets me greatly, and I hope that in the coming years, we as a society, specifically in the United States, move away from gender identity being such a point of political conflict. 

A chosen or “preferred” name is any name a person uses besides their legal name. For example, if you prefer to go by your nickname or middle name in school or other social settings, this would be considered a chosen name. For transgender, nonbinary, and other gender-diverse individuals, using a chosen name can be an important step in their journey, and seeing their legal name may cause distress. To alleviate at least some of this stress, individuals can use a chosen name in place of their legal name on Google and Moodle. 

     A chosen name can be entered into or changed in the Southwestern system at any time via Self-Service. Doing this updates automatic emails sent from the university and professor’s rosters for classes. However, this does not carry over to every platform. For example, names in Google and Moodle will have to be manually updated, but it is a relatively easy process. Permanent things, such as one’s Southwestern email, cannot be changed, though a Pirate Card may be replaced to include a chosen name without necessitating a fee. These processes make it easier to live on campus with a chosen name and truly seem to represent how progressive Southwestern is as a university.

Changing your name in Self-Service:

1. Log into the Self-Service Portal using your Southwestern email.
2. Look under “User Options.” 
3. Go into “User Profile.” 
4. In the “User Profile,”  you will see the option to “Edit Personal Identity.” 
5. In “Personal Identity Details,”  you can share any information you wish, including a nickname, chosen name, preferred pronouns, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
6. Once this is changed, the Southwestern system will automatically update.

Changing your name in Moodle:

1. Log into Moodle using your Southwestern email.
2. Click on the circle with your profile picture or initials.
3. Click on “Edit Profile” under “User Details.” 
4. You will be able to edit your first and last name in the first two boxes.
5. Scroll down to “Update Profile” and you’re done.

Unfortunately, changing one’s name within the system is not a promise for consistency. The Southwestern post office, for instance, addresses students by legal name. It is unclear whether this can be changed, and, if so, where. Additionally, an incident occurred during move-in last year where several students on campus using chosen names arrived to see the wrong name on their door. Southwestern University and its staff remain committed to ensuring a positive university experience for students. Hopefully, this will result in more systemic changes so that those on campus with chosen names may use them on campus without uncertainty of where and to whom the name will be shown. 

If you have a nickname, chosen name, or anything of the sort and would not like to change it in the system but still be referred to correctly, here are some tips:

1. Class introductions are your friend! Professors at Southwestern are usually very accommodating, so introduce yourself with your preferred name after communicating your legal name. For example, “My name is _____ but I go by ______.” 
2. It might be scary, but you can email or talk to your professors ahead of time. Your college experience is up to you to make it the best it can be, and professors are great sources of support if you can’t muster up the bravery to correct people in person/in class.
3. You’re not annoying if you have to correct people multiple times. There’s a learning curve to any task, so give people some grace and stick to your guns. 

On the whole, the Southwestern staff and community are an affirming and positive space for students of all different backgrounds and experiences. However, this does not mean there is no more room for growth. We hope that the Southwestern University staff will continue and even increase their efforts in the future to support students.