Chosen Names & Pronouns

Oklahoma State University affirms members of the Cowboy family that are transgender and gender non-conforming through accurate usage of chosen first names and gender pronouns on campus. For more information on terminology and allyship, see here.

---

Why are chosen names and pronouns important?

 

Calling someone with their chosen name and pronouns is an act of respect and inclusivity. Transgender and nonbinary people report experiencing distress when they are misgendered and/or deadnamed (Knutson et al., 2019). College is a stressful environment for everyone, but transgender and nonbinary people experience even higher levels of distress when their identities are not honored as they pursue their education (Knutson et al., 2021). Scholars continue to call for more inclusive educational environments for transgender and nonbinary people and they note that inclusive environments are better for everyone (Knutson et al., 2021).  

 

 

How do you make sure you're using someone's chosen name and pronoun?

 

By enabling features in Banner and Canvas for name and pronoun identification, the Name and Pronoun Working Group hopes to make it easier to get this important information right. But what if you need to check in? 

• Just ask! It is best to ask privately, but you don't need to ask in a particular way. Just simply: "What are your pronouns?" 
• Introduce your own pronouns! Another way to make someone comfortable sharing their own is by including yours. For example: "Hello nice to meet you, my name's Irissa and I use she/her/hers pronouns. And you are?" While not asking outright, it opens the door for another person to share
• What if you make a mistake? Simply acknowledge your mistake openly, apologize, and move on. Don't let it become a drawn out issue, but rather a momentary correction and reminder to get it better in the future. 
• Learn more about navigating pronouns in OSU's Names & Pronouns 101

 

Changing your chosen name and pronouns on campus:

• Adding your pronouns to Canvas 
  Canvas now allows students to designate their personal pronouns. This feature is not automatically enabled and must be set by the user. Step-by-step instructions are below, and instructions with visuals can be found here.

  1. From Canvas, click on your Account at the top of the left navigation bar, then select Settings.
  2. Click the Edit Settings button, then select a pronoun from the drop down list. Click the Update Settings button to save your changes.
  3. The pronoun selected will now appear after your name in Canvas.
• Changing your OSU email address
  Instructions can be found here.
• Changing your chosen name in Banner
  • Log into Self-Service
  • Select ‘Personal Information’
  • Next to personal details, select “edit”
  • Enter chosen name in the field “Preferred First Name”
• Adding pronouns in Banner
  • Log into Self-Service
  • Select ‘Personal Information’
  • Next to personal details, select “edit”
  • Select “Personal Pronoun” from the list: he/him/his, she/her/hers, they/them/theirs

  Is there a pronoun that you would like to see added but isn't included? Contact nate.todd@okstate.edu
• Changing your gender identification in Banner
  • Log into Self-Service
  • Select ‘Personal Information’
  • Next to personal details, select “edit”
  • Select “Gender Identification”: Male, Female, Non-Binary, Gender Identity Not Listed, Not Applicable

  *Is there a gender identity that you would like to see added but isn't included? Contact nate.todd@okstate.edu

 

How Names Show Up in OSU Systems:

NOTE: Those with proxy access will only see legal names. Legal names will always show on systems that require legal documentation, such as: Bursar online payment, faculty and staff insurance documents, and tax forms.

Chosen Name and Pronoun Working Group

The Chosen Name and Pronoun Working Group is a recent inclusion initiative to create more inclusive environments on campus. The mission of the Chosen Name and Personal Pronoun Working Group is to identify ways to make information systems  more inclusive of student identities. We understand that names and pronouns are important and that use of the wrong identifiers can cause distress. Consistent with current standards, we seek to make Oklahoma State University a space in which people of all identities are empowered to thrive.

Thank you to the working group for their hard work and contributions:

Christine Fuston (she/her)
Sue C. Jacobs, PhD (she/her)
Tony Jolliff (they/she/he)
Douglas Knutson, PhD, LHSP (he/him)
Britney Mann (she/her)
Rita Peaster (she/her)
Adrienne Sanogo, PhD (she/her)