State University of New York (SUNY) students will now be able to use their preferred names and pronouns on official campus records, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday.
All 64 SUNY campuses are required to update their official records, including student profiles and diplomas, “to ensure that transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary students’ identities are fully reflected and represented in campus systems.”
The historic change is an effort by the Board of Trustees to accurately represent students’ identities and make SUNY “the most inclusive state university system in the country.”
“An inclusive chosen name and pronoun policy doesn’t only help students feel safer on campus — it is also a matter of respect,” SUNY Interim Chancellor Deborah F. Stanley said.
In addition to their chosen name and pronoun, students can also select “X” if their school asks for their gender. The necessary IT and operational changes to implement these gender policies will be completed by the end of this year.
“Every person, regardless of their gender identity or the name they choose to go by, deserves to have identity documentation that reflects who they are,” Hochul stated during a press conference. “This historic change by the SUNY system is a victory in our ongoing fight to ensure that New York is a place of love and belonging.”