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Introduction & How to Update

In a commitment to structural and developmental practices that support inclusivity and identity, faculty and staff may update their personal information, including chosen name, gender identity, and pronouns, via self-service in myPugetSound and have that information displayed in certain campus systems. This includes Faculty and Staff Directory, Canvas, Maxient, PeopleSoft Human Resources, and more. 

This process is completely optional for faculty and staff and can be updated at any time. See below for instructions on how to update your information.

For Faculty:
Update your information by logging in to my.pugetsound.edu and click on myPS > HR Salary and Benefits (tile) > Chosen Name and Pronouns

For Staff:
Update your information by logging in to my.pugetsound.edu and click on myPS > HR Staff Resources > Chosen Name and Pronouns

This initiative is a significant step in our ongoing commitment to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment for all members of our community and directly supports our goals as outlined in the Diversity Strategic Plan.

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 the university's systems. Also known as preferred, lived, or updated name. Can be changed via self-service.

Sex Assigned at Birth: Sometimes called biological sex, assigned sex, or sex at birth. This is the field that is used for official business, such as Benefits enrollment. This field cannot be changed in self-service. Please reach out to Human Resources if you have questions. 

Gender Identity: This is a personal understanding of one's own gender, which may or may not align with one's sex assigned at birth. Recognizing and respecting each individual's gender identity fosters an inclusive and supportive campus environment. If you prefer not to disclose your gender identity, you may choose "prefer not to say" or leave the field blank.

Pronouns: This is how we refer to each other in the third person and may 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.

Important Details

  • Faculty and staff may update their gender identity, chosen name, and pronouns at any point through self-service in myPugetSound. Faculty and staff may also indicate a pronoun by choosing one from the drop-down list in the indicated area. Faculty and staff who do not want their gender identity, chosen name, or pronouns displayed are not required to update them. 
    • This is a completely opt-in process, and when a faculty or staff member updates this information, it will be distributed across applicable campus systems as outlined below. Information can be left blank or removed at any time.
    • If no action is taken, fields will be left blank. 
  • myPugetSound can store the primary name and chosen name. If not otherwise specified, a faculty or staff member’s primary name will be the only name stored.
  • Some systems may require additional steps to complete a chosen name update. Other systems may be added over time.
  • 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.
  • A person’s legal name must remain on any documents where a legal name is required by federal or state law. To update your legal name, you must stop by Human Resources to provide updated official government documents. Please contact hr@pugetsound.edu if you have questions.

Visibility

The chart below shows where chosen name, pronouns, and gender identity details are currently visible. This page will continue to be updated as more campus systems are able to display these personal details.

Systems Automatically Updated
LOCATION CHOSEN NAME PRONOUNS GENDER IDENTITY
Canvas Yes Yes No
Faculty and Staff Directory Yes Yes No
Maxient Yes Yes No
Google Workspace Yes No No
Person Information Yes Yes No
Frequently Asked Questions

No. The choice to update gender identity, chosen name, and/or share pronouns is entirely up to you. Your chosen name as reflected in myPugetSound will be your primary name unless you input a new chosen name.

Please allow 24 hours for a gender identity selection, chosen names, or pronouns to be updated and/or removed in myPugetSound and connected systems.

No, setting or changing your chosen name will not affect your primary name.

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

Faculty and staff are able to input their gender identity into a field text.

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

Refusal to use a person's chosen name and/or pronouns is a form of gender-based discrimination and will not be tolerated. Faculty and staff who experience gender-based discrimination are encouraged to inform the Title IX Coordinator and fill out a report. Human Resources is also available for consultations.

Your primary/legal name will still be used anywhere that your legal name is required, including but not limited to payroll documents, pay stubs, insurance claims, medical records, immigration information, tax forms, and loan documents.

Due to the 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 faculty and staff. Faculty and staff are trained to defer to chosen names and the provided pronouns. We will continue to review any updates myPugetSound may make to their system to determine if limiting access to primary names to those with a specific need becomes possible.

While your display name for your email address will reflect your chosen name, the username in your email address is not automatically updated to reflect a chosen name. To request a username change, please contact Technology Services.

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 data on gender identity, pronouns, and other options. While this data may be of use to understand our faculty and staff demographics and to better meet their needs, the primary interest of the subcommittee is in providing an opportunity for faculty and staff members to personalize their gender information to accurately reflect their identity and to provide transparency on where and how this information is displayed.

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

 

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