Preferred Name, Gender Identity & Pronoun Policies

Augustana College recognizes that students may choose to identify themselves within the college community with a preferred first name that differs from their legal first name.  Preferred first name will be used across college systems, where feasible.

Policy requirements

The individual is free to determine the preferred first name they want to be known by, regardless of whether they have legally changed their name.

The college reserves the right to remove a preferred first name if it is used inappropriately, including but not limited to, avoiding a legal obligation or for the purpose of misrepresentation.

The legal name will continue to be used in college-related systems, business processes, and documents such as reporting, financial aid, transcripts, payroll and tax documents, and other records where use of legal first name is required by law or college policy.

Definitions:

Legal name – The name that appears on government issued identification.

Preferred first name – A name other than the legal name; may not be used to avoid legal obligation or with the intention to misrepresent.

Scope of policy

The preferred first name will appear in the following systems:

• Class lists
• Starfish
• Campus directory (Cosmo)
• Moodle
• Student ID card
• Dining and library (iShare)
• Housing Roster
• Network login
• Student email address

Legal name must appear in the following places:

• Grades (Arches); grading screens; grade reports 
• Transcripts
• Enrollment verification forms
• Program evaluation
• Financial aid documents
• Tuition, billing and fees

In addition, the legal name will appear in most external-facing college documents*, publications and communications, such as the official Dean's List produced after fall and spring semesters. There are a couple of exceptions to this policy: 

• List of candidates for publication on college website, in the Commencement program, senior and honors events and the graduation list in local paper (student may choose the name they want used);
• The college-issued diploma (student may choose name to be printed on diploma at the time of application to graduate);
• Most athletic promotional materials such as event programs, announcements during competition and press releases (student-athletes will be referred to by the name they are known by their teammates and coaches unless they specify otherwise);
• College marketing materials where a student has consented to have their name identified (student may choose the name to be used).

*the use of student names strictly adheres to FERPA directory information policy