SIUE supports and recognizes a welcoming community is a cornerstone of our University's mission, vision, and strategic plan. For this, the Office of the Registrar designed this page to provide guidance on preferred name, personal pronouns, and gender identification.  This will guide students on steps in updating systems in order to accurately reflect their preferred name, personal pronouns, and/or gender identification.  It will also address where you expect to see these displayed once updated.  

Preferred Name 

Students who identify with a name other than their legal name can elect to add an additional name or preferred name to their record.  In lieu of the legal name, the preferred name will appear on class lists, advising information, CougarNet, Blackboard, Starfish, Degree Works, and on your Cougar ID card.  

Legal names will still appear on external reports and documents including, but not limited to, paychecks, accounts payable checks, student billing, financial aid forms, tax forms (e.g. 1098-T), and other documents required by law.  Students may not designate a preferred last name.  

To add a Preferred Name to your record, please submit the Name Change Request Form to the Service Center.  

Future versions of CougarNet will allow students and employees to update their preferred first name under the Personal Information section.  We expect this version to be available in 2024.  

Implementation of Personal Pronouns and Gender Identification

Using CougarNet, students are now able to choose their personal pronouns and gender identifications. Sharing your pronouns and gender identity is completely voluntary and can be changed at anytime within CougarNet.

Personal Pronouns & Gender Identification Rollout Plan

Student's personal pronouns and gender identification are now available under the Personal Information section on CougarNet.  We are working on the systems in order to display students' and employees' chosen pronouns and gender where it is applicable.  

Personal Pronouns Coding and Descriptions

 The following Pronouns are available for students and employees to select.

• System Code - Pronouns
  • EYEM - ey/em/eir
  • FAER - fae/faer/faers
  • HEHI - he/him/his
  • PERS - per/per/pers
  • SHER - she/her/hers
  • THER - they/them/their
  • UNAM - Please use my name only
  • VERS - ve/ver/vis
  • XEMR - xe/xem/xyr
  • ZEHI - ze/hir/hir

Gender Identification

The following Gender Identification values are available for students and employees to select.

•  System Code - Gender Identification
  •  AGEN - Agender
  • GENQ - Genderqueer
  • MAN - Man
  • NB - Non-Binary
  • TRNG - Transgender
  • TRNM - Transgender Man
  • TRNW - Transgender Woman
  • WMN - Woman