STEP is committed to ensuring all students feel welcome within and supported by our community. The Center for Student Diversity houses resources and holds events specifically geared towards making our campus safer and more inclusive for LGBTQ+ students. Be sure to visit them, their website, and become familiar with the recognized student organizations they support.
Below are additional resources for new-to-W&M LGBTQ+ students looking for guidance on updating their preferred names and pronouns with the university.
Adding Pronouns to your Email Signature
Where Can I Indicate My Pronouns?
Coming into college, you might be looking for ways to indicate your pronouns to new people you are interacting with in an academic context! At William & Mary, many students and faculty choose to introduce themselves with their pronouns. Beyond this, there are a few other places that you can include your pronouns to ensure you are always referred to correctly. For example, you can include your pronouns in your email signature. If outing yourself is a concern, including your pronouns in your email signature does not necessarily indicate that you are LGBTQ+, this is a common and normalized practices by students, faculty, and staff both inside and outside of the community.
To add an email signature to your school email account, go to Gmail → settings → see all settings → signature
Below are a few examples of email signatures including pronouns:
Jae Doe They/Them William & Mary ‘24 Intended Biology and Africana Studies Major
Jae Doe (they/them) William & Mary ‘22 B.A. Art History, Mathematics
Emailing Professors about your Preferred Name and Pronouns
How Can I Tell My Professors My Preferred Name and Pronouns?
It is possible to list your preferred name and pronouns in the Personal Information Questionnaire (PIQ) through Banner Self-Service on my.wm.edu. However, preferred name and pronouns are not currently available on a class roster, which means that professors need to be contacted directly to ensure they use the correct name and pronouns. You can send these emails prior to the first day of class, to avoid being misgendered or dead named.
You can find a professor’s email address by looking up their name in the William & Mary faculty directory for their department. Additionally, you can often find a professor’s page merely by googling their first and last name with William & Mary!
Included below are a few different example emails for contacting a faculty member to ask them to use your correct name and/or pronouns. These examples are merely suggestions and were developed based on the experiences of real William & Mary students. They can be a great place to start!
If you would like the professor to use a different name:
Dear Professor _________,
I am a student in (class name, include the section if applicable). I am contacting you to let you know that I go by a name other than the one listed in Banner on your roster. My legal name will show up as (legal name), however, I would like you to refer to me as (preferred name).
Thank you, and I look forward to seeing you in class!
Sincerely,
Jae Doe (he/they) William & Mary ‘25 B.A. Linguistics**
If you would like to inform a professor of both your name and pronouns:
Dear Professor _________,
I am a student in (class name, include section if applicable). I am contacting you to let you know that some identity information related to me in Banner self-service is incorrect. You will see me listed as (legal name), however I go by (preferred name) and this is the name I plan to use for my assignments. I would also appreciate it if you could refer to me as (preferred name) in class and use (preferred pronouns) to refer to me.
Thank you, and I look forward to seeing you in class!
Sincerely,
Jae Doe She/Her/Hers Government/Arabic Studies**
**If you have questions about how to use an email signature or would like some examples of email signatures including pronouns, see the “Adding Pronouns to your Email Signature” document on the STEP website!
Including Pronouns in your Zoom Name
Where can I indicate my pronouns?
In the context of a Zoom class or meeting where everyone can see each other’s name, there is not always an opportunity to introduce yourself and include your pronouns. Because of this, many students, faculty, and staff choose to include their pronouns in their Zoom name! If outing yourself is a concern, including your pronouns in your Zoom name does not necessarily indicate that you are LGBTQ+, this is a common and normalized practice by students both inside and outside of the community at William & Mary.
To edit your Zoom name, click the three (3) small dots in the upper righthand corner of your Zoom box, you should be able to edit your name.
Examples of pronouns in a Zoom name:
Jae Doe (they/them)
Jae Doe she/they
Jae Doe he,him,his
Jae Doe | she/ella
Name and Pronoun Resources
Additional Resources
The following resources are useful for incoming students who use a different name and/or pronouns than is currently listed in their legal documents!
Students who have had their legal name or legal gender marker changed may fill out the Registrar's Change Request Form to have their name changed in the Banner self-service system. This process requires legal documentation, either a social security card or passport. You can also update your gender identity information and preferred name and pronouns on the Personal Information Questionnaire. See the Registrar's page on Name, Gender Identity, Pronouns for more information on changing your name and pronouns in Banner Self-Service.
If you are also an employee of the university (i.e. you have a job on campus) you need to submit documentation to the Office of Human Resources, which is located in Bell Hall. The address is 109 Cary St, Williamsburg, VA.
You can also obtain a new Tribe ID Card with the correct name after completing the name change process. You will have to pay for a new Tribe Card which costs $23. Additionally, if you are in the process of having your legal name changed, you can contact Tribe Card Services (by email or appointment) to obtain an “emergency card” which will have your student ID number but not include your deadname. This will serve as an intermediary until you can get a Tribe Card with the correct information on it.
