Preferred Name
Contact Information
Phone:
Fax:
Email
Related Links and Initiatives
Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Gender-Neutral Bathrooms:
Marple
- Located outside of Career & Counseling Center/Transfer Office/Office of Disability Services (1st Floor in Academic Building)
- Located outside of the Testing Center (4th Floor in Academic Building)
- Located inside of The Learning Commons in Founder’s Hall (4th Floor)
Downingtown
- Located behind Career & Counseling Center, across Avenue C Cafe (Main Floor)
What is a preferred name?
A preferred name is a first name used on a daily basis that is significantly different from the student’s legal first name.
What qualifies a student to use a preferred name?
Any student who uses a name other than their legal name, for any reason, is welcome to update their information in delaGATE and Canvas. Examples of reasons to use a preferred name include:
- Student’s legal name is inconsistent with their gender identity
- Student primarily uses their middle name instead of their first name
- Student goes by a nickname significantly different from their first name
- International students or other students who wish to adopt an anglicized nickname during their course of study
Note: Nicknames that are common abbreviations of first names (such as “Joe” for “Joseph” or “Kate” for “Kaitlyn”) are not covered under this procedure. For clarification on whether a name is a common abbreviation, students may contact Student Records.
How can I request a preferred first name change?
Students should follow this three step process to ensure that their preferred name is visible in all spaces in which the preferred name can be populated after it is modified (please see list below of where preferred names appear).
STEP ONE: Update preferred name in delaGATE
Students can submit a preferred name change through the delaGATE portal under Student > Registration & Records > Update Contact Info > Update your biographical and demographic information under Personal Information > Personal Information button > Preferred First Name (and Pronouns using the Personal Pronoun drop-down).
STEP TWO: Update preferred name in Canvas
Students can update their preferred name in their Canvas Class List under the delaGATE portal > Apps > Canvas > Account > Profile > Settings > Full Name/Display Name/Sortable Name and Pronouns under Account > Profile > Edit Profile > Pronouns.
STEP THREE (Optional): Notify Instructors of name change
If you are making a change to your name after a semester has started, your instructor may have a copy of your class roster that does not reflect changes made to your preferred name. If you are comfortable doing so, reaching out to your professor is an easy way to let them know that their records have changed. Below is an example message you may want to send.
Hello Professor, I would like to inform you that I have recently made a change to my preferred name, which should now be visible in your records. Please note that my last name is xxx.
Thank you!
STEP FOUR (Optional): Request a photo id card with your preferred name
Ask if your preferred first name can be added to your photo id card. If you have an old photo id, you can get a replacement with a new photo and your preferred first name by request in Enrollment Central.
Additional information on Preferred names
The preferred first name change is for first names only.
Changes to a student’s last name is a legal name change. Refer to “What If I Want To Make A Legal Name Change/Have Made A Legal Name Change?” below for directions on how to submit a legal name change.
*For Employees, please contact Human Resources regarding legal name changes.*
Where will my preferred name appear?
Once your preferred name is updated, your preferred name will appear in the following places:
- Your personal delaGATE page
- Connect2Success (Preferred Name will appear automatically, and students can enter their Pronouns using the three lines at the top left corner in Connect2Success > click the drop-down arrow next to your name > Edit Profile > Contact Information > Enter Pronouns and Save)
- Degree Works (Preferred Name)
- Student Conduct (Preferred Name and Pronouns)
- Email and Display Name can be updated (please enter a helpdesk ticket at support.dccc.edu if you prefer to have the email address and display name changed instead of legal name)
- Class Roster for enrolled courses for Faculty/Advisor access in delaGATE
We are currently working on integrating preferred name in the following systems:
- Canvas (right now you can manually update your display name under Account > Profile > Settings > Full Name/Display Name/Sortable Name)
- SmartThinking Tutoring (right now you can log in and update your name under My Account > Profile)
Please note the following:
- All official College correspondence will use your legal name.
- The preferred name is used solely for Delaware County Community College’s internal systems where applicable. Official transcripts, enrollment verifications, diplomas, third party database systems, and all external communications, such as hometown newspapers (dean’s list announcements), etc., will continue to use your legal name.
Inappropriate use of the preferred name, including but not limited to, misrepresentation or attempting to avoid a legal obligation, may be cause for denying the request.
Delaware County Community College is legally required to use legal names on all legal documents and contracts, including student bills, financial aid information, official and unofficial transcripts, enrollment verification, diplomas, and other documents. Further, this process can only affect Delaware County CC generated systems.
What if I want to make or have made a legal name change?
Students interested in making a legal name change should check the regulations of their home state.
Students who have completed a legal name change should provide supporting documentation to show proof of the legal name change (marriage or birth certificate, court order, or divorce decree) and send to records@dccc.edu. Legal name changes will not be approved without the appropriate documentation.
Gender Pronouns
Delaware County Community College is committed to valuing and validating the gender identity and expression of members of the campus community. Gender identity refers to an individual’s internal sense of gender, regardless of the sex assigned to them at birth or the sex designation on their legal documents. One way that Delaware County Community College seeks to create a gender-inclusive academic environment is by offering students the ability to indicate the pronouns they use for themselves using delaGATE > Student > Update Contact Info, and by encouraging members of the campus community to respect these pronouns.
What is a pronoun?
- A pronoun is a word that is used instead of a noun or a noun phrase to refer to individuals.
- Pronouns can be in the first person singular (I, me) or plural (we, us); second person singular or plural (you); and the third person singular (e.g., she/her, he/him, they/them) or plural (they/them).
- Gendered pronouns specifically reference someone’s gender: he/him/his or she/her/hers or they/them/theirs
- Non-gendered or nonbinary pronouns are not gender specific and are most often used by people who identify outside of a gender binary. The most common set of nonbinary pronouns is they/them/their used in the singular.
- Other approaches to pronouns may include going simply by one’s name, not having a preference, or wanting to avoid pronouns altogether.
- There are many languages in the world that do not use gendered pronouns.
Pronoun Table
(This is not an exhaustive list)
| Subjective | Objective | Possessive | Reflective | Examples |
| She | Her | Hers | Herself | She is studying. I studied with her. The book is hers. |
| He | Him | His | Himself |
He is studying. |
| They | Them | Theirs | Themself |
They are studying. |
Why are pronouns important?
- It is important to ask for pronouns because you cannot assume how someone identifies their gender based on their appearance.
- As a society, we commonly assume the gender of others by their appearance and indicate these assumptions by using gendered language, such as she/he, ma’am/sir, Ms./Mr., and ladies/gentlemen.
- This practice results in many individuals, especially trans and gender-nonconforming individuals, being misgendered, which may lead them to feel disrespected, marginalized, and invisible.
- It is a privilege to not have to worry about which pronoun someone is going to use for you based on how they perceive your gender. If you have this privilege, yet fail to respect someone else’s gender identity, it is disrespectful and hurtful.
How can I be inclusive in using and respecting gender pronouns?
- Respecting someone’s self-identification means using the gender pronouns with which they identify. Some people go by more than one set of pronouns.
- If you do not know or have not asked someone’s pronouns, try to use “they/them” pronouns.
- Ask individuals to provide their personal pronoun(s). It can feel awkward at first, but it is not as awkward as getting it wrong or making a hurtful assumption. Here are some ways you can do this:
- “What pronouns do you use?”
- “How would you like me to refer to you?”
- "Can you remind me what pronouns I should be using for you?"
- Please note that if a student, staff, or community member tells you that they do not want to disclose their pronouns or do not wish their pronouns to be public knowledge, you can refer to that person by their name only (i.e., Leo’s book is over there. Can you please hand it to Leo?). You may create a more inclusive environment by introducing yourself and pronouns first. “My name is ____. My pronouns are _____.”
What if I mistakenly use the wrong pronouns for someone?
- The best thing to do if you use the wrong pronoun for someone is to say something right away, such as “Sorry, I meant they.” Fix it, but do not call special attention to the error in the moment. If you realize your mistake after the fact, apologize in private and move on.
- It can be tempting to go on and on about how bad you feel that you messed up or how hard it is for you to get it right. But please, don’t. It is inappropriate and makes the person who was misgendered feel awkward and responsible for comforting you, which is not their job. It is your job to remember people’s pronouns.
- If you hear someone else using the wrong pronoun, in most cases, you may gently correct the person who made the mistake without further embarrassing the individual who was misgendered. You can say something like, “Actually, Neera uses ‘they’ for themselves.”
Pronouns Dos and Don'ts
Do!
- Do recognize that most people have pronouns, not just trans people, and that asking pronouns is very important, both so someone is not misgendered and so that trans people are not the only ones who will feel the need to share their pronouns.
- Do remember that some people go by more than one set of pronouns.
- Do ask people the pronouns they use for themselves whenever you ask people their name, such as when you meet someone for the first time or when you do go-arounds at meetings. Keep in mind that people may change the pronouns they go by, so it is necessary to ask pronouns in go-arounds regularly.
- Do say “the pronouns someone uses” or “their personal pronouns,” rather than “their preferred pronouns,” because the pronouns someone uses are not a preference.
- Do remember that not everyone feels comfortable indicating their pronouns at all or in every setting and no one should feel forced to do so.
- Do consider using other ways to make language more gender-inclusive, such as by using “Hey, everyone” or "How are all y'all doing?" in a group setting instead of “Hey guys!” or “Hey ladies!" or "How are you guys doing?”
Don’t!
- Don’t refer to pronouns such as “they/them/their” as “gender-neutral pronouns.” While some people identify as gender-neutral, others see themselves as gendered in a nonbinary way. Better language is “nonbinary pronouns.”
- Don’t describe the pronouns someone uses as “preferred pronouns.” It is not a preference. The pronouns that a person uses are their pronouns and the only ones that should be used for them.
- Don’t say “male pronouns” and “female pronouns.” Pronouns are not necessarily tied to someone’s gender identity: some trans people use “he/him/his” or “she/her/her,” but do not identify as male or female, respectively.
- If you conform to (most) gender expectations and are not a transgender person, don’t indicate that you “don’t care what pronouns are used for me.” Such statements reinforce the privilege of people who are gender conforming and not transgender because these people are not going to be misgendered and thus do not need to worry about the pronouns that people use for them. It also invalidates the experiences of gender nonconforming and transgender people, many of whom struggle with getting people to use their correct pronouns.
