Name and pronoun systems update

May 25, 2022

MSU students, staff and faculty:

In spring of 2021, the Short-Term Work Group on Names and Pronouns was convened to review and provide recommendations to improve how Michigan State University captures and utilizes names and pronouns in existing university information systems.

With the purpose of acknowledging and supporting how students, staff and faculty at MSU identify, the recommendations include: 

  • Modifying systems to update data collection practices
  • Updating university data collection policies to provide options for self-identification
  • Creating system inventory guidelines to inform required modifications

We fully endorse the recommendations and find them aligned with the goals of the MSU 2030 strategic plan and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Steering Committee Report and Plan. In addition, we express our gratitude to the committee and recognize the leadership of the co-chairs:

  • Elisa Landaverde, librarian in special collections at the Main Library
  • Stacia Moroski-Rigney, assistant professor and affiliated graduate faculty in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric and American Cultures in the College of Arts and Letters
  • Kris Renn, professor of higher, adult and lifelong education and associate dean of undergraduate studies for student success research in the College of Education

In the near future, MSU system modifications will be required to update data collection and maintenance practices in accordance with the workgroup’s policy recommendations, statement of expectations and inventory guidelines.

Administrative leaders will coordinate a discussion with the functional owners of enterprise systems to identify projects, resources and timing to implement and standardize the changes needed.

The system evolution will allow individuals to appropriately self-identify while protecting the privacy of prefixes, gender identity or gender expression, sexual identity or orientation, pronouns, honorifics and names on official university records, as well as daily self-identification documents and portals.

We thank you for your continued partnership in advancing MSU’s diversity, equity and inclusion priorities.

For more information, please visit the strategic initiatives webpage.

Sincerely,

Melissa Woo, Ph.D. (she/her)
Executive Vice President for Administration and Chief Information Officer

Jabbar R. Bennett, Ph.D. (he/him)
Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer