Pronouns provide a grammatical way to refer to people without using their name, and they are one of the ways we portray our gender identities. Some pronouns are gendered (she/her/hers or he/him/his), while others are gender neutral (such as they/them/theirs).
Proper pronoun use is an important part of respecting individuals’ gender identities and avoids harmful assumptions about their gender based on appearance or name. By honoring people’s pronouns, we foster a safe, inclusive UW community where everyone feels respected and welcomed for who they are.
Where Pronouns are Used
The pronouns that you choose to share with the UW are shared with faculty, academic personnel, and support staff (advisors, counselors, etc.) so that they can provide you with an inclusive and welcoming environment. These pronouns can be consumed by a wide variety of applications at the University, including class rosters and the advising tools, to name a few. Please understand that only limited interfaces can currently consume this information. We are working to grow pronoun support in order to increase awareness among faculty, academic personnel, and support staff, but it will take time and patience.
Be sure to provide pronouns to the University only if you would be comfortable with UW faculty, academic personnel and support staff using them. To more thoughtfully consider the sharing of your pronouns with the UW, please consult Sharing pronouns at the UW.
Additionally, while the UW takes your privacy very seriously, we might be required to share pronoun information in public records requests or in other situations when required by law. In some instances, a person’s pronoun may be considered an education record and protected from disclosure by FERPA.
How to Update Your Pronouns
You can log into identity.uw.edu [UWNetID required] to make changes. Learn more about setting your pronouns in Identity.UW.