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Chosen Identity Procedure for Students
PURPOSE
This procedure promotes and supports an open and inclusive environment through the establishment of a chosen first name, pronouns, and gender identity, for use within Community College of Allegheny County (“CCAC”) systems, where feasible, for students. Not all CCAC information systems, databases, and processes may be able to store or display these identifiers, and there may be situations that require use of a student’s legal name or legal sex. Therefore, individuals who utilize a chosen first name/gender identity within CCAC should always be prepared to reference their legal name and legal sex, as well and to provide corresponding identification when necessary.
CCAC recognizes and strives to support the need or preference for members of the College community to refer to themselves by a name other than their legal name, and strives to support the expression and self-identification of gender identity and pronoun usage. As long as the use of a chosen first name, pronouns, or gender identity is not intended for the purposes of avoiding legal obligations or misrepresentation, CCAC acknowledges student’s voluntary self-identification wherever possible.
PROCEDURE
Current students may add a new chosen first name, pronouns, or gender identity by accessing the CCAC Self Service. Assistance with the process can be found by reviewing this Help Center Article on Updating Contact Information in CCAC Self-Service.
New students will be requested to identify their chosen first name on their admissions application.
Chosen identifiers will be displayed as applicable in the following, but not limited to:
- Class rosters and grade lists
- CCAC ID card—only if the name change is reflected in class rosters and grade lists prior to the request
- CCAC email address
- Online directory listings
- Advisee lists
- Diplomas, as applicable by law
- Blackboard, MyCCAC portal and other software systems
Members of the CCAC community requesting use of a chosen first name do not need to identify the reason for the name change.
Please note, a chosen first name is not a legal name change. Legal name changes will be based on appropriate documentation such as a court order or federal/state identification. If a legal name change has occurred, CCAC records should be updated utilizing the Legal Name Change form. Detailed instructions on how to complete this process can be found by reviewing this Help Center Article on Legal Name Change Requests.
CCAC takes into account its legal requirements surrounding recordkeeping and will not interfere with records where legal names are required. This includes, but is not limited to, financial, medical and law enforcement documents; transcripts; diplomas; W-4 forms; I-9 forms; payroll documents; visa/immigration documents; personnel files; employment applications and related documents; background check documents; insurance documents; etc.
Chosen first names may not be applicable in parts of certain programs due to the requirements of accreditation organizations and clinical sites. Programs including, but not limited to, Nursing and many of the Allied Health majors require the use of the legal name for background checks, official health records and certification requirements. However, these restrictions do not preclude a student from using a chosen first name in the CCAC class sections of these programs. If a student desires to use their chosen name in a way that a chosen first name cannot be utilized, they will be advised to consider a legal name change.
This procedure is not intended to encompass arbitrary or repeated name changes and CCAC reserves the right to refuse a chosen first name. Instances that may result in this prohibition include the use of profane words and/or names that may be used for fraudulent purposes. Inappropriate use of the chosen first name including, but not limited to, misrepresentation or attempting to avoid a legal obligation, may be cause for denying the request and/or rescinding the use of the chosen first name.
EXCEPTIONS
Individuals whose safety is deemed to be at risk may and/or individuals who are undergoing a gender transition may designate a chosen first, middle, and last name, with approval from the Title IX Office, in consultation and collaboration with appropriate College offices. In these limited circumstances, the chosen name will be displayed in the College’s public directory unless the entry is omitted altogether for safety concerns. This does not override CCAC’s legal requirements or the requirements necessitated by accreditation and/or clinical sites as explained above. Therefore, CCAC cannot provide this exception where legal names are required by outside parties. To initiate a request under this exception, schedule a meeting with the Title IX by utilizing this link.
GRIEVANCE
If an individual wishes to appeal the denial of a chosen self-identifiers or otherwise grieve the process, the grievance procedures are outlined in the Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct Reporting and Response Procedure.
The intentional or persistent refusal to utilize an individual’s chosen first name, pronouns, or gender identity may be a violation of Board of Trustee Policy II.02 regarding CCAC’s Nondiscrimination Policy. Any such violation should be reported to the CCAC Title IX Coordinator at 412.237.4535 or civilrights@ccac.edu and will be handled through the Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct Reporting and Response Procedure.
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