CU Boulder recognizes that your legal information doesn't always align with how you identify. To foster diversity, equity and inclusion, CU systems allow you to indicate your gender identity, name pronunciation, preferred name, pronouns and/or sexual orientation.
If provided, your personal information is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and access to it is restricted to staff who have a legitimate educational interest and have completed student data privacy training.
Gender Identity
Gender identity reflects one's innermost concept of self as man, woman, blend of both or neither. In other words, it's how individuals perceive themselves and what they call themselves. One's gender identity can be the same or different than their legal sex.
At CU Boulder, you may select from the following genders: agender/do not gender identify, cisgender, gender queer/non-conforming, man/male, non-binary, not listed, trans female/trans woman, trans male/trans man, two spirit and woman/female.
The collection and use of gender identity data at CU Boulder is a new and evolving practice. Campus officials are analyzing systems and business processes that currently store and use student's legal sex to determine appropriate and/or required use.
Please note that some campus departments or programs may ask you to provide gender identity information separately, because their systems don't interface with the main student system.
While legal sex data is required for compliance with select business processes, it's always optional for you to identify your gender identity. You may add, edit or delete this data at any time.
Data Privacy & Security
Gender identity data, including information about individuals who identify as LGBTQ, is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Access to this information through university systems is restricted to staff who have a legitimate educational interest and have completed student data privacy training.
Campus officials will primarily use this information in aggregate to make informed, data-driven decisions related to strategic resources and student support.
Inquiries & Concerns
If you believe your gender identity information is being accessed or used inappropriately, and/or if you have suggestions for appropriate use, please report your concerns or recommendations to the following CU Boulder office(s) as appropriate:
- Center for Inclusion and Social Change (support, training, on-campus resources)
- Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (discrimination and harassment reports)
- Office of the Registrar (suggestions or concerns related to data usage)
To add, edit or delete your gender identity (optional):
- Log in to Buff Portal.
- Select your profile at the top right.
- Select “Account Settings,” then “Profile and Privacy.”
- In the menu, select "Gender Identity."
- Follow the steps on the page to add, edit or delete that information.
Name Pronunciation
CU Boulder offers NameCoach, a tool that allows you to record the preferred pronunciation of your name for use by faculty, staff and other students.
Even if you choose not to record your own name, use NameCoach to listen to your classmates' and instructors' recordings so you can learn how to pronounce theirs.
Once you've recorded your name or provided the phonetic spelling, that information will be available to instructors and students through Canvas. NameCoach is also available in Outlook.
In the future, we plan to integrate the pronunciation tool into additional on-campus systems, including class listings, the campus directory and commencement proceedings.
Visit OIT's website for instructions on using NameCoach in Canvas and using NameCoach in Outlook.
Preferred Name
A preferred name is one that differs from your legal name.
If you'd rather be referred to on campus by a nickname, professional name, anglicized name or name that better aligns with your gender identity, you may identify it in the CU Boulder system.
The CU Boulder system currently limits the length of your preferred first and middle names to 30 characters each.
The university reserves the right to remove any preferred name that is deemed to be inappropriate, derogatory or misrepresentative (e.g., is being used in an attempt to avoid legal obligations or confuse their identity with that of another). If that happens, you may be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct or by the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance.
Where technically and legally feasible, preferred names are displayed instead of primary (legal) names in university systems and records and are used to identify students in the classroom and other places on campus.
After designating a preferred name, you'll see it used in the following university systems and records:
- Class and grade rosters (used by faculty)
- Advisee rosters (used by advisors; also displays primary name)
- CU guest access system (used by your authorized guests)
- Unofficial transcripts
- Degree audits
- Buff Portal
- Learning management systems (Canvas)
- Housing systems (StarRez)
- Health & Wellness Services
Preferred names are not used in communications to parents, guardians or other third-party recipients.
Most CU Boulder Systems & Records
To add, edit or delete a preferred name (optional):
- Log in to Buff Portal.
- Select your profile at the top right.
- Select “Account Settings,” then “Profile and Privacy.”
- In the menu, select "Names."
- Select "Preferred" to expand that panel.
- Follow the steps on the page to add, edit or delete that information.
- If you haven't set a preferred name, select "Add a new name"; if you have set one, select "Edit" to modify it or "Delete" to remove it.
Additional Systems & Records
The following university systems and records require additional steps to update your preferred name.
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Email
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Display Name: To change the name displayed in the "from" line of email messages, see OIT's Choose a Display Name page.
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Alias: To request an update to your email alias (the part of your email address before @), contact OIT at help@colorado.edu or 303-735-HELP.
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Campus Directory (online student lookup): The campus directory publishes the display name from the Identity Management system; see Choose a Display Name.
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Buff OneCard: If you've set your preferred name before your Buff OneCard is issued, then your Buff OneCard will display your preferred name. Otherwise, your Buff OneCard will be issued with your primary name (see colorado.edu/buffonecard for a timeline of when cards are issued). If you've established a preferred name after receiving your Buff OneCard, you may contact the Buff OneCard office at boc@colorado.edu regarding a replacement card.
Note: due to the encoding on your Buff OneCard, if your first and last name is greater than 35 characters, this will create issues when you swipe your card to access on-campus resources. You may email boc@colorado.edu for recommendations on how to handle this situation.
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IdentiKey username/CU login name: Your IdentiKey username is composed of the first two letters of your legal first name, the first two letters of your last name, and four random digits. If you have a new legal name or have privacy concerns, contact the IT Service Center to request a change to the letters in your username. See also OIT's IdentiKey FAQs.
Contact the Office of the Registrar for instructions on updating your preferred name in university systems and processes not listed here.
For recommendations on how to address preferred name with your instructors, see the Center for Inclusion & Social Change's Names/Gender Markers On Campus page.
Pronouns
Personal pronouns are used in place of specific nouns for people, places and things. For example, we refer to a group of people with the pronouns they (subjective case), them (objective case) and their (possessive case).
To refer to an individual, it's respectful to use the pronouns they prefer. For example, someone who identifies as transgender may prefer the pronouns ze, zir and zirs, rather than those associated with their legal sex.
At CU Boulder, you may select from the following pronouns: she/her/hers, he/him/his, they/them/theirs, ze/zir/zirs and xe/xer/xers.
Student-identified pronouns appear in class, grade and advising rosters and systems.
Although CU doesn't consider pronouns to be highly sensitive data, only authorized school officials (e.g., staff, advisors and others with a legitimate educational interest) have access to view them.
If a third party contacts CU and requests your pronouns, we won't release that information unless you've provided explicit consent for us to do so.
To add, edit or delete your pronouns (optional):
- Log in to Canvas.
- In the navigation menu on the left, select "Account," then "NameCoach."
- If NameCoach requests access to your account, select "Authorize."
- Under "Your recording for Name Profile," click "Edit your info."
- Under "Pronoun," click to select your pronouns. (If you've already identified your pronouns, click them to open the drop-down menu.)
- To submit your pronouns without recording your name pronunciation, change the recording radio button selection to "Web Recorder," then click "Submit and Finish."
- Log in to Buff Portal.
- Select your profile at the top right.
- Select "Name Pronunciation & Pronouns."
- If NameCoach requests access to your account, select "Authorize."
- Access your editing panel:
- If you haven't identified your pronouns yet, you'll automatically land on the editing panel.
- If you've already identified your pronouns, you'll land on your NameCoach dashboard. Under "Your Recordings," click "Edit your info."
- Under "Pronoun," click to select your pronouns. (If you've already identified your pronouns, click them to open the drop-down menu.)
- To submit your pronouns without recording your name pronunciation, change the recording radio button selection to "Web Recorder," then click "Submit."
Communication and training around the use of pronoun information is evolving on campus.
If a faculty or staff member refers to you using incorrect pronouns, it is appropriate to tell them you've provided your pronouns to CU and that the Office of the Registrar can help them locate that information.
For recommendations on how to address pronouns with your instructors, see the Center for Inclusion & Social Change's Names/Gender Markers On Campus and Pronouns pages.
Sexual Orientation
Sexual orientation is used to describe a person's sexuality with respect to his or her sexual desire.
At CU Boulder, you may select from the following sexual orientations: asexual and/or aromantic, bisexual/fluid, gay, heterosexual/straight, lesbian, pansexual, queer and not listed.
The collection and use of sexual orientation data at CU Boulder is a new and evolving practice. Campus officials will primarily use this information in aggregate to make informed, data-driven decisions related to strategic resources and student support.
Some campus departments or programs may ask you to provide gender identity orientation information separately, because their systems don't interface with the main student system.
Data Privacy & Security
Sexual orientation data, including information about individuals who identify as LGBTQ, is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Access to this information through university systems is restricted to staff who have a legitimate educational interest and have completed student data privacy training.
Inquiries & Concerns
If you believe your sexual orientation information is being accessed or used inappropriately, and/or if you have suggestions for appropriate use, please report your concerns or recommendations to the following CU Boulder office(s) as appropriate:
- Center for Inclusion and Social Change (support, training, on-campus resources)
- Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (discrimination and harassment reports)
- Office of the Registrar (suggestions or concerns related to data usage)
To add, edit or delete your sexual orientation (optional):
- Log in to Buff Portal.
- Select your profile at the top right.
- Select “Account Settings,” then “Profile and Privacy.”
- In the pop-up menu, select "Sexual Orientation."
- Follow the steps on the page to add, edit or delete your sexual orientation.
Photo ID
Photo identification or photo ID is an identity document that includes a photograph of the holder, usually only their face.
At CU Boulder, your photo ID is your Buff OneCard. It’s considered directory information and is part of your academic record.
Buff OneCard photos are used by various campus systems and serve as your profile image in Canvas, where instructors and classmates can view it, and in class and advisor rosters.
Buff OneCard Office staff may release a student’s ID to authorized university departments or the public after a request has been made in writing and reviewed by committee.
Currently enrolled students may withhold disclosure of public directory information under FERPA by electing full privacy status.
You can update your photo ID through the Buff OneCard website.