Overview
At SF, valuing diversity and inclusion is one of our core principles. We understand that using someone’s correct name and pronoun is a sign of respect.
The college recognizes that some students and employees may prefer to use a first name other than their legal name to identify themselves. A request can be made to use a preferred first name and pronoun where possible in the course of College business and education.
To request a name or pronoun change at SF
To update your legal name:
The Office of the Registrar processes all requests for legal name changes for students. To update this information, submit a Student Account Information Change Request form via eSantaFe. The form is available on the Public Documents section under the Documents menu tab. Please allow up to 5 business days for processing.
To update your preferred name and/or pronouns:
Log in to eSantaFe, select Records, My Information, then the header labeled Preferred Name, Pronouns, Phone, and Email, make the change, then select Update. Once updated, instructors will see this information in course rosters.
You can change your pronouns within Canvas by selecting your profile picture, Settings, Edit Settings, use the drop-down next to Pronouns, then Update Settings. Note that changes made in Canvas will not alter any information in eSantaFe.
To update your SF email address:
After a legal name change, a student’s email address is updated as a part of the change process. After a student makes a preferred name change, they may request to the Registrar via email registrar@sfcollege.edu a request to use the preferred name in the official SF email.
To change pronouns in Canvas
To make a pronoun change inside of the Canvas learning management system, log into Canvas and complete the following:
Select the Account menu option from the left-hand global menu
Select the Settings menu option
Select the Edit Settings button on the right-hand side of the screen:
You will now see a pronoun settings box:
The default is set to none. If you choose to change your pronouns, click in the box and make your selection.
When you are done, select the Update Settings button to save your changes.
Why preferred names and pronouns are important
Preferred names impact many populations
- Global students may use a different name while studying in the United States.
- Students who have been victims of domestic violence may choose to go by a different name for safety reasons.
- Students that have been in foster care can experience many name changes.
- Refugees experience legal name issues when their documentation is completed.
- Some people have various traumas connected to their names, and choose not to use names that may bring up these events.
- People who are transgender often change their name to reflect their identity.
We are striving to create an educational environment where students may use a preferred first name wherever a legal name is not required on internal documents, communications, systems, and web portals.
If you have questions or need assistance you can contact the Office of Access and Inclusion at access-inclusion@sfcollege.edu.