SUNY Empire is excited to announce the implementation of the Preferred/Chosen Name policy. This policy recognizes that members of the SUNY Empire community may prefer to use names other than their legal names in order to identify themselves and ensures that the preferred/chosen name of students and employees can and should be used whenever possible in the course of college business, communication, and/or education. This policy is limited to first names and not surnames or family names.

At the college’s discretion and as may be required by law, certain official correspondence will use a student’s legal name. We encourage you to please review the policy prior to submitting a preferred/chosen name.

This new policy is consistent with current values and policies of SUNY Empire that protect students and employees against discrimination based on gender identity and expression and align with state and federal regulations. This policy is drafted as a best practice for supporting transgender and gender non-conforming members of college communities. The ability to use one’s chosen name is not limited to use by transgender and gender non-conforming students and employees, however, and is available to anyone who uses a chosen name on a daily basis other than their legal/primary first name.

Students who wish to pursue this option must complete a Preferred/Chosen Name request form. Please visit the college registrar’s page for the procedures for requesting a preferred/chosen name.

It can take up to 10 business days for the request to be reviewed and approved, and three business days after approval for the preferred name to be reflected in the various platforms utilized by the college offices. It is also suggested that the student take a proactive role in this process by communicating their preference with faculty members.