Board of Regents Policy Use of Gender Identity and Pronouns

The Board of Regents for Higher Education (BOR) is committed to providing an educational environment where all are welcome and free to express the manner in which they choose to identify themselves. To that end, the BOR is issuing this policy so that individuals may be identified by their actual gender identity and self-identified pronouns.

Governmentally Recognized Gender Marker: 
The gender marker appearing on an official government document that denotes male or female, used for official reporting to the Federal Government and other similar agencies.

Self-identified Pronoun: 
The pronoun used by an individual that best reflects their gender identity and by which they should be called. For example, student Taylor Doe might use the pronouns “they/them/theirs” instead of “he/him/his” or “she/her/hers.”

Gender Identity: 
One's innermost concept of self as male, female, a blend of both or neither. One's gender identity can be the same or different from their sex assigned at birth.

The Board of Regents for Higher Education directs the College and University leadership and other stakeholders of the CSCU institutions, including students and employees, working with System Office staff, to follow best practices in establishing appropriate forms, procedures, training and timelines to facilitate students’ and community members’ requests for usage of self-identified pronouns and gender identity. The institutions are to incorporate information regarding pronoun usage and gender identity into their processes.

CSCU institutions will continue to record and use governmentally recognized gender markers as required by law.