Policies
Welcome to Farmingdale State College’s Policy Library. This library is the official repository for all institutional policies and procedures and is intended to be a resource for faculty, staff and students seeking information related to the policies that govern the institution. This library does not contain department-specific policies and procedures. Please contact the department for specific departmental policies and procedures.
Please direct all questions regarding policy content to the Responsible Office listed on the respective policy.
If you wish to propose or amend an institutional policy, please review the Policy for Developing Institutional Policies and complete the Policy Proposal Form.
For assistance with drafting and amending policies, please refer to the Policy Writing Guidance and/or contact the Risk and Compliance Office at 934-420-5365.
Chosen Identity Policy
Policy Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to set forth procedures on how employees and students can choose their identity preferences for their first name, pronouns, and gender designation.
Persons Affected
Faculty, Staff, Students
Policy Statement
Farmingdale State College is committed to supporting a diverse, inclusive and welcoming environment for students and employees; and recognizes that chosen name, pronouns and gender designation are an important part of a person’s identity. As such, the College provides students and employees with the opportunity to choose preferences for these three identifying factors. These designations may be changed once an academic year and twice during a student or employee’s tenure at Farmingdale State College.
Chosen Name
Students and employees may elect to use a chosen first name that is different from their legal name. Unless the College system requires the utilization of a legal name, the chosen name will be displayed in lieu of the legal name. The legal name will continue to be used in College systems, business processes, and documents such as reporting, financial aid, transcripts, tax documents, diplomas and certificates, payroll, and other records where use of legal name is required by law or College policy.
The College will display chosen name to the campus community where feasible and appropriate, and make a good faith effort to update reports, documents and systems accordingly. Specifically, the College will display a chosen name in the following areas:
- FSC ID Cards – BOTH Legal and Chosen Name
- Email address
- Email display
- Brightspace
- Class rosters
- Grade rosters
- Advising screens – Degree Audit and other advising systems
- Directory listings (telephone, online, hardcopy)
- Email list server interface
- Campus registration and password expiration reset
Chosen names that are not administratively possible to implement — including symbols or images — are prohibited. The College reserves the right to deny or remove any chosen name without prior notice to the individual due to misuse or abuse of College policies or violation of federal, state or local laws, including but not limited to; misrepresentation, attempting to avoid legal obligations or the use of high offensive or derogatory names.
Pronouns
Employees and students have the option to choose the following pronouns to be displayed in College information systems:
- he, him, his
- she, her, hers
- they, them, theirs
The College will make a good faith effort to display pronouns to the campus community where feasible and appropriate. However, certain systems may not display an individual’s pronouns due to design limitations. Specifically, the College will display pronouns on class rosters and advising screens. Employees and students may also include their pronouns in their email signatures.
Gender Identity
Employee and student records initially reflect the sex identified on admission or employment applications. Students and employees may choose and change a gender designation that will be identified in College information systems separately from their legal sex. Currently the gender designation options include Male, Female and Gender X. These designations exist in addition to the legal sex or sex assigned at birth, which is often required for federal and state agency reporting.
Unlike chosen name and pronouns, sex and gender designations are not generally shared or visible to others. All indicators of sex and gender in records are considered protected data and are restricted from release. In addition, your sex or gender does not appear on official records, such as a transcript. Campus officials may utilize gender designation only when it is required and authorized.
In addition to choosing a gender designation (which requires no additional documentation), employees and students may legally change their sex. Students must use the legal change processes described on the Student Data Change Form and employees must make such requests to Human Resources.
Procedures
Students
- To choose or change first name, pronouns or gender designation students must complete the Chosen Name, Pronouns and Gender Designation Form and submit it to the Office of the Registrar.
- Once approved, the request will be processed in the student information system (usually within 48 hours)
- Requests for a new FSC ID card must be requested in-person at the University Police Department.
- If a request is denied, the Office of the Registrar will notify the student within 7 business days.
- To appeal a denied request, students may contact the Student Title IX Coordinator.
Employees
- To choose or change first name, pronouns or gender designation employees must email their requested changes to Human Resources at hr@farmingdale.edu.
- Once approved, your request will be processed in the human resources information system, which takes approximately 4-6 weeks.
- Requests for a new FSC ID card must be requested in-person at the University Police Department.
- If a request is denied, Human Resources will notify the employee within 7 business days.
- To appeal a denied request, employees may contact the Affirmative Action Officer.
Definitions
Chosen Name – First name by which a person may wish to be known that differs from their legal name. This may also include “preferred name”.
Legal Name – The name that identifies a person for legal and other purposes. One’s legal name is generally the name given and registered at birth, and which appears on a birth certificate, but may subsequently change.
Pronoun – a third-person pronoun by which an individual wishes to be referred to in order to indicate their gender identity.
Gender Identity – term for people whose gender identity and/or expression is different from cultural expectations based on the sex they were assigned at birth.
Legal Sex - The person's sex as identified on government identification or legal documents.
Related Documents
Chosen First Name, Pronouns and Gender Identity FAQs
Chosen Name, Pronouns and Gender Designation Form
Student Data Change Form
SUNY BOT Resolution on Chosen Name, Pronouns and Gender Identity
Responsible Office
Registrar's Office
Human Resources
Policy History
Approval Date: May 15, 2023
Policies
Categories
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Amnesty Policy
- Aviation Flight Center Safety Policy
- Campus Policy For Preferred First Name
- Campus Policy for Animals Care and Use for Research
- Campus Policy for Assignment of Credit Hours
- Campus Policy for Credit‐By‐Evaluation
- Campus Policy for Transfer Credit
- Captioned Media Policy
- Faculty Compensation and Load Credit for Credit‐Bearing Internships
- General Education Requirements
- Grade Grievance Procedure
- Guidelines for Academic Standing for Matriculated Undergraduate Students
- Plagiarism Detection and the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
- Planning & Conducting Distance Learning
- Policies for Academic Standing for Non-Matriculated Students
- Policy and Procedure Guide For Faculty Led Study Abroad Programs
- Policy for Recording Classroom Instruction
- Prior Learning Assessment Policy
- Professional Licensure Student Location Policy
- Research Integrity Policy
- Specially Designated Course Policy
- Student Attendance Policy
- Syllabus-Guide
- Writing-Intensive Requirement
- Acceptable Use Policy for Computer Facilities
- Additional Sick Leave Request Guidelines(a.k.a. Presidential Sick Leave)
- Affirmative Action Search Waivers Policy
- Also Receives Policy
- Alternate Work Arrangements Policy
- Alternate Work Location Policy
- Background Investigation Policy
- Chosen Identity Policy
- Civility and Bullying Policy
- Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Complaint Policy & Procedure
- Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Complaint Procedure for Title IX Sex Discrimnation and Sex-Based Harassment
- Domestic Violence and the Workplace Policy
- Drug and Alcohol Free Workplace Policy
- Extra Service Processing Procedure
- Farmingdale State College Consensual Relationship Policy
- Gender-Based Violence and the Workplace Policy
- Informal Resolution Policy
- Internal Promotion Policy
- Nepotism Policy
- New Position Justification
- Part Time Recruiting and Hiring Policy
- Reasonable Accomodations for State Employees
- Reimbursement of Moving Expenses Policy
- Religious Accomodations Policy
- Sexual Harassment Response and Prevention Policy Statement
- Telecommuting Policy
- Tobacco Use Policy
- Volunteer Policy
- Workplace Violence Prevention Policy
- Acceptable Use Policy for Computer Facilities
- Banner Security Policy
- College Email Policy
- Copyright Guidelines
- Cyber Security Awareness and Education Policy
- Data Communication Network Security Policy
- Farmingdale Information Security Policy
- Farmingdale State College Privacy Policy
- GDPR Privacy Notice
- Guidelines for the use of Digital Material
- Retiree Email Policy
- Wired or Wireless Network Policy
- Child Protection Policy
- Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Complaint Policy & Procedure
- Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Complaint Procedure for Title IX Sex Discrimnation and Sex-Based Harassment
- Fraud and Irregularities Policy
- Mandatory Reporting and Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse
- Records Retention and Management Policy
- Chosen Identity Policy
- Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Complaint Procedure for Title IX Sex Discrimnation and Sex-Based Harassment
- Farmingdale State College Consensual Relationship Policy
- Farmingdale State College Student Alcohol Policy
- Grievance Procedure for Sex-Based Harassment Complaints for Students (including NYS 129B requirements)
- Informal Resolution Policy
- Involuntary Leave of Absence Policy
- Personal Transportation Device Policy
- Policy and Procedures on Students Rights and Assembly
- Refund Policy
- Request and Grievance Policy for Student Disability Related Accommodations
- Sexual Harassment Response and Prevention Policy Statement
- Student Immunization Policy