Purchase College is committed to acknowledging the diverse and inclusive community of our campus. This student policy is intended to align with current SUNY guidance with the purpose of encouraging an environment of personal expression within community standards.

Chosen First Name

The chosen first name policy allows students to officially notify the college of their chosen first name and have this reflected in campus systems. The chosen first name cannot be used for the purpose of misidentification, fraud or misrepresentation and the chosen first name must meet community standards (e.g. not profane, obscene, or derived from hate-speech; and conform to technical requirements).

This policy is consistent with current Title IX guidance and New York State Human Rights Law protecting students against discrimination based on gender identity and expression, and is a best practice for supporting transgender and gender non-conforming members of college communities. This service is not limited to use by transgender and gender non-conforming students and is available to anyone who uses a chosen first name on a daily basis other than their legal/primary first name.

The college affirms that an individual’s chosen first name can and should be used where possible in all aspects during the course of college business and education. The chosen first name is used for all internal and external communications where possible and will appear in all systems, where possible, including but not limited to;

• Advising lists
• Brightspace
• Class rosters
• Housing lists
• Starfish
• Student ID More Card
• Official purchase.edu email account name (upon request)

At the college’s discretion and as may be required by law, certain official correspondence may use the legal name.

The college is obligated to use the legal name for many official records and reports, including, but not limited to, payroll records, billing records, financial aid documents, official transcripts, medical records, enrollment reporting, and federal immigration documents. A student may request that a chosen name be entered or changed no more than once an academic year and twice during a student’s tenure at Purchase.

Request a Chosen First Name

To submit documentation for a legal name change, complete a Name Change form with the Office of the Registrar.

Pronouns

Purchase College recognizes that displaying gender pronouns is important to individuals in our community in their communications with others and to present as authentically as possible.

In alignment with the SUNY and Common Applications, the college has made available the following personal pronoun options at this time:

• He/Him/His
• She/Her/Hers
• They/Them/Their

To update your pronoun information: Go to MyHeliotrope -> Personal Information Tab-> View Edit/Personal Information -> Personal Pronoun

Gender Identification

In addition to chosen first name and pronoun information, students can select their chosen gender identification in the college’s system.

In alignment with the SUNY and Common Applications, the college has made available the following gender identification options at this time:

• Female
• Male
• Non-Binary
• Other

To update your gender identification: Go to MyHeliotrope -> Personal Information Tab-> View Edit/Personal Information -> Gender Identification

Additional Information

Adjusting the college’s various information systems to include the use of the chosen first name, pronouns and gender identification is a multiyear effort, due to the complexity and interrelated nature of systems and record sources. Thank you for your patience as we continue the ongoing process of updating our systems to reflect this important information.