Students who prefer their nicknames—or go by names other than the ones their parents gave them—may choose how the college identifies them, starting this fall. 

Chief Diversity Officer Deidra Dennie said students also may choose which names appear on their student IDs, class schedules and college emails. 

Jasmine Allen, a third-year marketing student, said she supports having the option to choose which name she goes by at school. “I’ve had many classes where there wasn’t just one Jasmine, so I believe that having nicknames would actually help professors out,” she said. 

She added, “Some people want to keep their names private and not everybody is confident in their names. So, giving them the preferred choice of choosing their names … that’s a good idea for them to start.” 

“I think, for transgender people, it’s probably a good idea,” Tiffany Makepeace, a third-year nursing student, said. “I feel like that would help them out a lot and help people understand [them] more.” 

According to Dennie, students must use their given names, not their chosen ones, on transcripts or cashier’s checks.