Using chosen names at CDU
At CDU, we are committed to providing a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment for students, staff, and visitors. We recognise that students and staff may use names other than their legal names to identify themselves.
People have many reasons for using a chosen name rather than their legally recognised name. A chosen name might better reflect someone’s gender identity, their cultural and/or social identity. It might be a nickname, an Australian name, or an Anglicised version of their legal name.
International students
International students often use a chosen name while they are studying here. This will be the name by which people at the university will know them, and it can be any name they like.
Trans and gender-diverse people
We respect and support trans and gender-diverse peoples' identity-affirming choices, including using their chosen names. Using trans and gender-diverse people’s chosen names is key to providing a safe and inclusive environment. Using someone’s legal or former name inappropriately can be damaging to an individual’s health, safety, and wellbeing. If you misname someone by mistake, apologise and correct your mistake immediately. Repeatedly misnaming trans and gender diverse people or refusing to use their chosen name, is bullying, and is not tolerated at CDU under any circumstances.
If your chosen name is appropriate for use within the university environment, we will do our best to accommodate your choices whenever we can. Words or phrases deemed as offensive or inappropriate are not acceptable at CDU.
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Your chosen name, whenever possible
Except when an individual's legal first name is required by law (e.g. graduation documents, student card), CDU students may choose to be identified in the University’s I.T. systems by their chosen first name.
You can update your name in the Student Portal via MyStudentInfo. Once your chosen first name is entered into our systems, it will be displayed to the University community wherever possible.
So far, these include:
- Student Portal
- Class lists
- Email communications
- Phone and online chat interactions with staff
- Library system
Your chosen name will NOT be used in these systems for various reasons:
- Request Forms submitted through Student Portal
- Student ID Card
- Transcripts (Official or unofficial)
- Testamurs
- Official Reports
- Official correspondence
- Residential systems
We are updating our systems to ensure inclusivity, however, there may be times when you may be referred to by your legal name, and you may still need to personally communicate your chosen first name when interacting with staff. Parts of the University may use software that is not compatible with some internal systems and may not have capability to integrate chosen names.
Life, health and wellbeing
At CDU we’re committed to giving you the support you need when you need it. Find out where to go if you’re having trouble with your course work, want someone to talk to or need help navigating uni life. We offer all kinds of support to help you stay happy, healthy and achieve your study goals.