Stony Brook University’s Chosen Name and Pronoun Policies
March 7, 2023
To All Students, Faculty and Staff,
In June 2022, the State University of New York Board of Trustees passed a resolution requiring its campuses to update their policies and practices to ensure all students and employees have the option to use their chosen names and pronouns, consistent with applicable laws and regulations, by the start of the Fall 2023 semester. I am writing to update you on our progress.
Stony Brook University implemented its chosen name policy in Fall 2016. Our policy is in compliance with SUNY’s most recent guidance. Additionally, our systems have been updated to allow students and employees to select "x" as a preferred gender.
I am deeply grateful to the University’s Preferred Name Mandate Committee for its work to update our systems with the preferred gender marker and its current efforts to develop Stony Brook’s chosen pronoun policy to meet the Fall 2023 deadline. Should you have questions about these policies and their implementation on campus, please contact Assistant Vice President for Presidential Initiatives, Tasheka Sutton-Young, at tasheka.sutton-young@stonybrook.edu.
Our policies guide us as an institution and represent our values. Advancing policies and practices that support the use of an individual’s chosen name and pronouns is consistent with our mission to create a welcoming, respectful and inclusive environment. Together, we will continue to ensure our community is one where all members are recognized and can thrive.
Sincerely,
Maurie McInnis
President