Our names are important. They are how we refer to ourselves, what we are known as by others, and they are often the first piece of information we learn about somebody else.
Charles Sturt recognises that students and staff may use names other than their legal names to identify themselves.
We are committed to providing a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment for students, staff, and visitors.
Our university encourages you to bring your whole self to work and class.
There are many reasons for using a chosen name, such as reflecting gender identity, your culture and/or social identity, a nickname, anglicising or going by an Australian name.
"...others use of the correct name and pronouns is strongly associated with positive wellbeing and can reduce mental health risks for students who are trans and gender diverse."
- According to Queensland Human Rights Commission (2020) guidance for universities
Your chosen name must be appropriate for use within the university environment. Filters are in place to restrict the use of certain words or phrases deemed offensive or inappropriate as a safeguard.
The Student Charter will help you understand what it means to be a member of the University community. The Charter explains the university's expectations for students in learning and teaching, professional practice, research, and the university community's life.
Except when an individual's legal first name is required by law (e.g. graduation documents, student card), students may choose to be identified in University systems by their chosen first name.
You can update your name in the Student Portal. Once your chosen first name is entered into our systems, it will be displayed to the university community where feasible.
So far, these include:
Your chosen name will NOT be used in these systems for various reasons:
This list is not exhaustive. Parts of the university may use third-party software that is not compatible with some internal systems. The chosen name integration is unable to connect with these systems for now.
We have been rigorous in 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 updated chosen first name when interacting with Charles Sturt staff.