Dear UC Davis Student:

Beginning the week of September 25, 2023, more UC Davis digital spaces, including your email, UC Davis Canvas, MyBill, MyAwards, Health-e-Messaging and others will display your lived name. A lived name is a self-chosen personal and/or professional name used instead of a legal name, and reflects a person’s accurate identity. Whether you are a trans or non-binary student, an international student who uses a chosen name, or whether you simply prefer a different name, you can now add your lived name to your online campus presence.

ACTIONS TO TAKE

• Students should check their listing in the UC Davis Online Directory to review the lived name displayed in their record. If your lived name is correct, no further action is needed.
• If you would like to update your lived name, you can make changes to the first and/or last name fields and submit the change. Please note that you will also be able to make changes at any time in the future to your lived name via the online directory.
• It is important to note that your lived name in the directory will now appear in other campus services, such as Canvas and MyBill (including authorized users). If you are not ready to have your lived name displayed more broadly across campus services, we recommend that you make sure that you update your directory listing this week.

Timeline for Updating Your Lived Name 

Updates will appear in 24-72 hours (about 3 days) for major technology services. The timeline of changes may vary across platforms.

a. Some platforms may not reflect lived names immediately after you make a change. The technology ecosystem at UC Davis is broad, and lived names will gradually appear in different digital spaces over time.
b. Some special characters, such as accents, may not display as intended.
c. To report an issue with a main technology service on campus, contact IT Express at ithelp@ucdavis.edu. If you are associated with UC Davis Health, contact the Technology Operations Center, UCDH IT.

RESOURCES FOR YOU

• LBGTQIA Resource Center: The LGBTQIA Resource Center has a Student Guide to Updating Lived Name and Gender and trans advocate who can assist transgender and nonbinary students in navigating resources.
• Trans Student Rights Toolkit: The Trans Student Rights Toolkit provides transgender and nonbinary students with supportive information and resources—especially when it comes to one’s rights and well-being.
• Best Practices for Supporting Transgender and Nonbinary Communities (PDF): This document provides the UC Davis community with best practices—as well as specific best practices for managers and supervisors, faculty, instructors and teaching assistants—for creating supportive, trans-inclusive environments across campus.

ABOUT THE GENDER RECOGNITION & LIVED NAME (GRLN) INITIATIVE 

UC Davis’s Gender Recognition and Lived Name (GRLN) initiative was created to address systemic inequities faced by our trans and non-binary community on campus and to implement the UC GRLN Policy.

Thank you for your attention to this update.

Kind regards,

IT Express 
The GRLN Policy Implementation Committee