Trans guide to U-M

The university's Non-Discrimination Policy includes protections for gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, as do the state's civil rights laws.

The university's Preferred Names Policy allows individuals within the university's information systems to designate a preferred name in addition to their name of legal record. The preferred name will be used in all university communications and reporting except where the use of the legal name is required by university business or legal need.

In the state of Michigan, all individuals have the legal right to use restrooms, locker rooms, and changing rooms consistent with their gender identity in all public educational institutions, no questions asked. This was affirmed by the state through Senate Bill 4 (2023) and affirmed at the University of Michigan by Tabbye Chavous, vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

When assigning students to sex-specific residence halls, Michigan Housing places students based on their sex on record.

Graduate and undergraduate students can be placed in a gender inclusive room in one of Housing's many mixed gender residential communities or floors on campus, and undergraduate students can also opt into Gender Inclusive Living Experience (GILE).

Housing offers multiple types of bathrooms to meet student needs; including suite style rooms with attached bathroom (shared among suite) or are located close to a community inclusive bathroom, which includes sinks and private toilets and showers or restrooms with private toilets and sinks. Rooms located near or attached to these restrooms / bathrooms are based on availability and are not guaranteed. To request a gender inclusive placement or discuss all options, please reach out directly to the Housing Accommodations team at [email protected]. 

The Gender Inclusive Living Experience (GILE) is a specific themed community that both offers gender inclusive rooms and programming relating to gender and LGBTQ+ communities. GILE is intended to be a safe, inclusive, comfortable and supportive community for people of all gender identities and expressions.

For more information on GILE, see Housing’s page on gender inclusive housing. 

The Michigan Medicine Office of Patient Experience has produced a guide to single, all-gender restrooms located throughout Michigan Medicine hospitals and centers, including maps showing locations within the Rogel Cancer Center, Frankel Cardiovascular Center, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital, the Med Inn Building, Taubman Center, University Hospital, and University Hospital - South.

U-M students applying for graduation can choose to have their primary, preferred, or a user-provided diploma name printed on their diploma. These options are also available to graduates requesting replacement diplomas. The diploma name can be added or modified in the online graduation application via Wolverine Access or when requesting a replacement diploma through the university's vendor.

The University of Michigan currently requires a student’s legal name to be displayed on their transcripts.

The University of Michigan's Rackham Graduate School currently requires students to publish their dissertation under their legal name.

Students can contact the Registrar's Office ([email protected] or 734-647-3507) to update your legal name and/or sex on record.

Employees can file a legal name or sex on record change by completing the Campus Address/Personal Data Form available on the Shared Services website or by contacting the Shared Services Center (615-2000 or toll-free at 1-866-647-7657).

Please note that updating your legal name/sex on record with the university will require documentation, such as a court name change order. Contact the Registrar's office to learn what documentation may be currently needed.

• Mcard preferred name policy
• Find an ID issuing station

Name

• MCommunity will display the Preferred Name you set in Wolverine Access and cannot be changed independently
• However, you do have control over the “Also Known As” list that appears on your profile by logging into MCommunity and going to “My Profile” > “Edit my Information and Away Message”
• The list of “Also Known As” names appears below the options for photos. You may remove a name from public display using the “-” button next to each name, and there is also the option to add additional names to the list
  • The “Also Known As” list is primarily to ensure that someone looking at your profile can identify you, especially if you go by multiple names or have a common name. These names have no other bearing on your account and are not considered Preferred Names by University systems
• Click the “Save Changes” at the bottom of the screen

Pronouns

• Log into MCommunity and go to “My Profile” > “Edit my Information and Away Message”
• Locate the “Pronouns” field and select your pronouns from the dropdown. Selecting “Enter Your Own” will create a blank text box below for you to enter your pronouns
• You may also choose who sees your pronouns when looking at your profile:
  • “Display to Me Only” hides your pronouns from anyone who is not logged into your specific umich account
  • “Display to U-M Only” hides your pronouns from anyone not logged into a umich account
  • “Display to Anyone” shows your pronouns regardless if the viewer is logged into a umich account or not

The Office for University Development only updates their profile for a student when the student first registers and when they graduate. If you have changed your name between or after those times, you will need to correct your name with the office to ensure you are addressed correctly on University communications about gifts and donations

• If you have donated to the University using the Leaders & Best Michigan Online Giving platform, you may log in using your existing account and update your name directly through this system
• If you have not donated before, reach out to [email protected] to inform them of your updated name. Title your email “Alumni Record Update”

Your uniqname is a central, key piece of information used to validate your digital identity when logging into most university websites and web applications. 

To request an update your uniqname / U-M email address, complete and submit the Uniqname Change Application. The ITS Service Center will work with you to schedule a time for making the change that will cause you the least disruption. You'll need to be logged out of your U-M Google account when the uniqname change is made.

ITS is working to simplify the process but, for now, please note that changes may take up to a week or more due to the need to update multiple systems manually. The longer you've been affiliated with the university and the more “roles” you have (as a student, alum, staff member, donor, etc), the longer it will usually take to have it changed across all possible systems that use your uniqname.

Wolverine Access connects members of the U-M community to key resources and tools.

• Update your name: Follow instructions in ITS' helpful how-to.
• Update your pronouns
  • Access “Student Business,” “Faculty Business,” or “Employee Self Service” if you are a student, faculty, or staff member, respectively
  • Go to “Campus Personal Information” > “Pronouns”
  • Select the pronouns you use from the dropdown menu. Selecting “Enter Your Own” will create a blank text box below for you to enter your pronouns
  • Click the “Save” button
    • Unlike your Preferred Name, your pronouns will not automatically filter into other systems like Canvas and MCommunity, so you will need to update those individually

Name: Canvas will display the Preferred Name you set in Wolverine Access and cannot be changed independently

Pronouns

• Log into Canvas and go to “Account” > “Settings”
• Click the “Edit Settings” button found on the right side of your settings information
• Select your pronouns from the dropdown. 
• Note: Canvas does not allow you to write your own pronoun set at this time
• Click the “Update Settings” button

Name: MCommunity will display the Preferred Name you set in Wolverine Access and cannot be permanently changed independently
You are, however, able to change your name in any Zoom meeting by opening the “Participants” panel, finding yourself in the list, clicking “More” and then “Rename.” This change will not carry over between Zoom sessions

Pronouns

• Go to https://umich.zoom.us (NOT the Zoom launch client) and Sign In
• Select “Profile” from the left-hand list of options
• Click “Edit” on the right-hand side of the screen next to your name
• Write in your pronouns in the available box. 
• Whatever is typed there is what will be displayed, framed by parentheses, after your name. For example, writing “They/Them” will show up as “Your Name (They/Them)” as your display name in meetings
• Choose how you would like your pronouns to be shared in the dropdown below the Pronouns field
• Click “Save”

The Michigan Legal Help Program offers a guide to completing a name change in Michigan, with specific information for each county, as well as a guide on what to do after you have gotten your court-ordered name change. Washtenaw County allows you to file a name change and go through the county’s process after one year of residence.

OUTreach is a collaborative effort between the Jim Toy Community Center, Outlaws of the University of Michigan Law School, Legal Services of South Central Michigan, and local volunteer attorneys. Among other things, the project provides free legal name change support, educational panels, self-representation kits, and attorney referral assistance. If you would like support on a name change case, please contact OUTreach at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (734) 419-9733. 

Additionally, Spectrum Center partners with OutLaws at Michigan Law, OUTreach at the Jim Toy Community Center, and Ann Arbor District Library to hold a name change clinic 1-2x per year, which supports those looking to change their legal name in Washtenaw County and the state of Michigan in general. (See if a name change clinic has been scheduled on our upcoming events page.)

Michigan IDs require that your legal name is displayed, and the instructions for getting a new license after completing a legal name change is detailed in the “Legal Name Change in Michigan” section above.

To change the sex / gender marker on your Michigan ID or driver’s license, complete the Michigan Secretary of State Sex Designation Form. This form does not require any medical treatment or surgical history to change your gender marker. Once you complete the form, go to your local SOS office to submit it and pay the correction fee. You must do this in person. At the time of writing, Michigan IDs support M, F, and X markers.

If you are unable to get a state ID or driver’s license, and live in Washtenaw County, The Washtenaw ID is a county-wide photo identification card that can be used in place of a state ID or driver’s license in some circumstances. The Washtenaw ID requires that your legal name be displayed, but it does not include a sex / gender marker.

U.S. passport and international travel requirements changed in 2025, under new federal rules developed through Executive Order 14168.

U-M transgender and nonbinary travelers and those with "X" markers on their passports should note:

• Airlines can submit only “M” or “F” for the sex marker through APIS ("Advanced Passenger Information System"), a key airline passenger database.
• New, renewed, or replaced passports issued after the policy change can only reflect “M” or “F.”
• Existing valid U.S. passports with an “X” marker will remain valid until they expire.
• Travelers whose passports reflect the “X” sex designation may encounter delays or questions due to the discrepancy between travel documents with APIS/CBP data.
• Travelers affected by this policy are strongly encouraged to arrive at the airport early and be prepared for potential delays or additional screening at immigration when returning to the United States.

This remains a rapidly evolving issue. See links below for more information about the changes, updating your passport, and travel considerations.

Related:

• White House Executive Order 14168 (2025)
• CBP "Sex Codes 'M' or 'F' in Systems" (2025)
• ID Documents Center (National Center for Transgender Equality)
• "How new passport requirements will impact U-M travelers with "X" markers" (Spectrum Center, Nov. 13, 2025)
• "Customs and Border Protection is requiring binary sex indicators for international travel" (U-M Procurement, Nov. 13, 2025)

There are different processes for changing official documentation, depending on what type of documentation you are changing, what state you live in, which state you were born in, and more. The ID Documents Center from the National Center for Transgender Equality offers guidance for various processes across various states, as well as information on changing federal documentation such as passports.