PEA Enables Exonians to Change Names

On Friday, Oct. 18, the Academy released its Chosen Preferred Name Guidelines, enabling students and employees to change their database identification from their legal name. While all student changes must be approved by the Dean of Students Office, the new system diverges significantly from the previous one, in which individuals were listed on all Academy documents by their legal name only. All approved changes will be made within two weeks.

The initial announcement, sent out via email by Dean of Students Brooks Moriarty, clarified the intentions behind the new system. “Phillips Exeter Academy recognizes that people may use names other than their legal name to identify themselves,” it read. “And so, to foster an environment that is inclusive and encourages self-expression, the Academy has established a practice whereby community members may opt to use a ‘Chosen Preferred Name’ on campus.” The guidelines allow this name to be used in all situations except those where legal names are required by law.

While the guidelines will be reflected in a new name change system, it is not a policy. “The initial charge originated in response to the Trustee Diversity Vision Statement,” Director of Student Information and Gender Inclusion Working Group Co-Chair Sarah Herrick said. “However, this is not a policy, but rather a set of guidelines to practice when addressing members of our community, recognizing that people may use names other than their legal name to identify themselves.”

The written guidelines clarified the difference between a chosen and a preferred name. “Both terms describe the intent of the initiative. A person may choose to be known by a different name; alternatively, a person may prefer to be known by a shortened name or a nickname,” the document reads. A distinction between choice and preference may be made when submitting a name change request.

The guidelines also outlined the name change approval process, warning students to be considerate in their choices. “[Exeter] reserves the right to deny inappropriate requests. Name changes should not include offensive or derogatory language, nor should they be made to avoid legal obligations or for illegal purposes,” it read. Parent permission for student name changes is not required.

The guidelines come after much work by the Gender Inclusion Steering Committee and Gender Inclusion Working Group. “For the past 18 months, both groups have met frequently to complete the work necessary to fulfill the charge,” Herrick said. “This work has included decision-making and priority-setting at the administration level, and systems and functional changes at the administrative level, as well as education of the entire community.”

Gender Inclusion Working Group Co-Chair Karen Belton elaborated on the work involved in crafting the guidelines. “This all was completed by taking the charge from the Steering Committee, evaluating other chosen name guidelines from other educational institutions and coming up with an [Exeter] version,” she said. 

According to Director of Technology Studies, Scott Heffner, the Department of Information and Technology has “spent about 1,000 hours of IT time over the course of 2019 working on system changes to support a chosen preferred name.” The changes have been included on websites such as LionLinks, Canvas, and ExeterConnect, as well as documents, including departmental report updates. “While the work was substantial, we believe that setting the tone that the Academy will be inclusive to all people is important,” Heffner said.

Moriarty noted the numerous benefits of the new system. “We [now] have a technology solution that allows members of the community to be listed on class rosters, in school directories, and in communications by a name they choose, instead of being tied to how their legal name appears in our database,” he said. “This is helpful to people whose chosen preferred name accords with their gender identity, to people who have an anglicized first name that they want used in the community, and to anyone—adults and students—whose legal name may does not match the name they want to go by in the community.”

Similarly, Principal William Rawson noted that the policy advanced the Academy’s overarching goals. “We see the policy as one way to support a strong sense of belonging for everyone in the community,” he said. “We believe we are a more inclusive community when everyone can be addressed by preferred pronouns and preferred names. This is consistent with our vision to be a community where all members of the community, adult and student, can bring their full selves forward.”

Prep Val Whitten was among the first to make use of this system. “I’ve always felt like my name was too long and formal … Since Exeter is a fresh start, my name being Val has made the transition easier,” she said. “The new [system] is very exciting as, sometimes, it’s difficult to decide which name you want to say or write down for formal or informal things. With the new [system], I can use the same name all around.” 

Similarly, lower Aletheia Zou highlighted the impact of a name on the quality of life. “My name is Aletheia. It affirms the identity I’ve made for myself,” she said. “I’m glad the administration are making a conscious effort to be inclusive, especially for people who change their names for gender identity reasons. It’s another affirming sign that Exeter is supporting its students and their personal growth.”

Upper Eli Lembo characterized the guidelines as conducive to acceptance. “I was so happy when Dean Moriarty made it official, because it’s not easy changing your name,” they said. “You feel validated. It’s saying the act of choosing your preferred name is official and welcomed by the school and the community, which is always a good feeling.”

International students also noted that, without the name change guidelines, they often faced mispronunciation of their legal names. “Being an international student, my legal name can be hard to pronounce for students and faculty,” lower Felix Zou said. “I’m personally extremely glad that the Academy pushed out this [system], because it means no more teachers awkwardly trying to pronounce my legal name on the list of students.”

However, students with similar experiences noted that name confusion was a minor inconvenience. Upper Alex Alexandrovsky said, “I don't like the American pronunciation of ‘Alexey.’ There are plenty of names that don't sound good to me, and if I'm going to be called something, I would prefer to like the sound of it.” He continued: “I’m not going to go out of my way to [change my name] though.”

Faculty members felt that the policy would allow class introductions to go more smoothly. “I think the impact is positive for students, who can be called by the name they prefer to be called without having to announce it or correct the teacher on the first day of class,” English Instructor Johnny Griffith said. “It allows me, as a teacher, to have one of my first interactions with students to be as positive and productive as possible.”

The Chosen Preferred Name Guidelines underscore the Academy’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. “I think that this [system] is a long time coming—it is a wonderful step in the right direction,” Director of Equity and Inclusion Stephanie Bramlett said. “I’m particularly grateful to the Gender Inclusion Steering Committee and the IT Department for all of the hard work they have done to make these changes possible.”

Herrick echoed Bramlett’s thoughts. “This is an institution-wide change, and I am proud of the collaborative work that has been done to help foster an environment that is inclusive and encourages self-expression,” she said. “As our community lives and learns together, it is important that everyone feels supported and respected.”