In a move away from using people’s initials as their usernames, the University has implemented a new policy which means that all University users (staff, students, and associates) will be allocated random characters as their username.
This policy change aims to make the university a more inclusive environment. Many people adopt a new name while at university, whether that be for reasons relating to gender identity, using a Western name, or wanting to distance themselves from a family dynamic.
Usernames were previously generated using the individual’s initials, followed by a sequence of digits. The format will stay the same, but the initials will be replaced by random characters.
This change will not affect existing usernames and there is currently no option to edit your username. However, the University has stated that they “would like to support this in the future”, noting also that “enabling this will be a long-term project”.
In a recent article, the University said:
“We feel that breaking the link between a person’s name and their username is important for making the University of York a more inclusive place to work and study.”
An student who wishes to remain anonymous said:
“It was very tedious making every teacher aware that I don’t use the name on my email and even more difficult to get my name changed on the system. It is a step in the right direction and I hope that future policies are informed with the inclusion of those who benefit from changing their name.”
Vision spoke to Hannah Nimmo, YUSU’s Community and Wellbeing Officer:
“I think the changes to University usernames for new students is a huge positive step towards creating a more inclusive community for students who wish to change their name.
“It will hopefully make the process of choosing a name to be used in University correspondence a lot easier, and prevent the likes of deadnaming, which in turn will hopefully mean that students who elect a new or different name will feel more comfortable with the University’s IT systems and be able to be whoever they choose to be by name.
“However, I acknowledge that there are still issues to address, including current students being unable to change their usernames, and the Students’ Union is working with the University to see what alternatives we can put in place for the students who will not be affected by the changes at this stage.”