This article was written in partnership with the EVPA Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Today is International Pronouns Day! Using correct pronouns respects each other’s identity and fosters inclusivity. Pronouns are used every day to communicate with one another in and out of the workplace, and often they are assigned based on pre-conceived biases and perceptions. By educating about personal pronouns, we promote understanding and celebrate everyone’s intersecting identities.

What is International Pronouns Day? 

International Pronouns Day seeks to make respecting, sharing and educating about personal pronouns commonplace. This day raises the MSU community’s awareness to be gender inclusive and reminds us of the basic human dignity of appreciating and celebrating everyone’s multiple, intersecting identities. As we explore the significance of this day, learn about how MSU is implementing changes to promote gender inclusivity to create a beneficial environment for all. For more information, you can visit https://pronounsday.org. 

How can I contribute to a gender-inclusive environment? 

• Speak and write in a way that does not discriminate against a particular sex, social gender, or gender identity and does not perpetuate gender stereotypes 
• Share your pronouns when introducing yourself to people or during meetings 
• Don’t make assumptions; ask people to share their pronouns 
• Always use the pronouns that a person asks you to use 
• Include your pronouns in your email signature or other digital communications 
• Complete the Quest: Building Capacity for LGBTQA+ Inclusion online education program 

What events are being held across campus? 

• Gender and Sexuality Campus Center Understanding Pronouns virtual workshops – November 15^th 12:00pm-1:30pm  

What action is the university taking to advance gender inclusion? 

• MSU IT announced this summer the roll-out of Microsoft Spartan 365 pronoun options as part of Michigan State University’s ongoing commitment to creating a more inclusive campus community. With these changes, you will now have the option to customize and display your pronouns in your Spartan 365 profile to appear in Outlook and Teams. Learn more. 

• At MSU, we are committed to ensuring your identity is accurately represented and respected throughout our campus community while maintaining privacy. Additionally, there’s work underway with the Office for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, along with the Office of the Executive Vice President for Administration to advance the name, gender, pronoun data policy recommendations across our information technology systems. We are collaborating with the project management office and system owners to create an implementation road map to advance the policy requirements across enterprise data systems. 

• In the interim, MSU encourages all employees to indicate their gender pronouns, if desired, on email signatures and other written communication.  

Are there resources to explore this further? 

• Learn more about pronouns, FAQ’s and additional resources 
• Glossary of definitions for gender and sexuality terms 
• Spartans can now add optional pronouns in apps like Microsoft Outlook and Teams, fostering a more inclusive MSU digital environment. Learn how here 
• Resources for faculty, staff and TAs 
• Local, regional, and national resources 
• Gender and Sexuality Campus Center (GSCC) resources 
• GSCC consultation 
• MSU short-term work group on name and pronoun usage 

We look forward to continuing our work – together – to foster a culture that C.A.R.E.S (communication, appreciation, respect, empathy, and sensitivity).