The Importance of Pronouns

As part of our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion efforts at Cal Poly Pomona, we strive for inclusive excellence across the university. Respecting someone’s culture, identity, and/or life experiences, even if we don't fully understand, is an easy way to create safety and establish a sense of belonging for all (students, faculty, staff etc.).

As a university, we work to achieve this by understanding the importance of affirmed names and pronouns and respecting others' identities.

How Do I Ask About Pronouns?

Individual interactions:

Introduce yourself and share your pronouns first: “Hi, my name is Rachel and I use she/her pronouns. What is your name and what pronouns do you use?

Group interactions:

During a first meeting or class session, it is best practice to allow folks to introduce themselves, sharing their affirmed name and pronouns: “let’s go around and say our name, pronouns and major.”

Another best practice is getting in the habit of asking for everyone's affirmed name and pronouns, not just those we assume are trans/non-binary.

Asking for folks' name and pronouns every now and then is good practice as identity is fluid and can change over time. This is also related to our campus commitment to inclusive excellence.

Implementing Pronouns

Implementing your pronouns can be done in the following ways:

When you do individual and group introductions
On your name tags
On your email signatures
Adding them to your Canvas profile
Adding them to your Zoom profile