Updating and sharing your pronouns

Sharing your pronouns is a personal choice. You can decide if, how and when you share them, and who you share them with.

If you choose to share your pronouns with the University, your educators will be able to view them in Moodle, but they won’t be visible to other students. They’ll also be recorded in our enquiry management system, so when you submit an enquiry to Monash, staff can use the pronouns you provide.

You can select from these pronouns (or enter your own):

• she/her/hers
• he/him/his
• they/them/theirs
• she/they
• he/they
• she/he/they
• any/any
• prefer not to say
• enter my own.

If you don't mind the pronouns people use for you and want this to be visible across all of the available platforms, it’s a good idea to select she/he/they on the form. You can also select any/any, but there are some limitations as to how this may be displayed. If you don’t want your pronouns to be displayed, you can select prefer not to say.

If you select enter my own, a text box will open, allowing you to type and submit your response. If you do enter your own pronouns, Monash Connect will reach out to you to discuss visibility across the digital systems.

We understand that your pronouns may evolve and change over time. If the options available don’t reflect your pronouns, Monash Connect is available to assist you and talk through your options.

Where your pronouns are displayed

When you update your pronouns at Monash they'll be shown in:

• Moodle
• Monash Study app
• Student Portal
• MoVA (virtual assistant)
• our enquiry management system (Monash Connect)
• Service Desk.

If you’d like to update your pronouns in a system that’s not listed, contact Monash Connect for advice and support.

Checking your recorded pronouns

The quickest way to check pronouns previously recorded for you at Monash is by looking at your profile in the Student Portal or the my details section of the Monash Study app.

Prefer not to share your pronouns?

Updating your pronouns

To update your pronouns at Monash:

1. Log into the Change Your Personal Details form.
2. Select Pronouns.
3. Select your pronouns, or enter your own.
4. Submit the form.

The update should take effect in the listed Monash systems shortly after you submit the form (within five University days at the latest).

Sharing your pronouns

If you only want to share your pronouns with one person, it’s a good idea to tell them directly. You might choose this option if you’re not ready for your pronouns to be shared more widely or in group settings.

Pronouns in Moodle

Supporting students to make their pronouns visible in Moodle is an important step in our continuing efforts to support gender affirmation and inclusion.

You can choose whether your pronouns show in Moodle or not. If you don’t want your pronouns to show in Moodle or other systems, you can select prefer not to say in the Change Your Personal Details form (Moodle will also not be able to display any/any or enter my own pronoun fields). All other pronouns are visible in Moodle.

What your educators see in Moodle

Educators will be able to view your pronouns in several places in Moodle, including on the:

• assignment submissions page
• grader report page
• quiz results page
• class list, including the participants page and attendance activity.

On each of these pages, your pronouns will appear next to your email address. Only your educators will be able to see your pronouns in Moodle (other students won’t be able to see your pronouns).

At this stage, Moodle doesn’t send educators a notification when a student updates their pronouns – the updates will just be displayed in the above areas.

Educators and pronoun practice

Monash classrooms should always be safe, welcoming and inclusive. Your educators are encouraged to check Moodle for any updates and use the pronouns their students have selected.

Educators might not always know or remember every student’s pronouns, particularly in large classes. If they’re unsure of your pronouns, they might:

• use your name instead of a pronoun
• ask which pronouns you’re comfortable sharing
• use gender-neutral pronouns, such as they/them.

At Monash, we believe it’s important to respect each person’s gender and pronouns, even if the person doesn’t look or sound like someone we might expect of that gender.

At this stage, Moodle can’t display educators’ pronouns, but this feature may be developed in the future.

Other ways you can affirm your gender

At Monash, we support you to affirm your gender in the way that feels right for you. Beyond updating your pronouns, you can also update your legal name, name in use (also known as preferred name) and gender in university records. More information and support is available on the gender affirmation page.

Need help or advice?

If you need help or advice, contact Monash Connect or the Respect, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion team.

Learn more

To learn more about inclusive practices at Monash and changing your personal details, visit our dedicated pages.