Navigating Campus and Ames

Maybe, come and talk with us about your situation so that we can direct you to the proper departments to help you.

You can view the name change policy on the Registrar Website. However, we recommend discussing this with Financial Aid as this may have unintended effects on a student's Financial Aid.

Whenever you are ready. Only you know the way a legal name change may effect your personal life and it is your choice when, if at all, you choose to make this change.

When changing your name, Student Legal Services may be able to assist you as you prepare for the process of updating legal documentation. The process can be daunting and that is why Student Legal is here to help you.

We do recommend speaking with Financial Aid before making any official decisions as name changes can have unintended effects on a student's Financial Aid.

Students that are seeking assistance with the process of legally changing their name can contact Student Legal Services.

For additional information about the process of legally changing your name in the state of Iowa view the Iowa Judicial Branch guide to legal name changes.

The policy for updating your student records after legal name change can be found on the Office of Registrar Name Change Website. You will be asked to provide two forms of ID with your updated legal name.

After you have updated your name with the Registrar, you will need to update your ISUCard. If you bring your old ISUCard, you will not be charged for you new card.

The Office of the Registrar will process a gender marker change without requiring any medical and/or legal documentation. However, the Registrar requires that students request a change o a gender marker in writing.

For more information about this process, including the staff that students should contact, please refer to the Office of the Registrar's Gender Marker Change Policy.

Students who are seeking assistance with understanding the process of changing the gender marker on their state and federal identity documents can contact Student Legal Services.

For more information about the process of changing your gender marker on state and federal identity documents review these resources:

• Social Security Administration (for changes to Social Security cards, often a requirement for changing other documents)
• Iowa Department of Public Health (for amending an Iowa birth certificate)
• US Department of State (for amending US passports)

Yes! Iowa State does offer gender-inclusive housing options. Freeman Hall, sometimes referred to as The Spectrum Community, is a gender-inclusive residence hall for students interested in building an intentional, supportive space for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and Allied people. Located in a traditional-style residence hall, students in Freeman may live with a roommate of any gender. For more information about this option see the Gender-Inclusive Housing Website.

Additionally there are some suite-style and apartment-style housing options on campus which allow people of different genders to live together. For more information, visit the Department of Housing Website.

There are many options for trans and gender non-conforming students seeking housing at Iowa State, and the needs of trans students may vary. Department of Residence staff works with students to find housing situations where they will be comfortable.

We recommend that students contact housing directly with questions or concerns related to gender identity or expression. Students should speak with Leah Weeks, who coordinates housing assignments and will likely have suggestions for placing a student in the place where they will be most content.

Leah Weeks 

housing@iastate.edu

If you are already living on campus and no longer feel that your housing assignment is a good fit with your gender identity or expression, we recommend you contact your hall director. Your hall director can assist you with finding a living situation that is a better fit.

If you are not yet living on campus but have concerns about where you have been assigned to live, we recommend that you contact Leah Weeks. Leah coordinates all housing assignments and she can tell you that your option are for finding a different living situation.

Leah Weeks

housing@iastate.edu

We recommend that any student with questions or concerns about housing related to gender identity or expression contact Leah Weeks. Leah coordinates all housing assignments and she may be able to assist you in finding roommates who will be a good fit.

Leah Weeks

housing@iastate.edu

Yes! We recommend that you start by telling your RA or Hall Director. RA's and Hall Directors have a lot of experience in handling roommate dialogues and they may be able to mediate a discussion or suggest ways to approach this conversation.

If your living situation becomes uncomfortable after coming out, your RA or Hall Director will be able to assist you. Your home should be your comfort zone, if you ever feel unsafe in your living situation reach out to your RA or Hall Director right away. 

If you live off campus, contact The Center or Student Assistance with any questions or concerns about your housing and/or roommate situation. If you live on or off campus, either of these offices is happy to assist students considering coming out to roommates.

No. Students are never required to come out to professors (or anyone else). However, you may want to inform your professors, particularly if you want them to refer to you by your lived name and pronouns in class. Continue reading for tips about coming out to professors.

If you want to talk about coming out to professors or others you can contact Center Staff for assistance. We cannot contact your professors for you, but we can provide assistance in your journey.

If you want to come out to your professors you can do it in whatever way makes you most comfortable; be it in person, at their office hours, via email, etc.

Many students find that emailing their professor about a week before classes start is the most convenient and effective way to come out. If you are going to email your professor we have some tips for how to do that below.

• List the course name and what section (days and time) you are in. For example: ASHME 321, 2:30-3:20 MWF. Professors often teach many courses and sections, this will help them to identify who you are, what roster to find you on, and when they will be seeing you in person.
• State you legal name to help them find you on their roster.
• State your lived name and inform them that you would like them to refer to you as such in class.
• State the pronouns you would like the to use to refer to you in class. 
  • For example: "The pronouns I use are ze/zem/zer and this is how I would like for you to refer to me in class"
• Clarify if there are any situations when you do not want to be referred to using your lived name and pronouns
  • For example: "I would like to be called [lived name] in class and referred to with they/them/their pronouns in class, however, I am not out with all of my friends and family and would appreciate if you refer to me as [legal name] and he/him/his pronouns if you see me outside of class."
• Provide them with your contact information.
• We recommend providing them with links to the Center website if they have questions about supporting trans students. (This is a nice thing to do, but it is not require)
• Thank them for their time

Sample Email

Dear Professor [last name]

My name is [lived name], and will be attending your [name or course] course on [days] at [time] this semester.

I am contacting you to let you know that my name may show up in your roster as [legal name], but I would prefer to go by [lived name]. I do not identify with my legal name and will be using my lived name on assignments and tests. I would also appreciate it if you referred to me using [lived pronouns] as this is how I identify.

If you have any questions about how to refer to me you can ask me at [your email address]. For more information about lived names, pronouns or queer identities you can visit the Center for LGBTQIA+ Student Success Website or contact them at center@iastate.edu.

Thank you for your time, I appreciate you working with me on these updates to your roster. I'm looking forward to taking your class next week.

Best Wishes,

[Lived Name]