It can be easy to make assumptions about people, based on their name or appearance, which sometimes do not match the identity that person holds. The way a person identifies can also change over time. Some people find, therefore, that stating personal pronouns can avoid confusion and mistaken assumptions, aiding communication and inclusivity.
To help make UEA inclusive for all, UEA now invites students to indicate preferences regarding personal pronouns. This might take several forms including through your UEA Microsoft 365 Account, Email Signature and Blackboard.
Equally, UEA understands that some staff and students prefer not to state their personal pronouns and there is absolutely no expectation that staff or students do so.
Microsoft 365 Account (Teams and Outlook)
If you do want to add personal pronouns you can update these through your outlook or by teams by clicking on your profile photo.
You have the option to include your preferred pronouns on your Microsoft profile card. These will be visible to people across the institution (staff and students) within MS Apps, including Outlook and Teams. It will not be visible to anyone external to UEA who views your profile, however.
For details on how to add, change or delete pronouns on your profile card, please visit the Microsoft support pages.
There are also some useful Frequently Asked Questions on pronouns, providing further advice.
In the unlikely event that you have any issues switching on the pronouns function please contact the IT Service Desk.
Blackboard
Users are able to add pronouns and name pronunciation to their Blackboard profile. Pronouns are selected by navigating to the profile in the Blackboard Navigation Menu and then clicking on the ‘Add Pronouns’ link in the Basic Information tab. Further instructions on updating your personal settings are available on Blackboard.
Email Signature
If you would like to add pronouns to your email signature, here are some suggestions of formats to use, inserting your own preferred pronouns:
Your name (pronouns: he/him)
Your name (they/them)
Your name (she/her/hers)
Your name (she/they - they preferred)