Gender Identity Policy
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Effective Date: 6/12/23
Supersedes: N/A
Issuing Authority: President and Vice President for Academic Affairs/Provost
Responsible Officers: Chief Inclusion Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer, and Dean of Students/Senior Student Affairs Officer
Note: This policy was reviewed by IS, HR, Registrar’s Office, Chief Inclusion Officer, DEI Team, Technology Employee Work Group and Student Workgroup, Legal Affairs and members of the Provost Executive Team.
Background
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. As such, we ask that all community members appreciate and celebrate differences in others and contribute to a safe and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued. An essential aspect of fostering an inclusive workplace and learning environment is using inclusive language that supports all members of the MCPHS community. Providing opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to express their identity supports MCPHS’s core values of diversity, inclusion, respect, authenticity and our strategic priorities for student, faculty, and staff success.
Statement of Policy
MCPHS aspires to provide equal access and opportunity to individuals of all gender identities and gender expressions. This policy makes explicit the University’s commitment to non-discriminatory programs, activities, and facilities and promotes a respectful community free from discrimination based on gender identity or expression. The University acknowledges that gender identity terms should be used wherever possible, and as such, gender identity will be displayed in systems that allow for that form of identification.
To Whom the Policy Applies
This policy applies to the entire campus community: including prospective and current students, faculty, and staff.
Procedures
Students
If you are a Student, proceed to Self-Service and update your User Profile. Students who are also employees should also follow the instructions for employees.
Employees
If you are an Employee, proceed to the Payroll website to obtain instructions on how to make the change in ADP WorkforceNow. Please know that employees have the ability to update ADP; however, the list to select from is limited.*
Within ADP, the gender options are:
- Woman/Female
- Man/Male
- Prefer not to say
- Non-binary Person/X
*At this time, the options are limited as to what ADP allows. We will update this list as more options become available.
Requests for gender identity changes are typically processed within 3-5 business days.
Definitions
Gender Identification
Someone’s gender identity represents an internal understanding of oneself or personal sense of one’s own gender, which may differ from their sex assigned at birth. Gender identity is not determined by an individual’s sex assigned at birth. MCPHS supports the right of students, faculty and staff to change how their gender is identified in University records whenever possible.
Exclusions
An individual’s legal sex is required for federal financial aid, federal reporting, and healthcare operations. A student’s legal sex may typically be provided during the admission application process and on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA). For employees, in all cases, sex assigned at birth or legal sex will be used for reporting and healthcare operations (e.g., medical, dental, vision, etc.) and other insurance purposes.
Though there are some systems where gender cannot be changed, the University will review this policy regularly and make updates when possible. Systems involving government verification may still list an individual’s legal sex. Further, certain systems may not display an individual’s chosen gender identity due to design limitations.
Privacy
The University safeguards the privacy of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) of community members maintained in University records in accordance with applicable law. Unless otherwise required by law, only individuals with a legitimate educational or business interest will have access or be provided access to this information. Requests to access this information must be approved by the University Registrar (for students) or the Office of Human Resources (for employees).