ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Students at the University of Michigan can designate a personal pronoun to be used by professors.
School officials say it’s an effort to build inclusiveness on campus. The pronoun could be he, she, him, his or ze.
Pronouns registered online will pop up in class rosters. Provost Martha Pollack is telling faculty to check the rosters in a few weeks to give students time to designate one, although a registered pronoun is not required.
Pollack says correctly using someone’s pronoun “is one of the most basic ways to show respect” for a student’s identity. The policy was developed by a university pronoun committee.
At Michigan State University, students can list preferred names. Spokesman Jason Cody says the university is exploring ways to add pronouns to the campus database.
