Trinity College change "freshman" to "fresh" in gender equality move

Vice-Provost of Trinity College Dublin Chris Morash sent an email to all staff and students of the college announcing a change in the way the college refers to its students.

Previously, first years and second years in the university were referred to as "junior freshman" and "senior freshman," respectively. Under the new system, the suffix "man" has been dropped, and students will simply be referred to as junior or senior "fresh."

In an email seen by JOE.ie, Morash said that the change "is a concrete expression of the university's commitment to gender equality."

"This small but important change will ensure that all Trinity students are equally included by the language used to describe them, be they male, female, or of another gender identity," Morash wrote. The decision was taken by the university board after a proposal from the college's Equality Committee.


The Vice-Provost has also instructed that all digital and print references to students in their first two years should be amended to reflect the change.