UH transgender students could soon get preferred names on diplomas, transcripts

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SAT score: 1040 - 1250 87) University of Houston Overall rank: 192

Acceptance Rate: 59 percent

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Transgender students at the University of Houston could start seeing their preferred names instead of legal names printed on diplomas and official transcripts, if the school adopts a recent proposal from the student government association.

The university already allows students to use preferred names through its "Cougar Card" database, which reflects on student's official ID card, class rosters, student milestones and other printer-friendly documents.

The proposal, which was approved by the SGA in October as part of the "Transgender Inclusion Act," aims to extend the opportunities to use preferred names to diplomas, official transcripts and financial aid forms.

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Those documents currently require a person's legal name, university officials said. To change it, students need official documents such as court orders, marriage certificates or divorce decrees.

"The end goal was to affect diplomas and to make students feel as comfortable as possible," said SGA Chief of Staff Allison Lawrence, who spearheaded the bill's creation.

University spokesman Chris Stipes said the bill hasn't been officially adopted by the university. He said it needs to be presented to department leaders for feedback and ultimately placed on President Renu Khator's desk for her final approval.

SGA officials also acknowledged the university's effort to include the LGBT community in student life before the proposal's approval.

Students had been able to fill in a "preferred name" in the MyUH system since 2007. And last fall, the student identification card system began using those preferred names on most university records, Stipes said.

"It's not just for transgender students," he said, adding that international students may also use different names on university documents.

It's unclear when the proposal may be officially implemented. SGA Vice Presidents Davis Darusman said it's logical change to make sure every is "identified as who they are."

"It makes sense," he said "The capacity for the preferred names across the entire university — from rosters to [diplomas] — wasn't always there, but the university has already been helpful in being able to better represent everyone in the community."

Julian Gill is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | julian.gill@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message

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