Kentucky’s Murray State University is set to be the latest institution to pursue the inclusion of preferred names on the student ID. The university’s LGBT Programming Advisory Committee for the President’s Commission on Diversity and Inclusion has created a continued recommendation that would allow preferred first names to be printed on Murray State’s RacerCard IDs.

According to a report from Murray State News, the university already has a preferred names policy in place that enables those affiliated with the university to choose a preferred first name to appear on online course network Canvas, class rosters viewable by faculty and on the university directory. The only places where the preferred first name is not listed is on legal documents like paychecks and official transcripts.

Printing preferred names on the RacerCard ID, then, is more of an amendment to the current policy than an outright change.

The new policy applies to all Murray State community members as students, faculty and staff will all be able to choose the name on their RacerCard. As with other preferred name initiatives, Murray State intends for the change to primarily aid students that go by a name different than their legal name, including transgender or gender non-conforming students and international students.

Murray State joins an ever-growing list of universities that are acknowledging preferred names on campus cards — a list that includes the neighboring University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky.

Any individual carrying a RacerCard ID is eligible to choose a preferred first name. Those wishing to switch to a preferred first name are encouraged to first fill out a form on the Murray State website under the “Preferred First Name” link and return the form to the registrar’s office.

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