Transitioning at Carolina

About this Guide

This guide is designed to help transgender and nonbinary students at Carolina navigate services they may or may not want to utilize during or after social, medical and/or legal transition. Policies and services are presented to assist with identifying preferred name, changing one’s name in UNC records, changing ones gender marker in UNC records, or how to change legal name and/or gender marker on government issued documents.

Terms to know:

(The way these terms are defined are for the purpose of understanding the following instructions. These are not necessarily the most complete or widely used definitions.)

Legal Name

The name that is on a person’s government issued forms of identification (e.g., Driver’s license, Passport, Birth Certificate, ID card, One Card).

Legal names are considered a student’s primary name and used across the campus for many purposes such as One Card and transcripts. Legal name is used on campus directory and class rosters if a preferred name has not been identified. .  Legal name is also used externally for enrollment verification reporting (e.g., enrollment verification for employment, insurance, or loans).

Legal Gender

The gender marker (e.g., Male, Female, or X) that is on a person’s government issued forms of identification (e.g., Driver’s license, Passport, Birth Certificate, ID card, One Card).

Legal Transition

Changing the name or gender marker on legal documents such as government issued identification documents (e.g., driver’s license, birth certificate, passport).

Medical Transition

The process of using hormone therapy, electrolysis, surgical or other medical interventions to live in accordance with one’s gender identity and desired gender expression.

Official Academic Record

A student's official academic record reflects the name and gender the student indicated on the application for admission to the University.  No documentation is required at the time of that designation. For post-enrollment changes see Campus Resources: General Alumni Association (DAVIE Records).

Preferred Name

UNC Chapel Hill provides students the opportunity to identify what they call a “preferred name” in Connect Carolina. This can be done without any legal documentation. https://help.unc.edu/help/campus-directory-faqs/

Preferred names are used across campus in conjunction with the primary name.  For example, in Sakai and on class rosters.  This does not change the name shown as your legal name in university records For post-enrollment changes see Campus Resources: General Alumni Association (DAVIE Records).

Transition

A process by which one begins to live in accordance with their gender identity and desired gender expression. This process is individualized, incredibly variable and multifaceted. It involves one or more social, medical, and/or legal components.