Information for trans and gender diverse staff and students

At the University of Melbourne, you have the option to change the following personal details:

• Title
• Preferred name
• Legal name
• Gender
• Email

Please refer to the below 'change of personal details procedures' table for further information on the processes associated with changing your personal details.

Student preferred names

Please be aware that in peak periods changes to preferred name can take up to 5-10 business days to be processed.

Teaching staff may not be aware of how to locate your preferred name and may use your legal name instead. Canvas and LMS will reflect your preferred name, however on Allocate, which provides the class lists, your preferred name will be reflected in a separate column, and teaching staff may not be aware of how to look for this information. If you would like support in communicating with academic staff, you can talk to the Senior Adviser about how they can support you with this.

Often TGD people are faced with needing or wanting to communicate their correct name and pronouns to others right at the time when they are least comfortable to do so, because they are at the beginning of navigating the world as a trans person. If you feel as though these kinds of disclosures are causing you distress or anxiety, there are a range of ways that these conversations can happen, and the University has supports in place to assist you. The Senior Adviser at the Safer Community Program is available to talk through your decisions about how you want these conversations to happen.

If you are considering letting someone know about something relating to your gender, name, pronouns or other related information, you may like to use the following questions to help guide how you do this. If you would like to discuss this with someone who can support you to make decisions and disclosures, you can contact the Senior Adviser.

1. Who would you like to know, and what do you want them to understand?

   Your manager, teacher, supervisor, team, class, etc.

2. How would you like them to find out?

   In person, email, phone, on Zoom/Teams, etc.

3. Who would you like to communicate with them about this?

   Yourself, a support person, your manager, HR, the Senior Advisor (Gender Affirmation), etc.

4. Would you like to be present or absent during this conversation/correspondence?

   Present, cc’d into an email thread, absent at first followed up by a meeting, etc.

5. For teams/groups/classes, would you like them to find out individually or as a group?

   I would like the teacher to inform the class of my pronouns, I would like to tell everyone myself, I would like my manager to tell people one-on-on/by email, I would like to send a group email/teams message, etc.

6. When would you like this to happen?
   Unsure, ASAP, before next semester, during the break, at the next team meeting, etc.

The University recognises that TGD people face additional barriers to study and work, and that for many people gender affirmation requires time and resources above and beyond their usual work and study commitments. If you feel that your gender affirmation or other TGD related experiences at the University are impacting your capacity to engage, participate and contribute, you are encouraged to seek any leave or accommodations that are available to you.

Information for staff

You may be able to access personal leave or flexible work arrangements for medical appointments/procedures, counselling or other gender affirmation related purposes. Please review the Leave Policy and the Flexible Work Arrangements Procedure. If you need support engaging in this process, you can contact the Senior Adviser.

Information for students

You may be able to access flexibility with assessments or other accommodations for gender affirmation related purposes. You may wish to apply to Student Equity and Disability Services (SEDS) for one off (special consideration) or ongoing accommodations (Academic Adjustment Plans) should you require them. The Assessment and Results Policy can provide further information about these arrangements.

If you are considering deferring your course or taking a leave of absence, the Enrolment and Timetabling Policy provides further information about these options. If you wish to take a leave of absence, consider speaking with Course Planning at Stop1, to discuss how taking a leave of absence may affect your study goals.

There are a range of supports for you, both at the University and outside the University. If you feel daunted, anxious or distressed in any way, there is likely to be support available to you if you wish to utilise it. Below are some ideas for how you can access support, however this is not an exhaustive list so please contact the Senior Adviser at the Safer Community Program for guidance on what further supports may be available.

University services

The University has services that may help you during your gender affirmation and throughout your time at the University. Some of these services include:

For staff

• Employee Assistance Program
• Campus Security (24/7)

For everyone

• Safer Community Program
• Health Service
• Counselling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

For students

• Student Equity & Disability Services (Special consideration)
• Financial Aid

University resources

• Trans Health Research
• Gender Affirmation Policy (MPF1364)
• CAPS’ LGBTIQ Counselling and Support resources

If you would like to engage with any of the following University groups and networks, you can find more information online about how to connect with them. Alternatively, the Senior Adviser may be able to provide additional community engagement options.

For staff

• QUTE (NTEU)

For everyone

• Pride in Action Network

For students

• UMSU Queer Department
• UMSU Women’s Department
• Melbourne University Pride In Sport

Additional support

If you would like information about accessing additional support services outside the University, please speak to the Senior Adviser (Gender Affirmation) or another Safer Community Program Advisor, who will assist you to connect with an appropriate service for you.

Some of the areas we may be able to assist you with include:

• Mental health
• Family/relationship support
• Family/intimate partner violence
• Discrimination and Transphobia
• Medical care (including pathways to gender affirming medical care)
• Any other reason you are feeling unwell and/or unsafe

Some people prefer to have misgendering and deadnaming handled in different ways depending on whether they are present or absent at the time, or whether the incident is witnessed by others. For example, you may wish to have misgendering in front of a group of people corrected right away, but misgendering that happens with only you and one other person present to be responded to afterwards when you are not present. Or you might prefer that no reminders/corrections be made in your presence because you feel uncomfortable, or you might wish to decide for yourself on a case-by-case basis whether you offer your own correction or ask someone else to respond.

Your preferences are likely to change over time. It’s okay to request that others adjust how they respond to misgendering and/or deadnaming. If you would like support to have these conversations, you can contact the Senior Adviser.

Following letting people know about your correct name and/or pronouns, consider how you would like any incorrect use of name and/or pronouns to be handled. It can be a good idea to communicate this at the time that you let your manager/teacher/peers know about your new personal details. Consider the following questions to help guide your decision making:

1. How would you like misgendering/deadnaming to be responded to?

   Pronoun/name cuing (saying the correct pronoun in a sentence as a demonstration), gentle reminder, question about whether the person has understood the information about your pronouns/name, sending an email with a resource, saying the correct pronoun/name immediately afterwards, etc…

2. When?

   Afterwards, immediately, only if it happens more than once, etc.

3. Who would you like to respond to these instances?

   Myself, my manager, my teacher, my friend/colleague, etc.

4. Are there any variations to this when you are present/absent or in groups/one-on-one?
   No variation, yes different if it it’s in a group or I am present…

It is common for people to be unfamiliar with all the options available to them if they are experiencing transphobia. It’s a good idea to understand your rights and responsibilities at the University; in part, so that you may feel more confident to disclose and/or report instances of misconduct. You will always have a range of options for how to respond. Some of the options available to you will provide you with support to talk through and recover from the experience, and other options will allow the University the opportunity to respond and possibly introduce preventative measures.

Relevant policies and guides

The University has policies and guidelines which describe the rights and responsibilities of students and staff while they are at the University. The Appropriate Workplace Behaviour Policy sets out the standards and expectations for appropriate behaviour of staff at the University, while the Student Conduct Policy describes the expected conduct of students at the University. If you wish to make a complaint about someone else’s conduct, these two policies can guide you in the relevant procedural principles.

For students wishing to make a complaint or grievance, the Student Complaints and Grievances page provides guidelines on how to do this. Should you want to talk about this process with someone, you can contact the Senior Adviser at the Safer Community Program, who can provide advice.

Academic Freedom of Speech

While the University supports robust debate and a diverse range of views, it is expected that this debate is conducted with respect for the rights of others, and that it does not breach the Appropriate Workplace Behaviour Policy. The Guidelines for the Appropriate Exercise of Freedom of Speech is a useful resource that lays out the limits to academic freedom of speech.

Responding to harmful and/or inappropriate behaviour

If you have witnessed or experienced transphobic discrimination, harassment, vilification, or any other harmful behaviour, you can:

• Talk to someone
• Seek advice and support
• Make a complaint (for the Uni to either investigate or to take specific action)
• If the incident is unlawful, you can make a police report.

The Safer Community Program can provide support and advice if you would like information about your options. If you are unsure about whether you have experienced something inappropriate, or you are simply feeling unsafe for any other reason you are encouraged to speak to the Senior Adviser about what you are experiencing.

University

• https://www.transresearch.org.au/
• Gender Affirmation Policy (MPF1364)
• CAPS’ LGBTIQ Counselling and Support resources

External

• Rainbow Door– LGBTIQ helpline and referrals
• Switchboard – Phone counselling and referrals
• Queerspace – Counselling, case work, and other services (Carlton)
• Thorn Harbour Health – Counselling, case work and other services (Abbotsford)
• Equinox – TGD Health Service (Abbotsford)
• Trans Hub – Information and resources (NSW based)
• Zoe Belle Gender Collective – Advocacy
• Transgender Victoria – Advocacy
• Transfemme– Resources supporting healthy relationships between transwomen and men
• The Shed – Support group for transmasculine people
• Inclusive Practitioner List – Therapists and practitioners working with diverse populations
• Peer Support Group List – Information of local TGD support groups

It can be daunting to feel that you have to explain or justify yourself, or that you have to educate those around you. Some people may feel concerned about receiving questions from their peers that they feel are inappropriate or draining. You can have these conversations if you wish to, but it is not your responsibility to do so. The University does not expect that TGD students and staff should carry this burden, and therefore provides support to staff regarding best practice guidance in TGD inclusion.

You might consider if it is appropriate to nominate a contact point for any peers/colleagues/students who have questions about TGD people and/or gender affirmation. This may help take some pressure off you socially. You may like this to be a trusted person within your team/school, or it could be the Senior Adviser (Gender Affirmation), who is able to provide that support to you and your immediate networks. There may also be opportunities to upskill your immediate networks at the University so that they may better support you and provide a TGD inclusive University environment. If you would like to discuss what options are available, you can contact the Senior Adviser.