Trans@SMU

GENDER INCLUSIVE HOUSING OPTIONS THROUGH ON CAMPUS HOUSING

Our Residence Life and Student Housing (RLSH) Department has committed to providing gender-inclusive housing to students and fostering a diverse membership and dynamic community on the Hilltop. For your convenience, they have outlined their standard practices so that you can find the best housing fit for you at SMU. Information about your options through on-campus housing can be found here.

ASSISTANCE IN FINDING AN LGBTQ+ AFFIRMING ROOMMATE

We offer an option for finding a roommate through the SMU’s Women & LGBT Center's Slack channel, #roommates. You will be able to connect with others who may be searching for an LGBTQ+ supportive roommates. Once you identify a potential roommate, each of you must email housing@smu.edu your roommate’s name and SMU ID number to be matched in the SMU Housing Portal.

Legal Name

If you have a change in name, you must provide the University Registrar’s Office with your Social Security card, the form issued by the Social Security Administration, or a valid passport. Enrollment or records services for the student under a name different from the last enrollment cannot be accomplished without one of the above documents. All transcripts and diplomas are issued only under a person’s legal name as recorded by the University Registrar’s Office.

If you wish to use a name other than your legal name, you can add a preferred name to your file, or update a preferred name already on file, using the self-service functions in the my.SMU Student Homepage.
- The University will make efforts to use your preferred name in communications and in the course of university business. However, there are situations that due to business practices, legal requirements or system limitations the use of a primary/legal name will be used.

A preferred name is a first, middle and/or last name that may be chosen to be used instead of legal first, middle and last name.
- There is no documentation required to create or change a preferred name.
- The University advises that if you choose to use a preferred name, you should use it consistently and resist changing it frequently.

SMU has many offices that keep records with student names and many data systems used for specific applications.
- In addition to updating their preferred name in my.SMU, you may need to notify some offices regarding your use of a preferred name.

Here is a partial list of standard name usage:

Display name – my.SMU Student Homepage	Preferred name, if provided
Instructor Class Roster	Preferred name, if provided
Instructor Grade Roster	Preferred name, if provided
Canvas	Preferred name, if provided
Global Directory of email addresses	Preferred name, if provided
SMU online directory	Preferred name, if provided
SMU ID Card	Primary (legal) name – under review
Financial Aid related forms and documents	Primary (legal) name
Official Academic Transcript	Primary (legal) name
Diploma	Primary (legal) name or derivative
Degree Verifications	Primary (legal) name
Housing / Residence Life	Preferred first name, Primary last name
SEVIS Reporting (international students)	Primary (legal) name

*The above information can be found in the 2019-2020 Undergraduate Catalog.

There are several gender inclusive single stall restrooms on campus for those who may need them. You can find a campus map listing all the gender inclusive restrooms on the interactive campus here: Gender Inclusive Restrooms. Also, due to new construction and renovations of existing buildings, there may be restrooms that are not included in this list. Please email us at womenandlgbtcenter@smu.edu with any updates to this list.