Starting this week, the college is allowing students to select both pronouns and gender identity on the MyColumbia Portal. The college announced the change in an email sent on Wednesday, Aug. 30.

“This is not just an implementation that came from the top down,” said Matthew Rillie, coordinator of Student Support & Engagement in Student Diversity and Inclusion. “This came from students, faculty and staff over many years wanting something like this to be here.”

Before now, there was no place for pronouns or gender identity to be listed within the portal. Students could only self-identify on the Canvas learning management system.

Charee Mosby-Holloway, the director of Student Diversity and Inclusion, was an active member in making this change happen.

“I’ve been lucky to be part of the huge group of people from so many different departments that have been working to make this happen. I think that this is a wonderful move for our students to have more control over when they’re able to update their pronouns,” Mosby-Holloway said.

Sophomore game art major Tammi Cash was happy about the change.

“It’s a really wonderful addition because the school is already so inclusive considering gender, sexuality and identity,” Cash said. “I think it’s awesome because I can now be free, feel free and other people can actually say my identity and I don’t have to be ashamed of it.”