Student Identity
Carnegie Mellon recognizes that addressing students by their preferred name and using accurate pronouns is critical to a sense of belonging. As such, the university offers data services that enable students to manage their identities in the following ways so they may select how they wish to be identified and addressed:
- Name & Preferred First Name: Students have the option to identify their first/given name that differs from their official first/given name in SIO for internal university use by advisors, administrators and instructors.
- Name Pronunciation & Phonetic Spelling: Students have the option to verbally record their name pronunciation and phonetically spell out their names using NameCoach in SIO for internal university use by advisors, administrators and instructors.
- Pronouns: Students have the option to store pronouns using NameCoach in SIO for internal university use by advisors, administrators and instructors.
- Andrew ID: The Andrew ID is CMU's unique identifier and is auto-generated based on an individual's official name. Students have the option to choose an @cmu.edu alias or, in some cases, the ability to request an Andrew ID to replace the auto-generated Andrew ID immediately upon enrollment.
- Sex Assigned at Birth: Undergraduate and graduate students provide this information during the admission and pre-arrival process. The data is transferred into the student information system at the time of enrollment and can be accessed by a limited number of advisors and administrators.
- Gender Identity: Undergraduate and some graduate students have the option to provide this information during the admission process; however, at this time this information is not accessible in the S3 or SIO student information system, and is not used, referenced or displayed to advisors or instructors for individual students.
- Race/Ethnicity: Undergraduate and graduate students may report their race and ethnicity during the application and admission process. This data can be found in SIO/S3, where it may be accessed by authorized administrative staff. It is also used for federal reporting processes.
The collection and use of student identity data and options provided to students aim to offer a more inclusive campus community and classroom, and encourage a culture of respect. Read on to view instructions for managing student identity, how this information is used, and who has access to it.
Name & Preferred First Name
Students may wish to use a first name that differs from their official first/given name as recorded on official university documents. When designated in Student Information Online (SIO), the university will use the preferred name in all university documents except where use of the official name is required by university business or legal need, such as financial aid documents, payroll systems and academic transcripts.
A preferred name may not be selected and used for a fraudulent purpose and, in rare cases, can be denied at the discretion of the University Registrar. Adding a preferred name to SIO is not the same as a legal name change through the courts system.
Students who elect to use a preferred name are encouraged to review considerations. Students who find that their preferred name is not displayed via a campus application should notify the University Registrar directly at cmuregistar@andrew.cmu.edu so that it can be resolved.
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Name Pronunciation & Phonetic Spelling
To ensure correct pronunciation of their name by advisors, administrators and faculty, students may also record and store the pronunciation and phonetic spelling of their names using NameCoach in SIO.
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Pronouns
Pronouns are an important part of a student's identity. Students have the ability to use NameCoach in SIO to store their pronouns. Pronouns stored in SIO are made available in the internal student information system for academic and administrative advisors, as well as in Canvas for TAs and faculty instructors.
Students may also enter their pronouns into their Zoom profile to display to others during virtual/remote classes, meetings and activities.
Examples of commonly used pronouns include: she/her/hers, they/them/theirs, he/him/his.
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Andrew ID
The Andrew userID (Andrew ID) is Carnegie Mellon's unique identifier for students, faculty and staff members and is the username for their Andrew Account. The Andrew ID ensures access to a number of services, including email and other online tools, and is used regularly at CMU to identify students on lists, rosters, etc.
For students, the Andrew ID is auto-generated upon enrollment by Computing Services. Students have the option to choose an @cmu.edu alias to personalize their email address for sending and receiving emails; however, the @cmu.edu alias does not replace or eliminate the auto-generated Andrew ID.
Students who feel their Andrew ID does not accurately represent their gender identity may contact the University Registrar directly at cmuregistrar@andrew.cmu.edu to request a change. Documentation is not required, and the approved change will be made immediately and will be reflected on the student’s record, without historical record.
Important: Students should keep in mind that changing their Andrew ID during or in the middle of a semester may cause a brief pause in services that are accessed using an Andrew ID login. It is highly recommended that requests to change Andrew IDs are made prior to the start of a semester.
Sex Assigned at Birth
During the admission and pre-arrival processes, Carnegie Mellon collects undergraduate and graduate students’ sex assigned at birth, which is required for some purposes including federal financial aid, health records, F1/J1 visa documents, and more. Options for sex assigned at birth include: female, male and unknown. At the time of a student's enrollment, this information is transferred into the student's record within the student information system (SIO and S3) and can be accessed by a limited number of advisors and administrators consistent with CMU's obligations to use such data in certain required settings, such as mandated federal reporting.
Students who wish to correct their Sex Assigned at Birth on their record should contact the University Registrar directly at cmuregistrar@andrew.cmu.edu to request the change. Documentation is not required, and the change will be made immediately and will be reflected on the student’s record, without historical record.
Gender Identity
Undergraduate and some graduate students have the option to provide information about their gender identity during the admission process; however, at this time this information is not accessible in the S3 or SIO student information system, and is not used, referenced or displayed to advisors or instructors for individual students. On occasion, administrators in the institutional research office will compile and share aggregate data regarding gender identity that was provided by students during the admission process.
If and when this process changes in the future, information will be updated on this student identity webpage.
Race/Ethnicity
During the application and admission process, undergraduate and graduate students may report their race and ethnicity. Once a student enrolls, this data also is found in SIO/S3, in each student's record. Authorized administrative staff may access a student's race and ethnicity data in S3 and this data also is used by CMU for federal reporting processes.
Annually, the University Registrar sends an email to enrolled students as a reminder that they may review and verify or update their race and ethnicity within SIO at any time.