Gender Recognition and Lived Name (GRLN)
Gender identity is fundamentally personal, and the University of California should ensure that all individuals have university-issued identification documents and displays of personal identification information that recognize their accurate gender identity and lived name (first name, middle name and/or last name or surname). As a public research university, the collection of gender identity data is necessary for federal reporting and assessing gender equity. As such, the UC Gender Recognition and Lived Name (GRLN) Policy also provides guidance on the collection and reporting of gender identity, lived name, and sexual orientation.
Under the UC GRLN Policy, UC Merced will ensure that faculty, staff, and students:
- Will have at least three gender options in UC information systems – woman, man, and nonbinary.
- May request that their lived name be used in the UC system in all settings and situations that do not require their legal name.
- Will have an efficient process for all, including alumni and affiliates, to retroactively amend their gender designations and lived names on UC-issued documents and in information systems.
How does OPHD fit in with the GRLN Policy?
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, including gender identity, in any education program or activity offered by a recipient of federal financial assistance.
The Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD) upholds the university’s policies that prohibit Discrimination and Harassment based on a Protected Category. Gender Identity is a Protected Category. These policies apply to all aspects of university participation, e.g., admission, employment, access, and treatment in university programs and activities. Complaints of gender-based Harassment or Discrimination, such as misgendering or non-compliance with one's lived name, can be reported to OPHD. Our office can also offer supportive measures and resources.
Addressing Deadnaming and Misgendering
UC Merced employees and students should be addressed by their lived names and chosen pronouns. Deliberate/persistent deadnaming or misgendering can be reported to OPHD, who will review and address the complaints and/or offer supportive measures, depending on the situation.
Gender & Lived Name Enhancements
UCPath is advancing its efforts to align with the GRLN Policy by modernizing their online interface with updated terms that better capture gender identity and sexual orientation. Employees will also be able to designate their pronouns in UCPath.
When employees sign into UCPath on or after July 15, 2024, employees will be prompted to update their Self-Identification Details. All employees will be required to make selections for:
- Gender Identity: Updated terms include options like Transgender Woman or Transgender Man.
- Sexual Orientation: New options include Asexual, and Gay and Lesbian selections are now distinct.
- Pronouns: This new feature allows an employee to designate their pronouns, which will be displayed in some UCPath pages alongside the employee’s name.
Employees must select an option for these fields (including decline to state, if desired) before they are able to access UCPath’s self-service functions.
While the UCPath system is being updated with these features, UC Merced may require additional time to integrate the new data fields into local systems and processes, as necessary.
Please visit the UC Merced UCPath website on or after July 15, 2024 for more information and details on how to access the new self-identification details.
Gender-Inclusive Restrooms
What is a Gender Inclusive Restroom? A restroom usable by persons of all gender identities.
What is Gender Identity? The gender(s), if any, with which a person identifies. An individual’s gender is their gender identity, which can be the same or different from their sex assigned at birth.
Facilities Services provides a list of gender-inclusive restrooms.
UC Office of the President Policy RD4.1: Providing Gender Inclusive Facilities on their website.
