Senate Bill 14-15-03
| Bill ID: | 14-15-03 |
| Name: | Policies and Procedures Governing Preferred/Primary Names and Sex/Gender Markers in University Databases |
| Proposed: | 08/19/2014 |
| Sponsor: | Luke Jensen |
| Proposal: | The University depends on employees and students to provide and update their personal information regarding how they are known on campus. This includes name and gender. Personal information is stored in separate databases, personnel files and student records. The nomenclature and processes for updating this information are quite different. There is no policy or mechanism for ensuring uniformity of data resulting in conflict between the two, a situation encountered by students who are also employees. The University of Maryland should establish clear policies using common nomenclature and processes for both employees and students who wish to update their personal information including but not limited to name and gender. It should provide greater flexibility regarding gender by allowing individuals to opt out of answering, and it should not rely on gender or sex markers in personnel files or student records for the use of honorifics. Policies should ensure that both employees and students continue to have the ability to use a name other than their legal name including a first, middle, and last name, and they should both have the ability to update that information whenever they deem appropriate. Policies should insist on uniformity between personnel files and student records. They should also name campus administrators who will be responsible for implementation and consistency. Policies on the use of a name other than a legal name would ensure that employees and students are able to continue to have this ability and that the use of this name would be respected across all units. Such policies would also reduce confusion and eliminate conflicting data between personnel files and student records. The University should be clear on the data it collects regarding gender and sex, and should disclose how these data are used and who has access to them. The data collected should be the same for employees and students. Both employees and students should have the same ability to update their gender and sex information. Providing this information should be optional. This would accommodate those who identify as neither and those with international documentation that has a third option. Most of the issues noted above arise from lack of coordination, lack of clarity, too few options, and the need for equity between employees and students when updating personal information. These could all be resolved successfully with University-wide policies. The specifics on how to update personal information could be technological through the use of existing software. |
| Active? | No |
Status
| Status: | Completed |
| Completed On: | 04/21/2017 |
History
| Status: | Complete |
| Related Files: |
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Senate |
| Received: | 2017-03-30 |
| Decision Date: | 2017-04-06 |
| Decision: | The Senate voted to approve the proposal. |
| Actions: | The Senate discussed the EDI Committee's recommendations at its April 6, 2017, meeting and voted to approve the proposed policy. |
| Next Step: | Presidential Approval |
| Related Files: |
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Senate Executive Committee (SEC) |
| Received: | 2017-03-17 |
| Decision Date: | 2017-03-27 |
| Decision: | The SEC voted to place the item on the April 6, 2017 Senate meeting agenda for consideration. |
| Actions: | The SEC reviewed the proposal and recommendations at its March 27, 2017, meeting and voted to forward it to the Senate for review. |
| Next Step: | Senate Review |
| Related Files: |
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (EDI) Committee |
| Received: | 2016-09-27 |
| Decision Date: | 2017-03-10 |
| Decision Due By: | 2017-03-31 |
| Decision: | The committee voted to forward its recommendations to the SEC for consideration. |
| Actions: | The EDI Committee considered feedback it received on the spring 2016 draft policy, which informed subsequent revisions of the policy made at its September 8, October 24, and November 18 meetings. The committee finished work on a second substantive draft at its December 1 meeting. This draft was subsequently revised at the committee's January 30 and February 16 meetings, based on feedback from stakeholders across campus. On March 10, 2017, the committee voted unanimously to recommend a Policy Concerning Name, Sex, Gender, and Other Personal Identity Information in University Records, as well as a list of related recommendations. |
| Next Step: | SEC Review |
| Related Files: |
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Senate Executive Committee (SEC) |
| Received: | 2016-09-20 |
| Decision Date: | 2016-09-27 |
| Decision: | The SEC voted to grant the extension. |
| Actions: | The SEC reviewed the EDI Committee's request for extension at its September 27, 2016, meeting. The EDI Committee faced a number of time-sensitive charges in the Spring 2016 semester and was unable to thoroughly review this charge at that time. The SEC voted to grant the EDI Committee's requested extension. |
| Next Step: | EDI Committee Review |
| Related Files: |
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (EDI) Committee |
| Received: | 2016-01-22 |
| Decision Date: | 2016-08-25 |
| Decision Due By: | 2016-03-11 |
| Decision: | The EDI Committee voted to submit a request for extension. |
| Actions: | During the 2015-2016 academic year, the committee was charged with several time-sensitive issues, including a "Review of the Interim University of Maryland Non-Discrimination Policy and Procedures" (Senate Doc. 15-16-28), a "Review of the University of Maryland Disability & Accessibility Policy and Procedures" (Senate Doc. 15-16-29), and "Revisions to the University of Maryland Sexual Misconduct Policy" (Senate Doc. 15-16-30). Due to the significant work required to address these charges simultaneously, the EDI Committee was unable to thoroughly consider the "Policies and Procedures Governing Preferred/Primary Names and Sex/Gender Markers in University Databases" charge. A subcommittee was formed to work on a draft policy and explore various remedies with the relevant stakeholders. EDI did not have the opportunity to adequately consider the subcommittee's work before the end of the academic year, however, and will request an extension from the SEC in the fall. |
| Next Step: | SEC Review |
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Senate Executive Committee (SEC) |
| Received: | 2016-01-14 |
| Decision Date: | 2016-01-21 |
| Decision: | The SEC voted to grant the extension request. |
| Actions: | The SEC reviewed the extension request submitted by the EDI Committee at its 1/21/16 meeting. The SEC voted to grant the request. |
| Next Step: | EDI Committee Review |
| Related Files: |
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (EDI) Committee |
| Received: | 2015-04-28 |
| Decision Due By: | 2015-12-18 |
| Decision: | The EDI Committee submitted a letter of request to the SEC for a deadline extension. |
| Actions: | The 2015-2016 EDI Committee will continue to work on this charge and will complete its review by the end of the fall 2015 semester. |
| Next Step: | SEC Review |
| Related Files: |
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Senate Executive Committee (SEC) |
| Received: | 2015-04-21 |
| Decision Date: | 2015-07-28 |
| Decision: | To grant the extension. |
| Actions: | The SEC reviewed the extension request memo at its meeting on April 28, 2015. The SEC voted in favor of approving the extension. |
| Next Step: | Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (EDI) Committee |
| Related Files: |
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (EDI) Committee |
| Received: | 2014-08-28 |
| Decision Date: | 2015-04-21 |
| Decision Due By: | 2015-05-08 |
| Decision: | To submit a request for a deadline extension. |
| Actions: | The EDI Committee reviewed this item during the fall 2014 and spring 2015 semesters. Because of other pressing charges during the academic year, including the Review of Civility in the UMD Workplace Environment (Senate Doc. 12-13-54) and the Review of the Interim Sexual Misconduct Policy (Senate Doc. 14-15-11), the EDI Committee did not have ample time to thoroughly consider this charge. Therefore, the committee decided to submit a deadline extension request to the SEC. |
| Next Step: | Senate Executive Committee (SEC) Review |
| Related Files: |
| Status: | Complete |
| Reviewer: | Senate Executive Committee (SEC) |
| Received: | 2014-08-21 |
| Decision Date: | 2014-08-28 |
| Decision Due By: | 2014-08-28 |
| Decision: | To charge the EDI Committee (and the Student Affairs Committee) with the review of the proposal. |
| Actions: | The SEC reviewed the proposal at its meeting on August 28, 2014. The SEC voted in favor of sending the proposal to the Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (EDI) Committee for review, with a sub-charge to the Student Affairs Committee. |
| Next Step: | Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (EDI) Committee |
| Related Files: |