Pronouns at PCC
Instructors see pronouns in class rosters
PCC students can specify which pronouns they want to be used. We want everyone to be treated with dignity and respect, and this includes using the correct pronouns for each other.
How to add pronouns
You can select pronouns in the admissions application or here: update my pronouns. Providing pronouns is completely optional.
Where pronouns are shown
Pronouns will show in class rosters and grading tools used by faculty, My Profile in MyPCC, and other systems used by PCC employees. At this time, pronouns don’t automatically show in D2L Brightspace or Zoom, but you can add pronouns on both platforms:
Get help and report problems
Updating your name
Did you know you can use a preferred first name instead a legal first name? See more about preferred names.
We have a lot of interconnected systems and sometimes changes can fail to update to all platforms. If your pronouns are not showing correctly, let us try to fix it. Contact names-pronouns@pcc.edu and we’ll do some research to find out if it can be fixed.
What are pronouns and why are they important?
Providing students the opportunity to indicate their pronouns is part of fostering a respectful and inclusive college community.
Pronouns are words we use to talk about someone when we’re not using their name. Examples of pronouns include she/her, he/him, and they/them. In English, some pronouns are typically associated with specific genders. We can’t know someone’s pronouns (or gender identity) just by looking at them, so it’s important to let people tell us what pronouns we should use for them instead of making assumptions. Using the incorrect pronoun for someone is called “misgendering” and can make people feel hurt, invalidated, disrespected, and like they don’t belong. We can avoid this by asking people what pronouns we should use for them and then following through on using those pronouns. We can also lead by example and offer our pronouns (but only if we’re comfortable sharing that information). When we share our pronouns, it disrupts patterns of assumption and helps encourage others to share. PCC can also make this easier on students by listing their pronouns in places like class rosters.
Why don’t we use “preferred pronouns”?
The word “preferred” suggests that a person’s pronouns are merely a preference. Pronouns are related to important aspects of our identity and identity expression, and should always be respected. Because our identities can change over time, and we all have the right to decide when or if we share our identities with other people, our pronouns can change as well. Even if a person’s pronouns change, they are never just a preference.