Support for transgender students
We celebrate and value the diversity of our staff, students and apprentices and recognise that every individual brings an invaluable contribution to our community. We are committed to providing a safe, supportive and welcoming environment for all our staff, students, visitors and those applying for employment or study and encourage a culture where equality is promoted, diversity is valued and the rights and dignity of all are respected.
Some common issues that may arise during your studies
- Unsure of how to inform staff of your chosen or affirmed name
- Would like to know information on how to make a legal name change
- Don’t know how to find support, or who to ask
You can speak to the Student Support team
Whatever is going on, the best thing you can do is speak to someone about your situation, your options and the support available. The Student Support team are available to discuss all avenues of support available and help signpost to internal and external services.
You can equally speak to:
- The Mental Health & Wellbeing Team
- Your LGBTQ+ Student rep
- LGBTQ+ Society
- Academic team
You do not need to inform the University of your decision to transition whilst at University. We understand that transitioning is a deeply personal decision and you may not be ready to discuss this with anyone.
We equally are aware that this process can cause a lot of uncertainty and potentially call up complicated feelings. You may wish to engage with the counselling service to help support you during this process. It can be helpful to talk through the feelings that may arise during this journey.
For more information on how counselling may be helpful to you, and for information contact the Student Mental Health & Wellbeing Team.
Your first contact point regarding what name appears on your student record is Kordel Dickinson. To begin that process all you need to do is contact Kordel via email at [email protected] to discuss your options, for example changing your name on your Unicard.
It is important to note that a preferred name is not a legal name change. That means that any legal documents, such as your graduation certificate would be printed using your legal name. To ensure that the correct name is used on a legal document you would need to process a legal name change via deed poll or by Statutory Declaration.
Some useful tips on how to do either a deed poll or a statutory declaration can be found on the Gendered Intelligence website.
For further details please refer to the information about this process in our Frequently Asked Questions or contact Kordel Dickinson via email at [email protected] for advice.
At Edge Hill there is a diverse range of communities and societies for you to engage with.
We have the Queer Activities society who work to create inclusive sessions tailored to each individual of the group.
You can speak to your Personal Tutor or academic staff regarding your chosen or affirmed name or alternatively you can use this change of name form to inform your academic staff.