RMIT welcomes and supports students and staff who are affirming their gender.
RMIT is committed to supporting all students to bring their whole selves to study and work.
The RMIT Gender Affirmation Guide is a toolkit for both students and staff who wish to affirm their gender. It provides a comprehensive guide to processes, templates and emails, and links to internal supports and external organisations that can provide further assistance.
Changing your legal name and/or gender
Changing your legal name and/or gender can be done online through Births, Deaths and Marriages. If you need any support navigating this process, you can submit an enquiry or book an appointment with a Student Welfare advisor. They can help you prepare the right documents and help you apply for financial support (if needed).
Once you've completed this online process, you can update your legal name and/or gender in RMIT systems by following the process to update your personal details.
Using a preferred or chosen name
If you have not or cannot change your legal name, you can still register your preferred name which will then display in some RMIT systems. You can update your preferred name by following the process on the update your personal details page.
Find out more about how your name displays in RMIT systems.
Graduating and testamur replacement
Graduation ceremony
When you graduate you will receive official documentation of your completion, also known as a testamur. As a legal document, your testamur must reflect your legal name. However, you are able to use a name that affirms your gender during your graduation ceremony. This will include presentation slides, the graduation program, and the name that is used to introduce you on stage.
An Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access Coordinator can help you with this request – please provide your student number, chosen name and pronouns and they will contact you with further details.
Testamur replacement
A testamur is an important certificate, as both a reflection of your education and as a legal document. RMIT is proud to make replacement testamurs available to students who have changed their legal name as part of their gender affirmation.
Pronouns in Canvas
You can now update and display your pronouns when using Canvas. The options include:
- None (default)
- She/Her
- He/Him
- They/Them.
Once updated, your pronouns will appear in brackets next to your display name on Canvas. For detailed instructions, please visit Instructure for detailed instructions on how to change your pronouns on Canvas.
