Resources for Faculty & Staff

As a member of IWU's faculty or staff, you have an important role for shaping students' IWU experience and the campus community. 

Understanding the Basics

• We're often discussing sexual orientation. Don't reference it as sexual preference, as it is not an individual's preference, it's just who they are. 
• Gender identity refers to how a person labels themself. 
• LGBTQIA is an initialism that stands for for lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual/aromantic.

Tips on Being an Ally

• Use people's correct pronouns. 
  • If you struggle to use "they" as a singular pronoun, use it to identify something in your life - a stuffed animal, your car, etc. so you can get used to using it.
  • If you're not sure of somebody's pronouns, let them know yours and ask how they would like to be referenced. 
  • Including your personal pronouns in your email signature can be a great way to show that you're an ally.
• Use non-gendered terms, such as folks or y'all instead of ladies and gentlemen. Use firefighter instead of fireman, police officer instead of policeman, server instead of waiter or waitress, etc. 
• Ask students what they'd like to be called! This helps not only with name changes, but also with nicknames and makes it easy to start out on the right foot. 
• Be familiar with where gender neutral bathrooms are in the building you work or teach in.