University of South Dakota faculty blast policy banning preferred pronouns
The policy prevents employees of South Dakota’s public universities from sharing unnecessary information in email signature blocks, such as ‘preferred gender pronouns.’
Two university employees are upset at the policy change, claiming they can no longer list either gender pronouns or Native American tribal affiliations.
Two faculty members at the University of South Dakota complained about a state policy that prohibits employees in public universities from including their “preferred gender pronouns” in signature blocks of email addresses, according to a May 24 story in the Associated Press.
The two faculty members, Megan Red Shirt-Shaw and her spouse John Little, also claimed that the South Dakota policy is stopping them from mentioning their Native American tribal affiliations in university communications. “I was told that I had 5 days to remove my tribal affiliation and pronouns,” Little told the Associated Press.
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The new “Communications and Branding” policy of the South Dakota Board of Regents, which went into effect this December, states: “To maintain consistent branding and message standards across all forms of official communications, contact information is limited to” information such as the author’s name, job title, and mailing address.
The policy does not allow the usage of “preferred pronouns.”
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has long advocated removing preferred pronouns from public universities. In May, 2023, she published a statement calling for gender pronouns to be removed from “school materials” because no one should be “compelled and coerced” into speech they disagree with.
“Our state universities should also remove all references to preferred pronouns in school materials,” Noem wrote. “This practice has resulted in students being compelled and coerced to provide speech that they do not agree with. Our kids should have the ability to exercise their right to free speech.”
The new policy has the practical benefit of ensuring consistency in university communications, according to the Board of Regents.
“The South Dakota Board of Regents’ Branding and Communication policy emphasizes the importance of communicating the information necessary for our employees to effectively perform job duties,” Shuree Mortenson, the board’s communications director, said.
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“Although some employees may have additional information they would like to share, as an employer, it is critical to identify consistent parameters for official employee communication. While supplemental contextual information can offer value in certain instances, consistent criteria for communications are necessary to safeguard our universities’ missions and interests,” she continued.
Campus Reform has contacted the University of South Dakota and South Dakota State University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
