The Office of Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, in partnership with Human Resource Services, is excited to announce that NIU faculty and staff now have the option to self-report their gender identity and sexual orientation in MyNIU to best capture how they self-identify.
The addition of these two categories supports our core values of equity and inclusion by allowing individuals to self-identify in broader ways, and more accurately captures the diversity of identities at NIU. As this information is gathered, we will be better equipped to make decisions regarding support services and resources for our campus community and illustrate that we truly are strengthened by the diverse perspectives and experiences of our university community.
Why is this information being captured?
In addition to the information listed above, the 2021 Presidential goals include a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and our continued efforts to increase the recruitment, hiring, retention and professional advancement of diverse faculty, staff and administrators. Capturing information about gender identity and sexual orientation will help us to better understand and support our employees as well as use data to make informed decisions on resources, programs, and services.
We also recognize that individuals with marginalized gender identities and/or sexual orientations may face discrimination and/or lack of understanding in the workplace and beyond. Capturing this information from our employees will assist us in removing barriers and creating pathways towards equity and inclusion.
What is gender identity and sexual orientation?
Sex is a category typically viewed on biological characteristics: male or female. Gender identity is an internal understanding of one’s gender. For some individuals, this may be different than the sex they were assigned at birth or that is on their legal documentation. Sexual orientation describes romantic, emotional and/or physical attraction, or lack thereof. More information about terminology related to gender/sexual identities is available on the NIU Gender and Sexuality Resource Center’s LGBTQ+ Terminology List.
How do I Self-Report?
To voluntarily self-report your gender identity and/or sexual orientation please follow the steps below:
- Go to MyNIU.
- Click on the “MyNIU Human Resource System” panel.
- Login with your NIU user ID and password.
- Select the “Personal Details” tile.
- Click on “Biographic Details” in the left menu.
- In the “Gender Identity” drop down list select the appropriate value.
- In the “Sexual Orientation” drop down list select the appropriate value.
- Click the “Save” button.
Categories listed reflect common terms individuals may use. If you use a term not listed, you may choose “another gender identity” and/or “another sexual identity” and enter the terminology you use in an open-text field.
How will the information collected be protected?
If interested, you are encouraged to self-report your gender identity and sexual orientation. The information collected will be protected and not shared in a way that would identify any specific individual nor will it be shared publicly, such as in the NIU directory. Additionally, this information will only be used for legitimate university purposes, as described above, and will be protected in accordance with the Division of Information Technology’s (DoIT) Information Security Policy.
Questions about this announcement can be directed to HumanResources@niu.edu.
Thank you for your service to the NIU community.
