The CUNY Graduate Center has asked professors to stop using gender-specific salutations to address students. NY1's Lindsey Christ filed the following report.

No more Mrs or Miss. No more Mr. Even no more Ms. 

Starting this month, professors at the CUNY Graduate Center have been asked to refer to their students by name only and not use titles that relate to gender. The school will do the same in its official correspondence.

"'Preferred name policy' is to accomodate transgender students who are transitioning," said CUNY Graduate Center spokesperson Tanya L. Domi.

Several universities, including New York University, allow transgender students to be called any name they choose, but the policy adopted by the CUNY Graduate Center is more sweeping, affecting all students.

In a letter to professors, the interim provost said, "'Mr.' and 'Ms.' should be omitted from salutations in any correspondence."

"It's avoiding mis-gendering, which students have complained about," Domi said.

Students and professors NY1 spoke with said they have no problem with the change. 

"I think that that's something that helps to keep the educational space such that it's inclusive for everyone and sensitive to what people want," said one student.

However, some commentators on the Internet are lampooining the policy, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. One message board calls it "the latest political correct absurdity." And in an editorial, the Daily News declared, "A master's in stupidity."

NY1 spoke with advocates from the New York State Transgender Rights Coalition. They applauded the graduate center's new policy and said more colleges and universities should be considering these issues, talking about them openly and putting in place policies aimed to increase inclusiveness. 

One professor told NY1 that the issue had never occurred to him. 

"I teach online courses, and so I never see my students. And I've usually try to address them as Mr. and Ms. as a kind of an honorific," said Robert Saute of the CUNY Graduate Center.

He said he's guessed students' genders incorrectly in the past. Now, with the new policy, that's one mistake he won't make again.