Carnegie Mellon University
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How to Use NameCoach

Our names are critical to our sense of self, and making an effort to pronounce each other’s names correctly helps foster a more inclusive campus community.

NameCoach allows you to share an audio recording of your name for other CMU community members to access in shared resources like Canvas, Student Information Online (SIO), and the University Web Directory. You can also share a link to your recording in your email signature and on other platforms.

Record Your Name
Share Your Recording

Record Your Name

Instructions differ based on your affiliation. If you belong to more than one of the categories below, choose the one that reflects your primary role at the university.

Visit The HUB to learn how to record your name in SIO. 

You may also enter a phonetic spelling of your name and your preferred pronouns, though some campus resources are not configured to display them at this time.

Visit the Instructor Guide to learn how to:

  • Record your name in Canvas
  • Listen to your students’ names and review their pronouns
  • Enable NameCoach in your Canvas course
  • Provide NameCoach instructions for your students

You may also enter your preferred pronouns in Canvas, though some campus resources are not configured to display them at this time.

We encourage you to also review the Eberly Center's resources on learning your students' names and creating a supportive classroom climate.

  1. Visit cmu.edu/canvas.
  2. Log in with your Andrew userID and password, then authenticate with DUO when prompted.
  3. Click Account.
  4. Click Name Recording and Pronouns.
  5. Click Record Name.
  6. Select Phone or Web Recorder and follow the prompts.

Share Your Recording

Get a link to your name recording to share in your email signature, LinkedIn profile, or other digital platforms.

  1. Visit name-coach.com/accounts/magic_links/new
  2. Enter your Andrew (@andrew) email address and click Get Recording Link.
  3. Visit your Andrew email inbox.
  4. Open the email from NameCoach.
  5. Click Recording Link to access your profile in NameCoach.
  6. (Optional) From your NameCoach profile*, you may:
    • Re-record your name
    • Enter a phonetic spelling
    • Share your preferred pronouns
  7. Click My Namebadge in the navigation bar.
  8. Scroll down, click Add Namebadge to your Email Signature, and follow the prompts.

*Phonetic spelling and preferred pronouns currently transfer automatically from NameCoach to SIO, but not to other resources. Edits to your First name or Last name in NameCoach also do not transfer. To update your preferred name across the university's online services and information systems, review Preferred Name.

Share a link to your recording on your LinkedIn profile or other digital platforms.

  1. Visit name-coach.com/accounts/magic_links/new
  2. Enter you Andrew (@andrew) email address and click Get Recording Link.
  3. Visit your Andrew email inbox.
  4. Open the email from NameCoach.
  5. Click Recording Link to access your profile in NameCoach.
  6. (Optional) From your NameCoach profile*, you may:
    • Re-record your name
    • Edit your full name as you would like it to be said/announced
    • Enter a phonetic spelling
    • Share your preferred pronouns
  7. Click My Namebadge in the navigation bar.
  8. Scroll down and click Publish your Namebadge.
  9. Click Copy Link and add it to LinkedIn or any other digital platform.

*Phonetic spelling and preferred pronouns currently transfer automatically from NameCoach to SIO, but not to other resources. Edits to your First name or Last name in NameCoach also do not transfer. To update your preferred name across the university's online services and information systems, review Preferred Name.