Getting Started With NameCoach at Pitt

Tags NameCoach

Overview

Pitt celebrates the value of diversity and inclusion as essential to advancing our teaching, research, and community engagement. As a community, we recognize that name diversity and gender identity are central to our individuality and sense of self. The first step in respecting, appreciating and connecting with others comes from valuing name diversity and curating more welcoming first impressions.

NameCoach allows you to record and share the pronunciation of your name with others. Your recorded name can then be easily shared in your email signature, on LinkedIn, and through social media. In addition, instructors can also enable NameCoach in their Canvas courses, making it easy for everyone in a class to learn each other's names.

NameCoach also gives you the option to specify your personal gender pronouns. If you choose to use this feature, your pronouns will be visible to all students and instructors in your Canvas courses.

3 Key Benefits

  • It's simple to record your name and specify your personal gender pronouns using a computer, mobile device, or phone
  • Make introductions easier by adding your name recording to your email signature, LinkedIn, or social media
  • Instructors can enable integration with Canvas, making it easy for everyone in a class to learn each other's names and personal gender pronouns

Detail

1. Visit myPitt (my.pitt.edu (opens in a new tab)), then search for and click the NameCoach task. 

2. If prompted, log in to Pitt Passport with your University Computing Account username and password. 

3. Your email address, first name, and last name should be pre-populated at the top of the page. Confirm that they are correct, and edit them, if needed.

  • Note: You also have the option to specify your personal gender pronoun (see section below for details). 

4. Near the bottom of the page, choose Web Recorder or Phone to record your name. 

NameCoach recording page showing the Web Recorder and Phone options for recording your name

  • Web recorder: Click the Record button and follow the prompts to record your name using your device's microphone or your headset. When you are finished, click the Play button to listen to the recording. Click Submit and Finish if you are satisfied with the recording, or click the Record button to re-record it. 

NameCoach Web Recorder interface showing the Record, Play, and Submit and Finish buttons

  • Phone: Enter your phone number and click Call Me Now. Follow the voice prompts to record your name. When you are finished, hang up and click the Submit and Finish button. 

NameCoach Phone recording option showing the phone number field and Call Me Now button

1. Visit myPitt (my.pitt.edu (opens in a new tab)), then search for and click the NameCoach task. 

2. If prompted, log in to Pitt Passport with your University Computing Account username and password. 

3. Click the Edit this recording button. 

NameCoach profile page showing the Edit this recording button

4. Update your name, personal gender pronoun, or recording.

5. When you are finished, click Submit

For Students

Listen to Names

1. Log in to a course in Canvas (opens in a new tab) and click NameCoach in the left-hand column. 

2. Click the Recorded Names tab.

3. Under the Name Pronunciation heading, click the Play button next to the name you would like to hear. 

NameCoach Recorded Names tab in Canvas showing a list of student names with Play buttons next to each

Record or Edit Your Name

1. Log in to a course in Canvas (opens in a new tab) and click NameCoach in the left-hand column. 

2. If you have already recorded your name, it will display near the top of the course page. Click the Play button to listen to it. Click the Edit this recording button to re-record your name. If you have not recorded your name, you can also record it directly from this screen. 

NameCoach section in Canvas showing a student's recorded name with Play and Edit this recording buttons

For Instructors

Enable NameCoach for Your Canvas Course

1. Log in to Canvas (opens in a new tab) and access your course. 

2. Click Settings and select the Navigation tab.

3. Drag NameCoach Roster from the bottom (inactive) list to the top (active) list, then click Save.

Canvas course Navigation settings tab showing NameCoach Roster being moved from the inactive list to the active navigation list

Listen to Recordings of Students in Your Course

1. Log in to Canvas (opens in a new tab) and access your course. 

2. Click NameCoach Roster in the left-hand navigation. 

3. On the Recorded Names tab, click the Play button under the Name Pronunciation heading to listen to a recorded name.

NameCoach Roster in Canvas showing the Recorded Names tab with student names and Play buttons under the Name Pronunciation column

Remind Students in Your Course to Record Their Names

1. Log in to Canvas (opens in a new tab) and access your course. 

2. Click NameCoach in the left-hand navigation.

3. On the Unrecorded Names tab, click the email icon and select Ask to Record.

NameCoach Unrecorded Names tab in Canvas showing the email icon and Ask to Record option for reminding students

Add Your Name Recording to LinkedIn or Social Media

1. Visit myPitt (my.pitt.edu (opens in a new tab)), then search for and click the NameCoach task. 

2. If prompted, log in to Pitt Passport with your University Computing Account username and password. 

3. Click the Copy Link button to copy the link to your clipboard.

Note: You can also click Customize Link to personalize your link name.

NameCoach profile page showing the Copy Link and Customize Link buttons for sharing your name recording

4. Add your NameBadge link to Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. 

Add Your Name Recording to Your Email Signature

1. Visit myPitt (my.pitt.edu (opens in a new tab)), then search for and click the NameCoach task. 

2. If prompted, log in to Pitt Passport with your University Computing Account username and password. 

3. Click the Add NameBadge to your Email Signature tab.

NameCoach Add NameBadge to your Email Signature tab showing available badge image options

4. Choose which image you'd like to use in your email signature, then click the button to copy it to your clipboard. 

5. Open your email client's settings, paste the image you copied into your signature file, and save your changes. 

NameCoach email signature setup page showing a preview of the NameBadge image added to an email signature

NameCoach also provides the option of specifying your personal gender pronouns. If you set a personal gender pronoun, it will be visible to the instructors and students of any Canvas courses in which you are enrolled. Setting a personal gender pronoun is not required; it is entirely optional. 

1. Visit myPitt (my.pitt.edu (opens in a new tab)), then search for and click the NameCoach task. 

2. If prompted, log in to Pitt Passport with your University Computing Account username and password. 

  • If you have never recorded your name before, the screen shown below will display. Type your personal gender pronouns into the Personal Gender Pronoun field and click Submit at the bottom of the page. 
  • If you have recorded your name before, click the Edit this recording button, then enter your personal gender pronouns and click Submit.

NameCoach profile page showing the Personal Gender Pronoun field where users can enter their pronouns

If you need a Name Page for your event (Graduations, Orientations, Fundraisers, etc.), you can request a Name Page if you have a Staff or Faculty primary account.  You can begin your request from the request form on myPitt.  From my.pitt.edu, search for "NameCoach" and select the following task tile to get started. 

myPitt task tile for Request a NameCoach Event Page (opens in a new tab)
Request Help Print Article

Related Services / Offerings (1)

EMAIL AND COLLABORATION SERVICES Allows users to record and share the pronunciation of their name with others and embed in Canvas, Email, and more.