Hear the name, and say it correctly. NameCoach, a software application developed by Praveen Shanbhag, PhD ’14, was introduced campus-wide this year for faculty, students and staff to record their names, preferred pronouns and honorifics.
Because it will be embedded in class rosters and student services databases, says director of Stanford’s diversity and first-gen office Dereca Blackmon, ’91, the service will help students feel included at Stanford. In a blended community with vast diversity, “people (can) struggle with your name,” she explains.
For Stanford, the appeal is straightforward: creating a culture of respect. “If we want to encourage the development of community, getting the name right seems to me a critical aspect,” says university registrar Tom Black. As of mid-November, about 300 students had signed up for the service.
