Getting Started With NameCoach

Environment

Canvas, NameCoach, all students, faculty, and staff at Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint and Michigan Medicine, DEI, Gmail, Outlook, Salesforce, API Directory

Issue

NameCoach is a web-based tool that allows users to record, listen to, and learn names. NameCoach promotes the university’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiative, cultivates a more inclusive learning environment, fosters employee retention, and forges better customer relationships. All U-M students, faculty, staff, and alumni on the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses, and at Michigan Medicine are eligible to use NameCoach. Students that register with NameCoach during their time at U-Mich will retain their NameCoach account as long as their email stays active.

Resolution

NameCoach in Canvas

There are two parts for NameCoach in Canvas: 

  1. NameCoach Recorder where you record your name and it becomes part of your Canvas Account Profile
  2. NameCoach Roster listed within each Course options where you can listen and learn names of those enrolled in the course

Record your name in a Canvas profile using NameCoach Recorder

  1. Log in to Canvas
  2. Select Account (circular icon in the upper left corner of the window)
  3. Select NameCoach Recorder from the list of options
  4. There are 3 options for recording (Note: you might need to allow third-party cookies to be set in your browser in order to see all three options):
  1. Phone: enter your phone number to record your name over an automated phone call​​​​​​
    1. If you are using a US phone number, make sure to include 1 in front of the US phone number
  2. Web Recorder: Record your name using your device's web browser and microphone. (Note: If you are using Chrome, your audio may sound low pitch because of a difference between how the audio is recorded and saved)  
    1. Press the Record button to start the recording (make sure to wait for the Record prompt before speaking)
    2. Press Record again when you are done 
    3. If you would like to Rerecord your name, you will need to press the Rerecord button twice
    4. Note: Maximum time allowed for recording a name is 25 seconds
  3. Uploader: you can upload a file of your name that you have already saved (Note: Only .mp3 and .wav file formats are accepted of the audio file via this option.  if needed, you can use free software, like Audacity, to convert the audio recording to save as .mp3 file format)
  4. Enter Phonetic Spelling, or help, refer to the Phonetic Spelling Guide
  5. Select the Submit and Finish button to save the recording
  6. NOTE: You only need to record your name once and it will apply to all your Canvas courses that are using NameCoach

Play a name in Canvas using NameCoach Roster

  1. Select a course in Canvas
  2. Select NameCoach Roster from the list of available options on the left navigation menu
  3. Enter Phonetic Spelling 
    1. For help, refer to the Phonetic Spelling Guide
    2. You only have to update phonetic spelling in one course and it will propagate across all courses in Canvas, when you click on the update button under your name. If you change the phonetic spelling listed under the roster in the column beside your name, that change will only apply to that course. 
  4. NameCoach page has two tabs: Recorded Names and Unrecorded Names
    1. Recorded Names lists all students within the course, for any unclear audio, the instructor can request to re-record via the action column envelope icon
    2. Unrecorded Names lists all students within the course who have not recorded their names
    3. An instructor can go to the unrecorded Names tab and send a reminder email to each student using the action column envelope icon, or all students to record the name by selecting Remind All button

Create a NameCoach Recording Canvas Assignment

Create a NameCoach Email Signature?

Students, faculty, and staff on all campuses (Ann Arbor, Dearborn, Flint, and Michigan Medicine) can now add a NameCoach pronunciation link to their email signature. To create or copy your own signature link, visit the NameCoach Dashboard and click Your Recordings tab and scroll down to Your NameBadge and copy the link to your Namebadge. The NameCoach pronunciation link can be added to Gmail and Outlook signature settings.

For creating an Email Signature, U-M users cannot go directly to the NameCoach site and use their  UMICH login credentials. To ensure that U-M users are in the U-M domain, use the SSO Email Signature link to create an email signature. Process steps are listed below for your preferred email tool. Creating Your NameCoach Audio Email Signature 

NOTE: if a user has a concern with their voice print for their name recording, what are the options?

  • Have someone else record your name for you
  • Use text to voice feature to record your name and then upload to the NameCoach
  • Record your voice using Adobe Premiere Pro and then to change recorded audio and change the voice print to sound like someone else - Help Video - How to change your voice to sound like someone else. Download your changed recording and upload to NameCoach.

Email Signature knowledge articles: 

Creating Your NameCoach Audio Email Signature

How do I use NameCoach API Directory to Integrate NameCoach API with application?

With an API, developers can more easily help all students feel welcomed on campus by integrating audio signatures in their desired applications.

The NameCoach Participants APIs are available for the campus software developer community. The NameCoach API is a REST-based interface that is used to request name recordings. The APIs are published in the API Directory (be sure to use the U-M VPN for access). More information can be found in the TeamDynamix (TDx) Knowledge Base or in the API Directory.

Knowledge Article: NameCoach API Directory

Integrate NameCoach in Salesforce

NameCoach also now integrates with Salesforce. Salesforce administrators who are interested in having NameCoach functionality appear in their service should contact the ITS Service Center to create a ticket for the ITS-NameCoach team. Academic support staff (coaches and advisors) can use the NameCoach Salesforce integration to ensure they are pronouncing student names correctly prior to meetings using the same system they use to track advising appointments and take notes.

Knowledge article: NameCoach Salesforce Integration Support

NameCoach Salutation

The ITS NameCoach team can provide help with the creation of a "name page" that can be managed by your department administrator or event host. The name page provides the pronunciation of event invitees' names for any events where you want to build inclusion and a sense of belonging, such as commencement, admissions-related events, award ceremonies, outreach programs, and others.

Get started with NameCoach Salutation

Knowledge articles:

Additional Information

For NameCoach questions, see your Campus contact info below:

Need additional information or assistance? Contact the ITS Service Center.

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ITS-NameCoach Salutation
This service is a web-based tool that allows users to record, listen to, and learn names. It enables units to promote organizational Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, foster employee retention, and forge better customer relationships. All U-M students, faculty, staff, and alumni on the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses, and at Michigan Medicine are eligible to use NameCoach. See more details on our NameCoach service page. For help with Namecoach, contact the ITS Service Center . Use this form to request a NameCoach Salutation, a "name page" that can be managed by your Department Admin/Event Host.  The name page provides the pronunciation of event invitees' names for any events where you want to build inclusion and a sense of belonging, such as commencement, admissions-related events, award ceremonies, outreach programs, and others To begin the creation of a name page and expedite the process, event hosts should use this form to provide preliminary information that is neede