Three ways NameShouts can help Canadian universities prioritize diversity and inclusion!
Some call it the Trump effect, others see it as a sign of Canada’s rising rank in globally-recognized education -- whatever the cause may be, Canadian universities are experiencing an influx of international students.
With more students from diverse backgrounds coming in, Canadian universities must adapt to the challenge of creating inclusion. International students can find it hard to adapt to new surroundings -- they find themselves alone, away from home, and sometimes encountering new ideas and attitudes. Therefore, keeping students engaged, ensuring they feel safe, and helping them adjust is a priority for the university staff. The first step to showing them that they matter is learning how to pronounce their names.
It may sound insensitive, but a university student is also a customer. Students who feel appreciated will perform better and enjoy their time at the university. This later empowers them to become active members of the alumni community - bringing in future students and opening up a lead for donations to the university.
On the other hand, when university administration neglects international students, not only do they damage their future, but the reputation of the institution itself. By correctly addressing students on a first-name basis, staff can take a step towards making them feel like valued members of the student community.
This doesn't mean that every professor needs a training course to pronounce their students’ names. A good professor can engage their international students in a variety of ways, with name pronunciation tagging along as an obvious first step. However, to provide a better customer experience on campus, implementing a service like NameShouts can make it easier for your university staff to take steps towards inclusion. How can you know your customer without learning to pronounce their name?
How can universities improve the international students experience? There are three simple ways that NameShouts can help universities become more inclusive.
1. Start within your own workplace:
You can’t expect yourself and your colleagues to search up every name that is affiliated with your university. Start making your own workplace inclusive by seeking out the correct pronunciation of the names of your coworkers, interns, volunteers, and managers. Use NameShouts before meeting up with newcomers to your environment to foster a sense of community, and create a more inclusive culture.
2. Get their name right at convocation:
Convocation is a not only a big moment for international students, but for parents, friends, and family who might be flying in from far away places. The ceremony can also confirm, for the final time, how much the university cares about student engagement. If institutions care about their "customers", they should make every effort not to butcher their names during a convocation ceremony.
Source: Tim Gouw from Unsplash
3. Arm your phonathon call center with NameShouts:
First impressions matter. It's hard to raise funds from alumni if you keep butchering their names. Don’t lose your alumni and future donors due to name mispronunciation! With our help, you can implement solutions to increase your conversion rates quickly and effectively. Plus, this indicates to your current international students and alumni that your university cares for those who make the choice to attend and support it.
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Interested in trying NameShouts at your university? Sign up here today: http://bit.ly/2qzrVcn
There’s no time like the present to start making it clear to your international students that you care. With these steps, you’ll help your institution prioritize diversity and inclusion. Plus, you’ll be playing a role in making Canada the premier destination for acquiring a world-class education -- who doesn’t want to be a part of that?
