<h2><b>Respect and Belonging: What we learned at AACRAO 2017</b></h2>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">This ____ NameCoach had the honor to present at the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) conference, a national higher education association. We joined thought partner and NameCoach customer Thomas Black, Associate Vice Provost and Registrar at Stanford University. At NameCoach, we believe in the importance of diversity in higher education, so partnering with experts in the field helps us understand how they approach diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&amp;I) in higher education. </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Black, like many higher education administrators across, has been part of a growing conversation around diversity in colleges and universities. While colleges have long been active participants in these conversations, students are now demanding faster, stronger, and more visible action on these issues. Students have taken a more active role in advocating for practices that are equitable towards and culturally inclusive of their peers, especially along lines of race, class, gender, and sexual orientation.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">The changing climate is creating a space to set norms and establish best practices for DE&amp;I challenges that universities and colleges have not previously addressed in a meaningful way. In our work with Black, we looked at how Stanford is fostering cultural inclusion and respecting  students’ identities by learning preferred pronouns and proper name pronunciations.</span>

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<b>What do we mean when we talk about inclusion?</b>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">The first step in becoming a more inclusive institution is to understand what we mean when we talk about inclusion. There are two core tenets of inclusion at the higher education level: respect and belonging. To create an inclusive environment and ensure students are successful, a college or university must address both. Black helped us take a deeper look at these issues to better understand the impact they have on students and campuses every day.</span>

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<b><i>Respect</i></b>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">The UC Campus Climate survey is the largest university system study of its kind. The comprehensive survey is part of UC’s effort to become a model for diversity, equity, and inclusion at the higher ed level.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">After surveying thousands of students, it became clear that the need for respect was an important part of their campus experience and a key driver of the study. As noted on the Campus Climate Study site,  “Respect is one of the most critical words… It's not just the experience of individuals and groups on a campus; it's also the quality and extent of the interaction between those various groups and individuals that determines a healthy campus climate.” Students have high expectations from their schools and every interaction with faculty, staff, and administrators is an opportunity to meet them.</span>

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<b><i>Belonging</i></b>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">College and graduate students spend an enormous amount time on campus engaging with faculty and interacting with peers. Thus, a sense of belonging is an essential part of creating an inclusive environment. If students don’t feel like they belong, they will struggle to fully engage and contribute to the campus community.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">The Office of Diversity and Inclusion at the University of South Carolina notes that “[Feeling] embraced by a warm and welcoming campus culture. [Feeling] immediately at home. That’s what inclusion is all about. It’s about feeling like you belong and that your life, your voice, and your contributions truly matter through </span><b>Respect and Belonging: What we learned at AACRAO 2017</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">the mutual civility and respect that we show one another.” It’s up to schools to create an environment that fosters this sense of belonging to ensure students come, stay, and thrive on campus.</span>

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<b>Why it matters</b>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Respect and belonging both contribute to a student’s sense of whether or not they can be successful. When they question whether they fit in or whether the campus environment respects their identity, it burns intellectual, emotional, and creative energy they could otherwise apply to academic achievement. As a result, performance suffers and students fall behind academically. In many cases, they simply leave.</span>

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<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">“There is much more to college achievement gaps than differences in preparation or motivation or ability. When individuals are repeatedly asking themselves whether they belong or not, it… diminishes motivation to engage and persist in school. Students ask fewer questions in class, study less often with others, and avoid office hours. As a result, their grades suffer.” --</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">“How Worries about Belonging can Inhibit Achievement” - Natalie Orenstein</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The perception that a school is indifferent towards a student’s identity is the number one cause of student attrition. In other words, if students don’t feel like the faculty and staff at a college or university care about them enough to take action, advocate for them, or simply learn more about their needs, they will leave.</span>

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<b>Where to begin?</b>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">The relationship between creating the right environment and retaining successful students is clear, but taking action is more challenging. With countless options available for promoting inclusivity--from housing to extracurricular activities, course offerings to scholarships--there is no single lever guaranteed to make students feel welcome.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">One factor that impacts nearly every aspect of a student’s college experience--from what’s posted on their dorm room door to how they’re greeted or called upon in class--is correctly pronouncing students’ names and using preferred pronouns.</span>

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<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Mispronouncing students’ names and using the wrong pronouns can increase ‘belonging uncertainty,’ which Stanford research shows can affect a student’s performance, stress levels and overall sense of being a valued part of the community." </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">- Dereca Blackmon, Associate Dean and Director of the Diversity and First Generation Student Office</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Failing to get names and pronouns right makes students question whether or not they belong on campus, which, according to a Stanford research study, can affect a student’s academic performance and stress levels. </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">In a world in which the concept of gender is constantly evolving, making assumptions about someone’s name or gender identity can be detrimental. A whitepaper on the importance of preferred pronouns from Bryn Mawr College explains that “To incorrectly gender someone can cause the person to feel disrespected, alienated, or dysphoric (or a combination of the three)…Calling roll from a sheet without knowledge of how someone wants to identify themself in the classroom can be very harmful.”</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Making the effort to use preferred pronouns and pronunciations is critical, but singling students out during roll call can make them uncomfortable. A more respectful solution is to empower students to educate faculty and staff on their preferred pronouns and correct name pronunciation privately or ahead of their first interactions. NameCoach’s suite of tools helps schools proactively address the challenge before the first day of class and beyond.</span>

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<b>Reception at Stanford</b>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Since introducing NameCoach tools like Name Badges and Commencement Service and integrating with learning management systems and CRMs, Stanford has noticed an outpouring of support from students. The decision to implement NameCoach campus-wide was to demonstrate the University’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness and to indicate that everyone on campus is expected to meet the same high standards. </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">By taking action, the school has drawn positive attention to a nuanced issue, and students are applauding the effort.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">There is no single blueprint that leads to the creation of an inclusive environment, but NameCoach’s partners in higher education are proving that small steps in the right direction can build the momentum needed for large-scale change.</span>