Add a field for Pronouns to the Profile Page

This idea has been developed and deployed to Canvas

In addition to many institutions allowing for preferred names of students, staff and faculty, there is an upcoming need to address preferred pronouns.

 

When addressing the preferred name options in the LMS, please allow for LMS users to indicate their preferred pronouns.

 

Example:

 

He/Him/His

She/Her/Hers

They/Them/Their

etc.

 

For more information, see Google or Wikipedia's article on gender-specific and gender-neutral pronouns.

  

Comments from Instructure

For more information, please read through Canvas Release Notes (2020-01-18) 

62 Comments
dani_morris
Partner
Partner

Hi Jonathan!

You can just post in the comments, or if you'd prefer you can email me at dani.morris@atomicjolt.com.

checkma
Community Participant

This brings up an important point: It is difficult to anticipate what pronouns could be used. (Tim leary used hir, for instance, for a gender-neutral pronoun.) Perhaps students should have an option to enter pronouns for themselves.

Edit: added italics.

checkma
Community Participant

That's what I mentioned above. Perhaps I should have read the entire thread first? 8-)

checkma
Community Participant

Re your last point: If people are doing that, then they're being a jerk and should be taken down a peg or two.

checkma
Community Participant

(1) For the roster view, how about just the prounoun refering to the person (he, she, etc.)? If a person has a long first and last name (like me) and a prounoun, then it'll cut down on how much you can see in the roster view.

(2) You forgot the possessive pronoun (his, her, etc.).

--- Christopher "Quezlcoatl" Heckman

venitk
Community Champion

This is a terrific idea. 

  • It normalizes the practice for our transgender students--if everyone does it, it's not weird for them to do it. 
  • it would help instructors who, even when they have cisgender students, can't always tell from the name and/or profile pic what pronouns to use. 
jlpeta
Community Novice

This is crucially important for student inclusion and equity.  I agree that we should have drop down options as well as "write in" if possible.  Please be sure to ask others at your university to log in and upvote this issue.  

-- Jayme Peta

erinhmcmillan
Instructure Alumni
Instructure Alumni
Comments from Instructure

For more information, please read through Canvas Release Notes (2020-01-18) 

Stef_retired
Instructure Alumni
Instructure Alumni
This idea has been developed and deployed to Canvas

For more information, please read through the https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-18147-canvas-release-notes-2020-01-18 

Stef_retired
Instructure Alumni
Instructure Alumni

cifuller Thank You for sharing this idea, as well as  @jhabarth  Thank You  @ronzanim  Thank You  @kmeeusen  Thank You  @checkma  Thank You vanzandt  @eacote  Thank You cjplatenkamp Thank You jlstern Thank You lauren.manes Thank You  @thompsli  Thank You  @dave-long  Thank You jennifer_stevens Thank You jleamon Thank You chriscas Thank You  @jbuchner  Thank You  @canvas18  Thank You  @jnickerson1  Thank You  @tchilt  Thank You shines Thank You  @swind  Thank You lynnb Thank You  @lekern  Thank You  @venitk  Thank You  @jlpeta  Thank You ‌for your contributions to this important conversation. Your investment in this idea helped refine a feature that is now part of Canvas!

Want to continue the conversation? Please join in at What's in a Name? Why Pronouns Matter‌.