Preferred Names in Roster & Gradebook work around?

JWaubWCC

We're working on improving preferred name visibility in Canvas and have been trying to explore all possibilities for showing preferred names in the roster and/ or gradebook. We understand that according to this help documentation, short name maps to Canvas display name. This documentation and this Canvas community post states that the display name only appears Announcements, Conferences, Conversations, Groups and Discussions. 

We are currently mapping short name and sortable names with the preferred names, but that does not effect the roster and gradebook. Has anyone found any workarounds for this?

dbrace

Hi @JWaubWCC,

I do not have a specific answer for you. What I can tell you is that when it comes to names, the users.csv files we import into Canvas only contain:

• first_name
• last_name

Even though it is available in the API and import process, we do not populate sortable_name or short_name (which is the display name). We let Canvas automatically populate the sortable_name and short_name based on the contents of first_name and last_name.

The data transfer process that we have developed with our Enterprise Applications teams looks in our SIS for a preferred first name.

1. If there is a preferred first name provided, it becomes the first_name in the file for Canvas.
2. If there is no preferred first name provided, the process moves onto the person's (legal) first name and uses that as the first_name in the file for Canvas.

We do not allow users to change either name in Canvas because we want our SIS to have a record of their preferred first name so that it can be used (or not used) in order systems.

Faculty are free to use the "Notes" area of the gradebook to include a name (whether the student's legal first name or a preferred first name that is not in the SIS). Students are also able to share their preferred first name in the "Introduce Yourself" discussion at the beginning of the semester. Students are also able to go to the self service area of our SIS to change their preferred first name and it will be changed in other systems (such as Canvas) within 24 to 48 business hours.

Not directly related but still relevant, all Canvas users are able to select form a list of pronouns in Canvas (our SIS allows it too but we do not share that info with other systems):

• she/her/hers
• he/him/his
• they/them/theirs

I hope that helps.

-Doug