Name recordings
Graduating students received email invitations from Name Coach, a name pronunciation service, to record their names for Commencement in an email April 30.
By submitting recordings of their name, students agree to the Terms of Service of Name Coach which, among other provisions, include a mandatory arbitration clause. This clause entails a waiver of a customer’s right to trial by jury as well as class action in the event of a dispute with the company. Clauses of this kind have been increasingly prevalent in the terms of online services over the past three decades and their enforceability has been litigated in courts, with varying success. In emails reviewed by The Tech, Institute Events verified that MIT contracted with Name Coach and that the terms were reviewed and approved by MIT counsel.