Prepping for Spring and Supporting Students During Ramadan

Ramadan at DU

This school year, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan runs March 22 through April 21. Ramadan involves a month of fasting, introspection, and prayer for Muslims, the followers of Islam.

The University’s commitment to inclusivity includes a commitment to accommodate the observance of religious holy days by all of its community members. We encourage you all to consult an interfaith calendar throughout the year and especially when designing your syllabi and scheduling important course due dates this spring.

Students are encouraged to make accommodation requests directly to their professors. Review DU’s Religious Accommodation Policy and contact the offices of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs or Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs if you have questions about these requests. Visit the Cultural Center Ramadan web page and OTL’s Inclusive Teaching Practices Spiritual and Religious Diversity module for more information and resources.

Preparing for Spring Quarter

Syllabus Statements

As you finalize your syllabi for the spring quarter, visit the OTL Sample Syllabus Statements web page for verbiage you can use to communicate course policies and resources related to:

Name and Pronoun Etiquette
Religious Accommodations
Mental Health and Wellness Support (including information about the MySSP App)
Academic Integrity and the DU Honor Code
And more!

Canvas Templates

The OTL has used CIDI Labs Design Tools to create eye-catching, aesthetically streamlined Canvas course shell templates. Learn more about these templates and which one is right for you in the blog Introducing the Basic and Advanced Canvas Templates. To import a template in your course, please visit our Knowledge Base for step-by-step instructions. Once you import the template, you will find additional resources within the course for how to use the templates.

UDOIT Tool for Canvas Accessibility

As you prepare for the upcoming term, consider using UDOIT (Universal Design Online content Inspection Tool) to check the digital accessibility of your Canvas courses! Centering digital accessibility allows for all students to have a better experience interacting and engaging with your course. UDOIT prompts faculty to consider elements such as alternative text, style structure, and video captioning. Learn more in the OTL Blog from Instructional Designers Kellie Ferguson and Jeff Schwartz, This is How We Do It: Using UDOIT Cloud to Make Your Canvas Courses More Accessible.

Don't forget to publish!

Once your upcoming course is ready, don't forget to publish your Canvas course to provide access to your students. You have the capability to publish your course at any time between now and the start of your classes.

Teaching in the Time of Artificial Intelligence Writing

As you continue to hear about Artificial Intelligence (AI) writing tools such as ChatGPT, you may have questions about how students are using it, how to recognize it, and how to respond. The OTL has several blogs available to you to help answer these questions!

And join us for an upcoming webinar:

ChatGPT in the Classroom

Tuesday, April 11, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Online

Pronoun Changes in Canvas and Banner

Please note that the list of pronouns in the Banner user profile has been recently expanded to 15 unique choices. Visit MyDU to make edits to your Banner profile, and please encourage your students to do the same. At the start of the Spring Quarter, the pronoun choices in the Banner user profile will feed directly into the Canvas user profile. You will not be able to change your pronouns directly within Canvas after March 27 - any changes will have to be made in MyDU. If you would like to give feedback on the pronoun choices available in your Banner profile, please fill out this form.

Also make sure to visit the OTL's Sample Syllabus Statements for language you can put in your syllabus regarding name and pronoun etiquette.

Teaching Online - Advanced Practice Starts April 3

Are you interested in exploring Canvas integrations, active learning techniques, and High-Impact Practices? Then join us for the upcoming session of the Teaching Online - Advanced Practice Short Course!

Teaching Online - Advanced Practice starts on April 3 and will help you get a head start on your upcoming courses! You will investigate topics related to multimedia, measuring individual and group learning outcomes, technology that promotes social and cognitive engagement, and more. You can take your time and work on the course at your own pace throughout the month of April and faculty who complete the requirements will receive a stipend!

DU's Annual Internationalization Summit

The Internationalization Summit is a forum for scholars, students and members of the academic community to engage in meaningful conversation, connect, share practices and present emerging research relating to the internationalization of higher education.

This year’s Summit, “Global Challenges and (in)action: Examining the role of internationalization in higher education,” will take place on April 14, 2023, and will highlight DU, regional, national and international experts seeking solutions to global challenges as well as address the social responsibility that higher education has in engaging with the complex challenges in our world today. 

In addition to the numerous panels and sessions taking place on Friday, April 14, there are several related pre-summit workshops and events scheduled for Wednesday, April 12 and Thursday, April 13.

Learn more about the Internationalization Summit and register on the website!

Upcoming Events

The Office of Teaching and Learning and the Vice Provost of Faculty Affairs office are hosting several events throughout this term. Visit the OTL Events Calendar to discover other upcoming events!

Creating Amazing Instructional Videos

Wednesday, March 22, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Online

You Aren't Alone: Burnout Resilience in Challenging Times Part 2

Thursday, April 6, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.

Online

ChatGPT in the Classroom

Tuesday, April 11, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Online

R1 Our Way: Celebrating Workload Equity, the First Cohort of DEAP Teams, and the First Cohort of ATEP Recipients

Thursday, April 13, 12:30 - 2:00 p.m.

Community Commons 2600

Heart of Higher Education

Wednesday, April 19, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Hyflex - Join us online via Zoom or in the OTL Conference Room (AAC 345)