We will update this page with new communications throughout the semester.
Table of Contents
Past Updates
APRIL 21, 2020
We hope this email finds you healthy and safe. As we near the end of the semester, please remember these positivity and well-being tips provided by the Office of Human Resources. In stressful times, making a conscious effort to stay positive makes a difference.
Please continue to visit the Academic Continuity Resources toolkit, which we will update as needed. In addition to our regular communications each Tuesday and Thursday, you also can refer to our archive of previous messages, check out the ITS podcast and follow ITS on Instagram and Twitter for updates and tips.
Today’s topics:
- Summer online course development
- Online test design
- ITS accessibility workshops
- Reminder: Course feedback window open
Summer Online Course Development
Faculty who are preparing to teach a summer course online are encouraged to utilize the Academic Continuity Resources toolkit. Instructional design support is available for faculty who feel they need or want to seek additional resources before converting their course for online instruction. To request instructional design support, submit an email to help@syr.edu. Include the title of the course you are developing and indicate whether it is a graduate or undergraduate course. An instructional designer will contact you within one business day to coordinate consultation and resource support.
Online Test Design
When designing online tests, it’s important to consider such issues as academic integrity, learning objectives and resource availability. Read these best practices for testing in an online environment.
ITS Accessibility Workshops
ITS accessibility workshops help you understand technology accessibility, put it into practice and support the University’s efforts to create a more accessible, inclusive campus. You can view recordings of past sessions on Answers.
Reminder: Course Feedback Window Open
Learning from our students about their course experiences is an important undertaking. The window for collecting student course feedback is open through April 29. During this time, please remind your students to complete the online course feedback form if one is distributed for your course(s). Be sure to thank those who have already submitted responses. If a feedback mechanism is not currently in place for your courses, consider asking your students to share their perceptions on what parts of the course were most and least helpful to their overall experience. For tips on improving response rates and the quality of course feedback from students, visit the Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment website.
As always, we invite your questions, suggestions and success stories. Thank you for all you do for your students and for Syracuse University.
APRIL 16, 2020
The end of the semester can be stressful even under normal circumstances. We have outlined some tips and resources below, but please remember to give yourself permission to be flexible and to ask for help. We will make it through this together.
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This is not the semester that anyone envisioned. We realize that everyone’s situation is slightly different in terms of family, resources and more. Even so, please remember that you are not alone—we are all in this together. We look forward to helping you make the best of a challenging situation.
March 12, 2020
To support the transition to online course delivery effective at the end of the academic day on Friday, March 13, we will continue to send regular communications to ensure you have the most up-to-date information related to online teaching and learning. If you haven’t already, please bookmark the Academic Continuity Resources toolkit available at at Syracuse.edu/coronavirus/academic-continuity.
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