We will update this page with new communications throughout the semester.

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We will update this page with new communications throughout the semester.

Past Updates

NOVEMBER 17, 2020

End-of-Semester Assessments and Final Grades

We hope your transition to online instruction is going smoothly. Comprising experts from the Center for Online and Digital Learning, the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence, and Information Technology Services, the faculty support team (help@syr.edu) is here to help you finish the semester strong. In particular, consider these tips for end-of-semester assessments and submitting final grades:

Alternatives to Traditional Finals—As we approach finals week, keep in mind that you do not necessarily need to have a final exam if your students can demonstrate they have met your course outcomes in other ways. Consider these possible ideas for assessments to replace a final exam.

Testing in Blackboard—Instructors considering Blackboard tests for end-of-semester evaluations can find overview information, tutorial videos and links to in-depth documentation on Answers. Online Learning Services has created a video for creating and deploying tests in Blackboard at Syracuse University. You also can share these tips for completing a Blackboard test with your students.

Implementing Accommodations to Ensure Accessibility—The Center for Disability Resources (CDR) has shared somebrief user guides and general resources about implementing accommodations. Topics include extending times for exams in Blackboard, creating accessible PDFs and more. CDR also has answered some frequently asked questions to help you support students with accommodations.

Submitting Final Grades—Final grades are due Dec. 21. You can access online grade rosters via MySlice 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Learn more about submitting grades online.

Reminder: Spring Course Transition Services

All instructors teaching this spring are highly encouraged to use the University’s suite of Spring Course Transition Services. Regardless of the modality in which you will teach, we can help you plan for a successful spring semester. Complete the briefCourse Transition Assistance Form to get started.

For more information on how to make the best use of technology, be sure to visit the Online Success Toolkit, which features remote teaching and working resources, helpful links and login locations. If you have tech-related questions, you can contact the ITS Help Desk at 315.443.2677 or help@syr.edu.You also can follow ITS on Instagram and listen to “ITS Behind the Monitor” on Apple Podcasts.

Thank you for all you do for your students and for Syracuse University.

NOVEMBER 12, 2020

Tips for Pivoting to Online Instructions

As announced yesterday, Syracuse University will shift to online instruction for the remainder of the semester effective today. Although we’re transitioning to remote teaching and learning sooner than we planned, we can still finish the semester well. We’ve provided some tips to help you think, plan and pivot. Some ideas:

• Remind learners to start their semester-end projects if they haven’t already.
• Review your course outcomes. Have students produced work that demonstrates meeting those outcomes? If so, do you require a final exam? Could learners work on a small project to help them cement their learning in your course? Could you ask learners to apply course concepts to a real-life challenge?
• Remind learners to remain in contact with you as they transition to remote learning. Establish a single method of communication. (A Blackboard announcement is a great choice.) Set some expectations. For example, “I’ll answer emails regularly, but not after 5 p.m. on weekdays and rarely on weekends.”
• Think about your class time as a way for learners to connect with you and with each other. As everyone transitions to remote teaching and learning, build some time for connection into your plans if possible.
• If you haven’t yet, consider suggesting that students form study pairs or groups to confirm deadlines, compare notes and share course navigation tips and tricks.

We will continue to provide tips and reminders to ensure you have the most up-to-date information related to online teaching and learning. If you haven’t already, please bookmark the Online Success Toolkit on Answers (and suggest that your students do the same). The “Working, Teaching and Learning Remotely” page includes tips to help you get your technology ready, as well as information about web conferencing tools, remote access options, file sharing solutions and more. You can discuss any hardware or software needs with your school or college IT support personnel. Please also remember that the ITS Service Center is available by email (help@syr.edu) or phone (315.443.2677) to address any tech-related challenges you or your students might experience.

Reminder: Spring Course Transition Services

All instructors teaching this spring are highly encouraged to use the University’s suite of Spring Course Transition Services offered by the Center for Online and Digital Learning, Information Technology Services, and the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence. Regardless of the modality in which you will teach, we can help you plan for a successful spring semester. Complete the brief Course Transition Assistance Form to get started.

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

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We all have questions when it comes to technology. Luckily, we also have answers—Answers.syr.edu, that is.

Available to all Syracuse University faculty, students and staff, Answers features technical information focused on University systems and services, including solutions to common problems, how-to instructions, FAQ and more. To start exploring, you can visit the ITS Support home page. The Online Success Toolkit is a helpful resource designed to support online teaching, learning and working. Other popular pages include Accounts and NetIDs, MySlice and Blackboard.

Many schools and colleges, as well as individual departments, maintain information related to resources and support provided specifically for their faculty, staff and students. You can find contact information and operating hours for IT personnel in each school and college on the academic IT department contact page.

Answers also includes information beyond technical know-how. For example, faculty and staff can use the Caregiving Exchange Board to share caregiving resources and connect with colleagues who have similar needs and might be willing to share collaborative arrangements.

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While Answers is a great self-service option, the faculty support team also is here to help. Whether you have questions about teaching, technology or other related topics, you can send them to help@syr.edu.

Reminder: Spring Course Transition Services

All instructors teaching this spring are highly encouraged to use the University’s suite of Spring Course Transition Services offered by the Center for Online and Digital Learning, Information Technology Services, and the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence. Regardless of the modality in which you will teach, we can help you plan for a successful spring semester. Complete the brief Course Transition Assistance Form to get started.

NOVEMBER 3, 2020

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Election Day is upon us, bringing additional stress and uncertainty to an already challenging semester. To help you help your students, Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence Director Martha Diede has provided some helpful information about trauma-informed teaching practices.

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• Safety
• Choice
• Collaboration
• Trustworthiness
• Empowerment

Read Diede’s post about trauma-informed teaching practices on the Online Success Toolkit for more information.

Whether you have questions about teaching, technology or other related topics, the faculty support team is here for you. You can send your questions to help@syr.edu.

Reminder: Spring Course Transition Services

All instructors teaching this spring are highly encouraged to use the University’s suite of Spring Course Transition Services offered by the Center for Online and Digital Learning, Information Technology Services, and the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence. Regardless of the modality in which you will teach, we can help you plan for a successful spring semester. Complete the brief Course Transition Assistance Form to get started.

OCTOBER 29, 2020

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To support the transition to online instruction effective at the end of the academic day on Tuesday, Nov. 24, we will continue to provide helpful tips and reminders to ensure you have the most up-to-date information related to online teaching and learning. If you haven’t already, please bookmark the Online Success Toolkit on Answers.

As you might remember, the Online Success Toolkit includes a guide to working, teaching and learning remotely. This resource provides a checklist of items necessary to teach or work remotely, as well as an overview of remote access solutions, web conferencing tools, file sharing options and more. Please review the checklist as soon as possible and discuss any hardware or software needs with your school or college IT support personnel.

Some other tips:

• Communicating with your students—If you haven’t done so already, please let your students know what they can expect in terms of coursework, web conferencing and online office hours after Thanksgiving break. Communication is essential to student success.
• Web workarounds—Depending on your students’ circumstances or location, they might encounter issues accessing certain online resources. In these situations, the ITS Service Center might be able to suggest an alternative. For example, if a student cannot access YouTube, the student likely could access video content on Kaltura. Please contact the ITS Service Center at help@syr.edu or 315.443.2677 if you need to find a technological workaround to support your students.
• Answers: Syracuse University’s knowledge hub—Available to all faculty, students and staff, Answers is a knowledge base of teaching and technical information. The website’s content focuses on Syracuse University systems and technical services, including solutions to common problems, how-to instructions, FAQ and more. A first step is to search for “Online Success Toolkit.” As mentioned above, links on the toolkit will connect you with many resources for you and your students.
• Academic integrity—Transitioning a face-to-face course to an online environment is challenging, especially when exams and quizzes are involved. Tests designed for traditional classrooms might not work well online, particularly when it comes to academic integrity. Given these differences, you might consider changing your course assessment instruments.

Whether you have questions about technology, assessments or any other teaching-related topics, the faculty support team is here for you. You can send your questions to help@syr.edu.

Reminder: Spring Course Transition Services

All instructors teaching this spring are highly encouraged to use the University’s suite of Spring Course Transition Services offered by the Center for Online and Digital Learning, Information Technology Services, and the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence. Regardless of the modality in which you will teach, we can help you plan for a successful spring semester. Complete the brief Course Transition Assistance Form to get started.

OCTOBER 27, 2020

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Once you know what you’re teaching and the mode you’ll use, it’s important to keep in mind that you’ll need to be able to accommodate any students who are quarantined. Even in-person classes will need to be able to operate in a mixed modality some of the time. Accordingly, all instructors are highly encouraged to use the University’s suite of Spring Course Transition Services. Complete the brief Course Transition Assistance Form to get started.

Another proactive step you can take is to request a “sandbox” course from help@syr.edu (be sure to indicate whether you want to use the spring template). When designing your course, remember that a consistent structure supports student success. Following a course template with full alignment of assignments, assessments and objectives will strengthen student learning and reduce the volume of email you receive. Once spring courses have been populated in Blackboard on Dec. 7, you can request to have your sandbox content moved to your regular Blackboard course—and you’ll already have done much of the heavy lifting.

If you’re teaching courses to international students, keep in mind those courses typically are offered either early in the morning or later in the evening in the Eastern Time Zone to accommodate a 12-hour time difference for synchronous sessions. We have heard about possible limitations of using Zoom for some international students. Blackboard Collaborate is a good option in that situation. Instructors teaching a course with a significant number of international students are strongly encouraged to contact the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence for course design guidance.

Whether you have questions about this semester or next semester, the faculty support team is here for you. You can send your questions to help@syr.edu.

OCTOBER 22, 2020

Receiving and Responding to Mid-Course Feedback

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Faculty can access the feedback through MySlice under “Faculty Services.” The feedback is visible only to the course instructor. 

In a new post on the Online Success Toolkit, Laurel Willingham-McLain from the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE) shares some ideas for instructors receiving mid-course feedback, including:

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Although only you can see your mid-course feedback, you don’t have to be isolated. You are welcome to consult with CTLE staff on how to interpret and respond to the feedback you receive in a private, one-on-one Zoom session.

Whether you have questions about technology, assessments or any other teaching-related topics, the faculty support team is here for you. You can send your questions to help@syr.edu.

Reminder: Spring Course Transition Services

All instructors teaching this spring are highly encouraged to use the University’s suite of Spring Course Transition Services offered by the Center for Online and Digital Learning, Information Technology Services, and the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence. Regardless of the modality in which you will teach, we can help you plan for a successful spring semester now. Complete the brief Spring Course Development Form to get started.

OCTOBER 20, 2020

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It’s a good time to start game-planning for the end of your courses if you haven’t already, including where you will teach and what technology you will have available. The “Working, Teaching and Learning Remotely” page on Answers includes a “Before You Go Remote” section with tips to help you get your technology ready. Some things to consider:

• Laptop or desktop computer—A working laptop or desktop computer will be required for most routine work or academic functions. Users are highly encouraged to follow safe computing principles available in detail on the “Safe Computing” home page.
• Microphone and webcam—Many collaboration and remote meeting tools require the use of a microphone and have the option of using a webcam. Many, but not all, personal computers have a built-in microphone and webcam. Users with computers that do not have them, or who are simply looking for an improved experience, might consider external solutions such as USB microphones and webcams. 
• Internet access—Whether you are on or off campus, an internet connection is required to access web-based applications and resources, as well as for remote access through a virtual private network or a remote desktop solution.

In order to be as prepared as possible, please test your resources before they are needed. If you need help, you can contact the ITS Help Desk at 315.443.2677 or at help@syr.edu.

As you plan your finals, please also keep in mind that you do not necessarily need to have a traditional final exam if your students can demonstrate they have met your course outcomes in other ways. Consider these ideas for assessments to replace a final exam from Martha Diede of the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence.

Whether you have questions about technology, assessments or any other teaching-related topics, the faculty support team is here for you. You can send your questions to help@syr.edu.

Reminder: Spring Course Transition Services

All instructors teaching this spring are highly encouraged to use the University’s suite of Spring Course Transition Services offered by the Center for Online and Digital Learning, Information Technology Services, and the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence. Regardless of the modality in which you will teach, we can help you plan for a successful spring semester now. Complete the brief Spring Course Development Form to get started.

OCTOBER 15, 2020

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All instructors teaching this spring are highly encouraged to use the University’s suite of Spring Course Transition Services offered by the Center for Online and Digital Learning, Information Technology Services and the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence. Regardless of the modality in which you will teach, we can help you plan for a successful spring semester now. Complete the brief Spring Course Development Form to get started.

Online Success Toolkit

The Online Success Toolkit is a one-stop shop to support online teaching and learning. Available materials for faculty include course preparation guides, resources for supporting students and information regarding upcoming training and consultation opportunities. We continue to update the toolkit with new resources and information, including tips for a mid-semester refresh.

Research Computing Support

Do you need more computing power to move your academic work forward? Attend the Research Computing Series to learn how you can leverage Syracuse University’s advanced computing resources. This semester’s sessions include presentations from Britton Plourde, professor of physics, and the Research Computing team. Learn more. 

Contact Us

If you have questions about technology, testing or any other teaching-related topics, you can send them to help@syr.edu. 

We look forward to hearing from you.

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You can learn more about these and other recommendations on the Securing Zoom Meetings page on Answers.

Please also remember that Zoom meetings are only as secure as the email used to send the invitation. Remind students not to forward links to your meetings. Organizers of highly sensitive meetings also might choose to verify (by voice or video) that attendees are who they expect them to be before allowing them to join.

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Transitioning to mixed-delivery instruction is a challenge, and designing assessments for student work can be even more challenging for mixed-delivery and online formats than for face-to-face instruction. For the next Focus on Teaching and Learning Workshop (Oct. 16 from noon to 1 p.m. on Zoom), Assistant Professor of Chemistry Jonathon French and Associate Professor of Biology Jason Wiles will discuss how they have developed and deployed authentic assessments for students and have found ways to encourage strong performances and academic honesty. You can register online.

Spring Course Transition Services

All instructors teaching this spring are highly encouraged to use the University’s suite of Spring Course Transition Services offered by the Center for Online and Digital Learning, Information Technology Services and the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence. Regardless of the modality in which you will teach, we can help you plan for a successful spring semester now. Complete the brief Spring Course Development Form to get started.

We’re Here to Help

Whether you have questions about technology, testing or any other teaching-related topics, the faculty support team is here for you. You can send your questions to help@syr.edu.

We look forward to hearing from you!

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Beginning Oct. 21, 2020, Zoom at Syracuse University cloud recordings that are more than 120 days old will move to the Zoom “Trash” for 30 days before being permanently deleted. For longer-term storage, you can upload recordings to Kaltura MediaSpace. Please note that all Zoom meetings recorded to the cloud after Aug. 10, 2020, have been and will continue to be copied to Kaltura automatically.

You can view and manage your Zoom cloud recording(s), including the option to download them, recover them or delete them, by visiting our Managing Zoom Cloud Recordings page. To ensure you retain cloud recordings you want to keep, please read this quick blog post, which provides instructions based on the age of your recordings.

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All instructors teaching this spring are highly encouraged to use the University’s suite of Spring Course Transition Services offered by the Center for Online and Digital Learning, Information Technology Services and the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence. Regardless of the modality in which you will teach, we can help you plan for a successful spring semester now. Complete the brief Spring Course Development Form to get started.

We’re Here to Help

Whether you have questions about technology, testing or any other teaching-related topics, the faculty support team is here for you. You can send your questions to help@syr.edu.

We look forward to hearing from you!

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CLASS and Academic Integrity

Launched in 2017, the Center for Learning and Student Success (CLASS) works with instructors to promote understanding of Syracuse University’s academic integrity policy. CLASS staff create online resources for classroom use, join faculty in making academic integrity presentations in schools and colleges, and are available for consultation about academic integrity cases and questions.

Available online resources include:

• Promoting Academic Integrity at an Uncertain Time—Advice for Instructors
• Ideas for Engaging Students in Discussion
• Academic Integrity Case Studies
• Exercises for Teaching Use of Sources
• Academic Success and Integrity PowerPoint Materials for Faculty Use in Their Courses

If you have questions about academic integrity, you can email AIO@syr.edu or call 315.443.5412.

Spring Course Transition Services

All instructors teaching this spring are highly encouraged to use the University’s suite of Spring Course Transition Services offered by the Center for Online and Digital Learning, Information Technology Services and the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence. Regardless of the modality in which you will teach, we can help you plan for a successful spring semester now. Complete the brief Spring Course Development Form to get started.

We’re Here to Help

Whether you have questions about technology, testing or any other teaching-related topics, the faculty support team is here for you. You can send your questions to help@syr.edu.

We look forward to hearing from you!

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We look forward to hearing from you!

SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

Assessing Student Learning in Hybrid or Online Classes

As the fourth week of the semester unfolds, we recognize and appreciate the time, energy and care you have invested in your students. This semester has stretched all of us beyond our comfort zones. Whether your experience has been smooth or bumpy, you have made a difference for your students and for Syracuse University. Thank you.

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We look forward to working with you.

JULY 21, 2020

There Is Still Time to Sign Up for Fall Course Transition Services

With the semester a month away, we encourage you to take advantage of the Fall Course Transition Services available until Aug. 3 through Syracuse University’s partnership with Blackboard. As a refresher:

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We look forward to working with you.

JULY 9, 2020

Four Steps to Jump-Starting Your Fall Course Transition

With the start of the fall semester less than seven weeks away, we wanted to share four steps to getting started with the Fall Course Transition Services available through Syracuse University’s partnership with Blackboard:

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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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