March 2026
Good morning from the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE)! In this month’s newsletter, you’ll find a couple of recommended resources for integrating generative AI usage into class assignments and, for a different view, a blog post about how to have productive conversations with students about not using AI, There’s also information about two upcoming March programs at the CTLE and our Fall 2026 Students Consulting on Teaching (SCOT) program, and details about how to apply for the CTLE’s May 2026 Course Redesign Institute. Reminder: The deadline for CRI applications is Sunday, March 1!
Assignments That Incorporate Generative AI
Generative and agentic AI is evolving so quickly, it’s hard to keep up! If you are interested in facilitating students’ AI skills and are looking for examples in a range of disciplines, the CTLE recommends checking out these online open-access collections:
- AI Assignment Library | University of North Dakota
- Assignments| AI Pedagogy Project
- Suggestions for AI-Based Assignments and Activities | Carleton College
Talking With Students About Not Using AI
Cate Denial, author of A Pedagogy of Kindness and Bright Distinguished Professor of History at Knox College, recently published this thoughtful blog post about classroom conversations regarding her no-AI-usage assignment policies: “How I’m Teaching about GenAI.”
March Programs
Workshop: Clear Communication in Assignment Design
What do we value in student writing? How do we make this explicit to our students, who are navigating different expectations in different courses? And how can we help students break down complex writing assignments into a manageable process that they feel confident completing? Faculty from across the disciplines are invited to explore these questions and more in this in-person workshop with leaders from SU’s Writing Center and Writing Across the Curriculum program. No matter which AI policy faculty have chosen for student writing in their courses, the emphasis on process, not “perfect” product, can help to increase clarity and transparency while reducing confusion and fear. Time will be devoted to one-on-one consultations between facilitators and attendees, if desired. Participants are encouraged to bring an assignment that they would like to revise to the session.
- March 4, 1:00-2:30 p.m., 550 Bird Library (CTLE)
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Panel Discussion with Lunch: Professionaland Personal Rewards of Teaching First Year Seminar
Faculty members from any department and any rank are invited to come learn more about leading a section of the First Year Seminar (FYS 101). Join Shannon Schantz, Director of Academic Programs & Strategic Initiatives, Center for Student Excellence; Jessamyn Neuhaus, Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE); and several esteemed faculty members to reflect on the personal and professional rewards of teaching FYS 101. Bring your questions and your appetite – lunch will be provided! This session is limited to 15 participants. Registration closes March 18.
- March 23, 12:00-1:00 p.m., 550 Bird Library (CTLE)
CTLE’s SCOT Program Seeking Faculty Partners for Fall 2026
It’s that time of year again… The SCOT Program is looking for Faculty participants for Fall 2026!
If you’re unfamiliar with the SCOT (Students Consulting on Teaching) program, it is a short-term partnership between a faculty member and a student consultant who is trained to help faculty gather learner feedback. In addition to gathering learner feedback, student consultants analyze the feedback and provide faculty with a final report, detailing the trends that they found and providing resources to address areas of growth.
The purpose of SCOT is to support faculty in making small, meaningful teaching changes that are informed by both broad research on learning and student feedback in a specific course. This is great if you’ve recently introduced a new element into your course, are hoping to get feedback on students’ experience in your course, or you’d like a pedagogical sounding board as you try new approaches.
Our SCOT Student Consultants are trained students with at least sophomore standing from any school or college at SU. This opportunity is open to faculty, teaching staff, and instructors of record at any phase of their career and we’ve had many instructors participate in the program multiple times.
For more information on the program, please visit the CTLE site. If you’re interested and ready to apply, you can apply here! The faculty application will close on April 20th, and spots will be filled on a rolling basis. If you have any questions about the SCOT program, please contact the SCOT Coordinator, Ebony E. Graham. Thank you!
Apply For The 2026 Course Redesign Institute (CRI)
We are now accepting applications for our 2026 Course Redesign Institute (CRI)! The CRI is an annual three-day series of discussions, workshops, and hands-on syllabus and course design sessions, providing faculty members with the opportunity to reflect, realign, revise, and redesign a specific course. It will take place in person at 550 Bird Library (CTLE), May 12, 13, and 14, 8:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Space is limited to 15 participants. Full-time instructors of record and faculty members of any department and at any rank are welcome to apply. Applicants must have taught the course they’re planning to redesign at least once before applying to the CRI. Participants will receive a stipend of $1,500 after completion of all required sessions (barring medical or family emergencies) and submission of their final annotated revised syllabus within 30 days of completing the CRI. For further information, including the assessment criteria we use to select participants for this competitive program, please visit the CRI page on the CTLE website. The deadline for applying is March 1.
MP Faculty Fellow Virtual Office Hours
Zach Huitink, Associate Teaching Professor in Public Administration and International Affairs and a 2025-2026 Meredith Professorship Faculty Fellow will be holding virtual office hours this semester for consultations on topics such as strategies and approaches to developing engaging asynchronous content; live session lesson planning and activity development; assessment in online formats; and community building when working with classes in distance learning formats. No registration or appointment necessary! Zoom in (https://syracuseuniversity.zoom.us/j/9625020800) between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on the following days:
- March 4
- March 18
- April 1
- April 15
- April 29
Professor Huitink is also available by appointment (zshuitin@syr.edu).
Academic Integrity Office: New Blog Post
Check out the new blog post by Kate Marzen, Director of the Academic Integrity Office (AIO), “The Importance of Documentation.” It clearly and succinctly summarizes what types of documentation and evidence is needed by AIO when a faculty member wishes to report a suspected academic integrity violation.
ICYMI: Registration Open For UDL Symposium
The College of Law is hosting “The Americans with Disabilities Act and Universal Design: Global Legacy and Potential in Higher Ed,” a symposium to discuss the promise and limits of Universal Design for Learning. Friday, April 10, 2026, starting at 9:00 a.m. EST in Dineen Hall, Gray Courtroom.