Good morning and happy almost-April from the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE)! In this month’s newsletter, you’ll find tips on planning for how to finish the semester strong and information about the Fall 2026 Students Consulting on Teaching (SCOT) program. We’ve also got an important reminder about academic integrity and grades, and info about how to apply for the May 26 and 27 Institutional Effectiveness Assignment Design Days.
Ideas for Your Last Day of Class
Looking for ways to make your last class meeting memorable and engaging? Here are some ideas for inspiration:
- 7 Ideas to Perk Up Your Last Day of Class | Chronicle of Higher Education
- How Do I End a Course Successfully? | UMass Amherst Center for Teaching & Learning
- Looking Back, Moving Forward, and Saying Good-Bye: Strategies for Ending the Semester | Northern Illinois University Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning
New CTLE Resource Page! Student Reading Skills
We are very pleased to offer a new teaching resource page focused on student reading. Check it out! Resources: Student Reading Skills. And keep your eye out in future newsletters for more information about a brand new 2026-2027 CTLE Community of Practice (CoP) focused on effective teaching strategies for helping students build reading skills.
CTLE’s Students Consulting on Teaching (SCOT) Program Seeks Faculty Partners
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!
Grade Sanctions for Academic Integrity Violations
We here at the CTLE and the Academic Integrity Office (AIO) know how frustrating it can be for faculty when they discover a student’s potential academic integrity violation. We are here to support you, and as part of that process, it’s important to remember that as per our university policy, before an instructor levies any type of grade-related sanction for academic dishonesty, they must first report the suspected violation to the AIO and the student must be found responsible. To report a new violation, log into MySlice and find the “Faculty and Advisors” tile. After clicking the tile, locate the “Academic Integrity – New Case” link at the top left of your screen. Click that link to open the incident report page. The Faculty Submission Guide, provides a step-by-step guide for submitting potential cases. If you have any questions or concerns at any step of the process, please reach out to the AIO at aio@syr.edu or 315-443-5412. AIO is here to help!
Applications Open for Institutional Effectiveness Design Days
Is your course tagged with one or more of the Shared Competencies? Need time to (re)design an assignment that aligns with the Shared Competencies rubrics? Apply for a spot in the 2026 Design Days program facilitated by the Institutional Effectiveness Office. These working sessions are designed to help you turn a current assignment into a transparent assignment that helps students develop knowledge and skills related to Syracuse University’s university-wide learning goals. Any Syracuse University faculty member teaching a course tagged with one or more Shared Competencies or any Syracuse University faculty member who wishes to tag their course with one or more Shared Competencies is eligible to apply, and participants will receive a $500 stipend.
- May 26, 2026: 9:00am-noon – 400 Ostrom Ave Executive Conference Room
- May 27, 2026: 9:00am-noon – Virtual Session
Learn more and apply: Institutional Effectiveness Assignment Design Days. Applications due May 12.
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. Zoom in (https://syracuseuniversity.zoom.us/j/9625020800) between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on April 1, April 15, or April 29. No registration or appointment necessary! Professor Huitink is also available by appointment (zshuitin@syr.edu).
ICYMI: April 10 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.