August 8, 2024
Dear Colleagues,
As we begin the fall 2024 semester, I want to call your attention to the four topics below: Course Syllabi, AccessAbility Resource Center, Instructional Resources and Instruction During Campus Closures.
Course Syllabi
Students appreciate timely posting of syllabi. Updated syllabi templates and information on state law requirements are on the Provost Office’s Syllabus Templates webpage. Syllabi review should not delay posting, so please email wat@utdallas.edu if your syllabus is not posted within one business day after you upload it to CourseBook or if you need other technical assistance for uploading.
State law requires that syllabi for undergraduate courses be made publicly available within seven days of the first day of classes, so please post your syllabi to CourseBook even if you also post them in eLearning. UT Dallas also requires that syllabi be posted for organized graduate courses in accordance with the University’s Syllabus Policy – UTDPP1111. Compliance with these requirements is important to ensure students make fully informed decisions about their courses.
AccessAbility Resource Center
UT Dallas is strongly committed to ensuring and maintaining an environment that guarantees students with disabilities full access to educational programs, activities, communication systems and facilities. The AccessAbility Resource Center (ARC) has been delegated the authority to prescribe types of reasonable accommodations each student is eligible to receive with the support and understanding of our committed faculty. Students who have registered and are eligible to receive accommodations will provide an accommodation letter on official letterhead to their course instructor. Only students who provide such a letter should be accommodated. Please remember that a student’s disability and accommodations are considered confidential information and should not be disclosed except in the case of imminent harm to the student or others.
ARC is located in the Administration Building (AD 2.224), and the personnel can be reached at 972-883-2098 or studentaccess@utdallas.edu. For additional information, please visit the ARC website or read more about Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 on the U.S. Department of Education’s Disability Discrimination: Overview of the Laws website.
Instructional Resources
The eLearning webpage lists resources to support faculty. Training and open labs are also available from the eLearning Team, and individual consultations can be scheduled by emailing elearning@utdallas.edu.
The UT Dallas eLearning Helpdesk is available 24/7.
For additional information including how-to guides, visit the Office of Information Technology’s Atlas Knowledge Base.
Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) faculty are available to share resources and guidance regarding eLearning and pedagogical best practices. Information is available on the CTL website and in the CTL Teaching Resources course in eLearning. CTL is in the McDermott Library (MC 2.402) and can be reached at 972-883-2247.
Instruction During Campus Closures
UT Dallas is open for normal business operations and instructional activities unless indicated otherwise on the UTD homepage. Employees and students are expected to exercise judgment regarding their ability to travel safely to campus when inclement weather is in the area. They are not expected to place travel for work or class attendance above considerations for individual health and safety.
In most cases, classes will not be canceled for inclement weather. Students and faculty of in-person classes are expected to make use of eLearning and other means to continue academic progress during a weather event, including, but not limited to, synchronous online instruction via Microsoft Teams, recorded lectures to be viewed asynchronously via eLearning, or an additional assignment in eLearning. Please establish a plan for your course(s). The eLearning team is available for consultation and training on synchronous and asynchronous tools for teaching in the remote modality (see Instructional Resources above).
Please let me know if you have questions or if I can be of assistance.
Sincerely,
Dr. Inga H. Musselman
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
