CLAS Instructors,

We hope that you are as excited as we are to begin a new fall semester in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS). This week our campus has been notably more energized by the arrival of incoming students. We extend a special welcome to our new first-year and transfer undergraduate students as well as our new graduate students in CLAS.  

As you prepare for the opening of classes on Monday, we wanted to highlight a few instructional resources that will be helpful as you head into the new semester.

• CLAS syllabus template
  The CLAS syllabus template, revised for fall 2023, should be used for all courses offered in CLAS.
• Student absences
  Some of the guidance around absences has been revised. Please review the revised student absences webpage for more information to help you plan your course attendance and absence policies.
• Undergraduate grading
  Similarly, CLAS recently revised its guidance on grading for undergraduate courses, emphasizing grading schemes and strategies that support student success while also maintaining appropriate academic standards. Note that all instructors of undergraduate courses are required to use ICON for student grades.
• Mental health resources for students
  CLAS encourages instructors to draw students’ attention to the expanded language on mental health resources in the CLAS syllabus at the beginning of the course and frequently throughout the semester.
• Working with students in distress
  To better support instructors when students share concerning information about their mental health, we have created a CLAS instructor guide for supporting students in distress.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Teaching
  We know that many of you have questions about how best to respond in teaching to the recent developments in AI technology. We strongly recommend that instructors provide clear guidance for students in their syllabus about the use and/or misuse of AI Tools in their particular courses. The Office of Teaching and Learning Technology (OTLT) has excellent resources for instructors and opportunities to learn more about this rapidly changing technology.
• New ICON Tool for SDS Letters of Accommodations (LOA)
  Instructors now are able to view student accommodation requests on their ICON course site. Students registered with Student Disability Services (SDS) with active Letters of Accommodation will appear in the new SDS summary tab within the MAUI in ICON application (part of the navigation menu on your ICON course site). However, students are still responsible for sharing their LOA and communicating with their instructors, and instructors are still responsible for responding to and engaging with students about their accommodation requests. For more information, see visit SDS’s webpage on information for instructors.

Thank you for all the work that you do to support excellent instructional experiences in your courses and academic programs. Please do not hesitate to reach out within your departments and programs to discuss matters related to students and teaching.

In addition, the CLAS undergraduate and graduate education leadership is here as a resource for you.

Best wishes and good luck to you all next week!

Cornelia C. Lang (she/her/hers)
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education, CLAS
Professor of Physics and Astronomy

Christine Getz (she/her/hers)
Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Outreach and Engagement, CLAS
Professor of Music