Start of the Semester

1. Mark Your Calendars: Key Dates for Spring 2026 

• First day of classes: January 20, 2026, Tuesday

• Last day for students to add classes: January 27, 2026, Tuesday

• Last day for students to drop classes without a grade (ORD): February 4, 2026, Wednesday 

• Deadline for Faculty to post Final Grades in my UH: May 15, 2026, Friday
   

2. Updates and Opportunities for Faculty: 

Accessibility Matters: When creating new course content, we encourage faculty to prioritize accessibility from the start—this eliminates the need for later adjustments and ensures your work effectively reaches all audiences. 

• Due to the DOJ Title II accessibility rule, some faculty members have received emails requesting improvements to the accessibility scores of their courses. 

• If you received such an email, we're here to help! You can either reach out to us directly for assistance or schedule a spot on the Accessibility Office Hours calendar for dedicated support. 

• Additionally, we encourage you to attend the Canvas Accessibility Session on Thursday, January 15, 2026, from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm CST. Register now. If you are unable to participate in this online session, you can watch a recording of a previous Ally Accessibility Checker in Canvas Session to learn more about making your courses more accessible. 

• The past WCET webinar on Navigating DOJ Accessibility Rules on January 30, 2025, provided a helpful overview of the DOJ rules.  Watch the recording.

• One-on-One Assistance: UH EIR Accessibility Coordinators are also available to meet with faculty to discuss accessibility-related questions and provide one-on-one training upon request.  Visit the UH Digital Accessibility site for more information.
  
  

3. Instructional Development Opportunities:  

• The Faculty and Departmental Instructional Support (FDIS) office has added the following professional development courses to Canvas for you:  

• AI Basics for Instructors 

• Canvas Accessibility for Content Creators  

• Growing With Canvas  

• Instruction@UH Tutorials (new) | | Instruction@UH (former) | Knowledgebase. 

• AI Conference: The UH Office of Educational Innovation and Technology’s free conference on Teaching and Learning with AI will be held on Friday, February 28, 2025. All faculty and staff are encouraged to register to attend. 

4. Go-To Faculty Resources:  

1. Canvas Course Readiness Infographic: Comprehensive guide for preparing your Canvas course. 

• AY25 Required Syllabus Language. 

• Guide to Best Practices for HyFlex and Online Teaching at UH. 

• Request General Purpose Classrooms Multimedia Equipment. 

• UH DART center IP address for Canvas Exams: 129.7.99.13 

• CASA Campus Services (CCS) | CASA testing Center – Instructions for proctoring| External Proctoring Services. 

• NSM Instructional Technologies and Design website. 

• NSM-IT and Departmental IT Staff Contact Information.
   

5. Faculty Development Microsoft Teams Groups: 

• Canvas Info Team. 

• UHFED Virtual Faculty Café Team. 

• AI and ChatGPT User Group Team. 

6. Office Hours: 

• UIT Office Hours: Fridays 2 pm - 3 pm 

• NSM-IT Educational Technology and Multimedia Team Contact Info: 
  Andrea Arias–Rodríguez, M.Ed.
  Phone: (713) 743-6175
  Email: aariasr2@central.uh.edu
  Chat with me on Teams 

We're here to support you. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns. Wishing you a successful and rewarding semester!