In the Martha Bradley Evans Center for Teaching Excellence, we get to see all of the amazing things that instructors across the U are doing. They’re learning and trying new things, engaging their students in innovative practices in their disciplines, and pushing each other toward excellence every day. We are so grateful for all that you do to support your students and each other (and us).
We will be taking a newsletter break next week, but you can always find us via our website or via email at cte@utah.edu .
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Open AI — Train the Trainer Opportunity |
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The University of Utah has been working diligently on a rollout plan for OpenAI. As part of this, we invite your participation and support in the university’s OpenAI | Train the Trainer Program, a four-session virtual series designed to build a network of campus leaders who can help others effectively use AI in their work, teaching, and research.
We are reaching out for your recommendations on who we should include in this series to ensure that we have expertise and representation of the Center for Teaching Excellence across campus. No explicit knowledge is needed prior to the start of the program. We hope that you can help us to identify trainers from your area who can participate and represent your team. While these sessions will be recorded, they are offered as interactive sessions and will be held from 12:00 to 1:00 PM on the following dates. Please make sure that those you recommend to attend are available for at least three live sessions, which will be held on Zoom.
Training Schedule:
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- Nov 24 | ChatGPT Essentials 101: Foundations
- Covers prompt engineering basics and key capabilities such as Search, Deep Research, Data Analysis, Canvas, and Connectors.
- Dec 1 | ChatGPT Essentials 102: Use Cases
- Explores how to identify, prioritize, and measure AI use cases; introduces Custom GPTs and Projects.
- Dec 3 | Use Case Showcase
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Participants share Custom GPT use cases, describe their purpose and impact, and receive support during open office hours.
- Dec 8 | Train the Trainer Plan and Resources
- Reviews training resources and best practices; develops plans to train others across campus.
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Equip internal trainers to understand the strategic value of ChatGPT Edu and confidently lead sessions
- Establish a plan to train faculty, researchers, staff, and students across campus
- Highlight early success stories and use cases to inspire broader adoption
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Accessibility Essentials — How can color be used accessibly? |
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Color is a great way to make your content look exciting, and can be helpful to organization tool. However, it has to be used intentionally and appropriately!
Colors don't look exactly the same to everyone– so while color coding content might work wonderfully for you, it might not always be the best method to communicate with your students.
That doesn't mean you can't use color, though! If you are hoping to add some color to your course, there are two rules to keep in mind:
1. Color cannot be used alone to convey information.
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it’s important that learners with vision impairments or differences (e.g., color blindness) can still see and understand everything and those using assistive technologies don't miss important details.
2. Colors need to have an appropriate contrast ratio.
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On average, it's best to aim for a 4.5:1 ratio between the text and background color. Color contrast ratio requirements apply to both text and essential graphics that are necessary for understanding.
A few tips for when you add color to your Canvas course:
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Use consistent formatting throughout your content so the information students need is always in the same place.
- Use alternative text formatting options to emphasize text, like bold or italic font styles.
- Ensure you add quality alt text to all graphics.
- Test your color palette for accessible combinations with:
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Test what it’s like to view your content through a .
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How to Complete Color Edits
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Student Support Resources |
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End of Term Information to Remember |
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Looking Ahead to Spring 2026 |
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In accordance with PPM 6-100 and UT HB261, faculty are required to post their core syllabi in advance of the beginning of the semester. This helps students get a sense of what courses will cover and require before classes begin. To streamline syllabus posting deadlines, all course syllabi (mandatory AND non-mandatory courses) should post their syllabi for Spring 2026 two weeks before classes begin — December 22, 2025.
All course syllabi must be posted to the class schedule via CIS
All syllabi for mandatory courses should also be posted to Simple Syllabus
For more information about syllabus requirements, mandatory institutional policies, and additional syllabus suggestions, please see CTE’s Syllabus Design page.
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Call for Applications: 2026-28 University Professorship |
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Appointment to the prestigious rank of University Professor recognizes extraordinary skill in or commitment to undergraduate teaching with an emphasis on crossing conventional boundaries, interdisciplinary relationships, and a strong commitment to liberal education. Individuals considered for the University Professorship will have demonstrated exceptional ability in challenging and stimulating the intellectual curiosity of undergraduate students. The University Professorship offers faculty the opportunity to launch a project that has the potential to improve and enhance the University's undergraduate curriculum within the changing landscape of higher education.
University Professors hold this special rank for two years. The funding associated with this award supports:
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- A one-time award of $5,000 to the University Professor
- $15,000 total to support the goals of the University Professor’s project
- $10,000 total to the University Professor’s home department in teaching replacement funds ($5,000 each year for 2 years)
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Graduate Certificate in
Teaching in Higher Education
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Graduate Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education
Key details:
Prepares students for academic higher education teaching positions
Open to graduate students at the U
Courses taken prior to Fall 2024 may count toward the certificate
Flexible online class format
Required courses:
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- CTLE 6000: Teaching in Higher Education (3 credits)
- CTLE 6200: Equitable Teaching in Higher Education (3 credits)
- CTLE 6510: Cyber Pedagogy (3 credits)
- CTLE 6800: Teaching Practicum in Higher Education (3 credits
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Special topic course: CTLE 6960 (3 credits) — fulfills required teaching-related elective
- Spring 2026: Teaching with AI — explores AI tools for instruction and ethical usage
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Upcoming Funding Deadlines |
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295 S 1500 E | Salt Lake City , UT 84112 US
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This email was sent to kara.l.moore@utah.edu.
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