Newsletter March 19, 2026
cte.utah.edu

As you read in @theU, and the memo from University Leadership, (and hopefully previous versions of our newsletter), the US Department of Justice Title II regulations for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires educational content that is actively used and made available to students digitally at the University of Utah to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards by April 24th, 2026. This means that going forward, all digital content provided to students (e.g., Canvas) needs to meet WCAG standards — Summer and Fall 2026 course content and onward. 

Improving digital content accessibility benefits ALL students — not just those with documented disabilities. It provides accessible design, clear navigation, and multiple ways for learners to interact with materials (e.g., transcripts and closed-captioning for videos, screen-reader friendly documents). 

In partnership with Digital Learning Technologies, the Martha Bradley Evans Center for Teaching Excellence has compiled an Accessibility Essentials website that contains information about the requirements, video tutorials and campus resources, as well as frequently asked questions. In addition, we have held several training events across campus and will continue to offer consultation opportunities through weekly Zoom office hours and a Drop-In Day on April 17. If you have questions about the CidiLabs Accessibility tools in Canvas, you can email classhelp@utah.edu for support, and if you have more pedagogy-related questions, you can set up a meeting with a CTE consultant. 

Graduate student instructors and TAs play an important role in the educational community at the U. In CTE, we prepare graduate students for success in the classroom as well as for potential academic careers after they finish their degree. Opportunities include our regular workshop series, our 15-credit graduate certificate in Teaching in Higher Education, and our annual Graduate Teaching Institute. 

This year, the Graduate Teaching Institute will run in-person only for 4 days from 10am - 3pm each day, May 4-7. Registration is free for all graduate students and postdocs on campus, but capacity is limited so we recommend registering soon. Lunch is provided each day for attendees. Participants who attend all 4 days will receive a certificate of attendance. 

The Center for Teaching Excellence is proud to announce that Professor Gage Williams from the Department of Theatre has been selected as the 2026-2028 University Professor. Professor Gage Williams has a long-standing record of excellence and innovative pedagogy during his 30-year career at the University of Utah. For the University Professorship, Dr. Williams has proposed to redesign the course THEA1050 Intro to the Visual Arts of Theater, with a new title and approach: “AI World Building for Visual Storytelling.” He has carefully thought through the sustainability and feasibility aspects of delivering this proposed course, and he is excited to infuse AI into the arts curriculum in an ethical and meaningful way, preparing UU students for innovation in the discipline. 

Action Required by April 6 for Fall 2026 to have textbook info ready for students and Day-1 Access. Get Course Materials Ready for Students in 2 Easy Steps:

If you work with a department coordinator, please continue to do so. Otherwise, please watch for a personalized link to come from our textbook adoption collection software Verba Collect. If you have not received a personalized link you may request one. The process is designed to be intuitive, but for more in depth help, please reach out to Kim Kilpatrick at kkilpatrick@campusstore.utah.edu or 1-3158. For a cost estimate on custom digital course-packs, contact Kim Kilpatrick at the Campus Store. Email: coursematerials@utah.edu

Kind regards,

coursematerials@utah.edu

Join us for Tech Tips Tuesday! Every other week features Canvas or Accessibility related tools, and Adobe Express Learning Kit, you can use in your teaching or personal projects. Check out the schedule and drop in for the topics that inspire you!