As you prepare for fall term, this is a good moment to review your course materials and settings so everything is ready for students on day one.

This fall also marks an important step towards digital accessibility compliance for our university. By April 26, 2027, digital course materials at public universities must meet updated digital accessibility requirements. That means the materials you share in Canvas—documents, slides, PDFs, videos, and other course content—must be accessible to students with disabilities.

The Accessibility for Faculty webpage walks through what this means in practice and where to start. Take the PSU Instructional Accessibility Training in Canvas for guidance on how to make these changes and to see examples of accessible materials.

Take the time to review the documents, slides, and PDFs you plan to use this term. PSU faculty now have access to Grackle for Google Workspace, which can help you ensure digital accessibility in your docs, sheets, and slides.

If you’re sharing recorded lectures or other videos, check that they include accurate captions and transcripts so all students can access the content. Review these steps for making accessible audio and video and adding alt text to images in your course materials.

Use Student View to see what your course looks like for students. Clear module organization and consistent headings can make it much easier for students to find and use course materials.

Open the People section in your course to enroll anyone who needs access (e.g., teaching assistants or program coordinators). Scan student statuses so everyone is set for day one, and keep an eye on the Waitlist for last-minute additions.

When your course is ready, publish it so students can access materials. If you’d like students to preview the course before the term begins, you can set custom participation dates for your course.

Use Google Groups to send a warm welcome. Let students know when Canvas access opens, how to get started, and where to ask questions. You can customize our ready-to-use email templates to save time.

Connect with our teaching support staff to answer all your Canvas, accessibility, or teaching questions! We can help solve any last-minute course issues, or sit down to talk more broadly about your teaching goals.

Start with OAI's accessible syllabus template and sample statements and then tailor them to your course. The template includes recommended language on generative AI and ready-to-use sections you can adapt.

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