Youngstown State Online

The four faculty members in YSU’s inaugural cohort of Campus Mentors for AI: Courtney Poullas (BCLASSE), Dana Sperry (CCCA), Vamsi Borra (STEM) and Weiqing Ge (BCHHS), are wrapping up their two semesters of service. In May they offered a panel discussion session at the ITL’s Conference for AI. Tim Francisco is currently conducting a series of interviews with them for his radio show on WYSU. The interviews with Vamsi Borra and Courtney Poullas have already been broadcast and are accessible via these links: Vamsi Borra’s interview, Courtney Poullas’s interview.  

Look for the 2026-2027 application form in our July newsletter! 

Sarah Jenyk, Senior Lecturer of Economics in Williamson College of Business, received Blackboard’s 2026 Exemplary Course Award in May for her ECON 1505: Personal Financial Literacy course. Learn about the Blackboard Exemplary Course Program award here. Congratulations to Sarah on her excellent course design!

A small number of Blackboard courses account for a large chunk of our overall storage usage, which runs up costs. Keeping course sizes manageable improves course performance, reduces copy issues, and supports long-term system maintenance. Here are a few simple ways to reduce course size:

Is your Blackboard course overloaded with old content and large files? Join us to learn practical strategies to "right-size" your course, improve performance, and enhance the student experience. You'll leave with simple, actionable steps to streamline your content without sacrificing quality. 

Our online course partner, Risepoint, is offering a faculty development webinar with tips for teaching a course designed by another faculty member. The session provides practical strategies for making a primary course feel uniquely one’s own while preserving alignment with approved outcomes, assessments, and structural requirements. 

Join 2025-2026 Campus AI Mentor Courtney Poullas to explore NotebookLM, an incredibly powerful, free AI tool you can use to support your teaching. This session will provide hands-on training for leveraging your existing sources to create syntheses, instructional materials, podcasts, infographics, and even short videos. Come find out how this tool can streamline your workflow and spark new ideas for your courses. 

This hands-on, hybrid (in-person + online) session will be held in Cafaro Hall, Room 212. Remote access available upon request. To ensure individual attention, space is limited, so please bring your laptop and register early to reserve your spot! 

Jason Lodge & Leslie Loble’s March 2026 report, "Artificial Intelligence, Cognitive Offloading and the Implications for Education," provides concrete, actionable strategies for redesigning assessments. The authors explain why instructors should move away from ineffective, unenforceable rules and toward structurally robust tasks that demand authentic student engagement. This report offers practical steps for ensuring academic integrity and meaningful learning in the age of generative AI. Read the full March 2026 AI report here. 

Have questions about Blackboard or course design? We're here to help!

Meet the YSU Online Team:

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Youngstown State University
1 Tressel Way
Youngstown, OH 44555
330.941.3000