Message from Provost Daire |
Welcome to the Fall Semester
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Welcome to the Fall Semester
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Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to the Fall 2025 semester! As you know, summer is winding down, and instruction begins on September 2. I’m excited to see you and our students back on campus.
At various retreats this month, I shared that from my perspective across our schools, colleges, and units, incredible innovation, research, and engagement are happening constantly. Yet, with such vibrant activity comes the challenge of aligning that energy and a need to ensure that, even if we’re taking different paths, we’re ultimately moving in the same direction. We need to harness this energy to forge a unity of purpose that binds us together.
In higher education today, the challenges we face demand more than individual effort; now more than ever, progress calls for collective vision, shared goals, and mutual accountability. Our 2030 goals focus on student success, a positive employee experience, innovative and impactful research, and strengthening our financial outlook so that we can be one of the key economic anchors in Southeastern Wisconsin. Please know that these are not just aspirational statements. They are the foundation of our shared purpose. They define who we are and what we strive to become.
The success of our students is directly connected to the dedication and expertise you bring to your work with them. We are grateful for all you do! Below are a few resources and reminders to help you as you prepare for this semester.
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As you prepare for the fall term, please consult the Policies and Resources for Instructors page on the Academic Affairs website. Some important items on this webpage include:
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A newly updated UWM Uniform Syllabus Template, which provides resources, conforms to UWM policy, helps to ensure accessibility, and uses best practices to promote equity, belonging, and growth. It also contains a tip sheet from CETL to help ensure your syllabus advances student learning.
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Academic policies, faculty resources, best practices for preparing Canvas sites, student policies and much more.
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There are several upcoming events and trainings through the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL). These include digital accessibility in course materials, grading, high-impact practices, Canvas support, and much more. CETL has data-driven resources and methods to help you and your students succeed. Visit the CETL website.
- Don't Cancel Class is a new initiative from the Student Health and Wellness Center (SHAW) that invites instructors to schedule a wellness program for their class in the event of a planned absence or as part of the class plan. SHAW offers a menu of workshops, discussions, and trainings. Visit the Don’t Cancel Class website.
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Please note the following matters of policy compliance:
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Digital accessibility: By April 2026, all digital content, documents, media, communications, applications, and websites must be accessible to everyone. It is best to begin work now before the deadline to ensure compliance with this federal regulation. See the August campus-wide message for more information and resources. You are responsible for ensuring accessibility whenever you create or share documents (PDFs, Word, PowerPoint, Excel), digital media (videos, images, or audio) or third-party digital tools (apps or mobile tools). CETL has several trainings on accessibility to help ensure that digital content is ready for this new requirement.
- F-grade policy: Federal government financial aid regulations require that we document participation for students receiving F grades. You must indicate a student’s last week of participation and retain certain records. See the full policy for more information.
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Textbook selection: We are required, as an institution that receives Title IV funding, to make every effort to provide textbook and supplemental course material at the time of students’ registration. In addition, the bookstore needs this information to help keep costs low for students and needs to display information about the course materials, even if you are not using a textbook. See more information about textbooks and due dates for upcoming terms.
- Prohibition of Class Recess Due Dates: Course due dates may not be scheduled during class recesses or on legal holidays, including Thanksgiving recess and spring break. See resources.
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Canvas availability: Before the first day of the semester, instructors of online and hybrid courses must, at a minimum, publish basic course elements, including the syllabus and any book and/or material requirements, on the LMS site. See resources.
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I hope that you keep in mind that when we move together, there is no limit to what we can accomplish. You can continue to make an extraordinary impact—on our students, our community, and the world. Let’s enter this semester with purpose, with passion, and with unwavering commitment to our shared mission. Thank you, and I appreciate every one of you for what you do for UWM and our students.
With appreciation,
Andrew P. Daire, PhD
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
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| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
2310 E. Hartford Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53211
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