The Center for Innovation in Teaching, Assessment, and Learning |
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CITAL NEWSLETTER - MARCH 31, 2026 |
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Dear Colleagues,
Welcome back from Spring Break, where we hope that you found at least some time to rest and recharge. With the grass starting to green, temperatures fighting to rise, and the flowers thinking about blooming, we are excited to bring you your next CITAL newsletter. We begin this edition with faculty sharing their experiences with the “No Tech Classroom” in the CITAL blog. Next, we highlight several faculty development opportunities, including the announcement of our first annual AI Summer Institute, upcoming Active Learning Workshop, Quality Matters, and various webinars and recordings related to teaching and learning. Finally, we end with a reminder to submit your scholarly works for the annual reception hosted by the Christopher Center Library and our Canvas tip. Welcome back and best wishes for continued success for the remainder of the term.
Sincerely,
The CITAL Team (Ed, Cindy, Gina, and Raina)
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By Cynthia Rutz, Director of Faculty Development
Are you sometimes discouraged by seeing your students glued to their laptops or phones instead of engaging with you and their classmates? Three of your colleagues have decided to address technology use in the classroom head on by experimenting with a low tech or no tech classroom. Danielle Lavin-Loucks is in her second year of doing without technology in all her classes, Margarita Rayzberg and Amanda Brobst Renaud are going low tech for the first time this semester.
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| ☀️ AI SUMMER INSTITUTE
📆 Thursday, July 30th, 2026
📆 Friday, July 31st, 2026
⏰ Reserve Your Seat
As part of the Lilly Endowment AI in Higher Education planning grant, CITAL will be hosting a two-day Summer Faculty Institute on AI.
Our keynote speaker will be nationally recognized author C. Edward Watson (AAC&U, and co-author of Teaching with AI). Caleb J. Keith (AAC&U) will be our AI scholar in residence for both days. Additionally, we plan to have Valpo faculty presentations and conversations to build on existing institutional knowledge.
All faculty who attend will receive a daily stipend and enjoy meals and fellowship. More information, including the full agenda, will be provided as we get closer to the event.
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✨ ACTIVE LEARNING WORKSHOP
📆 Thursday, April 16th
12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Join CITAL for a two-hour active learning workshop designed to provide materials and activities to help with course preparation and immediately incorporate activities into current courses. Learn different types of active learning activities and explore how to design an active learning course.
🎓 Open to All Valpo Faculty
Ideal for faculty seeking to promote student engagement, enthusiasm, and performance.
⚠️ Limited Seats - Register Early
Secure your spot while space remains. For more details, click the Active Learning Workshop Info & Registration Button below.
📬 Questions?
Contact cital@valpo.edu
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🌟 Elevate Your Online or Hybrid Course
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- Join the 59 Valpo faculty who are now Quality Matters certified—join the momentum.
- CITAL is available over the summer to offer the Applying the Quality Matters Rubric Workshop.
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It is eight hours total and can be offered over two half days or one full day, either virtually or on campus. If held on campus, CITAL would provide breakfast and lunch. Let us know when you are ready to schedule your event.
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🚀 Take Your Course to the Next Level
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QM‑certified and ready for more?
- Prepare your course for Official Review with CITAL’s support.
- Reach out to CITAL to begin.
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✔️ You’ve Done the Workshop—Now Level Up
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The next step is QM’s Official Course Review.
- CITAL is here to help you launch.
- Connect with us to move forward.
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🚨CITAL will guide your next steps
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Contact us to get started CITAL@Valpo.edu
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Upcoming Webinars and Conferences |
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Below are upcoming and on-demand webinars and podcasts from leading experts in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL).
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Below are upcoming free online conferences. These conferences cover a wide range of topics including AI, online pedagogy, and leadership in online programs.
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Call for Scholarship & Creative Works |
A reminder that the Christopher Center Library is accepting applications for the 2025 calendar year celebration of Scholarship & Creative Works. The deadline to submit your scholarship and creative works is April 8th by 5:00 p.m.
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Do you ever wonder if your content is accessible? If you use the Rich Content Editor (RCE), you can use the Accessibility Checker.
The Accessibility Checker can check adjacent links, heading paragraphs, image alternative text, image alternative filename, image alternative length, large text contrast, lists, sequential headings, small text contrast, table captions, table header scope, and table headers.
If the Accessibility Checker detects an issue, the RCE will show the affected area and explain the issue. After resolving the issue, you can apply the fix and the RCE will show you the next issue. When all the issues are resolved, the Accessibility Checker will close.
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Tune in next time for another Canvas tip!
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The Center for Innovation in Teaching, Assessment, and Learning |
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