Shannon Mockli's dance improv course
Photo by Grace Mangali
TEACHING AT UO
Shannon Mockli, Associate Professor of Dance, demonstrates an exercise that encourages partners to move into new creative movement pathways. It’s part of Dance Improvisation, a required course for all dance majors and a prerequisite for choreography classes, designed to expand students’ creativity by encouraging spontaneous movement while challenging their habitual patterns. 
Want to be featured in Teaching at UO or nominate a colleague? Contact Tim Christie.
NEWS AND RESOURCES
Winter 2026 Course Resources are ready
The Winter Course Resources website is designed to help faculty members implement UO instructional policies, stay abreast of new policies and teaching resources, and launch upcoming courses. You’ll find Syllabus Essentials, including a “starter” template, Canvas course templates, important winter term dates, and ready-made modules to welcome students, underscore academic integrity expectations, and streamline absence reporting.
We invite you check out the updated Teaching and AI Resource Guide, take the new GenAI Course Readiness Self-Check Tool (Beta) and use this form to let us know if you might be interested in piloting the Respondus LockDown Browser for in-class Canvas exams and activities.  
Reporting gifts or contracts involving foreign entities
The University of Oregon must report to the federal government information about incoming gifts and contracts from foreign sources. Departments that enter into a contract with or receive a gift from a foreign entity are responsible for notifying the Export Control Office, which then compiles the financial data and submits the required report to the federal government.  
25 DAYS OF DATA
A new data-sharing calendar features a different report about student success and flourishing each work day in December, created by the Office of the Provost, Undergraduate Education and Student Success, and the Office of Institutional Research. The goal of the collaborative project is to more broadly share data projects with colleagues across campus over the past year. 
AWARDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Apply now for Faculty OER Development Awards
UO Libraries offers grants ranging from $1,000 to $4,000 to support faculty members adopting, adapting, or authoring Open Educational Resources (OER) this academic year. Preference is given to courses that are high-cost, high-enrollment, Core Education, and/or have high DFNW rates. Funding is limited and grants are awarded on a first come, first served basis. Apply today. 
UO Leadership Academy applications due Jan. 23
Faculty are required to lead every day in formal and informal ways: leading committees, graduate students, programs, departments, students in the classroom, and scholarly collaborations. The UO Leadership Academy provides the time to think deeply about your leadership capacity and provides practical strategies to support your growth. Apply to be a part of the 2026-27 cohort by Jan. 23. 
Williams Fund seeking nominations and proposals
Nominations for Williams Fellowships, major awards for great teachers who also are innovators and collaborators, and proposals for Williams Instructional Grants to fund faculty ideas for undergraduate teaching and curriculum projects, are due Feb. 16. The Williams Fund supports excellence and innovation in undergraduate education. 
EVENTS AND LEARNING
Making the Most of Unit Policy Updates Related to Teaching
Jan. 9 from 10-11:30 a.m. in Tykeson James Commons
TEP invites unit heads and faculty who are helping to lead the policy update process in their units to join in a discussion about updating Career and Tenure-Track Faculty Review and Promotion Policies and Teaching Evaluation Rubrics in ways that reflect their unit’s teaching aspirations and values. Refreshments will be served. 
Book Disciplines Workshop Series Session No. 1: Tips for revising your dissertation into a book (and other first book problems)
Jan. 14 from noon to 1 p.m. on Zoom
Join Kim Hogeland, Acquisitions Editor for Oregon State University Press, to learn more about pitching to publishers, selecting a press, and securing a contract.
FACULTY IN THE NEWS
The Weather Channel | Think Cold Slows Muscles Down? Think Again
When temperatures tumble, most athletes see winter weather as a barrier: stinging wind, burning lungs, and stiff muscles. But according to Christopher Minson, professor of human physiology at the University of Oregon and head of the school’s Exercise and Environmental Physiology Labs, cold can be a powerful training tool if you understand how your body responds to it. 
ACCESSIBILITY TIP OF THE MONTH
Fonts & Text 
Accessible fonts are important because they shape readability and comprehension. Individuals with visual impairments, dyslexia, or cognitive limitations may encounter barriers when overly decorative or poorly designed fonts are used.
In Canvas,  
• Use the default Canvas font. 
• Use high-contrast colors:
  • Dark text on light background and light text on dark backgrounds.
  • Avoid putting text on top of multicolored backgrounds or images.
• Use text that is at least 11pt. 
• Avoid using all capital letters.
• Use and encourage students to consider using a Dyslexia Friendly Font. This setting can be turned on in your Canvas Account.
Review your course content and implement these guidelines as needed. Even small changes can make a big impact on student access and engagement.
Learn more accessibility guidelines at Basic Digital Content Accessibility, or contact UO Online for help with fonts and text in your Canvas content. 
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P: 541-346-3186 | E: OtP@uoregon.edu
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