Dear Colleagues,
As noted in the communication shared on February 12, Wright State is preparing to meet new federal ADA Title II digital accessibility requirements that take effect on April 24. These regulations apply to all digital content used to support our programs and services, including websites, instructional materials, online documents, forms, and videos.
I encourage all faculty and staff to review that message for initial guidance and to begin adopting accessible practices now, such as creating accessible documents from the start, limiting the use of non‑accessible PDFs, and ensuring that videos include captions or transcripts. A growing set of resources and timelines is available.
Thank you for your partnership as we work toward a more inclusive and accessible digital experience for our entire campus community.
Ohio Revised Code — Posting of Syllabi
Beginning in fall 2026, state law requires the university to publish a public-facing syllabus for every credit-bearing course. Each syllabus must be posted on Wright State’s website — no more than three clicks from the homepage — by the first day of the semester. The public version includes:
- Instructor name
- Instructor qualifications
- Required or recommended readings
- A course schedule outlining topics and materials
To meet these requirements, the university has adopted Simple Syllabus, available within Pilot, as the standard syllabus tool. Simple Syllabus generates an ADA-accessible, Wright State-branded syllabus pre-populated with catalog information, course schedule details, faculty credentials, and standard student support links (e.g., Counseling and Wellness Services and the Office of Disability Services). It will automatically extract and format the elements required for the public-facing syllabus and post them to our website. It will also collect information needed for institutional and program accreditation.
Instructors teaching summer courses are strongly encouraged to use Simple Syllabus.
To support faculty and others who may teach courses, the university will offer multiple training sessions. The first two training dates are:
- February 27, 10–11 a.m., 005 Dunbar Library (Register)
- March 13, 10–11 a.m., 005 Dunbar Library (Register)
One session will be recorded and made available for later viewing.
Nominations Open for Faculty Awards for 2026
We are accepting nominations for the Faculty Awards for 2026 (PDF). The Faculty Awards recognize select faculty members for their excellent work in the areas of teaching, research, community engagement, professional service, and early career achievement. These awards are truly a highlight of the year.
Nomination materials should be submitted to department chairs by March 16. Department chairs should then forward their nominations through the Watermark workflow by March 20. Learn more about Faculty Awards for 2026 (PDF).
Center for Faculty Excellence Brown Bag: AI in the Post-Secondary Classroom
The Center for Faculty Excellence invites you to its next Brown Bag session, “AI in the (Post-secondary) Classroom: Tools, Techniques, Strategies, and Observations,” presented by Dr. Cogan Shimizu, on Friday, February 20, 11:15 a.m.–12:30 p.m., 020 Rike Hall.
As generative AI, large language models, writing assistants, screen streamers, and related tools continue to evolve rapidly, their impact on teaching and learning is becoming both significant and unavoidable.
This session will provide an overview of the wide range of AI tools currently available, discuss appropriate and effective uses in instructional contexts, and offer observations on how these technologies are shaping student learning and academic work. Dr. Shimizu will also share strategies for addressing challenges related to AI use in the classroom, including ways to preserve learning integrity and support strong learning outcomes. A lively discussion will conclude the session.
An online participation option will be available. If you plan to attend remotely, email Regina Klotz to receive the connection information.
Midterm Grading Now Open
Midterm grade reporting is open for all full-semester fall classes. Midterm grade reporting is required by all undergraduate-level classes, with some exceptions.
Midterm grades are due by noon on Wednesday, March 4. Detailed instructions for posting grades can be found on the Registrar’s grading webpage.
For technical questions about reporting grades (such as reporting from Pilot), contact the CaTS Help Desk at 937-775-4827 or helpdesk@wright.edu.
For additional grading questions, please contact the Office of the Registrar at 937-775-5200 or wsu-registrar@wright.edu.
APC Fee Waivers Available Through University Libraries
The University Libraries, through OhioLINK’s transformative publishing agreements, offers Article Processing Charge (APC) fee waivers that allow Wright State faculty to publish open‑access articles in eligible journals at no cost to the author. APC waivers are available through the following participating publishers:
- American Chemical Society (hybrid)
- Cambridge University Press (hybrid and fully open access)
- Elsevier (hybrid only)
- Institute of Physics (IOP) (hybrid and fully open access)
- Springer (hybrid only)
- Wiley (hybrid and fully open access)
To qualify, the corresponding author must be affiliated with an OhioLINK member institution contributing to the Electronic Journal Center, such as Wright State, and must use their Wright State email address when submitting the manuscript.
Learn more at this OhioLINK Read and Publish Open Access Agreements blog post.
Apply for a Students First Fund Grant
The Wright State University Foundation is accepting applications for Students First Fund grants. This program supports innovative ideas that advance student success and strengthen the university’s commitment to recruitment, retention, and relationships.
Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to submit proposals for projects that will meaningfully impact a large number of Wright State students across both the Dayton and Lake Campuses. A total of $75,000 will be awarded to high‑impact initiatives that make a measurable difference in the student experience. The Students First Fund, created in 2019, is designed to support wide‑reaching projects — those that “move the dial” and directly enhance student success.
The application deadline is March 27.
Pilot Course Content Retention and Upcoming Purges
CaTS will soon begin implementing Wright State’s Pilot course content retention schedule to ensure compliance with our contractual storage limits and university data‑retention policies. Pilot currently houses 16 years of course content totaling more than 60 terabytes, while our Brightspace/D2L agreement allows for 6 terabytes. To remain compliant and avoid significant cost increases, CaTS will begin systematically deleting older course content starting in March.
Beginning on March 1, CaTS will purge all 2010 course offerings from Pilot. One year of content will be removed each month for approximately 10 months, concluding with the deletion of 2019 content. Before each monthly purge, CaTS will send three targeted communications to the faculty of record for the affected courses. Only currently employed faculty will receive these notices.
Faculty who would like to retain materials from older courses will receive instructions on how to download and store course content before deletion. During the process, faculty may see courses temporarily labeled with “2BPurged” in the My Courses widget. For additional information, see:
Resource Alignment and Retention Project
For questions, please contact the CaTS Help Desk at 937‑775‑4827 or helpdesk@wright.edu.
Wright State Online Hosts Webex Wednesdays: Drop-In Accessibility Support
Wright State Online will offer Webex Wednesdays, providing faculty with an open drop-in hour each week to receive help with accessibility questions. Sessions will be held every Wednesday from 1 to 2 p.m. through April 1 and are designed to support faculty as they continue strengthening the accessibility of their courses. Use the links below to access the February sessions:
- Wednesday, February 18, 1–2 p.m. Webex (Access the meeting)
- Wednesday, February 25, 1–2 p.m. Webex (Access the meeting)
This additional support aligns with Wright State Online’s ongoing accessibility initiatives, including the Accessibility in Course Design training and the option to submit course materials for a digital accessibility review after updates have been made. Faculty are encouraged to take advantage of these resources as part of Wright State’s commitment to creating accessible learning environments for all students.
Learn more about Accessibility Essentials Information and review the available accessibility content in the Resource Library.
HLC Assurance Argument Review — Closes Today
Feedback for the draft HLC Assurance Argument is due today by 5 p.m. Please note that embedded links in the draft are inactive, as evidence resides in HLC’s accreditation system, and bracketed numbers indicate evidence still being collected.
Questions may be directed to Nick Christian, director of assessment and chief accreditation officer, at nick.christian@wright.edu.
Your feedback is appreciated as we finalize this important document.
Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities — Student Presentation Registration
Faculty are encouraged to invite their students to participate in the 2026 Celebration of Undergraduate and Graduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities, which will take place on April 1. This event provides an excellent platform for students to present their research, scholarly projects, and creative work, and to gain valuable experience sharing their accomplishments with the broader university community.
Your encouragement plays a key role in helping students take advantage of this meaningful academic and professional development opportunity. Students interested in presenting should register by February 27.
Details and student registration.
Academic Engagement Events for Students
The Division of Student Success is offering events throughout the semester to equip students with the academic resources they need to navigate the university successfully. Faculty are encouraged to promote these events to their students. Some events require registration, but many do not. The next event is:
February 26, Student Success Center, noon–2 p.m.
PACK Speed Networking with Alumni Association: In collaboration with the Career Hub and the Alumni Association, this event connects students with the PACK Program, made up of alumni ambassadors, to help build critical skills, like crafting an effective elevator pitch, during our speed networking activity.
When a Student Needs Support
The Student Success Navigator showcases the wide range of resources available to support our students. Whether students are interested in joining a student organization, looking for access to mental health services, playing a sport, or finding a job, all information is available in one central location.
Issuing an Early Alert is an important way to connect students with needed academic or personal support. Faculty can submit Early Alerts through the Slate Student Success Portal, enabling advisors and support staff to intervene early and guide students toward available resources.
