Dear Faculty,
As the end of the term approaches, we want to share a handful of final grade related Teaching Guides, an invitation to apply for the Spring AI Faculty Fellowship, information about upcoming “Creating Your AI Policy” sessions coming up in January, and a reminder about including eReserve access information in your course sites. We also want to wish Blackboard a very happy retirement, and congratulate the first recipient of our Big Tipper Award! Wishing you all the best as you bring the semester and the year to a strong close!
Events and Announcements
for SPS Faculty
Making the Grade: Teaching Guides
It’s that time of the semester! Need to reset quiz/exam attempts? Ready to fill in grades for missing student work? Want to allow extra points for an item or create an extra credit item? Looking for the steps to apply the setting to drop the lowest grade from a grading category? Ready for Importing Final Grades From Brightspace to CUNYFirst? We have a teaching guide for you – browse our site for step-by-step help!
CUNY SPS Faculty Fellowship: Teaching and AI
Applications are open through December 30 for the CUNY SPS Faculty Fellowship on Teaching and AI. This fellowship supports faculty in developing innovative responses to AI’s presence in education. In a collaborative peer environment, participants will explore the impact of AI, study current practices in AI and education, and develop projects that integrate AI into coursework, adapt teaching strategies, create educational or policy materials, or leverage AI for instruction.
The fellowship kicks off in February and runs through May 15th. Participants will pilot their projects in the Summer or Fall semester and present their work to their department and the CUNY SPS community during the 2026-27 academic year. Successful completers will receive $500. Applications are due December 30th. Visit the Teaching and AI Fellowship page for details and to apply.
In January: Creating Your AI Policy Sessions
Join us for a discussion/drafting session of AI course policies and statements. We’ll look at sample policies and discuss how they fit with your teaching approach. Then we’ll have time to draft policies and share with each other for feedback.
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- Wednesday, January 14, 2026, 2-3 pm ET – Register Here
- Friday, January 16, 2026, 12-1 pm ET – Register Here
OpenLab January Events
Save the Date: OpenLab for Staff
Take advantage of your time between semesters! Save the date for an OpenLab Clinic on Thursday, January 22, 2026 at 2PM ET designed for staff to explore, troubleshoot, and enhance your OpenLab sites. Whether you need help getting started, polishing your portfolio, or learning how OpenLab can help you collaborate and stay organized, we’re here to support you.
Brightspace Office Hours
OFDIT’s open Brightspace office hours will continue through December 18th and will pick up again in mid-January. We look forward to seeing you in a drop-in session with your questions!
Upcoming dates and times:
Monday, Dec 15: 12-1pm ET
Tuesday, Dec 16: 6-7pm ET
Wednesday, Dec 17: 1-2pm ET
Thursday, Dec 18: 10-11am ET
Get Support Making Instructional Videos
The OFDIT Media Team always sees an uptick in video production at this time of year. It’s a great time to create engaging videos for your students! Whether you’re working on a course overview, a faculty introduction, or mini-lectures, the OFDIT Media Team is here to help you shine. Here’s how to we can support you:
- On-Campus Studio Sessions – Equipped with high-quality recording gear, our team will handle the filming, editing, captioning, and publishing—so you can focus on your message.
- Remote Production Support – Staying remote? No problem! We’ll guide you through the process of creating polished videos from home. From choosing the right software to editing and captioning, we’ve got you covered.
To get started, email matthew.lewis@cuny.edu or schedule a Zoom consultation to kick off your project.
Last Call for Blackboard
On December 18 Blackboard access will be permanently discontinued across all CUNY campuses. Download any content now; instructions can be found in our Downloading Blackboard Content teaching guide.
Did you know?
If your course uses E-Reserves, students can connect to the e-reserve page directly through the E-Reserves link in Brightspace!
No password is needed when following the link inside a Brightspace course. If you use E-Reserves to platform readings and resources, it’s helpful to provide a screenshot or otherwise direct students to the second item under the Library Navbar link so they are aware of the most streamlined path for access:
Announcing the Big Tipper Award!
We’re thrilled to announce Curtis Izen has won the inaugural Big Tipper Award! Congrats, Curtis! Thank you for your dedication and generosity! As loyal readers of the OFDIT Newsletter will know, Curtis has consistently gone above and beyond in sharing his teaching wisdom with our community. Over the years, Curtis has taken time to reflect on his teaching practice, discover effective shortcuts, and generously pass those insights on to us. His contributions have enriched our newsletter and inspired innovative approaches to teaching.
To show our appreciation, the OFDIT team presents Curtis with the Big Tipper Award!
Faculty Corner: Who will be the next Big Tipper?
Did you discover a setting, process, or tool that made teaching go more smoothly, or learn something new about Brightspace you’d love to share? Submit a teaching tip (in 200 words or less) using our Faculty Corner Submission Form and we’ll share it here in our newsletter! Your hard-won knowledge and experience is valuable to everyone!
As always, OFDIT is here to help! We are available for one-on-one support and are also happy to schedule a Zoom call to discuss any questions you may have. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us at facultysupport@sps.cuny.edu.
All the Best,
Your OFDIT Team
