OFDIT Newsletter January 2026

Dear Faculty,

Happy New Year! Hoping you had moments of rest and joy over the holidays. In this month’s newsletter, we share some guidance for Spring Course Prep, and several upcoming events to support your teaching this semester! Stop by an AI policy drafting workshop to help you prep your syllabus for Spring, learn more about how OpenLab can work for SPS staff, and check out tracks for the upcoming CUNY Teaching and Learning Conference – submit your proposal by Jan 22! You’ll also find registration info for February’s virtual UPCEA Digital Teaching and Learning Conference (including a poster presentation from OFDIT’s Media Team!) We wish you a smooth start to the upcoming Spring semester and we look forward to joining you for a great year ahead of teaching and professional growth!

Course Prep For Spring

Finalizing course sites for Spring semester? You can refer to our Course Site Prep Checklist for CUNY SPS Faculty for steps and links to assist as you prepare. In the Checklist, you’ll find links to guides for how to: 

    • Post your welcome announcement
    • Fill out your Instructor Profile Widget
    • Upload your Spring syllabus/course schedule
    • Check that due dates reflect the upcoming semester’s calendar

In addition, on the SPS Faculty Community site, you will find an array of Teaching Guides from our OFDIT team, including ones on accessibility with Anthology Ally; on setting up and managing Groups in Brightspace; or on Creating Rubrics in Brightspace. And you can also check out our Teaching Guide Video Playlist for handy how-to videos!

⚡TIP: If you want to test how your course looks from a student point of view, including grades and feedback, use the handy CUNY Demo Student tool!

Also, some of you may have noticed a due date field in your discussions; this is a new feature just rolled out in December for first posts. We’ll be testing and then providing more guidance in our next newsletter, but if you’re curious you can get an overview of the new feature in this Brightspace article.

Events and Announcements for SPS Faculty

Creating Your AI Policy Sessions

Join your SPS colleagues for a discussion and drafting session of AI course policies and statements. We’ll look at sample policies and discuss how they fit with your teaching approach. Then you’ll have time to draft policies and get feedback from the group, if you like. 

OpenLab Clinic for SPS Staff


OpenLab for Staff

Join us for an OpenLab Clinic on Tuesday, January 27, 2026 at 3 p.m. ET for an informal, hands-on session for SPS staff. Whether you’re building a new site, have questions, or just want to bounce around ideas, this is a space to collaborate and explore together. Drop in, co-work, or just come see what others are working on! Get more information and register here.

We also have the spring semester support hours schedule published on the CUNY SPS Open Road. You can also book daytime appointments at your convenience.

Designing the Future of Digital Learning – UPCEA Conference

The 2026 Digital Teaching & Learning Conference (DT&L), hosted by UPCEA, takes place virtually on February 4–5. This year’s theme, “Designing the Future,” invites faculty to explore innovation, foster community, and advance online teaching. DT&L offers peer-reviewed workshops, roundtables, lightning talks, and keynote panels! The OFDIT Media Team (Matt Lewis, Fallon Saratovsky, and Sharon Jorrin) will be presenting a video poster on Deconstructing Media — check it out for tips on making video for learning!  

CUNY SPS is a member institution, so registration is free for faculty and staff. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with colleagues and shape what’s next for digital learning! To learn more and register visit: 2026 Digital Teaching & Learning Conference

Brightspace Office Hours

OFDIT’s open Brightspace office hours will resume January 13th:

Tuesdays: 6-7 p.m. ET
Wednesdays 12-1 p.m. ET

We look forward to seeing you in a drop-in session with your questions!

CUNY Opportunities for SPS Faculty

CUNY 2026 Teaching and Learning Conference CFP

As SPS Faculty, your instructional experiences align with the 3rd Annual Teaching and Learning Conference theme, Reimagining Possibilities: Adult Learning in a Changing World. The conference will be in person at the Graduate Center, May 8 from 9 a.m. ET – 3:30 p.m. ET. Share your experience designing and delivering meaningful education to adult learners! 

For more information about conference tracks and to submit your proposal (due January 22nd) visit CITA’s 3rd Annual Teaching and Learning Conference website. 

Faculty Corner: Call for Tips?Faculty corner image

If you have discovered a setting, process, or tool that made teaching go more smoothly, or learned something new about Brightspace, we would love for you 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 extensive 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