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Dear Faculty,<\/span><\/p>\n In this month\u2019s newsletter, you\u2019ll find a reminder about <\/span>Blackboard retirement<\/b>, an invitation to <\/span>apply for OFDIT\u2019s Spring AI Faculty Fellowship<\/b>, trainings and guides about <\/span>finalizing your gradebook <\/b>for the end of the semester, and registration links for a City Tech workshop on using <\/span>Notebook LM to support your teaching <\/b>and for the <\/span>CUNY IT Conference<\/b> this December, along with a faculty tip about using <\/span>intelligent agents<\/b> in your courses.<\/span><\/p>\n A final reminder that CUNY will officially <\/span>retire the Blackboard LMS on December 18, 2025<\/b>, after which the platform and its contents will no longer be accessible.<\/span><\/p>\n Key dates:<\/span><\/p>\n December 15, 2025:<\/b><\/p>\n Final day to <\/span>retrieve any remaining course content<\/b> or <\/span>resolve outstanding issues<\/b> in Blackboard (e.g., copies of course materials, Collaborate recordings, etc.).<\/span><\/p>\n December 18, 2025:<\/b><\/p>\n Blackboard access will be <\/span>permanently<\/b> discontinued across <\/span>all CUNY campuses<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n Want to preserve materials from a past Blackboard course? Steps to archive can be found in our teaching guide, <\/span>Downloading Blackboard Content<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Two cohorts of the fellowship are planned for spring and summer 2026. The spring cohort kicks off in February 2026 and runs through May. Participants will pilot their projects in the summer or fall 2026 semester and present their work to their department and the CUNY SPS community during the 2026-27 academic year. Successful completers will receive a $500 stipend or NTA appointment. <\/span>Applications for the spring cohort are due December 30<\/b>, with preference for projects intended for piloting in summer 2026\u00a0 Visit the <\/span>Teaching and AI Fellowship<\/a><\/strong> page for details and to apply.<\/span><\/p>\n Feeling ready for the semester\u2019s end? Attend one of OFDIT\u2019s training sessions on preparing your gradebook for the end of the semester and <\/span>learn the options to apply when you are preparing final grades<\/b>, as well as the <\/span>steps for automatically transferring final grades from Brightspace to CUNYfirst<\/b>. (30 mins)<\/span><\/p>\n Questions as you get ready for final assessments and grading or while you work to prep your sites for upcoming WIN and SP sessions?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n OFDIT\u2019s <\/span>open Brightspace office hours<\/a><\/strong> continue Tuesday evenings (6-7pm) and Wednesday afternoons (1-2pm) through Dec 17th. A note that we will be adding additional sessions for end-of-semester assistance on the following dates:<\/span><\/p>\n Monday, Dec 8, 12-1pm Finally, if you want to <\/span>test out a final exam<\/b> or see where feedback appears, you can activate the <\/span>Student Demo Tool<\/a><\/strong> in any course section and preview these items to make sure everything is ready for students.<\/span><\/p>\n This New York City College of Technology interactive workshop introduces faculty to <\/span>Notebook LM, an AI-powered tool for curating knowledge bases<\/b> that support assignment creation. Participants will explore how to organize course materials, scaffold assignments for deeper learning, and integrate generative AI into their workflow. Whether you’re new to Notebook LM or an experienced user, this session offers practical strategies to enhance your assignment design with clarity and creativity. <\/span>Register Here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Thursday, November 20, 2025<\/b> | 1:00 pm \u2013 2:00 pm | Virtual<\/span><\/p>\n This hands-on workshop will introduce educators and instructional designers to Notebook LM, a powerful AI tool for organizing content and generating engaging explainer videos. Participants will <\/span>learn how to transform complex topics into clear, concise visual narratives<\/b> using curated sources, structured outlines, and AI-assisted scripting. The session emphasizes pedagogical strategies for storytelling, accessibility, and learner engagement. <\/span>Register Here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Friday, December 12, 2025<\/b> | 1:00 pm \u2013 2:00 pm | Virtual<\/span><\/p>\n This year\u2019s <\/span>CUNY IT Conference<\/a><\/strong>, Moving Forward: Reimagining CUNY in an AI-Enhanced World<\/b>, will include sessions from CUNY SPS\u2019s Matt Lewis and Fallon Saratovsky (<\/span>Deconstructing Multimedia: Human\/AI Approaches to Instructional Video<\/b>), Online Business Programs Assistant Professor Joseph Foy (<\/span>AI\u2019s Disruption of the Concrete Experience in Learning: A Gradual Decay of the Senses)<\/b> and Data and Information Science instructor Jason Bryer (<\/span>Creating a Custom AI Bot for Your Class<\/b>). <\/span>Register Here<\/a><\/strong> to attend either day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Thursday December 4, 2025<\/b> |11:45 am – 5:00 pm | John Jay College of Criminal Justice If you didn\u2019t already know, within Brightspace you can automatically monitor student activity using the <\/span>Intelligent Agent tool.<\/a><\/strong> For example, I use it to notify students that have not logged in for several days. The Agent will email students automatically when the specified criteria is met, but by default, students receive an email from: Brightspace-DoNotReplyemail@cuny.brightspace.com<\/span> \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n My fear is that students may overlook or decline to open the email because it\u2019s not personalized. <\/span>Here\u2019s the tip!<\/b> After creating your agent, you can navigate to the \u201cSettings\u201d and customize the \u201cName that emails come from,\u201d and the \u201cReply-To address for responses.\u201d\u00a0 Now, when the Agent sends the email, it has a touch of personalization:<\/span><\/p>\n Note<\/strong>: The email address that agent emails originate from cannot be set to your personal address, i.e. to a non-CUNY email, due to how spam filters operate.<\/p>\n 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\u2019t hesitate to reach out to us at <\/span>facultysupport@sps.cuny.edu<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n All the Best, Social annotations can radically change the way your students engage with your course materials, each other, and you, combining the benefits of annotation, dialogue, accessibility, and digital accountability. In this one-hour workshop, we\u2019ll look at social annotations across a range of disciplines, platforms, and assignment types, and discuss how this practice can build students\u2019 skills, foster community, and promote intellectual growth. (60 mins)<\/p>\n
\nBlackboard Retirement\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nCUNY SPS Faculty Fellowship: Teaching and AI<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Interested in adapting pedagogy in the age of AI? Consider applying for the <\/span>CUNY SPS Faculty Fellowship on Teaching and AI<\/b>. This fellowship supports faculty in developing innovative responses to AI\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nBrightspace: Finalizing your Gradebook<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
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\nBrightspace Office Hours<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n<\/span>Thursday, Dec 11, 10-11am
\n<\/span>Monday, Dec 15, 12-1pm
\n<\/span>Thursday, Dec 18, 10-11am
\n<\/span>Monday, Dec 22, 12-1pm<\/span><\/p>\n
\nDid you know?<\/strong><\/span><\/big><\/h2>\n
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November is a good time to <\/span>check that your gradebook and assessments are ready for the end of the term<\/b>. You can use our Teaching Guides to help you <\/span>make sure grade items are linked to Activities<\/a><\/strong>, <\/span>reset Quiz attempts for students<\/a><\/strong> who need an additional attempt, <\/span>quickly fill in zeros for missing student work<\/a><\/strong> so final grade calculations are up to date, or easily <\/span>reach out to students with missing assignments<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\nCUNY Opportunities for SPS Faculty<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Designing Assignments with Notebook LM<\/strong><\/span><\/small><\/h2>\n
Create Explainer Videos with Notebook LM<\/span><\/strong><\/small><\/h2>\n
CUNY IT Conference<\/span><\/strong><\/small><\/h2>\n
\n<\/span>Friday, December 5, 2025<\/b> | 8:30 am – 3:30 pm | John Jay College of Criminal Justice<\/span><\/p>\n
\nFaculty Corner:<\/strong><\/span><\/big><\/small><\/h2>\n
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<\/strong><\/span><\/big>Customizing Intelligent Agents Settings
\n<\/strong><\/span>Submitted by Curtis Izen, CUNY SPS, Online Business Program<\/strong><\/span><\/small><\/h2>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/openlab.sps.cuny.edu\/sps-faculty-community-hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2025\/11\/OFDIT_Agent-Action-send-email.jpg?resize=636%2C300&ssl=1\")
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\nYour OFDIT Team<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nOFDIT Fall 2025 Trainings<\/span><\/strong>
\nThe Pedagogy of Social Annotations<\/span><\/strong><\/small><\/h2>\n