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Weekly Brightspace announcements

A Monday 鈥渉ere鈥檚 what鈥檚 ahead this week鈥� announcement takes under 10 minutes and creates predictability. In Brightspace, use the Announcements tool under the Communications menu, and check the Send Email Copy option to reach students outside the platform as well.

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Instructor immediacy & online presence

Research on instructor immediacy (the sense that a professor is accessible and engaged) shows it significantly predicts student motivation and learning. Practical strategies include timely responses, personal tone in announcements, and short video check-ins.

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Rename office hours to 鈥淟earner Hours鈥�

Hogan & Sathy's Inclusive Teaching recommends calling these appointments "Learner Hours" rather than "office hours," as students often feel they are interrupting the professor's work. This simple rename has been shown to increase visits substantially.

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Set clear email response-time expectations

Stating a specific response window (e.g., "I respond to emails within 24 hours on weekdays") in the syllabus reduces student anxiety and prevents the perception that faculty are unavailable. Without an explicit policy, students default to expecting an immediate reply.

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Syllabus quiz (low-stakes, auto-graded)

A brief Brightspace quiz in week one over key policies 鈥� late work, attendance, academic integrity 鈥� ensures students actually read the syllabus. Use the Quizzes tool under Assessments; auto-grading means no additional work for the instructor.

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Recurring housekeeping slide

The first slide of every class session contains 2-3 brief reminders: upcoming due dates, class norms, and the course calendar. Keeps expectations visible.

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Growth mindset framing

Faculty who explicitly frame ability as something that develops with effort 鈥� rather than a fixed trait 鈥� see measurable gains in student performance and persistence, especially among first-generation students. A short syllabus statement or first-day talking point ("there's no such thing as a 'math person'; we're all here to improve") sets this tone early.

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Flexible late-work / grace period policy

Building in an automatic grace period (e.g., 48鈥�72 hours, no penalty, no explanation needed) reduces student stress and prevents minor setbacks from becoming crises, with especially strong benefits for first-generation students. Stating the policy clearly up front also reduces the number of individual extension-request emails faculty receive.

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AI use syllabus statement

A clear, course-specific AI policy helps students understand what's permitted and why, rather than guessing or assuming AI use is treated the same as unauthorized help from another person. UCM provides editable templates spanning fully restricted to fully encouraged use.

Resource link: UCM's AI Statement Suggestions for Syllabi