What’s happening?
HelioCampus AC – Evaluations have begun
Earlier this morning, most HelioCampus AC course evaluations began. They will run for two weeks, ending at 11:59pm on Friday, May 2.
HelioCampus AC departmental administrators can monitor the response rates of the course evaluations in their department. For suggestions on how to improve the response rates, instructors can review some best practices from the Assessment Program Office.
DoIT – Microgrants deadline, May 22
Academic Technology and the Division of Teaching and Learning (DTL) are offering microgrants to help explore how data empowered education practices (DEEP) help faculty and instructional staff gain insights into how to support student success.
This year’s microgrant program focuses on a critical question: How does engagement with online course content potentially impact student performance? Learn more here.
The application window for the 2025-26 academic year is open through May 22.
Canvas – Summer and fall course shell creation
Canvas course shells for summer and fall 2025 semesters are now available. Instructors (as listed in SIS) should see course tiles on their Canvas dashboards and are free to enter and begin development. Enrollment information will be updated every four hours.
Canvas – Change to “Staff” course role
During the first week of April, Learn@UW–Madison discovered that the permission for adding individuals to courses had been inadvertently granted to the Staff course role. This was out of alignment with the intent and the documentation for the role.
We have adjusted the Staff role permissions to remove the ability to enroll. We apologize for any inconvenience. Reach out to learnuwsupport@wisc.edu if you have questions or concerns.
Engage – Ordering for fall
For instructors intending to use Engage for fall 2025, the ordering period for eTexts and digital learning tools is currently open and will remain open until Wednesday, May 28.
To review the catalog of available resources or to place orders, access the Engage ordering tool here.
General – End-of-semester dates for spring 2025
- May 2 – Last day of classes
- May 2 – HelioCampus AC surveys close at 11:59p
- May 3 – Study day
- May 4-9 – Exams
- May 7 – Deadline to request grading extension
- May 12 – Grading deadline
- May 15 – Extended grading deadline
- May 16 – HelioCampus AC survey results become available to instructors
Upcoming events
CTLM – Upcoming events
In the coming months, UW–Madison’s Center for Teaching, Learning, and Mentoring (CTLM) is hosting the following opportunities to sharpen your instructional skills and engage with colleagues. Contact CTLM with questions at ctlm@wisc.edu.
Course Design Institute, May 12-14
The Course Design Institute is an annual three-day workshop aimed at enhancing the quality and effectiveness of course design to result in a better learning experience. CTLM and campus teaching and learning partners will support you as you work on multiple aspects of your course. For more information, click here.
Teaching & Learning Symposium, May 15
The biggest annual teaching event on campus! Keynote speaker Christina Katopodis, co-author of “The New College Classroom,” will present the latest science of learning and share teaching strategies that anyone can adapt easily and effectively in every field. Learn more and register.
Enhancing Online Education Summer Programs
Designed especially for instructors teaching online and hybrid courses, these programs explore six foundational topics to promote student engagement and success. Sign up for as many topics as you like and choose from webinars, micro-courses or both. The series kicks off May 20 with our newest topic, developing instructional materials. Learn more and register.
Teaching at UW April programs
Teaching with the Chazen, April 25 – Enjoy a special tour of the museum and learn about interdisciplinary partnership opportunities to bring works from the collection into your course.
InstructureCon 2025 – July 22-24
InstructureCon 2025 will be held in Spokane, WA, during the week of July 22-24. Early bird registration is open until March 28. For more information, click here.