Author: Rachel Porcaro

Learn Blackboard straight from the source. Representatives from Blackboard are visiting Wichita State for a special Blackboard Day for Instructors from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11 at Wichita State Connect, leading in-person sessions throughout the morning.

Different topics run at different times, so you can come for the ones that matter most to you; there’s no need to stay for the whole thing. Sessions cover the new gradebook, AI-assisted assessment creation, video and accessibility features, and best practices for using AI in Blackboard, with staff on hand to answer your questions and complimentary food throughout the day.

Visit the Blackboard Day for Instructors event page for more information or email the Office of Instructional Resources at oir@wichita.edu.

Today’s ARC is for the beginners; it’s everything experts wished someone had told them before their first fall semester. Learn about practical Blackboard skills, the tools you’ll actually reach for and a straight answer to the question every human needs this year, “what are you going to do about AI?”

Visit the August ARC website to see session descriptions or register for calendar invites.

• 9 a.m.-noon: “Open Labs” – OIR Staff
• 9 a.m.: “Blackboard for Beginners” – Rachel Bastian
• 10 a.m.: “All That Stuff Someone Should Tell You” – Magi Hruza
• 11 a.m.: “What Good Teaching Looks Like” – Carolyn Speer
• Noon: “The Tools You Need” – Rachel Bastian
• 1 p.m.: “WSU Classrooms of the Future” – Ryan Corcoran
• 2 p.m.: “What are You Going to do About AI?” – Carolyn Speer, John Jones

That’s a wrap on the August ARC. Recordings and resources will be posted to the August 2026 ARC webpage.

Today includes some of ARC’s most anticipated sessions, including a repeat of Alicia Newell’s May session, “What You Need to Know About the Current Generation of WSU Students.” Also featured are two sessions intended for deans and other admins, one of which is presented by special guest speaker, Andrea (Dea) Follmer Greenhoot, director of the Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of Kansas.

Visit the August ARC website to see session descriptions or register for calendar invites.

• 9 a.m.: “Managing Difficult Student Behavior in the Academic Environment” – Alicia Newell
• 10 a.m.: “What I’ve Learned About Teaching at WSU” – Debby Hinsdale, moderator; Erin O’Bryan, Laila Cure, Montana Loibl
• 11 a.m.: “WSU Common Read Book Discussion for ‘The Shape of Ideas'” – Angie Paul
• Noon: “What You Need to Know About the Current Generation of WSU Students” – Alicia Newell
• 1 p.m.: “Evaluating Instruction”* – Andrea (Dea) Follmer Greenhoot, guest speaker from KU’s Center for teaching Excellence
• 2 p.m.: “Using AI to Create Full Program Reviews”* – Carolyn Speer

*These sessions are intended for chairs and other administrators.

Join the ARC today, Aug. 5, for sessions on tech, accessibility and fostering student belonging in the classroom.

Visit the August ARC website to see session descriptions or register for calendar invites.

• 9 a.m.: “Intermediate Blackboard” – Magi Hruza
• 10 a.m.: “Using Microsoft Tools as Educational Technologies” – Rachel Bastian, Magi Hruza
• 11 a.m.: “Mandatory Accessibility Training AY2026-2027” – Krystal Iseminger, John Jones
• Noon: “Honorlock: WSU’s Proctoring Solution” – Rachel Bastian, Magi Hruza
• 1 p.m.: “Strategies for Bringing Belonging into the Student Classroom Experience” – Brett Bruner, Sara Mata
• 2 p.m.: “Claude Workflows for Course Improvement” – Carolyn Speer

Day two of the August Academic Resources Conference includes new research on discussion boards, strategies for de-escalation and more. Visit the August ARC website to see session descriptions or register for calendar invites.

• 9 a.m.: “De-escalation Training for Faculty and Staff” – Mia Schenck, Morgan Davis
• 10 a.m.: “What Discussion Board Submissions Tell us about AI Writing at WSU” – Carolyn Speer, Rachel Bastian
• 11 a.m.: “You Left the Feedback; Now Help Students Put it to Use!” – Rachel Bastian
• Noon: “Rethinking Discussion Boards: Student Perspectives” – Aaryn Ludens
• 1 p.m.: “Exploring AI (and Other) Tools for Research” – Rachel Bastian
• 2 p.m.: “Using AI for Grading Workflows” – Carolyn Speer, Susan Castro

The August Academic Resources Conference starts today, Aug. 3. Begin by hearing from Blackboard Exemplary Course Award winner, Jacie Green. Visit the August ARC website to see session descriptions or register for calendar invites.

• 9 a.m.: “Opening Plenary” – Jacie Green, Carolyn Speer
• 10 a.m.: “What’s New in Blackboard?” – Magi Hruza
• 11 a.m.: “Course Video in Blackboard” – Rachel Bastian
• Noon: “How are Technology Decisions Made at WSU?” – WSU technology leaders
• 1 p.m.: “Academic and Classroom Accommodations” – Isabel Medina Keiser
• 2 p.m.: “Assessments in a World Without a Scarlet AI” – Carolyn Speer

The August ARC begins Monday, Aug. 3, with five days of free online sessions. Kicking things off is Jacie Green, a Blackboard Exemplary Course Award winner, followed by 20+ sessions to help you get ready for the fall semester.

Visit the August ARC Website to see session descriptions or register if you would like to receive calendar invites.

Learn Blackboard straight from the source. Representatives from Blackboard are visiting Wichita State for a special Blackboard Day for Instructors from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11 at Wichita State Connect, leading in-person sessions throughout the morning.

Different topics run at different times, so you can come for the ones that matter most to you; there’s no need to stay for the whole thing. Sessions cover the new gradebook, AI-assisted assessment creation, video and accessibility features, and best practices for using AI in Blackboard, with staff on hand to answer your questions and complimentary food throughout the day.

Visit the Blackboard Day for Instructors event page for more information or email the Office of Instructional Resources at oir@wichita.edu.

The August Academic Resources Conference (ARC) starts one week from today, running Monday, Aug. 3 through Friday, Aug. 7. Haven’t looked at the schedule yet? Here are three sessions expected to fill up fast:

• “What You Need to Know About the Current Generation of WSU Students” (Noon, Thursday, Aug. 6): Alicia Newell repeats her session from May, sharing insight about strategies for adapting practices to better meet the needs of today’s students.
• “Strategies for Bringing Belonging into the Student Classroom Experience” (1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5): Hear from Brett Bruner and Sara Mata about four core components and strategies that all who teach can use to cultivate belonging in your classes.
• “What are You Going to do About AI?” (2 p.m. Aug. 7): Learn about a new widget that will walk you through your course-level AI standards, helping to make your expectations clear and visible.

Visit the August ARC website to see session descriptions or register if you would like to receive calendar invites.

The Academic Resources Conference (ARC) returns Aug. 3-7 with five days of sessions built to get you and your courses ready for the semester ahead.

This year’s lineup includes:

• Straight from WSU’s own data: what the Blackboard discussion boards reveal about AI and student writing
• Blackboard, leveled up: a refreshed Gradebook, video tools, Honorlock and sessions for beginner and intermediate Blackboard users
• The AI questions people are asking: grading workflows, program reviews, authentic assessment, etc.
• Feedback that gets used, not just given: helping students act on what you tell them
• A whole day for new (and not-so-new) faculty: what good teaching looks like, tools you need, all the stuff no one tells you and more
• The requirements: mandatory accessibility training and classroom accommodations

Visit the August ARC website to see session descriptions or register if you would like to receive calendar invites.