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Dear Colleagues,

October brings an opportunity to recognize an important part of our university community during National Transfer Student Week, Oct. 19–23. Transfer students contribute significantly to ����ԭ��’s enrollment, making up 27% of new students, and enrich our classrooms with diverse experiences and perspectives.

I encourage you to join the Transfer Center in celebrating these students by sharing a few words of encouragement or advice through the . These messages help foster a welcoming, transfer-affirming culture and may be featured during the week’s activities.

I also invite you to attend the Transfer Student Experience on Friday, Oct. 23, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Student Union Discovery Room, where current ����ԭ�� students will share their transfer journeys and experiences. Events such as these provide an opportunity to better understand the unique paths many of our students take to reach ����ԭ�� and the important role we all play in supporting their success. 

Thank you for the many ways you help our transfer students feel welcomed, supported and connected to the ����ԭ�� community.

New Accessibility Support Coming to Pilot

����ԭ�� will implement YuJa Panorama across all Pilot courses on Sept. 21. Panorama is an accessibility tool integrated directly into Pilot that helps faculty identify and address accessibility issues in course materials. Panorama automatically analyzes content, highlights areas for improvement and provides guided recommendations to help enhance accessibility.

In addition to supporting faculty, Panorama will provide students with access to alternative formats of course files on demand, helping improve access to course materials. The implementation of Panorama supports ����ԭ��’s ongoing efforts to prepare for upcoming ADA Title II digital accessibility requirements, which take effect in April 2027.

To help faculty get started, ����ԭ�� Online has developed introductory resources in the . Training sessions will also be offered throughout the Fall Semester. The first virtual training session is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 1 p.m. .

 ����ԭ�� Online and CaTS will also provide ongoing support as faculty begin using the new tool.

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OhioLINK Open Educational Resource Course Redesign Mini-Grants

OhioLINK Affordable Learning offers Open Educational Resource Course Redesign Mini-Grants to help faculty use openly licensed or other affordable course content in their high-enrollment courses.

All full-time or part-time faculty from OhioLINK member institutions are eligible to apply. Up to 30 applications will be selected and will receive a $650 stipend for participating once all the requirements have been met. The deadline to apply is Oct. 2.

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SOCHE AI Webinar Series

The Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) has launched a new AI Webinar Series for the 2026–2027 academic year. The series is designed to help higher education professionals explore the opportunities and challenges associated with artificial intelligence, with topics focused on teaching, learning, productivity, assessment and student success. Recordings will be available to registrants who are unable to attend live sessions.

The first webinar in the series, “Cultivating an Authentic Voice in the Age of AI,” will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 21, from noon to 1 p.m. and presented by Dr. Brandy Bagar-Fraley, writing program administrator at Franklin University. The session will explore how AI is influencing communication in higher education and provide practical strategies for maintaining authenticity when using AI tools in teaching, leadership and collaboration. Participants will examine how AI can sometimes create a “flattening” effect in communication and learn how to preserve the perspective, personality and values that make human interactions meaningful.

Faculty interested in attending can . 

Fall Career and Internship Fair

The Dayton Campus fall Career and Internship Fair will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Student Union Apollo Room. Encourage your students to register in advance through Handshake or on the day of the fair at the student check-in station.

Learn more.

Graduate Programs Open House

The School of Graduate Studies will host an open house on Tuesday, Oct. 6, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Student Union Apollo Room.

Prospective graduate students can speak with the School of Graduate Studies staff, graduate program leaders and peer mentors and learn about campus resources such as financial aid, University Libraries and the Veteran and Military Center. Registered attendees will be eligible for one application fee waiver. Walk-ins are welcome. Faculty are encouraged to attend and meet prospective graduate students.

Learn more.

Faculty Activity Reporting

As a reminder, faculty should continue to maintain and update their activities in Watermark Faculty Success for the 2025–2026 academic year (fall 2025 through summer 2026). Activity reports reflect the prior academic year.

The submission window for forwarding Faculty Activity Reports to department chairs opened on Sept. 8 and the deadline to submit is Monday, Sept. 21.

 Faculty who need assistance using Faculty Success may contact Faculty Success Questions to schedule an individual training session.

When a Student Needs Support

is a great resource for helping students or making referrals. This site contains contact information for emergency or essential departments that can assist your students all in one location.

The Student Success Navigator showcases the wide range of resources designed to support our students. Whether students are interested in joining a student organization, looking for access to mental health services, playing a sport or finding a job, all information is available in one central location.

I am grateful for your dedication to promoting student success.

Jim Denniston, Ph.D.
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost