Teaching and learning resources brought to you by:Smeal’s eLearning Design & Innovation Group (eLDIG)
Sharing the Love for Our Smeal Community
February is known as the month of love, and we’re celebrating what we love most: our incredible Smeal Community! Your dedication to creating accessible, engaging learning experiences makes all the difference for our students. As a small token of our appreciation, we’ve gathered some helpful resources and tips in this month’s newsletter to make your work a little easier.
Thank you for all you do to support our community!
Save These Dates!
19
The Dan & Robyn Ives AI Innovation Day & Case Competition
On March 19, 2026, The Dan and Robyn Ives AI Innovation Day & Case Competition will bring together students, faculty, staff, and industry leaders to explore the transformative impact of Generative AI in business education and beyond. This event will offer keynote addresses, interactive sessions, networking opportunities, and an undergraduate case competition where student teams share pitches for their AI-driven solutions to a real-world business case. We hope to see you there!
24
The DOJ’s Accessibility Deadline is Fast Approaching – Are You Ready?
The U.S. Department of Justice has ruled that all higher education institutions must comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2 at the AA level by April 24, 2026. This applies to Canvas content, instructor content, and publisher and digital content.
We’ve created a timeline outlining the steps that faculty members must take to meet this legal requirement, as well as video tutorials to support you in improving the accessibility of your course materials, including:
- PowerPoint Presentations
- Word Documents
- Canvas Pages, Announcements, and Discussions
- Contrast and Alt Text
- Unused Canvas Files and Pages
And more!
Upcoming Smeal Academy Sessions
24
Analog Inspiration Lunch
Tuesday, February 24, 12 – 1 PM
In-Person: 210G
Join Emily Baxter from the eLDIG team for a relaxed, bring-your-own-lunch, in-person gathering using her new Analog Inspiration card deck to spark reflective, screen-free conversation. Open to faculty, staff, and administrators, with an online version planned later in the semester for remote participants.
25
Smeal AI@Work: PowerPoint and Copilot
Wednesday, February 25, 12 – 1 PM
via Zoom
This beginner-friendly session introduces participants to writing effective prompts with Microsoft Copilot. Attendees will learn how better prompts can help them draft content, build presentations, and organize ideas more efficiently in PowerPoint. The session is hands‑on, practical, and designed to help you get immediate value from generative AI at work.
- PowerPoint Presentations
- Word Documents
- Canvas Pages, Announcements, and Discussions
- Contrast and Alt Text
- Unused Canvas Files and Pages
And more!
Do More With Sage!
Sage Business Collection Expansion
We’re excited to announce an expansion of the Business Library’s Sage Business collection! There are two new modules, as well as additions to Skills and Cases:
- Business Foundations: helps develop an in-depth understanding of key business theories.
- Business Data Decisions: designed to help students make strategic recommendations through data-driven analysis.
Not sure where to start with Sage resources? Stay tuned for a Smeal Academy session hosted by our Business Librarian partners.
Follow Us on LinkedIn
Smeal Academy on LinkedIn
Don’t forget to connect with us via Smeal Academy’s LinkedIn page, your hub for staying engaged with our mission to empower Smeal instructors with the tools, strategies, and best practices they need to excel in teaching.
Follow us for updates, resources, and opportunities to engage. We can’t wait to connect with you!
We’re Here to Help!
We can help you with course design and redesign, educational technology tools such as Canvas, Zoom, and Kaltura, strategies for assessment and evaluation, instructional best practices, and the integration of Smeal College and University-wide resources.
Let’s start a conversation about how Smeal’s eLearning Design & Innovation Group can help you.
