<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Lato;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}
h1
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 1 Char";
margin-top:.25pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:.25pt;
margin-left:0in;
mso-line-height-alt:14.4pt;
font-size:29.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1E5288;
font-weight:bold;}
h2
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 2 Char";
margin-top:.25pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:0in;
mso-line-height-alt:15.1pt;
font-size:21.5pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1E5288;
font-weight:bold;}
h3
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 3 Char";
margin-top:.25pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:0in;
mso-line-height-alt:15.55pt;
font-size:17.5pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1E5288;
font-weight:bold;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.Heading1Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 1 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 1";
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1E5288;
mso-ligatures:none;
font-weight:bold;}
span.Heading2Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 2 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 2";
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1E5288;
mso-ligatures:none;
font-weight:bold;}
span.Heading3Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 3 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 3";
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1E5288;
mso-ligatures:none;
font-weight:bold;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<div>
<div style="margin-bottom:.1pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Lato",sans-serif;color:#494C4E"><img width="960" height="192" style="width:10.0in;height:2.0in" id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://coursemaker.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/shared/CourseMaker/Assets/Images/Banners/UArizona/UArizona_03.jpg" alt="A mural called The Cactus Comet Rides Again by
artist Danny Martin"></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Lato",sans-serif;color:#494C4E;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div style="margin-left:.1pt;margin-right:.1pt">
<h1><span lang="EN" style="font-size:26.5pt;font-family:"Lato",sans-serif">SPLS instruction newsletter<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<p><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Lato",sans-serif;color:#494C4E">Dear SPLS faculty,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Lato",sans-serif;color:#494C4E">I’m writing to provide some information relevant to our instruction program ahead of the new academic year, with a special focus on syllabi.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h2><span lang="EN" style="font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Lato",sans-serif">New SPLS Student Support Coordinator<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Lato",sans-serif;color:#494C4E"><img width="213" height="280" style="width:2.2222in;height:2.9166in" id="Picture_x0020_4" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D9CB6E.4EA9EB20" alt="A person wearing glasses and a striped sweater
Description automatically generated"></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Lato",sans-serif;color:#494C4E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Lato",sans-serif;color:#494C4E">I’m excited to welcome
<a href="mailto:kshinagawa@arizona.edu">Keenia (ken-yuh) Shinagawa</a>, M.Ed., as our new Student Support Coordinator. She is replacing Amanda Armendariz in both the Graduate Coordinator role and in being our School’s link between instructors and Room and Course
Scheduling (and Curricular Affairs, for new courses and programs). We hired Keenia from outside the UA so it will take her a little while to get up and running on all the University systems, but she has a wealth of education and academic coordinator experience
and a great ability to anticipate issues and plan ahead so I believe she will do very well in this position. Her office is Forbes 317.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h2><span lang="EN" style="font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Lato",sans-serif">Spring 2024 teaching: action needed<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Lato",sans-serif;color:#494C4E">If you normally teach in the Spring, or otherwise plan to teach in Spring 2024, please check your schedule in the
<a href="https://uaccess.arizona.edu/" title="UAccess">UAccess</a> Instructor Center ASAP and report any issues with missing courses, course modality, enrollment cap, meeting times/days, or assigned classroom to <a href="mailto:kshinagawa@arizona.edu" title="Keenia Shinagawa">Keenia
Shinagawa</a> and cc <a href="mailto:orchard@arizona.edu" title="me">me</a>. I will work with Keenia to request the changes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h2><span lang="EN" style="font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Lato",sans-serif">Additional syllabus statement required starting Fall 2023<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Lato",sans-serif;color:#494C4E">The University
<a href="https://uaatwork.arizona.edu/uannounce/updated-syllabus-templates-and-final-exam-schedule-fall-2023">
recently began requiring</a> a new statement about campus safety in syllabi for courses with in-person meetings. You can either:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt">
<p><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Lato",sans-serif;color:#494C4E">1. Copy and paste the statement into your existing syllabus/syllabi [you can find the statement under “Safety on Campus and in the Classroom” on
<a href="https://catalog.arizona.edu/syllabus-policies">the syllabus policy website</a>]
<i>or…</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Lato",sans-serif;color:#494C4E">2. [My recommendation for efficiency] Replace quite a few of your University-required policy statements with
<a href="https://catalog.arizona.edu/syllabus-policies">this link to the required syllabus policy statements</a>. If you do this, you will not have to edit your syllabus/syllabi each time the University updates the language of any of the listed policies, since
the wording in the linked website will be centrally-updated.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Lato",sans-serif;color:#494C4E">"Efficiency is intelligent laziness." - David Dunham<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</blockquote>
<h2><span lang="EN" style="font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Lato",sans-serif">Technology borrowing program<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Lato",sans-serif;color:#494C4E">If you require your students to bring a laptop to class, or to have an external microphone or other specific accessory, consider advertising the UA's free
<a href="https://lib.arizona.edu/borrow/tech" title="technology borrowing program">
technology borrowing program</a> in your syllabus. Faculty can borrow cameras, projectors, 3D scanners, and more, too!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h2><span lang="EN" style="font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Lato",sans-serif">Templates for creating a new syllabus<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Lato",sans-serif;color:#494C4E">Please always start with the University-provided templates for
<a href="https://policy.arizona.edu/faculty-affairs-and-academics/course-syllabus-policy-undergraduate-template">
undergraduate</a> and <a href="https://grad.arizona.edu/policies/academic-policies/graduate-college-syllabus-policy">
graduate</a> courses when you create a new syllabus, especially if you are proposing a new course; using the templates will help prevent issues during the mandatory reviews by Curricular Affairs and the SPLS and CALS Curriculum Committees.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h2><span lang="EN" style="font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Lato",sans-serif">Syllabus Work Week and other professional development opportunities<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Lato",sans-serif;color:#494C4E"><a href="https://ucatt.arizona.edu/">UCATT</a> (fka OIA+ODL) is hosting 3 webinars the week of August 14 to help you create a learner-centered syllabus. See the
<a href="https://ucatt.arizona.edu/events/syllabus-work-week-august-2023">Syllabus Work Week website</a> for more information and to register. You can see the full, evolving list of these and other upcoming UCATT professional development offerings on their <a href="https://ucatt.arizona.edu/events/events-calendar">events
calendar</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt">
<h3><span lang="EN" style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Lato",sans-serif">What is a learner-centered syllabus?<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<p><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Lato",sans-serif;color:#494C4E">"A learner-centered syllabus requires that you shift from what you, the instructor, are going to cover in your course to a concern for what information and tools you can provide for your
students to promote learning and intellectual development." - <a href="https://arizona-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/evot53/01UA_ALMA21476176880003843" title="Diamond 1997">
Diamond 1997</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h3><span lang="EN" style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Lato",sans-serif">Why should you create a learner-centered syllabus?<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<p><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Lato",sans-serif;color:#494C4E">These types of syllabi help empower students to take charge of their learning and foster a sense of belonging/community in a class. When students are empowered as learners, they often perform
better, and when they feel the belong to a community, they often persist better in a course and in college. [See a
<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0098628318816129#bibr28-0098628318816129" title="summary in this article">
summary in this research article</a>]<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h3><span lang="EN" style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Lato",sans-serif">Wondering how learner-focused your syllabus
<em><span style="font-family:"Lato",sans-serif">already</span></em> is?<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<p><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Lato",sans-serif;color:#494C4E"><a href="https://arizona-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/1h28lag/TN_cdi_informaworld_taylorfrancis_310_1080_02602930801956018" title="This article">This article</a> (via UA libraries)
includes a rubric that you can use to score your syllabus and read about the traits that make a syllabus learner-focused. Or try the self-assessment in Figure 2 of
<a href="https://ideacontent.blob.core.windows.net/content/sites/2/2020/01/PaperIDEA_60.pdf" title="this paper">
this paper</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</blockquote>
<h2><span lang="EN" style="font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Lato",sans-serif">CALES Faculty Teaching Awards<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Lato",sans-serif;color:#494C4E">The Bart Cardon Academy for Teaching Excellence is currently accepting nominations for its <a href="https://compass.arizona.edu/faculty/awards" title="three annual teaching awards">three
~annual faculty teaching awards</a>. Nominations are due September 15th. If you would like to self-nominate or suggest another person for nomination for one of the awards, please consider contacting
<a href="mailto:bucksch@arizona.edu" title="Alex Bucksch">Alex Bucksch</a>, incoming Chair of the SPLS Awards Committee.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal">-Samantha<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" style="padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal"><img border="0" width="120" height="96" style="width:1.25in;height:1.0in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image002.png@01D9CB6E.4EA9EB20"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td width="500" style="width:375.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:#0C234B;mso-ligatures:none">Samantha Orchard, Ph.D.</span></b><b><span style="mso-ligatures:none">
</span></b><span style="mso-ligatures:none">she/her<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Associate Professor of Practice (<span style="color:#8B0015"><a href="https://biotech.arizona.edu/"><span style="color:#8B0015;text-decoration:none">Biotechnology</span></a></span>)<br>
Associate Director for Academic Programs<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">School of Plant Sciences<br>
THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA<br>
<br>
Marley, 541D<br>
PO Box 210036 | Tucson, AZ 85721<br>
Office: 520-621-3969 | <a href="mailto:orchard@arizona.edu"><span style="color:#0563C1">orchard@arizona.edu</span></a><br>
<b><a href="https://cals.arizona.edu/spls"><span style="color:#8B0015;text-decoration:none">cals.arizona.edu/spls</span></a>
</b>|<b> <span style="color:#8B0015"><a href="https://biotech.arizona.edu/"><span style="color:#8B0015;text-decoration:none">biotech.arizona.edu</span></a></span></b><span style="color:#8B0015"><br>
</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/UASchoolofPlantSciences"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#8B0015;text-decoration:none">facebook</span></a></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#767676;mso-ligatures:none"> |
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#767676;mso-ligatures:none"><a href="https://twitter.com/UAPlantSciences"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#8B0015;text-decoration:none">twitter</span></a></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#767676;mso-ligatures:none">
| </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#767676;mso-ligatures:none"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/uarizona"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#8B0015;text-decoration:none">instagram</span></a></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#767676;mso-ligatures:none">
| </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#767676;mso-ligatures:none"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/school/the-university-of-arizona"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#8B0015;text-decoration:none">linkedin</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>