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Home » The Vermont State Educator – January 2026

The Vermont State Educator – January 2026

January 2026 | Volume 3 | Issue 6 | Previous Issues

Each month, this year, we’re highlighting at least one teaching tip from one domain of the Teaching Effectiveness Framework (TEF). Our three teaching tips for this month come from the Classroom Climate domain. The approaches in this domain consider the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical environment in which students learn. Instructors who intentionally create a safe space and foster a community of learners find that students are more engaged.

We are not suggesting that you necessarily implement all three of these tips, but we wanted to draw your attention to multiple options for building early rapport and connection with your students, with different levels of investment of your effort.

Low Effort: Foster a Culture of Using Names

A simple and effective way to promote belonging in the classroom is through the use of names. Our names may reflect our personal identities, cultures, and families. They are core to being human, and when recognized within a class, promote respect, connection, and inclusion. Our names are even hardwired into our brains. Did you know that when you use someone’s name, it activates particular regions of their brain, distinct from when they hear other names? (Carmody & Lewis, 2006).

In one study, 85% of university students said it was important for their instructors to know their names (Cooper et al., 2017).

In college classrooms, there is evidence that when faculty use names, it increases students’ comfort asking for help, confidence in the material, rating of the course, sense of community, and engagement with peers (Cooper et al., 2017; Miller et al., 2025).

In a more nuanced study, Romney & Fraser (2025) explored the experiences of university students with underrepresented racial minority (URM) identities related to use of names in the classroom. Their results showed that Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latine, and Black/African American students often felt a lower sense of belonging in the classroom because they perceived their instructors did not know their names as well as their non-URM peers’ names. This sense of marginalization impacted students’ participation, belonging, and rating of the class. The findings of this study indicate the significance of instructors’ making a transparent effort to learn all students’ names.

While using names is important, it is not necessary to memorize names. In fact, a combination of strategies is recommended. For instance, even if you play name games, also implement use of name tents. Additionally, don’t be too hard on yourself if you forget a student’s name. One study found that minimal social interactions such as greeting students at the door with eye contact can improve the student-instructor relationship affecting students’ interest in the course and their sense of belonging (Sandstrom, 2023).

Updating Names and Pronouns in University Systems

Any VTSU community member can update the way their name and pronouns are displayed in university systems (such as in Canvas, in Zoom, or on class rosters), in accordance with the VSCS Chosen Name Policy.

Name Tents or Name Tags

In an in-person classroom, one of the simplest ways to consistently use names is by having everyone in the class (including the instructor) display a name tent.

The simplest way to facilitate use of name tents is to have students make them during the first class session and hand them in at the end of that class. The instructor then brings the stack of name tents to each class, eliminating the need to spend time replacing forgotten tents. This also makes recording absences easy, by noting which name tents aren’t picked up for each class session.

Tips: Make sure that names are written on both sides of the tent, so that people sitting on all sides of a person can see the name. Additionally, the first several classes, go around the room and have each person say their name out loud, focusing on pronunciation. Explain to students the purpose is to ensure accurate pronunciation, and normalize asking for clarifications and model practicing pronunciations.

Name Games
Name Toss

Name toss is a classic icebreaker that will help all of your group learn names while having fun!

Time Needed: 10-25 minutes, depending on the size of the group

Group Size: Any!

Materials: Tossables such as Beanie Babies, soft balls, stuffed animals, etc.

Description & Directions: 

  1. Have everyone gather in a circle facing inward.
  2. Explain that the goal of the activity is for every single person to be able to remember every other person’s name and say names out loud.
  3. To begin, go around the circle and have everyone state their name, clarifying pronunciations.
  4. Next, as the facilitator, start by saying “hi [person’s name],” make eye contact, and then throw a tossable to them. 
  5. Instruct that person to say “thank you [your name]” as they catch the tossable, modeling the interaction that you’re asking the group to engage in.
  6. The action continues as that person then calls out someone else’s name “hi [their name],” makes eye contact, and throws the tossable to them. The receiver says “thank you [name].” Have the group continue throwing the tossable (using “hi name” and “thank you name” with every throw), making sure everyone receives the tossable at some point.
  7. After a few minutes, add in a second tossable.
  8. Once it seems the group has gained some comfort, ask people to hold the tossables and see if anyone wants to try saying everyone’s name around the circle. Allow as many people to try saying names as possible.
  9. Once volunteers dwindle, ask students to shuffle where they are standing, rearranging the order of the circle. Then resume the tossing.
  10. As tossing resumes, add a 3rd, 4th, or even 5th tossable at some point.
  11. After a few more minutes, pause again (ask participants to hold the tossables) and ask for new volunteers to try saying everyone’s name.
  12. Continue rounds of tossing and volunteering until everyone has had the opportunity to try saying everyone else’s name.

Debrief Questions (optional):

  1. What were some difference between the first and the last rounds?
  2. What happened as more tossables were added?
  3. What did we do as a group to be successful in learning everyone’s names?
Adjective Name Game

The Name Game depends on repetition to reinforce names.

Sit in a circle.

One person starts by using an adjective starting with the same letter as their first name, followed by their first name (i.e. Artistic Abdi, Clever Claire, Easygoing Edwin) the next person and following has to repeat the first person’s adjective and name and then add their own.

Go around the circle and the last person has to repeat all other names in order and end with their own.

Blanket Name Game

The Blanket Name Game is a simple name recognition/identification game.

Go around the room and make introductions (share names and other desired information such as hobbies, major, etc.).

Then separate into two groups and have two people hold a large, thick blanket separating the two groups so that neither group can see the other.

When the blanket drops, the first person to correctly call out the name of the other group’s designated person wins the round (which typically means the loser of the round must leave the game, though if you prefer to avoid ‘elimination’ then you don’t have to do this). The group may strike different humorous poses to distract the attention of other group’s person. As a variation, several people may be facing the other group with one person being chosen to call out the information of the other group’s people.

Story of Your Name

This activity allows students to better understand their peers’ unique backgrounds and family histories. Go around the room (or use a discussion board if you’re teaching online) and have students share their name and its relevance or meaning. Let students know that they may elect to talk about any part of their name.

References

Carmody, D. P., & Lewis, M. (2006). Brain activation when hearing one’s own and others’ names. Brain Research, 1116(1), 153–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2006.07.121

Cooper, K. M., Haney, B., Krieg, A., & Brownell, S. E. (2017). What’s in a name? The importance of students perceiving that an instructor knows their names in a high-enrollment biology classroom. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 16(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.16-08-0265

Miller, J., Croft, C., & Stokowski, S. (2025). Call me by my name: The impact of instructor knowing student names on inclusion. Physical Educator, 82(1), 65–84. https://doi.org/10.18666/TPE-2024-V82-I1-12154

Romney, C. E., & Fraser, A. M. (2025). Student perceptions that their instructor knows their name predicts college classroom belonging: Additional concerns for underrepresented students. Discover Education, 4(1), 479. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-025-00878-9

Sandstrom, G. M. (2023). Even minimal student-instructor interactions may increase enjoyment in the classroom: Preliminary evidence that greeting your students may have benefits even if you can’t remember their names. PLoS ONE, 18(8), e0288166–e0288166. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0288166

Medium Effort: Survey Your Students

One way to connect individually with your students is to ask them to fill out a simple survey in the first few weeks of the semester. There are no right or wrong questions to ask in a questionnaire. When choosing what to include, consider what you will do with the information. Exclude any questions that you don’t anticipate acting upon.

Addy et al. (2021) describe a “Who’s in Class” survey in Chapter 6 of their book. This inclusive teaching methodology uses a series of binary (yes/no) questions followed by demographic information and 3 short-answer questions that allow students to express how their identities and experiences may impact their learning and expectations in the course.

Schmitt et al. (2013) recommend including questions focused on student expectations in five categories: technology, learning activities, learning assessments, faculty-student interactions, and timeliness of action.

A basic student questionnaire can be modified to serve your needs. Choose the format that works best for you: [printable Word version] [Microsoft Forms electronic version]. You may be interested in the “Who’s in Class” survey by Addy et al. (2021) described above. Navigate to Chapter 6 of the book What Inclusive Instructors Do: Principles and Practice for Excellence in College Teaching to access the questions. The expectation questions that Schmitt et al. (2013) recommend, may be found in Table 1 of their article.

Electronic surveys have certain advantages. They are essential for online courses. And even for in-person classes, they will aggregate results, which can be helpful for gaining a whole-class perspective on certain questions (such as what percentage of students are working 20 hours or more per week).

Surveys can be built right into Canvas (using the Quiz tool –> Ungraded Survey option). Additionally, surveys can easily be customized using Microsoft Forms, part of the Microsoft 365 suite to which the VSCS subscribes. Contact the Learning Technologies team via a HelpDesk ticket for assistance using these tools.

References

Addy, T. M., Dube, D., Mitchell, K. A., & SoRelle M. (2021). What inclusive instructors do : Principles and practices for excellence in college teaching. Routledge.

Schmitt, K. R. B., Larsen, E.A., Miller, M., Badawy, A.A., Dougherty, M., Sharma, A.T., Hrapczynski, K., Andrew, A., Robertson, B., Williams, A., Kramer, S., & Benson, S. (2013). A survey tool for assessing student expectations early in a semester. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education (24), 2, 255-257. https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v14i2.581

High Effort: Implement an Interactive Syllabus

Many faculty can probably tell a story of at least mild frustration about a student asking a question that could be readily answered via the syllabus.

Various methods for encouraging students to read and digest the syllabus can be effective, such as a syllabus quiz or asking students to collectively annotate a shared syllabus document. Typically these approaches are designed to ensure student comprehension of the syllabus content.

Another approach to engage students in a deeper way is an interactive syllabus, which is presented to students using a survey software (such as Microsoft Forms). This use of technology turns a previously transactional document into a guided conversation between the instructor and each individual student.

The interactive syllabus model was first developed at Creighton University by Dr. Guy McHendry and Dr. Kathy Gonzales and can be adapted to meet your needs. These are some general characteristics of an interactive syllabus:

  • An activity for students to do, rather than a document to read.
  • An interactive series of pages that require students to understand and acknowledge the information presented in the syllabus.
  • A way to gauge student attitudes about course expectations and policies.
  • A means to collect information about why students are in the course and information about that may alter the way you teach the course.

Matthew Cheney, Associate Professor at Plymouth State University, advocates for cruelty-free syllabi and advises that, “Students don’t enter a classroom immediately trusting a teacher.” Intuitively, this makes sense – trust is earned, especially in relationships with power dynamics, such as the teacher-student relationship. And, of course, syllabi are one of the first impressions students get of our courses. Evaluate your traditional syllabus from the lens of a student evaluating the relationship they might have with you as their instructor. What feelings might they walk away with? What level of motivation might be fostered? What impression might they form about you, your philosophy, and your approach to supporting their learning? Because of the conversational approach to an interactive syllabus, you may be better able to convey to students a warm, supportive, and compassionate tone while expressing high expectations.

Jen Garrett-Ostermiller, Director of the Vermont State University Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation also teaches at the Community College of Vermont and uses an Interactive Syllabus in her first-year seminar course. This is a fairly lengthy syllabus and is assigned in the first week of the semester. Depending on the level, topic, and outcomes of your course, your own interactive syllabus might look very similar or wildly different – that is ok!

This feedback was emailed to a professor, unsolicited, by a student after completing an interactive syllabus (emphasis added):

I learned that not all syllabuses have to be a straightforward text written out by your professors. In every class I’ve taken in the past, I’ve been handed the syllabus and been told to just study it. After I was finished, it ended up just thrown into a folder or my backpack and forgotten. Through this class, I was allowed to tell you how I interpreted it, ask questions, and overall just interact. To me, this is meaningful because it gives a sense of connection, which I always find helpful in my class. The better of a connection I seem to have with my teachers or professors, the less embarrassed I feel about reaching out or asking for help.

Additionally, students tend to be quite honest in their responses to questions, which provides the instructor with individualized insights into students strengths, worries, and interests:

Example of a student response about their own goals for a course:
I want to learn how to speak up as often as I can without feeling guilt, how to read and interpret text while actually retaining the information, how to stay organized and on top of things, and how to have healthy debates.

Example of a student response about something about the course that makes them nervous:
I am very independent so sometimes I get nervous doing group projects or engaging in other peoples’ work so I’m just going to do my best to put myself out there a little and try to make friends!

For best results, consider these tips:

  • Have a trusted colleague or CTLI staff member preview your interactive syllabus before deploying it with students, to give you feedback from a fresh perspective.
  • Make completion of the interactive syllabus an at-home assignment.
  • Respond individually to each student’s submission, acknowledging something personal and responding to any specific questions they have posed.
  • In addition to the interactive version, it can be helpful to have a pared down, static version of the syllabus to use as a reference throughout the remainder of the semester.

An interactive syllabus is a particularly effective way to establish all three forms of presence (teaching, cognitive, social) in an asynchronous online course as described in the Community of Inquiry. If the syllabus also introduces students to the LMS course page, consider whether students might need to be given a direct link to the interactive syllabus from which to then learn about how to access the LMS.

Janet Sauer

This month, we have the pleasure of featuring Janet Sauer, Ed.D., an Associate Professor at VTSU who teaches in the Education Department.

Please tell us a little bit about your background and what brought you to VTSU.

I have been an inclusion advocate throughout my adult life. My experience as a Peace Corps Volunteer in my early career and as a teacher on the Navajo Reservation have had a lasting impact on my understanding of meaningful inclusion and the importance of building trusting reciprocal relationships with cultural humility. My research into the lived experience of dis/abled people and their families taught me about the differences between the emic and etic perspectives.

I was drawn to VTSU in large part because I shared the mission. I learned through my work with disability rights organizations about how Vermont was an early leader for inclusion of people with disabilities. I also found in my interview process that the people I would be working with shared a vision for building a more inclusive world. I was excited to hear how faculty were working collaboratively with a local Head Start school, taking students and joining the Head Start staff to study Reggio Emilia in Italy. I also learned one of my new colleagues has been researching with European counterparts about teaching in the outdoors and studying how the natural world provides children with inclusive learning experiences. Most importantly, I was seeking a community, and I’m happy to have found a welcoming one here.

What are your favorite things about your field or discipline?

I love to learn alongside colleagues and students. Education reminds me of my early work in documentary filmmaking that necessities a teamwork mentality. The advocacy work in the inclusive disability rights movement also requires finding allyship across what could be otherwise isolated movements. Education, especially when thought of from an inclusive stance, needs effective collaboration. Collaborative work across disciplines and roles (teachers, therapists, families, community members, nurses, social workers) involves constantly “re-checking” myself. I found it helpful to think about approaching my work with cultural humility, always seeking out learning opportunities that I can utilize to help the next generation of educators find hope for a better future. During finals week one of my students was presenting on her first internship placement at a school. She exclaimed “A lightbulb went off” when she was in an Individualized Education Planning meeting and witnessed in action how important collaboration between schools and families was. She said she had learned about it in our class, read about it, watched videos, and role-played, but to make that connection was where the learning for her occurred. These moments motivate me.

How would you describe your teaching philosophy in a few sentences?

My teaching philosophy has always been informed by the value of diversity. In their text Rethinking disability: A disability studies approach to inclusive practices Jan Valle and David Connor (2011/2019) write, “To honestly examine and reflect upon our beliefs, values, attitudes, and fears is to make the first step toward creating inclusive communities” (p.13). In my classes, students and I co-construct our learning community expectations. I provide a variety of resources for examining assumptions and biases that often lead to valuable discussions about intersecting identities.

Were there any professional development opportunities offered during your first semester that you found to be particularly beneficial?

The Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation’s (CTLI) resources have been useful for providing inclusive instructional techniques and making initial connections across the University. Their orientation for new faculty is where I met the Disability Support Service Director who I later worked with to support several of my students in the ECSE program who have accommodations. When I had accessibility questions related to the Canvas platform, CTLI was able to redirect me to someone with technical expertise. CTLI also provided one of the most impactful sessions for new faculty November 14th with the Office of Multilingual Student Services and the Office of Culture and Institutional Excellence!

How do you establish a positive classroom climate at the beginning of the semester? Are there specific strategies you use?

In their book What inclusive instructors do (2023), Addy et al., discuss the importance of responsive teaching. This was a book I was given as part of the on-boarding process for new faculty at VTSU from the CTLI office. The authors describe various techniques and tools for learning about the students in the class, and revising the syllabus as needed, to ensure the planned curriculum is effective for the students who enroll in the course. They provided an example of a tool called “Who’s in Class?” (Ch.6) to informally assess the attributes of students. I used similar tools and approaches in my courses to learn about my students, and regularly “Check In” as part of our recurring general agenda. 

In the first meeting on the Castleton campus with the preservice education undergraduate students in EDU 2380 Collaboration and Special Education Law I used the tool “Class Resume” designed by Alice Udvari-Solner and Paula M. Kluth (2017). This activity invited students to share their education-related experiences on large post-its; it provided an opportunity for students to get up out of their seats and informally converse as they mingled around the room to write something for others to see. We then discussed what we noticed, and I emphasized that we all come to this course with a variety of experiences and it is valuable to understand and appreciate these differences. I pointed out that while some students had several years of experience working with children in both community service and educational contexts, others had very little experience. I emphasized that this course focuses on the professional disposition of respectful communication as part of collaboration and included an assignment where they would be required to collaborate with others, just as we expect professional educators to do in their work.

The word "survey" in a chat bubble with orange and blue backgrounds.

Annual Faculty Survey

Please complete the CTLI’s annual faculty survey.

We know survey fatigue is real, which is why we have stopped sending out a survey after each and every workshop we provide. Instead, we are asking faculty to complete one survey per year, which has two high-level purposes:

  1. To collect feedback on professional development needs of faculty related to teaching and assessment so we can tailor our efforts.
  2. To collect indirect evidence about the impact and effectiveness of the CTLI.

We are hoping to have high participation from all faculty (full-time, part-time, online). The survey will be open until January 30, 2026. You can save your responses and edit them if you think of more you’d like to add or if you’d like to complete the survey in more than one sitting.

While this survey is restricted to only those with a VSC login, we are not collecting names, so your feedback will remain anonymous.

The cover of the book The Opposite of Cheating

Spring 2026 – Book Group

This spring, join your colleagues for a book group on The Opposite of Cheating: Teaching for Integrity in the Age of AI.

Description:

In these days of an ever-expanding internet, generative AI, and term paper mills, students may find it too easy and tempting to cheat, and teachers may think they can’t keep up. What’s needed, and what Tricia Bertram Gallant and David A. Rettinger offer in this timely book, is a new approach—one that works with the realities of the twenty-first century, not just to protect academic integrity but also to maximize opportunities for students to learn.

The Opposite of Cheating presents a positive, forward-looking, research-backed vision for what classroom integrity can look like in the GenAI era, both in cyberspace and on campus. Accordingly, the book outlines workable measures teachers can use to better understand why students cheat and to prevent cheating while aiming to enhance learning and integrity.

Bertram Gallant and Rettinger provide practical suggestions to help faculty revise the conversation around integrity, refocus classes and students on learning, reconsider the structure and goals of assessment, and generally reframe our response to cheating. At the core of this strategy is a call for teachers, academic staff, institutional leaders, and administrators to rethink how we “show up” for students, and to reinforce and fully support quality teaching, learning, and assessment. With its evidentiary basis and its useful tips for instructors across disciplines, levels of experience, and modes of instruction, this book offers a much-needed chance to pause, rethink our purpose, and refocus on what matters—creating classes that center human interactions that foster the personal and professional growth of our students.

Meetings:

We will meet on Zoom throughout the spring semester, typically once every 3 weeks. We’ll survey those who RSVP to identify a time that works for the majority.

How to Sign-up:

To sign up for the group, please sign into your VSC account and submit the following form – please register by Friday, January 23 so that we can get the sessions scheduled based on group input in a timely fashion:

Book Group RSVP Form

Building Anti-Racist Educators with the words peer engagement, inquiry, discussion, change, and accountability.

Building Anti-Racist Educators: Reading & Inquiry Series

This Reading and Inquiry Series provides a monthly set of tools for learning, introspection and having conversations about issues of racism in our university, classrooms and communities. We hope that through regular reflection and conversation, you can get better at recognizing and resisting your biases and the impact they have on your students and colleagues.

Meetings:

The group will be meeting via Zoom on the following dates:

  • Thursday, January 22nd (3:00-4:30p)
  • Thursday, February 19th (3:00-4:30p)
  • Thursday, March 19th (3:00-4:30p)
  • Thursday, April 16th (3:00-4:30p)
  • Thursday, May 21st (3:00-4:30p)
How to Sign-up:

To receive a calendar invitation, Zoom link, and access to the group’s Canvas space, please fill out the Vermont State Colleges Building Anti-Racist Educators Sign-Up Form.

Woman writing in a notebook.

Spring Series on Writing & Generative AI

The CTLI and Castleton Writing Coordinator are collaborating to deliver a series of 5 professional development sessions for faculty in the Spring 2026 semester on the topic of generative AI and writing in the college classroom.  

While you are welcome to attend all 5 sessions, we also invite faculty to come to some of the sessions based on interest in the topic or schedule availability. These Monday sessions (from 12pm-1pm EST) are open to people with all levels of experience with generative AI. Register for one or more!

A lake color abstract mountain

Upcoming Workshops

As you likely know, starting in April 2026, all public higher education institutions of our size must be compliant with new regulations for accessibility of digital content. The regulations are based on the WCAG 2.1 AA standards, which are written for a technical audience.

In the CTLI, through the EdPros workshops, reading, and research, we have been gaining knowledge of digital accessibility. And we are creating tutorials on some of these key skills for faculty, translating the technical standards for general users. We are collating digital accessibility resources on our webpage for easy access, as well.

Check out our sixth tutorial on Panorama Best Practices. And see if you can ace the knowledge check at the end!

Previous Tutorials:

If you have feedback on the tutorial or topics you’d like to see us cover in future months, let us know by emailing ctli@vtsu.edu. Thank you so much.

VSC Libraries

Faculty Workshop: Register Now!

Quick, Ask the Library! Making the Most of the VSCS Libraries’ Services

Register for January 22, 2026 at 3:30pm or register for January 23, 2026 at 12:00pm

Are you making the most of the VSCS Libraries resources and services? Are your students getting the most out of what the library offers and succeeding in your class? Learn practical (and helpful!) ways to bring information literacy lessons into your courses and help your students become ace researchers. All for free!

VSCS Libraries Usability Testing

We want you and your students to help us make our systems easier to use!

During the spring semester the VSCS Libraries will be usability testing our website and online resources. This will consist of meeting (virtually) with students, faculty & staff, asking them to complete specific tasks using the library systems and then reflect on how it works for them.

We are collecting names of folks who are interested in participating. Please sign up. 

We would also love if you could help us reach out to students. We’d like to reach as wide of a range of folks as possible: users with different levels of library experience, users with disabilities or who may have other challenges with online systems, etc.

Participants in the tests will be entered in a drawing for special prizes!

If you have any questions, please contact Michael Braun Hamilton, our Web Services Librarian – michael.braunhamilton@vsc.edu. Please spread the word!

A lake color abstract mountain

Student Success

New Basic Needs Resource Tile

Vermont State University is committed to supporting the whole student — not just academically, but personally and financially as well. We’re excited to announce the launch of the new Basic Needs Resource tile, now live in the VTSU Portal! 

This new resource hub connects students directly to on-campus and community supports for food, housing, transportation, technology, childcare, emergency grants, and more — all in one convenient location. Whether you’re looking for a campus food pantry, assistance with textbooks, or information about applying for benefits, the Basic Needs Resource page can help and it can easily be accessed from a tile in the Portal.

For Students:

Explore available resources to help you stay focused on your goals and well-being. Reaching out for support is a strength — and we’re here to help.

For Faculty & Staff:

Use this page to refer students who may be struggling with food insecurity, transportation challenges, or other barriers to success. Sharing this resource can make a real difference.

Together, we’re creating a State of Possibility — one that ensures every student has the essentials to thrive.

Advising Office
Important reminders regarding attendance, alerts and CARES teams!
Attendance:

Completing regular attendance in SSE Connect (AVISO) allows us to quickly intervene when a student has been missing classes. If a student is marked as being absent 2x in SSE Connect, an auto-alert will be created, and a message is sent to the student encouraging them to connect with their instructor about missed classes. Learn more by reviewing the guide on how you can enter attendance in SSE Connect.

Unfortunately, Canvas Attendance does not integrate with SSE Connect. If you are taking attendance in Canvas but not SSE Connect, advisors will not know when a student is missing classes. 

Staff Initiated Alerts (Used by Faculty & Staff):

Should you have a student that you are concerned about, please create an alert in SSE Connect (AVISO) detailing the situation (Explore SSE Connect Video Tutorials). Alerts should be entered when you feel a student needs additional support from other staff/departments. If you have a student situation you have already been working with the student on and you don’t need additional follow-up completed, please add a Note to the student’s profile rather than alert.

Alerts are closed once someone has initiated an outreach plan for the student. Please note that the closing of an alert does not indicate that the situation is resolved. Notes will be added to the student’s profile tracking the support and outreach the student is receiving.

Please remember that when you are issuing an alert and notes, it becomes part of the student’s academic record. While the alerts are not sent to the students, they can ask to review them as part of their record at any time. If you would like to discuss your concerns about a student in more detail, you are welcome to contact one of the chairs of the CARES Teams.  

CARES Teams:

VTSU CARES (Communicating Action and Response Early for Students) teams. There are currently 4 CARES Teams working to support all VTSU undergraduate students.

The CARES Teams are responsible for reviewing elevated alerts and determining if and what steps may need to be taken to support the student. Once the CARES Team has reviewed an alert, a member of the team will be tasked with reaching out to the student to support them. This may look like: 

  • Reaching out to the student via SSE Connect and offering resources and services – often a phone call or text follows if the student does not respond
  • Collaborating with another staff or faculty member to outreach to student (an example of this could be having Residence Life check on the student)
  • Arranging a meeting with the student and connect them with necessary support (ie: tutoring, helping them craft an email to their professor, exploring executive functioning resources like Time Management or Task Planning workshops, etc.)

Please note that while these systems and teams are there to support students and give them necessary resources and support, the CARES teams are unable to require students to utilize the help being offered. 

If you have any questions about CARES or SSE Connect, please reach out to the following people:

Office of Multilingual Student Services

The Office of Multilingual Student Services supports faculty work with multilingual students across programs and courses. We offer English language support through the English Pathway Program and ESL courses, individual and small group tutoring, conversation practice, help with academic reading and writing, and support with intercultural communication and academic success strategies.

Multilingual students with verified English language proficiency that is developing can take tests and exams at our office with the aid of translation tools. In addition to ESL tutoring and academic language support, our office also helps students strengthen other languages such as Spanish, Japanese, and French. 

If faculty would like to refer a student, explore language support options for a class, or learn more about our services, please direct them to Associate Director Dr. Mary Dinh via Mary.Dinh@VermontState.edu. Additional information can also be found on the Office of Multilingual Student Services webpage and the VTSU Multilingual Students Services SharePoint site.

Vermont State Colleges System logo.

The VSC IT Learning Technologies Team

Reminder

A friendly reminder for VTSU faculty from the VSC IT Learning Technologies Team: We are here to support you with all your instructional and classroom technology needs. If you require assistance, simply submit a ServiceDesk ticket and our team will be happy to help.

Don’t forget to check out the Learning Technologies SharePoint Site to learn more about our staff and the services we offer, stay updated on planned upgrades, and access valuable resources like classroom guides and on-demand help. 

 Preparing Courses for Spring 

As we turn our attention to spring and work to prepare new course offerings, the Learning Technologies team reminds us that previous Canvas course content can be easily moved into new Canvas course shells using the Import Course Content feature (click to access instructions and tutorial video).  Faculty that elect to use the “Adjust events and due dates” feature when completing this process will need to convert respective start and end dates. For example, course content being copied from a fall 2025 course into a spring 2026 course will need to have “Beginning dates” shifted from Monday, August 25th to Tuesday, January 20th and “Ending dates” shifted from Friday, December 19th to Friday, May 15th.  

Course Sharing 

VSC faculty have long enjoyed the ability to share their Canvas courses with colleagues. One way to do this is to add Canvas courses to the Canvas Commons (click to access instructions and tutorial video). Once added, VSC faculty can provide their colleagues with the ability to import them into their own Canvas course shells. Faculty can also request “Sandbox” versions of their courses be made available to their colleagues; instead of providing access to existing courses with confidential student data, Canvas Sandbox courses safely provide access to course content while avoiding any potential issues with FERPA (click to access more information). If desired, the VSC Learning Technologies team can provide faculty with the Course Manager role in Sandbox courses, thus allowing faculty the ability to share access to the Sandbox course with anyone they choose. Please submit a ServiceDesk ticket to get started.