The University of Pittsburgh will transition to the Canvas Learning Management System during the 2019-2020 academic year. To prepare for this transition, our center has a number of resources and workshops available for instructors. Visit our Canvas @ Pitt web pages to learn more about this transition, how it will impact you in the coming months, and how we can help. Starting Dec. 16, instructors can participate in a number of workshops aimed at preparing the campus community for Canvas.

The Office of the Provost and the University Center for Teaching and Learning would like to congratulate the recipients of the 2019 Provost’s Award for Diversity in the Curriculum. The award formally recognizes faculty’s efforts to integrate diversity and inclusion concepts into their course and curriculum. You can read more about each faculty’s accomplishments in recent articles published by @Pitt and the University Times. Congratulations, faculty!

The Student Opinion of Teaching Survey period begins on Monday, November 18. Here are some helpful tips to consider as you prepare for the survey period.

• Talk to your students about the feedback process and schedule time in class for students to complete their surveys.
• Faculty success stories show that higher response rates improve the learning experience.

Join us on November 15 in the William Pitt Union for the third of four sessions in our our fall series of the Mentoring Academy. This session will provide an opportunity to discuss best practices in Assessing Equity and Inclusion and Fostering Independence in mentoring relationships through interactive case studies. Please register online to attend.

As part of National Distance Learning Week, Pitt Online will host a group viewing of "Busting Multimedia Myths: An Evidence-Based Approach to Quality Instructional Media" — a webinar on Nov. 7, from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. in Alumni Hall. This session will provide an overview of categories and types of instructional multimedia and the quality of research to date. Following the webinar, those in attendance will discuss the application of these evidence-based practices during an informal lunch. Please register online to attend.

News of the passing of Dr. Bernard Fisher, Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and a pioneer in the field of breast cancer research, provided a moment of reflection about his legacy and the connection that the University Center for Teaching and Learning had with his incredible work at Pitt. In our latest article, Blaine Walker, manager of academic digital media, reflects on what a privilege it was for our staff to have worked alongside one of Pitt’s pioneering researchers for nearly 20 years.