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MSU seeks new ideas aimed at improving the digital learning experience. Incorporating digital strategies to support pedagogy can enhance students’ learning experiences and offer efficiencies in assessment and analysis. Many digital learning innovations impacting institutional initiatives at scale often start small. Innovations may spring from novel pedagogical approaches in individual courses, as collaborative experiments across disciplines, or the result of student feedback and needs analysis. We recognize the value of providing support and resources to change the student experience for the better. MSU's Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation is committed to facilitating new ideas and announces the following call for proposals for the Catalyst Innovation Program.
Catalyst Innovation Program
The Catalyst Innovation Program seeks to fund creative and innovative uses of tools, technology, and pedagogical approaches up to $10,000 for the purposes of allowing experimentation in spaces with the potential to enhance student learning experiences.
Please note that these funds are intended to fund software, technology, and/or services but are not able to support salary lines, including faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students. We are especially interested in proposals that include one or more of the following criteria:
Learning

Demonstrate learning, conceptual understanding, or increased content knowledge

Inclusivity and Accessibility

Increase access, as defined as “providing the means for all qualified, motivated students to complete courses, degrees, or programs in their disciplines of choice (Online Learning Consortium, n.d.; MSU Learning Design Strategy.)” For example, reduced or zero cost to students beyond tuition, universally designed experiences, and the like
Contribute to more equitable and inclusive digital learning experiences and environments
Experiences that are universally designed and accessible

Feedback and Adaptivity

Increase formative feedback (assessment for learning)
Provide learning analytics to educators to enable adaptive or personalized pedagogy
Provide mechanisms for student input and collaboration
Increase student engagement as defined by your discipline. For example as increased participation, collaboration, peer learning, and so on

Proposals
Proposals should include a description of the innovation and idea, implementation approach, evaluation and assessment plan, and budget. Click the following link to apply (Application closed)
Timeline

The Call for Proposals opens: December 16, 2021
Proposals are due: 5:00 pm EST, January 21, 2022
Awards will be announced: February 7, 2022
Once awarded, funding is available through June 30, 2022.  

Selection Criteria

Completeness of the idea proposal

Clearly explained potential impact on student engagement, mastery, or success
Challenge or shift current teaching and learning practices

Readiness to implement

Plan to implement during the funding period in an existing course or program

Opportunity for scale/re-use
Assessment and evaluation plan for your project
Proposed budget
Alignment with MSU Learning Design Strategy

Quality
Inclusivity
Connectivity


References
https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/about/quality-framework-five-pillars/
http://lds.msu.edu

There are a variety of considerations when it comes to course content. Now, if you’re close to the start of the semester, it is likely that you have already chosen (and submitted to the Registrar Office) your textbook and/or required materials for student purchase. Please consider the following when selecting your supplemental course content (additional materials, case studies, scenarios, etc.)... and for your primary texts next term. 
Diversifying voice - who is represented?
“Does your syllabus demonstrate to students that everyone has a place in your field of study? … Pedagogically, we might find it challenging to create a sense of belonging in a course when some students cannot imagine themselves as part of the community of scholarship and practice” (Marcella Addy et al., 2021, p. 52). Wow, that statement is really powerful, especially considering some recent scholarship. Schucan Bird and Pitman (2020) found, after an analysis of reading lists, that the reading lists did not represent the diverse local student body but came closer to representing the demographic profile of academic staff (dominated by white, male, and Eurocentric authors). Despite challenges across disciplines and settings, educators should make every effort to center students in their course design and make course materials a descriptive representation of the student body itself (Schucan Bird & Pitman, 2020). This shift can include showcasing the contributions of marginalized groups (Blackburn, 2017) with greater representation of perspectives, histories and approaches of scholars (Le Grange, 2016), along with adopting efforts to decolonialize teaching and learning (Phillips & Archer-Lean 2018). 
Looking for ways to get started? Colleagues at Tufts University Libraries (according to this Inside Higher Ed article) have noted that diversifying your course materials to include content about and by marginalized scholars (groups whose characteristics result in the systematic denial of equal rights and opportunities within a community or society including but not limited to race, socioeconomic status, gender identity, sexual orientation)  helps to “foster an environment that includes knowledge that has been systematically excluded from academia.” You might…

Considering diverse authorship of readings (ethnicity, gender, geographic location)
Inviting guest speakers who bring different perspectives
Using diverse audio and visual materials, such as films, interviews and TED talks
Incorporating readings that challenge standard approaches
Using primary research with authorship that reflects local collaborators
Offering multiple perspectives in assigned readings and letting students choose what to read or discuss at times.

Faculty members “can identify resources that highlight historically underrepresented researchers and activists in our fields,” she suggests. “We can include statements and topics in syllabi to decode our courses, structures and expectations. We can work to decolonize the power dynamics of our classrooms so what students already know and experience is also seen as a valuable contribution to the learning environment,” said Bridget Trogden (presently serving as Dean of Undergraduate Education at American University). Improving diversity and inclusion of voices in educational materials isn’t necessarily difficult, educators just need to be intentional. Fuentes et al. (2021) go beyond centering authors of mariginalized backgrounds, and recommend educators transparently acknowledge their intentional material selections. The example they provide in their article Rethinking the Course Syllabus: Considerations for Promoting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is, "The following text/articles for the course have been chosen in efforts to highlight the important work of historically underrepresented and marginalized scholars in the field" (Fuentes et al., 2021, p.75).
“The proof is in the data: children are more likely to have a more productive learning experience and thrive in the classroom, throughout the school and in their communities when they see themselves represented in curriculum and library materials,” said Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada, President of the American Library Association. If data supports diversifying reading may boost a student’s development and well-being, WHILE ALSO increasing a sense of belonging and breaking down barriers to collegiate success… what reasons do we have not to reimagine our course materials?
Accessibility of digital content
The experts at MSU IT who manage the Digital Accessibility page recommend that educators ask the following questions before adopting digital content (adapted with permission from UC-Boulder’s Digital Accessibility Program):

Ask for Publisher Information: Contact the publisher to ask them for details about the accessibility of your particular textbook and/or digital content. This should include all known accessibility issues, any workarounds that the student can use, a named point of contact, and any guidance on how to ensure any content you create within the platform is accessible.
Review your Assessments: If you use digital online quizzes, ask the publisher for a list of quiz question types that are accessible. Review your own quiz content to ensure that none of your questions rely on drag-and-drop actions, images without alt text, or other inaccessible mechanisms.
Consult with Digital Accessibility Specialists: Contact your local Accessibility Policy Liaison for support and reach out to the MSU IT Digital Experience (DigitalX) team for help evaluating your digital content at webaccess@msu.edu or call the IT Help Desk at 517-432-6200.
Notify your Students: If the digital content (including texts, assignments, tests, or online homework systems) used in your course are not fully accessible, please notify your students in your syllabus with the following statement: “This course requires the use of [name of software or service], which is currently not accessible. Michigan State University is committed to providing equal opportunity for participation in all programs, services and activities. Accommodations for persons with disabilities, with documentation from the MSU Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities, may be requested by contacting [insert Professor name or "me"] at the start of the term and/or two weeks prior to the accommodation date (test, project, etc). Requests received after this date will be honored whenever possible. For questions, contact the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities at 517.884.7273”

For more information on Digital Accessibility check out the “Course Accessibility: Commitments, Support, and Resources” article, visit the Accessibility Evaluation Questions for Digital Content page, or contact your college/department’s Web Accessibility Policy Liaison. 
Cost as a barrier to access
Buying school materials can cost a lot, creating a barrier for students and impacting their collegiate success. Taking measures to curtail expenses on mandatory learning resources is not only a stride towards rendering college more cost-effective and attainable but also promotes equity. Embedding no-cost course materials into a syllabus provides the avenue to diminish financial burdens on students, foster more inclusive access to education, and enables the repurposing, blending, and creation of course content specifically tailored to each class. According to MSU Libraries Open Educational Resources (OER) Program, OER are “teaching, learning, and research resources that are copyright-free (public domain) or have been released under an open license that permits others to reuse, revise, remix, retain, and redistribute them. Examples of OER include open textbooks, videos, images, course modules, lectures, homework assignments, quizzes, lab and classroom activities, games, simulations, and other resources contained in digital media collections from around the world.” 
Diversifying Course Materials: A How-To Guide on Inside Higher Ed (previously linked) shared four additional considerations for instructors when considering their course materials.

Accessibility, affordability and adaptation
Relatability and reflection
Clarity and intentionality
Alternative perspectives

Read more about each of these four considerations at the link above and check out the resources below for more in depth from authors cited throughout this article. 
Resources

Marcella Addy, Dube, Mitchell & SoRelle (2021) What Inclusive Instructors Do. Stylus Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003448655
Schucan Bird, K. & Pitman, L. (2020) How diverse is your reading list? Exploring issues of representation and decolonisation in the UK. Higher Education, 79, 903–920. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-019-00446-9. 
Le Grange, L. (2016). Decolonising the university curriculum. South African Journal of Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.20853/30-2-709.
Blackburn, H. (2017). The status of women in STEM in higher education: a review of the literature 2007–2017. Science & Technology Libraries. https://doi.org/10.1080/0194262X.2017.1371658.
Phillips, S. R., & Archer-Lean, C. (2018). Decolonising the reading of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writing: reflection as transformative practice. Higher Education Research & Development, 38(1), 24–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2018.1539956.
Fuentes, M. A., Zelaya, D. G., & Madsen, J. W. (2021). Rethinking the Course Syllabus: Considerations for Promoting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Teaching of Psychology, 48(1), 69-79. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628320959979


Photo by Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash

Upsetting and sometimes tragic events that occur locally, nationally, or internationally can divert attention away from learning and teaching. In these situations, instructors are faced not only with the challenge of coping with the events personally, but also with the task of managing the responses of their students. In response to previous tragic events, the higher education community has developed resources to help instructors address the concerns of their students. 
Whether and how to broach the subject of a tragedy is always at the instructor’s discretion. However, as a most basic response, it can be helpful to acknowledge the event in class in a humane way to help students cope and focus on their coursework. Students can find a total lack of response from their instructors frustrating and disappointing. Furthermore, many students find it unhelpful for an instructor to say that the “class has to go on” or that “there is nothing we can do” without offering additional comment. An instructor need not hold a discussion about the event in class, especially if they feel it is unrelated to the class topic, or if they feel unprepared to have such a challenging discussion. However, there are simple teaching strategies which students find helpful during times of crisis (Huston and DiPietro, 2007): 

Up to date MSU Crisis Response Resources
Offer extensions to students who request them. 
Offer to add review sessions or to revisit class information at a later date. 
Allow a minute or two of silence before proceeding with the course material. 
Give students a few minutes to write their thoughts down about the event. Instructors don’t need to collect these writings; they can simply be placeholders for students’ thoughts so that they can focus on the course material. 
Read an inspirational passage. 

Remind students of support structures on campus which are equipped to manage students in stress or shock. MSU’s office of Counseling and Psychological Services offers a walk-in service for students who need help.
Additional details shared below compiled from various sources, and these should be applied with adequate consideration to the unique needs of each course section and students.
Take time to talk as a group or class.
Consider providing an opportunity at the beginning of a class period. Often, a short time period is more effective than a whole class period. This serves the purpose of acknowledging that students may be reacting to a recent event, without pressuring students to speak. Introduce the opportunity by briefly acknowledging the tragic event and suggesting that it might be helpful to share personal reactions students may have.
Have students discuss “facts” first, then shift to emotions.
Often the discussion starts with students asking questions about what actually happened and “debating” some details. People are more comfortable discussing “facts” than feelings, so it’s best to allow this exchange for a brief period of time. After facts have been exchanged, you can try to shift the discussion toward sharing personal and emotional reactions.
Invite students to share emotional, personal responses.
You might lead off by saying something like: “Often it is helpful to share your own emotional responses and hear how others are responding. It doesn’t change the reality, but it takes away the sense of loneliness that sometimes accompanies stressful events. I would be grateful for whatever you are willing to share.”
Respect each person’s dealing with the loss.
Some will be more vocal or expressive than others with their feelings and thoughts. Everyone is affected differently and reacts differently. Some may view events at least in part from the perspective of their discipline and/or background. Be aware that the presence of someone in our classroom who is evidently from a different background or who has a different relationship to crisis events will alter the dynamics of the classroom. We must be aware that differences (such as religion or nationality) are not always obvious or visible. The challenge is to create a meaningful, educational dialogue without creating an uncomfortable situation for any student. All students must feel that it is truly safe to express their thoughts, but they must do so with reasonable courtesy and willingness to allow that there are other valuable points of view.
Allow freedom of participation.
If students feel uncomfortable during class discussion, allow them to leave. If they feel coerced into the conversation, then they are likely to withdraw from the conversation or guard closely what they say. .
Acknowledge both verbal and non-verbal communication.
In a discussion or conversation, silence can make faculty feel uncomfortable, but silence and other non-verbal behaviors can be just as vital to a productive conversation as words are. It is tempting to fill silence with variations on the question asked, but doing so can inhibit students’ abilities to think through the issue and to prepare to share their thoughts with their classmates. If students repeatedly need extremely long silences, however, faculty should invite conversation as to why students do not feel comfortable sharing with their classmates.
Be prepared for blaming.
When people are upset, they often look for someone to blame. Essentially, this is a displacement of anger. It is a way of coping. The idea is that if someone did something wrong, future tragedies can be avoided by doing things “right.” If the discussion gets “stuck” with blaming, it might be useful to say: “We have been focusing on our sense of anger and blame, and that’s not unusual. It might be useful to talk about our fears.”
It is normal for people to seek an “explanation” of why the tragedy occurred.
By understanding, we seek to reassure ourselves that a similar event could be prevented in the future. You might comment that, as intellectual beings, we always seek to understand. It is very challenging to understand “unthinkable” events. By their very natures, tragedies are especially difficult to explain. Uncertainty is particularly distressing, but sometimes is inevitable. It is better to resist the temptation to make meaning of the event. That is not one of your responsibilities and would not be helpful.
Make contact with those students who appear to be reacting in unhealthy ways.
Some examples include isolating themselves too much, using alcohol excessively, throwing themselves into academics or busy work in ways not characteristic of them, etc.
Ask a professional counselor to come and talk to your students.
Students may experience such feelings as shock, sadness, anxiety, and suffering which may be better addressed by a trained counselor. Trained professionals can accurately interpret student responses and actions, collaborate with you to identify student concerns and needs, implement referrals, and establish a follow-up course of action. In addition, the counselor can assist you to develop strategies to successfully navigate through the remainder of the academic year.
Find ways of memorializing the loss, if appropriate.
After the initial shock has worn off, it may be helpful to find a way of honoring and remembering the person in a way that is tangible and meaningful to the group.
Make accommodations as needed, for you and for the students.
Many who are directly affected by the tragedy may need temporary accommodations in their workload, in their living arrangements, in their own self-expectations. It is normal for people not to be able to function at their full capacity when trying to deal with an emotional situation. This is the time to be flexible. Adapt your syllabus for the week following the crisis to accommodate reduced workload. Modify expectations to meet current conditions and provide additional time and support for student learning.
Thank students for sharing and remind them of resources on campus.
In ending the discussion, it is useful to comment that people cope in a variety of ways. If a student would benefit from a one-on-one discussion, you can encourage him or her to make use of campus resources.
Give yourself time to reflect.
Remember that you have feelings too and thoughts about what occurred, and these thoughts and feelings should be taken seriously, not only for yourself, but also for the sake of the students with whom you may be trying to work. Some find it helpful to write down or talk out their feelings and thoughts.
Take care of yourself.
Engage in healthy behaviors to enhance your ability to cope with stress. Eating well, resting, and exercising help us handle stressful situations more effectively and deal with students and their needs.
Come back to the feelings as a group at a later time.
It is important to acknowledge the adjustments people have made. Just because everything seems to be back to normal does not mean that everyone has finished having feelings about the loss.
When in doubt, consult your department chair.
If you think a particular course topic or course activity could result in unintended responses from students, please consult your department chair on planning alternatives.
If you choose to discuss the tragedy in class, set up discussion structures that support the emotional and psychological safety of students in the class. 
 
Adapted from IUB Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning & NIU Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning with special thanks to Virginia Tech’s Cook Counseling Center, NIU’s Counseling and Student Development Center, Western Kentucky University’s Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching, and Vanderbilt University’s Center for Teaching. 
 
References 
Huston, T. A., & DiPietro, M. (2007). In the eye of the storm: Students perceptions of helpful faculty actions following a collective tragedy. In D. R. Robertson & L. B. Nilson (Eds.) To Improve the Academy. Vol 25. Resources for faculty, instructional, and organizational development (pp. 207-224). Bolton, MA: Anker. 

This collection of example statements are a compilation from a variety of sources including Faculty Learning Community (FLC) at Cleveland State University, Ohio University’s AI, ChatGPT and Teaching and Learning, and some of Michigan State University’s own educators! (If you have an example generative AI policy from your course that you’d be willing to share, please add it to the comments below or e-mail it to MSU Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation at teaching@msu.edu). NOTE: making your own course-level determination of "ban", "restrict", "permit", or "require" and using the sample language is the best, first place to start!
 “AI (artificial intelligence) resources such as ChatGPT can be useful in a number of ways. Because it can also be abused, however, you are required to acknowledge use of AI in any work you submit for class. Text directly copied from AI sites must be treated as any other direct quote and properly cited. Other uses of AI must be clearly described at the end of your assignment.” -Claire Hughes-Lynch
 “While AI tools can be useful for completing assignments and detecting plagiarism, it is important to use them responsibly and ethically. Practice based on these guidelines as a future or current K-12 teacher. The following are some guidelines for what not to do when using AI in your assignments and for plagiarism detection:

Do not rely solely on AI tools to complete assignments. It is important to understand the material and complete assignments on your own, using AI tools as a supplement rather than a replacement for your own work.
Do not use AI tools to plagiarize*. Using AI to generate or modify content to evade plagiarism detection is unethical and violates academic integrity.
Do not assume that AI responses are always correct. It has been noted that AI can generate fake results.* Please see the plagiarism/academic integrity policy in the course syllabus.” -Selma Koc

“Intellectual honesty is vital to an academic community and for my fair evaluation of your work. All work submitted in this course must be your own, completed in accordance with the University’s academic regulations. Use of AI tools, including ChatGPT, is permitted in this course. Nevertheless, you are only encouraged to use AI tools to help brainstorm assignments or projects or to revise existing work you have written. It is solely your responsibility to make all submitted work your own, maintain academic integrity, and avoid any type of plagiarism. Be aware that the accuracy or quality of AI generated content may not meet the standards of this course, even if you only incorporate such content partially and after substantial paraphrasing, modification and/or editing. Also keep in mind that AI generated content may not provide appropriate or clear attribution to the author(s) of the original sources, while most written assignments in this course require you to find and incorporate highly relevant peer-reviewed scholarly publications following guidelines in the latest publication manual of the APA. Lastly, as your instructor, I reserve the right to use various plagiarism checking tools in evaluating your work, including those screening for AI-generated content, and impose consequences accordingly.” -Xiongyi Liu
“If you are ever unsure about whether collaboration with others, including using artificial intelligence, is allowed or not, please ask me right away. For the labs, although you may discuss them in groups (and try using AI), you must all create your own code, output and answers. Quizzes will be done in class and must be solely your own work. You alone are always responsible for the correctness of the final answers and assignments you submit.” - Emily Rauschert on AI as collaboration partner
“Chat GPT: The use of Chat GTP is neither encouraged nor prohibited from use on assignments for GAD 250. Chat GPT is quickly becoming a communication tool in most business settings. Therefore, if you choose to use Chat GPT for assignments, please be sure to revise the content for clarity, conciseness, and audience awareness. Chat GPT is simply a tool and should not be used as a way to produce first and only drafts. Every assignment submission will be graded using the rubric provided in the syllabus. Be aware that Chat GPT may not develop high-quality work that earns a passing grade. It is your responsibility to review and revise all work before submitting to the instructor.” -Leah Schell-Barber for a Business Communications Course
“Use of Generative AI, such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Bing-Chat, must maintain the highest standards of academic integrity and adhere to the OU Code of Student Conduct.  The use of Generative AI should be seen as a tool to enhance academic research, not as a replacement for critical thinking and originality in assignments. Students are not permitted to submit assignments that have been fully or partially generated by AI unless explicitly stated in the assignment instructions. All work submitted must be the original work of the student. Any ideas garnered from Generative AI research must be acknowledged with proper in-text citation and reference. Students may be asked to save the AI chat as a PDF file for verification.” -Ohio University College of Business Generative AI Use for Academic Work Policy
“‘The policy of this class is that you must be the creator of all work you submit for a grade. The use of others’ work, or the use of intelligent agents, chat bots, or a.i. engines to create your work is a violation of this policy and will be addressed as per MSU and Broad College codes of conduct.’ - Jeremy Van Hof… Or, you might consider this, which I asked ChatGPT to write for me: ‘Sample Policy Language: Students should not use ChatGPT to complete course assignments or for any other academic activities. ChatGPT should be used as a supplemental resource and should not replace traditional academic activities.’ (ChatGPT per Jeremy Van Hof’s prompting) 
Or this much longer version, also written by ChatGPT: ‘The following course policy statement prohibits the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the’ completion of assignments and activities during the duration of the course. At the Broad College, we strive to create an academic environment where learning is the foremost priority. We strongly believe that learning is best achieved through the hard work and dedication of our students. As such, we prohibit the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the completion of assignments and activities during the course.  Our policy is in line with our commitment to providing a fair and equitable learning environment for all students. We believe that AI should not be used to substitute human effort, as it defeats the purpose of our educational goals, which are to encourage critical thinking and problem-solving.  We understand that AI can be a useful tool in many contexts, and we do not discourage its use in other courses. However, in this course, we will not accept assignments or activities that have been completed through the use of AI. We expect our students to be honest and to complete their work independently.  We will be monitoring student work closely to ensure compliance with this policy. Violations of this policy will be met with disciplinary sanctions. All students are expected to adhere to this policy and to abide by the standards of the University.’ (ChatGPT per Jeremy Van Hof’s prompting)” -Jeremy Van Hof, Broad College of Business
“I study AI. I research it in my role as faculty in the Experience Architecture and Professional & Public Writing majors. And I don’t think it’s inherently bad or scary, in the same way that a calculator isn’t bad/scary for math. Artificial intelligence technologies such as ChatGPT can be an excellent starting point and a place to begin inquiry. But they are not a replacement for human thinking and learning. Robots lack empathy and nuance. As such, here is my policy:
You may use AI as a tool, but you may not use AI to replace your own beautiful brain. That means that you may ask ChatGPT, for example, to give you a list of bands similar to one that you hear and appreciate in this course. You may ask ChatGPT to give you an overview of a punk scene in a geographic location at a particular time. You may ask it for the history of punk rock and punk cultures. You may ask it what happened to Sid Vicious. 
But you may not ask it to write on your behalf, and you must not turn in anything that has been written by ChatGPT and pass it off as your own for any assignment in this class, including discussion responses, papers, and exams. If you do so, I will know, and that will lead to an uncomfortable moment–and to you failing the assignment.
This is not meant to be punitive. It’s meant to reinforce how much I value you and your ideas and your intellect. In a face-to-face environment, we would have a lengthy conversation about AI, ethics, and human learning. If you want to have that conversation, I’m happy to do so via Zoom–email me!” -Kate Birdsall, asynchronous US23 course on punk-rock politics"The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the interior design program is permitted with certain tasks and with attribution: You can choose to use AI tools to help brainstorm assignments or projects or to revise existing work you have written. For example, AI-generated concepts can serve as a starting point for exploration but must be substantially transformed and personalized by the student. When you submit your assignment or project, you must clearly attribute what text or images were generated by any form of AI content generator. You must save and submit to the instructor draft assignments or sketches that document your progress and originality. Final papers, projects, and design submissions must reflect the student's original work, ideas, and expression. By adhering to these guidelines, students will develop a balanced understanding of AI's potential in interior design while maintaining the integrity of their individual creativity and expression. Any misuse or misrepresentation of AI-generated content as one's own work will be considered a violation of academic integrity. Violations will be subject to disciplinary actions as outlined by MSU’s academic integrity policies. If you are unsure about whether something may be plagiarism or academic dishonesty, it is your responsibility to ask your instructor for clarification or assistance. This policy is subject to change based on the instructor's discretion. Any updates will be communicated to students through course announcements." -Linda Nubani & the Interior Design Faculty at MSU School of Planning, Design & ConstructionIf you have an example generative AI policy from your course that you’d be willing to share, please add it to the comments below or e-mail it to MSU Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation at teaching@msu.eduPhoto by Alessandro Bianchi on Unsplash 

Copyright Basics
Many people believe there is a blanket exception in the copyright law for education.  This is not true.  There are exceptions that allow instructors to use copyrighted material without special permission in face-to-face and real time classroom teaching.  This does not translate over to the posting material on a web site.  Posting materials on a web site is considered re-publication and not teaching, so teaching exceptions do not apply for #iteachmsu.   
The most important thing you need to understand about copyright is that all original works of authorship are copyrighted, by default, from the moment they are fixed in tangible form.  Since 1989, the copyright symbol, a copyright notice, or copyright registration are not required, so you must assume that everything is copyrighted unless you can confirm that it is not.  
Copyright belongs originally to the author and (for works published in the United States since 1978) lasts the life of the author plus 70 years.  As noted above for your own work, authors can sign away their copyrights, or many of the rights of copyright, however, and often do, when they publish.  So, it is important that you think about this when you publish.
Copyright, by definition, only applies to original works of authorship, so the following cannot be copyrighted:

Facts, procedures, ideas, systems, concepts, and principles
Mathematical equations
Lists of ingredients
Strictly factual photographs, such as photos of histology slides

Holding copyright in a work gives someone a number of exclusive rights, including the right to:

Reproduce all or part of the work
Prepare derivative works from the work
Distribute copies of the work, including through the internet
Perform the work publicly
Display the work publicly

Some materials are considered to be in the public domain and do not have copyright protection.   The following types of materials are in the public domain:

Material published in the United States prior to 1924
Material created by a United States government employee and published by the United States government
Material which the owner has dedicated to the public domain

Using Outside Sources
The material that you post to #iteachmsu should be your own work, as you do not have the right to post, distribute, or display material that is not your own.  Of course, sometimes you will use outside sources in creating your own work, and you want to make sure that you do so legally. 
Public domain and uncopyrightable sources
It is legal for you to post and reproduce sources that are in the public domain (or uncopyrightable—see above lists in Copyright Basics) as well as create derivative works based on them.  Good scholarship says that you should still cite these sources and not simply plagiarize.   
Creative Commons sources
You may find materials on the web that are licensed under a Create Commons license similar to the one #iteachmsu asks its authors to use.  You should check which Creative Commons license was used to be clear on how you are allowed to use the material. 

Creative Commons attribution licenses allow you to use the material as you like as long as you give attribution. See How to give attribution.
Some Creative Commons licenses specify you may only use for non-commercial reasons or you must license your derived material similarly (“share alike”).
Creative Commons licenses that specify “no derivatives” mean that you may re-post the material but not remix or build your own work on it.

Other copyrighted sources
It is legal for you to use most copyrighted sources if you:

Cite ideas, facts, and other information
Link out to sources on the web
Quote short excerpts from textual works with attribution

However, even if you cite your source, you are probably infringing on someone else’s copyright if you:

Use larger portions of copyrighted texts
Closely paraphrase portions of copyrighted texts
Use parts of song lyrics or poems where even one line can be considered a significant portion of the work

Terms of use
On the web, some sources may come with licenses and terms of use that take precedence over basic copyright law.  MSU Library electronic resources all come with licenses and terms of use.  Using material that has terms of use means you agree to abide by those terms.

Look for “terms and conditions” on any web site, usually found in the small print at the bottom of the page or in an “about” section.
The terms may allow you to use portions on a site like #iteachmsu, or they may prohibit you from using any portion on any web site.
Terms of use may specify exactly how you may use the content. For instance, YouTube specifies that you may link to their videos or use their own embeddable player, but you may not download videos and save them on your own computer or server. 

Multimedia
Use of multimedia (images, music, video) can be especially fraught with possible copyright infringement issues.  For instance, most images that come up when you do a Google images search are not legal for you to reuse.  To stay legal you may:

Link out to videos and audio instead of downloading (which could violate terms of use)
Use a web site’s own embeddable player or a form of use that the site itself suggests
Use images that are marked public domain or with a Creative Commons license that allows re-use

Tip: To find public domain or Creative Commons images, you can search for “public domain images” or do a Google Images search, then, at the top of the page, click on “Tools”, then under that “usage rights”.  Limit your search using this link to images that are labelled for “reuse with modification”. 
 
Seeking Permissions
If you determine that it is probably not legal to reuse the work or the amount of the work that you selected, you may seek permission from the copyright holder to use the work.
There are a few caveats:

You must make sure you have identified the actual copyright holder of the material you want to use and not just someone else who is reusing the material. This can be difficult and time consuming if you are using material from Power Point slides and other non-traditional sources you find on the web.  
Because #iteachmsu may eventually be opened up to the public, you would need to seek permissions to post on the open web.
It is very unlikely you will receive permission to reuse commercially published material on a site like #iteachmsu.
If you are able to get permissions from commercial sources, the fees may be cost-prohibitive.

Because of these caveats and the nature of #iteachmsu, it is recommended that you please do not rely on being able to use or embed much, if any, outside, copyrighted sources in the materials you post. 
 
Getting Help with Copyright
The MSU Libraries Office of Copyright can be found at https://lib.msu.edu/copyright/ . 
Susan Kendall, Copyright Librarian, is available to help you work through a copyright question, although she cannot give legal advice.
The Office of Copyright can help with some permissions questions but asks that you consider copyright and the above caveats first before choosing your sources.

Leadership Fellows

2017-2019: Elijah Simmons
2019-2020: Rachel Robinson & Cameron Chase
2020-2021: Sharieka Botex
2021-2022: Philip Montgomery
2021-2023: Hima Rawal

 
Elijah Simmons (2017-2019)As the first College of Arts & Letters Leadership Fellow, Elijah Simmons sought to bring awareness to the Leadership Institute’s resources and gain an understanding of what more could be done to improve the graduate student experience within the College.Rachel Robinson and Cameron Chase (2019-2020)Rachel Robinson and Cameron Chase worked closely with the College of Arts and Letters’ leadership team to organize CAL Care Week, a week-long event focused on how Spartans can take care of themselves as well as make positive contributions to the MSU community. The planned events for the week included writing workshops, yoga sessions, and painting the Rock in an effort to promote positivity, self-awareness, and connectivity. Examples of workshops include “How to be a Caring Reviewer,” “Creating Academic Boundaries with Care,” and “Teaching to GenZ: Navigating Anxiety and Depression with Art in the Classroom.” Unfortunately, CAL Care Week was scheduled for late March 2020 and had to be canceled due to COVID-19. CAL Care Week was featured on the College of Arts and Letters’ website and in an MSUToday article.Sharieka Botex (2020-2021) | Coordinator (2021-2023)Sharieka Botex, a PhD student in Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures was informed by her interest in community-focused work and engaging in a way that took into account her experiences and the experiences and work of Black people on a local and national level. Her project, Shaping Society Through Scholarship and Action, which took place on September 25, 2021, featured Black women scholars whose work classifies them as community-engaged scholars and/or scholarly activists. The event gave them a platform to share their professional and academic journeys and to discuss those who informed and influenced their work on panels moderated by graduate students. It also provided a platform for community organizers and leaders to share their efforts and discuss how and why they view their work as essential. To accomplish the goal of providing stories, resources, and support to those interested in scholar activism, Sharieka hosted multiple panels to spotlight discussions about individuals’ experiences with academia and community work. Her work received the prestigious graduate student award for “exemplary community-engaged scholarship” from MSU’s University Outreach and Engagement (this write-up was adapted from an article written by Kara MacKenzie for the WRAC website).Philip Montgomery (2021-2022) | Coordinator (2022-2023)Philip started a peer mentoring program through a Graduate Student Organization in his graduate program pairing incoming graduate students with established students. The program aimed to increase a sense of belonging and connection from the very beginning of a student’s time in graduate school. With the support of faculty in his program and the Associate Dean of CAL, Philip launched a peer-mentoring scheme that paired incoming graduate students with a returning student in the program. He held several workshops for mentors and mentees to define mentoring, set common goals, and get pairs working together. His assessment determined that the mentor-mentee pairs were successful in sharing resources for meeting program requirements, brokering relationships with other students and faculty members, getting feedback on writing and practice presentations, and one pair even launched a collaborative research project. Philip is looking for ways to embed this program within the structure of his GSO in order to ensure its continuation.Hima Rawal (2021-2023)Hima worked with Social Sciences Fellow, Qi Huang, to address international students’ use of mental health services on campus. They hope to build bridges to increase access to and decrease stigma of mental health services. They collaborated with the Office of International Students & Scholars, Counseling and Psychiatric Services, the Trauma Services Training Network, and more to learn more about how these offices support international students. They also interviewed over a dozen international students to deepen their understanding of the concerns and barriers international students have concerning mental health. Using this data and their partnerships, Qi and Hima hope to create a Wellness Ambassador program where selected international students are trained to reach out to other international students to help them learn about mental health services on campus.

Leadership Fellows

2019-2021: Hunter Kopczynski
2021-2022: Brian Taylor

Hunter Kopczynski (2019-2021)During his first year of the Fellowship, Hunter Kopczynski spent much of the Fall semester building relationships between the Institute and the College’s graduate students and faculty. Hunter then turned his attention towards Studio Culture and worked closely with the Dean to identify areas of needs as well as to increase connections and transparency surrounding how Studios were run within and actress the college. He began building a community of graduate students and faculty across the university that provided Hunter with a variety of perspectives on how to explore and improve upon Studio Culture. This community continued to inform Hunter’s work during his second year as a Fellow, building on ideas to connect their curriculum (what we teach and perform), community (studios, ensembles, schools, and region), and creativity (unique application and expression of ideas) to build culture.
Brian Taylor (2021-2022)Brian started off with an interest in improving collaboration skills to improve ability to work with different types of musicians, instruments, etc. He planned a series of events where students from all disciplines could come play music together just for enjoyment and to remember why they have dedicated their lives to this pursuit. In playing easy, interesting, and unusual music with peers we know little about, we can regain a sense of community that has been lost through the past two years of virtual performances. This event will encourage people to play music for fun, to laugh with each other, and to create relationships that will hopeful last beyond Spring Semester 2022. Due to scheduling difficulties, he ended up with one event, but it was very successful. Brian hopes future events will create an even deeper sense of community by including more studios and offering them monthly.

Leadership Fellows

2016-2018: Megan Jackson
2017-2019: Dominik Neuman
2019-2020: Matthew Klein
2021-2022: Radhika Sen

Megan Jackson (2016-2018)Megan’s work as the first Communication Arts & Sciences Leadership Development Fellow established strong connections with Dean Prabu David as she supported his goal of improving the graduate student experience. Together, they began a 1-credit course to increase awareness of college offerings and university resources, socialize students in the college, and begin to build community. Further, Megan worked with the college’s only GSO, The Association of Graduate Students in Communication (AGSCOM), to facilitate its official recognition as an RSO and supported Karen Cleveland’s new GSO in the Department of Media & Information. A September 2017 meeting between Megan, Dean David, and Matt Helm, the Director of Graduate Student Life & Wellness at the time, led to a social event held at the college that saw graduate students sharing lunch and discussing plans for future social events held off-campus. 
Megan concluded her 2017 report with a reflection on change and the individual; “The success of graduate student collaboration, community, and leadership development is immensely dependent upon an individual, like the fellow, leading the effort within the college. [The] impact of the first year fellow in the college is highly visible as the Dean stated one of his top 5 goals for this academic year to be improving the graduate student experience. Change does not happen, change is led. With the fellow in place, this organic change is within reach and the immensely positive outcomes will be seen for years to come.”Dominik Neuman (2017-2019)During the first year of his Fellowship, Dominik Neumann built on Megan’s work creating social events for grad students in the College of Communication Arts & Sciences by hosting an event series called “Communication on Tap” at local bars in East Lansing where graduate students could share their research while tying in personal stories or humorous anecdotes in a laid-back and relaxed setting. This work-free space for socialization was organized following a survey to the college’s PhD students that determined the events could foster a sense of togetherness and community while working to overcome the feeling of disconnection graduate students perceive between their professional and personal lives.
Dominik began the second year of his Fellowship developing a peer-mentoring system and handbook for the college. His initial survey to PhD students demonstrated the need for individual mentorship, as compared to committee- or group-based support. Domink decided to create a “buddy system” for incoming students in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. Buddies served to create respectful relationships and an open dialogue that could help incoming graduate students navigate East Lansing, campus resources, classroom dialogues, and other issues that may be relevant for the student.
Matthew Klein (2019-2020)As the third Fellow for the College of Communication Arts & Sciences, Matthew Klein worked closely with a faculty member within the College on a college-wide project looking at the impact of inclusive language on syllabi. Matthew was invested in contributing to College-level efforts related to inclusion, and in collaboration with his key stakeholders, he decided that a mixed-methods study would best serve them in pushing future initiatives forward. Matthew and his stakeholders intend to launch this study after the completion of his Fellowship year.
Radhika Sen (2021-2022)Radhika created Imagine MSU, an initiative that provided graduate students funding to enhance the graduate student community. Grounded in an awareness that a thriving university community is one in which a great variety of lived experiences and perspectives find voice, Radhika’s project aimed to build a stronger culture of belonging among students (which research indicates is a major indicator of student success and retention) at MSU by encouraging creative problem solving and student leadership and supporting the pursuit of innovative community‐building ideas prototyped and implemented in collaboration with students. Radhika applied for and received a Creating Inclusive Excellence Grant from MSU for $5,000. She also partnered with the Graduate School to access additional funds. She recruited a steering committee of faculty who reviewed 25 applications from graduate students and selected 3 projects to fund. The first project aimed to increase a sense of community amongst graduate students in the English department as well as learning how DEI issues intersect with research and writing. They proposed to hold several writing retreats and to bring in a speaker whose work focuses on indigenous studies. The second project proposed developing an LGBTQ+ History course for the MSU History department and developing LGBTQ+ culturally-responsive training for faculty and TAs to incorporate LGBTQ+ history into their current courses and support students in the College of Social Sciences. The third project proposed the creation of a multi-authored Spartan Zine series reflecting on the experiences of MSU graduate students during the pandemic in the hopes of both fostering belonging while honoring difference.