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There are three levels of designing for GenAI: restrict, permit, require. 
Restrict [This syllabus statement is useful when you are allowing the use of AI tools for certain purposes, but not for others. Adjust this statement to reflect your particular parameters of acceptable use. The following is an example.] 
Example1:  

The use of generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Dall-e, etc.) is permitted in this course for the following activities:

[insert permitted your course activities here*]


The use of generative AI tools is not permitted in this course for the following activities:

[insert not permitted your course activities here*]


You are responsible for the information you submit based on an AI query (for instance, that it does not violate intellectual property laws, or contain misinformation or unethical content). Your use of AI tools must be properly documented and cited in order to stay within university policies on academic integrity and the Spartan Code of Honor Academic Pledge.

Example2: Taken, with slight modification, from Temple University’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching  to demonstrate the kinds of permitted/restricted activity an instructor could denote.
The use of generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Dall-e, etc.) is permitted in this course for the following activities: 









Brainstorming and refining your ideas; 
Fine tuning your research questions; 
Finding information on your topic; 
Drafting an outline to organize your thoughts; and 
Checking grammar and style. 









The use of generative AI tools is not permitted in this course for the following activities: 









Impersonating you in classroom contexts, such as by using the tool to compose discussion board prompts assigned to you or content that you put into a Zoom chat. 
Completing group work that your group has assigned to you, unless it is mutually agreed within your group and in alignment with course policy that you may utilize the tool. 
Writing a draft of a writing assignment. 
Writing entire sentences, paragraphs or papers to complete class assignments. 









You are responsible for the information you submit based on an AI query (for instance, that it does not violate intellectual property laws, or contain misinformation or unethical content). Your use of AI tools must be properly documented and cited in order to stay within university policies on academic integrity and the Spartan Code of Honor Academic Pledge. For example, [Insert citation style for your discipline. See these resources for APA guidance, and for other citation formats.]. Any assignment that is found to have used generative AI tools in unauthorized ways [insert the penalty here*]. When in doubt about permitted usage, please ask for clarification. 
 
Permit [This syllabus statement is useful when you are allowing, and perhaps encouraging, broad use of generative AI tools. Adjust this statement to reflect your particular parameters of acceptable use in your course. The following is an example.] 
Example:
You are welcome to use generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Dall-e, etc.) in this class as doing so aligns with the course learning goal [insert the course learning goal use of AI aligns with here*]. You are responsible for the information you submit based on an AI query (for instance, that it does not violate intellectual property laws, or contain misinformation or unethical content). Your use of AI tools must be properly documented and cited in order to stay within university policies on academic integrity and the Spartan Code of Honor Academic Pledge.
Require [This syllabus statement is useful when you have certain assignments that will require that students use generative AI tools. Adjust this statement to reflect your particular parameters of acceptable use. The following is an example.] 
Example:
You will be expected to use generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Dall-e, etc.) in this class as doing so aligns with the course learning goal [insert the course learning goal use of AI aligns with]. Our class will make use of the [insert name of tool(s) here*] tool, and you can gain access to it by [insert instructions for accessing tool(s) here*]. You are responsible for the information you submit based on an AI query (for instance, that it does not violate intellectual property laws, or contain misinformation or unethical content). Your use of AI tools must be properly documented and cited in order to stay within university policies on academic integrity and the Spartan Code of Honor Academic Pledge.
Photo by Maximalfocus on Unsplash

click the image above to access a PDF file of the quick guideRemote Participation and Student Engagement
 
This document provides an introduction to maintaining student engagement as you move to remote teaching. It outlines key steps to Plan, Modify, and Implement when making this move to optimize student learning. As with any steps you take in moving to remote teaching, it’s important to anchor your decisions in course learning objectives and to be transparent, flexible, and generous with students.
Plan
In planning how you will continue to engage students in your course, remember that interaction can occur between the student and you, the student and other students, and the student and the course materials. 
Modify
When modifying in-class activities to a remote offering, you can start by cataloguing all of the ways people typically interact in your classroom. This list can then be used to identify particular digital strategies or technologies for adapting your current approach and translating your methods to an online space. For example, you might draft a table like the one below:
 




Interactions
Class Activity


Modify


Implement




Teacher to students:
During lecture, I ask questions to check student understanding.


Ask a poll question in a live Zoom session or D2L discussion forum whereas students respond to a prompt.


How to create a poll in Zoom:
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/203749865-Polling-for-Webinars
 
How to manage D2L discussion forum:
https://documentation.brightspace.com/EN/le/discussions/learner/discussions_intro_1.htm




Student to material:
We watch and discuss a video.


Share a link with students in a variety of ways - i.e. post the link in a D2L discussion forum along with questions for response. 


How to create a link in D2L:  https://resources.depaul.edu/teaching-commons/teaching-guides/technology/desire2learn/tools/content/Pages/creating-links.aspx




Student to students:
I facilitate a classroom discussion and students respond to the prompt.


Create breakout rooms in a live Zoom session or a D2L discussion forum.


How to make and manage Zoom Breakout rooms:  https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/206476313-Managing-Video-Breakout-Rooms
 
How to manage D2L discussion forum:
https://documentation.brightspace.com/EN/le/discussions/learner/discussions_intro_1.htm




Student to students:
I put students in small groups for more active discussions.


Create breakout rooms in a live Zoom session or D2L discussion forum whereas students respond to a prompt.


How to manage D2L discussion forum:
https://documentation.brightspace.com/EN/le/discussions/learner/discussions_intro_1.htm




Teacher to student:
I hold office hours to meet 1:1 with my students.


Utilize a Zoom link or connect with students via telephone.


How to operate a telephone: https://tech.msu.edu/network/telecommunications/
 




Implement
The above are just a few options for participation and engagement so as to mirror similar approaches utilized in your classroom. Remember to start small and stick to the tools you’re comfortable with.
Additional Help
For additional help and support, please check out other remote teaching articles on iteach.msu.edu or contact the MSU IT Service Desk at local (517) 432-6200 or toll free (844) 678-6200.
 
 
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Have you ever wondered why some students engage deeply with a concept while others struggle? Or why a strategy that worked wonders in one class doesn’t seem to resonate with another? If so, you’re already on the path to engaging in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). At its core, SoTL is about embracing the tinkerer's mindset—approaching your teaching with curiosity, a willingness to experiment, and the drive to make a difference in student learning.
SoTL transforms the everyday tweaks we make as educators into intentional, research-based inquiries. It’s a way to take the questions you already have about your classroom and turn them into powerful insights that can enhance your teaching and your students’ success.
What Is SoTL?
The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning is a research-based approach to improving education. But it’s not just about conducting studies—it’s about actively engaging with your students’ learning processes to make data-informed decisions. SoTL is guided by five key principles:

Inquiry and Curiosity: Start with a question about your teaching or your students’ learning.
Systematic Investigation: Use evidence-based methods to explore that question.
Reflection: Analyze your findings to identify what’s working—and why.
Iterative Improvement: Keep refining your strategies based on what you learn.
Transparency and Sharing: Share your insights with others to contribute to the larger teaching community.

Think of it as bringing the mindset of a scientist into the classroom: What if? Why not? How can I do this better?
Your SoTL Journey in 5 Steps
Engaging in SoTL is a manageable, step-by-step process:

Identify the Research Question- Start with a specific challenge or curiosity. For example, “How does active learning influence student participation in large lecture courses?”
Design the Study- Plan your approach. Will you use surveys? Observations? Focus groups? Ensure your study aligns with your goals and ethical guidelines.
Collect Data- Gather evidence systematically. This could include student reflections, test scores, or LMS analytics.
Analyze the Data and Draw Conclusions- Look for patterns or trends. What do the results tell you about your teaching and your students’ learning?
Disseminate Results- Share your findings with colleagues, present at conferences, or publish in a SoTL journal. Your insights could inspire other educators to try new approaches in their classrooms.

How CTLI Supports Your SoTL Work
You don’t have to go it alone—MSU’s Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation (CTLI) is here to support you at every step of your SoTL journey. Here’s how:

Brainstorm and Design: Not sure where to start? Our consultations can help you refine your research question, choose methods, and plan your study.
Tools and Data: We’ll show you how to leverage psychometric methods and LMS data through tools like D2L Insights or integrate other technologies into your research.
Funding Opportunities: Apply for Catalyst Innovation Funding to bring your project to life.
Workshops and Training: Attend our sessions to build your skills in qualitative and quantitative research methods, ethical considerations, and more.
Share Your Work: Present your findings at CTLI’s Spring TALKS Conference or get advice on submitting to SoTL journals.

Whatever stage you’re at, CTLI is your partner in turning teaching questions into actionable, evidence-based answers.
Small Steps, Big Impact
You don’t need to overhaul your entire course to get started with SoTL. Begin with a single question, a small change, or a simple data collection strategy. Each step you take adds to your understanding of what works in your classroom—and why. Over time, these small steps can lead to big impacts on your teaching, your students, and your professional growth.
So, dare to tinker. Your curiosity could be the spark that transforms not only your classroom but the larger community of educators. Ready to take that first step? CTLI is here to support you every step of the way. Let’s turn your ideas into action!
Upcoming SoTL Workshops:
Introduction to SoTL (Part 1)SoTL Qualitative Methods (Part 2a)SoTL Quantitative Methods (Part 2b)SoTL Advanced Methods (Part 3)Course Analytics & D2L Insights
Register for CTLI Workshops

Resources:
1. CTLI-Specific Resources

Past Workshop Slides: SoTL Introduction (CTLI), SoTL (EDLI)
CTLI Workshops and Training: Events Calendar, Request a Workshop
Catalyst Innovation Funding: Details on how to apply.
Spring TALKS Conference: Call for Proposals coming soon. Check website.
CTLI Consultation Services

2. SoTL Guides and Handbooks

Books:

Engaging in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: A Guide to the Process, and How to Develop a Project from Start to Finish by Bishop-Clark and Dietz-Uhler.
The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Reconsidered: Institutional Integration and Impact by Hutchings, Huber, and Ciccone.

Online Guides:

ISSOTL’s (International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning)
University of Georgia: Getting started with SoTLVanderbilt: Doing SoTL
Notre Dame: SoTL Overview
University of Minnesota: A Guide to theScholarship of Teaching & Learning


3. SoTL Communities and Networks

Professional Organizations:

International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL).

Interested faculty members can partner with us to create interdisciplinary, experiential courses as part of the Spartan Studios project within the Hub for Innovation in Learning and Technology
Are you interested in:

Invigorating your teaching?
Collaborating with colleagues in other disciplines?
Creating a course that tackles a real problem?
Learning high-impact teaching practices?
Making experiential learning accessible to more MSU undergrads?
Giving your students workplace-relevant skills in high demand from employers?
Exploring new areas for your research? 
Engaging with the local community or forming partnerships with local or international stakeholders? 

We are looking for educators interested in trying a new way of teaching.
Spartan Studios courses can be:

Experiential: students learn through and reflect on their experiences
Interdisciplinary: co-taught by multiple faculty members from different disciplinary backgrounds and/or departments across campus. Students are exposed to approaches/methods not normally part of their major and work with other students from different majors
Project-based: teams of students work to design their own solutions. They plan, produce, receive feedback, and iterate their projects. It’s ok to fail.
Impactful: courses can work with community partners to create relevant, local solutions
Accessible: these high-impact educational experiences are accessible to more students than study abroad programs or unpaid internships 
Transformative: Research suggests that this type of course can lead to positive outcomes for students and faculty members
In-person or online

We help faculty members identify the combination of features that best fit their course, topic, and goals.
The Spartan Studios project helps faculty members develop experiential interdisciplinary courses at MSU where students respond to real life situations or wicked problems and design solutions in partnership with local stakeholders. We have been facilitating prototype courses since 2018, supporting faculty members who developed experiential courses including Snares to Wares, Wildlife Sanctuary, the Food Waste Challenge, and Songwriting.
We can facilitate your teaching goals through consultations, our Playkit resource for faculty, and a limited number of stipends for 2021-22.
If you are interested in creating novel and transformative student experiences at MSU, connect with the Hub to learn how to plan and teach your own compelling Spartan Studios course.Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Check out the July training courses available at no cost to all MSU students, faculty, and staff. Visit SpartansLearn for more information and to register.
 
Featured Course of the Month  
Teams – Working with Teams
July 22, 11:00 a.m.
Instructor – Megan Nicholas
This hour-long course is valuable to individuals, teams, and departments looking for a centralized hub for communication, file sharing, and collaboration. Learn how to request a new team or join an existing team, manage channels and tabs, and manage the team’s members, settings, and analytics.
 
What participants are saying...
“I enjoy the humor and interactivity that Megan brings to the training. It makes her courses engaging. Having the hands-on experience is great too!"
 
July Schedule
To register for the following virtual instructor-led training courses go to SpartansLearn.
 
Spartan 365 – Overview
July 10, 11:00 a.m.
Have you ever wanted to work collaboratively in a document or simultaneously on any device? Spartan 365 makes this type of teamwork easy! Spartan 365 offers robust features and a secure environment. This one-hour course will give an overview of the main Microsoft 365 apps including Forms, OneDrive, OneNote, Outlook, and Teams.
 
Microsoft Teams – Getting Started
July 11, 1:30 p.m.
Teams is one of the best tools at MSU for effective communication and collaboration. Join us as we dive into the basics and share how to chat and host meetings with individuals, groups, and entire teams.
 
Zoom – Getting Started
July 16, 1:30 p.m.
Unlock the power of virtual meetings with Zoom! Engage new audiences, elevate customer experiences, and boost productivity. Learn essential settings, starting, and managing meetings. Perfect for faculty, staff, and students—don’t miss this chance to master Zoom and enhance your online collaboration.
 
Microsoft Forms – Creating Forms and Surveys
July 25, 10:00 a.m.
Forms can help survey classmates, students, coworkers, or any group where feedback is needed. Learn how to create forms and surveys, format, branch, collect data, and share with others.
 
Zoom – Meetings
July 26, 9:30 a.m.
Unlock the full potential of Zoom and revolutionize your virtual meetings! Dive into the heart of collaboration as you learn to effortlessly orchestrate breakout rooms, harness the power of seamless recording and reporting, spice up engagement with advanced polls and quizzes, and discover the art of content sharing.
 
OneDrive – Working with OneDrive
July 30, 1:30 p.m.
Expanding on the basics of OneDrive, learn more about this great storage tool. Discover navigation strategies, explore the desktop app settings and options, manage accessibility of files and folders, and more.
 
 
Can’t attend a live course? Each is available on-demand to watch anytime at SpartansLearn.
 
Weekly office hours are available for those with questions about content shared in the courses. Find the schedule at SpartansLearn.
 
All participants are invited to share anonymous feedback about their course through our End of Course Survey. Your feedback is incredibly valuable to help shape and inform our future offerings. Congratulations, Tyler Donelson, our quarter 2 drawing winner for completing an End of Course Survey!
 
For any other questions about technology training, please contact train@msu.edu. 

***This is part of a series of articles compiling useful resources and information for new graduate students. Some of the information in this series will be relevant for anybody new to MSU, including undergraduates, postdocs, faculty and staff. The topical areas range from settling into East Lansing and Michigan, getting to know which services can be found on campus to administrative steps and information needed throughout a graduate program at MSU. For the full series, see this playlist dedicated to (international) graduate students.***
 
Libraries
The biggest library on campus is the Main Library, located on West Circle Drive near Beaumont Tower, though there are a few other specialised libraries, e.g. the Schaefer Law Library or the Gast Business Library at other locations.
The main library offers many services besides being a space for studying and finding books. For example, there are the Digital Scholarship Lab (to explore new technology for use in research and teaching, e.g. VR or a 360-degree visualization room) and the Hollander MakeCentral Service Desk (for printing, plotting, publishing and even passport (photos) services).
If you can’t find a book at the MSU Library, there is a service called the Interlibrary Loan Service through which you can access books/ resources at other libraries.
The library also offers workshops, e.g. an introduction to the MSU Library Services, using different citation software and data/ content management.
There is a 24/7 Support Line for general library questions (and D2L support). Call (800)500-1554. Or “Ask A Librarian” using this link: https://www.lib.msu.edu/contact/askalib/
Skill Building
There are a range of units on campus dedicated to helping you develop skills.
Writing
The Writing Center provides one-on-one and group writing consultations and writing groups (“write-ins”) for graduate students and faculty. They also offer workshops including those on “Navigating the Master’s degree/ PhD” and incorporate issues like time management and writing strategies. They are available to help you with any type of writing project you may have, academic or not.
“Write-Ins” are offered through different units besides the Writing Center, e.g. by the Graduate School and provide a dedicated time and space (as well as some support if needed) to make progress on any of your writing projects – from class work to dissertation chapters.
Workshops
A myriad of workshops is offered throughout the semester.
Topics include anything from departmental/ research specific seminars to writing and time management strategies (as mentioned above) to improving mentor relationships to wellness/ mental health workshops (see the Health article in this playlist for more information). The organizing units differ depending on the topic area. A good starting point is the Graduate School’s events calendar.
Statistics
Besides course offerings to learn about statistical methods, there are a few resources available to help you with your statistical skills and projects.
The Center for Statistical Training and Consulting provides statistical support for your research projects (they won’t do it FOR you but they will help you figure it out!) and teaches workshops on statistical methods.
Check with your College if they have a dedicated statistical support unit. For example, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources has a Statistical Consulting Center.
Want to improve your statistics, data science and programming skills in R? Have a look at what the R-Ladies East Lansing are up to these days. There may be a workshop just around the corner.
English Language
The English Language Center at MSU is a good place to improve your general English skills, learn about English for the classroom, i.e. if you are teaching, and to get support for your writing projects if English is your second language.
A note on skill building and other workshops…
I know we all get a lot of e-mails, but it is worth at least scanning each one because a lot of the workshops, seminars and service that MSU has to offer are advertised that way. They might provide that motivation or accountability to get you started on your next dissertation chapter.
 
Other support resources
Legal Support
MSU offers some free legal support for students. Check out this website for their services.
Family Resources/ Support
The Student Parent Resource Center offers support and resources for students with children.
Work Life Office
The Work Life Office is a one-stop destination for your needs regarding work life fit, including career transitions, community connection, workplace assistance and family care among others. Though their target group at MSU is faculty and staff, as an employee of MSU (TA or RA) you are more than welcome to use their services.
 
Sports and Wellness
Gyms
MSU has 3 gym buildings: IM West, IM Circle and IM East. Traditional gyms with workout machines are found at IM East and West. All buildings also have spaces for different types of sports, e.g. basketball, soccer, squash, tennis, gymnastics, etc. There are swimming pools at IM West and IM Circle which you can use for free. However, you will have to register your student ID online in order to access the building/ locker room (at IM Circle).
Too cold for running outside in the winter? Make use of the free running track in IM East (above the basketball court). You don’t need a gym membership to use this, just a valid student ID to get into the building.
Gym memberships are organized through Recreational Sports and Fitness. There are also a variety of group exercise (fitness classes) options available, both in-person and through an online platform called Fitness-on-Demand. Since a fee is automatically collected each semester, all you need to do is activiate your StudentID card on their website and your ready to work out.
You can also sail (and paddle board and kayak) at MSU! The MSU Sailing Center on Lake Lansing is your address for water-based sports.
Other Fitness options
Health4You offers fitness and wellness options throughout the year, including a lunchtime fitness series (Yoga, Pilates, TaiChi, etc). Make sure to look at their calendar of scheduled events and workshops.
A fan of shooting sports? Check out MSU’s Demmer Center that offers indoor and outdoor shooting ranges and classes for firearms and archery practice.
Want to get on the ice? No problem, you can ice skate at Munn Ice Arena.
Sports teams
Want to join a sports team? There are different avenues for that at MSU.
Club Sports are Registered Student Organizations and compete regionally and nationally.
Intramural Sports offer the opportunity to participate both competitively and recreationally in your favorite sport. There is a set list of sports types and you can join or create your own team to participate in campus competitions.
Spartan Fit
The Spartan Fit program aims to support you in your fitness and wellness journey. They offer assessments and programs to help you achieve your goals, including using exercise as medicine.
Watching sports
College Sports are a big deal in the US - think football, baseball, basketball or ice hockey for example. MSU is no exception, with Sparty being our mascot and helping us cheer “Go green, Go white!”. As part of the MSU community, especially as students, you get reduced rate tickets to the student sections for football, men’s basketball and hockey. The other sport events are free to attend. Check out the MSU Athletics website to purchase tickets. Also note that COGS sometimes has special deals for graduate students.
 
Food on Campus
There are many options to eat on campus – from the little Sparty’s stores where you can buy snacks to full dining halls with several different food options, you’re sure to find what satisfies your appetite. Your go-to website for anything food related on campus is Eat@State.
Coffee and Snacks
Sparty’s are little campus stores that usually offer filter coffee and snacks, including packaged sandwiches and in some instances even warm foods like soup or sausages. They are located all over campus. There is also a Sparty’s Market – a small grocery store at 1855 Place.
There are a few Starbucks on campus (1855 Place and main library) and a Panera Bread in the Edward J. Minskoff Pavilion (Business College). Both offer a variety of coffee specialties as well as sweet and savory foods.
Cafeterias and Dining Halls
Look at Eat@State for a full overview of dining halls/ cafeterias and available meal plans (you can pay for a whole semester or a set number of meals in advance, but you can also pay for a single meal when you enter the dining hall). I just want to mention a few highlights here.
Brody Square at Brody Hall is probably the biggest one, offering a variety of cuisines from stir fries to pizza to (vegetarian) burgers and salads.
The Edge at Akers Hall is another big dining hall offering a great variety of cuisines and has its own Tandoori oven.
Thrive at Owen Hall is a recent addition and focused on providing allergen-free food.
Dairy Store
The Dairy Store is an MSU business and produces ice cream and cheese from our own cows! You can buy packaged cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, soup (changes daily) and delicious ice cream. It has two locations, one inside the MSU Union building and one in Anthony Hall (entrance on Farm Lane). In the summer month, they usually also have an ice cream food truck outside.
MSU Student Food Bank
If you need some support in procuring sufficient food for you (and your family), please make use of the MSU Student Food Bank. It is a volunteer-based organization on campus providing free foods and related items, helping you to cut your food bill down to half. Please make sure you are eligible and bring your student ID.
Social Life
There are many different ways to socialize and make friends on campus. Here are just a few formally organized ways.
OISS hosts weekly coffee hours, usually on Fridays. Meet and mingle with fellow international students. OISS also sometimes organizes sightseeing trips. Keep an eye on the e-mails they send.
The Council of Graduate Students (COGS) puts on social events like tailgates (a type of get-together with lawn games before a big football game), trivia nights and free dinners for graduate students.
There are a lot of different Registered Student Organizations (RSO’s) that bring together groups of students with similar interests, anything from cultures to sports.
Your department will probably have a Graduate Student Organization that might put on events or gatherings. They are a good way to connect with people and get involved in your department.
Looking for volunteering opportunities? One way to start might be to sign up to the volunteering listserv of the City of East Lansing. You can check out opportunities and sign up here.

It is often considered best practice for faculty to set aside a couple of hours each week for office hours and then provide a note stating that students can reach out to the instructor to make an appointment if the times do not work for them. Why not cut out this first step and just have students make an appointment instead? Providing an easy means to make the appointment shows students that you really do want them to make an appointment. Moreover, using an appointment platform saves time for both you and your students. There are different platforms that can be used; this tutorial describes how to set up office hour appointments in Google Calendar. I have liked using it because it provides more flexibility; that is, I can set appointment slots to repeat but also easily adjust those times each week to better fit my schedule.The following steps describe how to create a bookable appointment schedule in Google Appointment Schedules. 

Using your MSU account on a computer, open Google Calendar.
Make sure that you are in Week view or any Day view.
Click on "Create", located in the upper-left corner of the window.
A drop-down menu will appear. Click on "Appointment schedule." This allows you to create a new bookable appointment schedule.  
A new menu appears. The instructions below indicate what to enter and some tips for each part of the menu. 

Enter the title of your office hours, such as "Office Hours," “Tutoring Sessions,” "Instructor-Student Meetings," "Meet the Instructor," etc.
Appointment duration: Choose the duration of the slots. I choose 15-minute time slots because the meetings that I have with students are rarely longer than 10 minutes.
General availability: Although your schedule may vary week-to-week, set up when you are generally available Monday thru Friday. Specific dates can be changed in a later step or in the calendar. 

If you are only setting this up for a few days, then change "repeat weekly" to "does not repeat."
The time zone will be what your calendar is already set up for, so it should be correct, but change it if needed.


Scheduling window: Set up how soon in advance students can set up the meeting (I tend to keep this a long period but it is rare for students to set up a meeting more than a week in advance). Also select how close to the scheduled time they can set up the meeting (I do 12 hours so that I can look at it that morning to see what I have for the day but 24 hours is also a standard practice).
Adjusted availability: Either change your specific availability here or do it after completing this booking form right in the calendar by dragging the start and end times.
Booked appointment settings: Add a buffering time between meetings if needed. I don't have a lot of meetings, so I never need this buffer, but you might find that you need this, especially right before exams.
Calendars: Select which calendar will host your office hours (maybe have a calendar just for office hours). Then (this is one of my favorite options), check off which calendars you want it to check your availability. I like this because if I add a meeting to my calendar, it won't allow for students to set up an appointment at the same time as my meeting. If it is a face-to-face meeting, though, add another time slot for traveling back to your office for your student appointment.
Co-hosts: It's unlikely that you will have a co-host for office hours, but if you are co-teaching and have a shared calendar, it might be helpful to have this and add a question later that asks the student who they would prefer to meet with.


After completing all of the steps described above, click "next." Add the following on the next page:

Book page photo and name: personalize your booking page by adding a photo to your Google account.
Location and conferencing: If you are meeting in person, then add your room and building information here. Otherwise, select "none/to be specified later."
Description: Describe how students attend office hours. If it is online, provide the meeting information. Also consider adding information about office hours, such as your expectations on what can be discussed during office hours.
Booking form: This contains the questions that students will answer when they set up a meeting. The default is their first name, last name, and email address. You can add a question, by selecting "add an item" and then "custom item." Type in the question, such as "reason for the appointment."
Booking confirmations and reminders: I recommend keeping the default setting of sending an email reminder to the student a day before the meeting and a few hours before the meeting.


After answering the questions on that page, click "save."
Now you should see the appointment schedule populate your calendar.

If you need to change your availability for a specific date, you can edit the appointment schedule by dragging the boxes around or dragging the end time to make it shorter or longer on specific dates.
You can also single-click on one of the appointment boxes and select the "edit" button, which is the shape of a pencil.


To share it, single-click on any appointment box, click on "share" and then "copy link." 
To see what students see when they set up a meeting, single-click on any appointment box and click on "open booking page." 

 

This week, we wanted to highlight Stokes Schwartz and Garth Sabo, both educators with the MSU Center for Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities. Stokes and Garth are also the co-facilitators of the “Reading Group for Student Engagement and Success” Learning Community this academic year! According to the Office for Faculty and Academic Staff Development (formerly AAN), this Learning Community is: A Zoom based reading group that pairs theory and praxis of student engagement techniques to drive greater student success in general education and prerequisite courses at the university. Bimonthly meetings (twice a month) consist of reading and discussing 2-3 recent articles and sharing best practices for applying methods in courses across the university. These two also use a group on the #iteachmsu Commons to share information about upcoming meetings, attach reading files, and continue to engage in asynchronous dialogue outside their meeting times!
Read more about these Learning Community co-facilitators’ perspectives below. #iteachmsu's questions are bolded below, followed by their responses! 
Q & A with Garth Sabo & Stokes Schwartz

You are facilitators of a Learning Community (LC) and decided to have a group on iteach.msu.edu for that LC. What about the #iteachmsu Commons appealed to you for this group?
Sabo: A major component of the LC structure at MSU focuses on providing some element of public dissemination of the work we do together, and Stokes and I both appreciated that #iteachmsu would allow us to make our group activities visible to the wider MSU community. We both felt a strong need for some type of digital meeting space/repository for things like meeting notes, agendas, etc., and we found that iteach.msu.edu offered a suite of those tools that were fairly easy to wrap our heads around and adopt as practice. 
Schwartz: Having a central place for learning community members (and interested parties) to check-in, share our thoughts, relevant documents, and planned talking points for meetings/discussions as well as any follow-up observations in the days following a meeting.  Personally, I have found iteach.msu.edu relatively easy to use.  
Sabo: Our LC meets digitally, and we also thought that it would be nice to structure things in a way that leaned into benefits of that structure rather than simply trying to imagine ourselves as an in-person community that only meets via Zoom, so we’ve also tried to use iteach.msu.edu as a platform for ongoing and supplemental conversations to the discussions that come up during our scheduled meetings.
Tell me more about your LC and what activity in your #iteachmsu Group looks like? (This can include, but not limited to goals, topics, general overview of membership, the kinds of things being shared in your group.)
Sabo: Our learning community is titled “Reading Group for Student Engagement and Success,” and the only thing I don’t like about it is the name. Stokes and I are both faculty in the Center for Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities, and part of the impetus for the group was a desire to dig deeper into pedagogy research that might help us crack the egg of engaging students in a required course. We wanted to find a format that allowed us to have pedagogy conversations that were data-driven and practical in focus, so that our community members could feel like our conversations were driving towards concrete actions.
Our Zoom meetings focus on talking through a few pre-designated texts that the entire group reads. We’ve been fortunate that our current roster has also agreed to take turns as interlocutors, with one person briefly presenting on some additional text(s) that add additional context to the material we all consumed
Schwartz: Typically, Garth and I plan 8-10 multipart discussion questions for our meetings on fostering student engagement and success, which we share via iteach.msu.edu a few days ahead of time. Team community members have also shared information and related ideas via our iTeach group.  We are also in the process of compiling a playlist.  
Sabo: Our iteach activity tends to be kind of evenly split between looking back at what we’ve already done with logistical stuff (like meeting agendas, Zoom links, etc.) and what we might do (like additional discussions or resources that members post or comment on in the Feed). Our current membership is a great mix of folks across the College of Arts and Letters in a range of roles, which has enriched our conversation in ways that I couldn’t have anticipated. We’re certainly open in having more folks join us if interested!
Schwartz: We have had four meetings so far and have our fifth coming up on December 3, 2021 from 10-11:30 EST and all are welcome! Please note, if you're interested in joining the 12/3/21 meeting, please reach out to either co-facilitator via email or on iteach.msu.edu, as the readings we'll be discussing are from a hardcopy book we've procured!
What has been a highlight of this semester for your LC and what are you looking forward to next semester?
Sabo: I love talking about teaching with people who love teaching, and I really feel like that has been the tone of our conversations all semester. I’ve been very appreciative of the fact that our group has been able to talk about the challenges of teaching while still being productive and hopeful about what good teaching can do for our students and the world. One thing that has certainly helped that has been the spirit of collaboration that’s breathed through this group since its beginning. Stokes and I have had a good rapport even since the planning stages of this community, and that has continued as we’ve gone from the process of proposing the group to actually planning its meetings. As you might be able to tell from how long my answers to these questions are, I tend to be wordy and big-picture in my focus, and Stokes does a great job of bringing things back around to ask, “Okay, but what would that actually look like?” in a way that has helped our conversations find a great balance between macro and micro issues of engagement and student success. Our members have been great about thinking and sharing proactively as well.
Schwartz: The highlight?  Two actually.  First, working with my co-facilitator Garth.  We seem to have established an effective working relationship and bat our ideas-plans back and forth until they take solid shape.  It has been fun sharing our ideas, developing our respective parts, coming back to the figurative table for another round of mashup, and then seeing what the final results are before the day of an actual meeting.  Second, the knowledge and personalities of our learning community members, all of whom bring interesting experience and perspectives to our meetings.  Thus far, I have really enjoyed the experience.  It has been like grad school in the best way possible (without the egos and constant stress). 
Sabo: Just to peek behind the curtain a little bit,  next semester we’re pivoting slightly to frame our conversations with the goal of producing tangible results of our collaboration, whether that be conference presentations, publications, or something else entirely. I’d love to see a step on that road being a bigger focus on producing material that we might share to the wider iteach community via the Articles feature.
Schwartz: Looking ahead, I am excited to continue working with our community in the new year and possibly develop a panel or presentation on concrete things we might do to engage our students in the general education or lower division prerequisite "classroom" (F2F or online) more effectively. Beyond that, I am already mulling over ideas for proposing another similar learning community for the 2022-2023 AY.  The cross-pollination possibilities offered/brought about by learning communities like these is fantastic and a good way to break out of our various silos here at MSU.
If you are interested in learning more about this year’s Learning Communities at MSU you can see the full list here. If reading this story peaked your interest in #iteachmsu Groups, you can view all the current groups here. Looking for a group on a particular topic or practice, but don’t see one - start it! Any MSU user can create a group, just login to iteach.msu.edu with your MSU netID to get started. Easy to follow instructions for starting a group are here.