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Help Resources
Perform the following steps to gain access to tutorials, help documentation, post questions, and see release notes:
 

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Click on the Join Group button

Check the "Getting started in the #iteachmsu Digital Commons" playlist for tutorials and helpdesk information.
Customer Support Process
MSU IT is available 24/7 to support your IT needs. Contact the MSU IT Service Desk using one of the methods listed below:
 

Option 1: Call (517) 432-6200 or toll-free at (844) 678-6200

Always call if you need a prompt response
You will be presented with six options, for most problems in your area you will want to dial six for general IT Service Desk assistance. The other options are as follows:

    Option 1: Classroom Support
    Option 2: Distance Learning Services such as D2L
    Option 3: Clinical and Radiology Systems such as EMR, ARIS, or PACS
    Option 4: EBS or other business or administrative services
    Option 5: Student assistance with Internet access, login, or email questions
    Option 6: Wait on the line (general IT Service Desk assistance


Choose Option 6 or stay on the line for assistance with anything not specifically listed above.



   B. Option 2: Email ithelp@msu.edu<mailto:ithelp@msu.edu>
   C. Option 3: Use the Self-Service Portal    <https://uss.itservicedesk.msu.edu/web/frontoffice/login?redirect=/>


 Log in with your NetID
  Select either "Report an Issue," "Request a Service," or "Search Knowledge Base" depending on your needs
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If using Internet Explorer, consult Knowledge Base document #404713 if errors are encountered.


 

While the Center for Economic and Policy Research has gone so far as to call the U.S. the “No Vacation Nation" stating from a study of 22 of the richest countries that "The United States continues to be the only advanced economy that does not guarantee its workers paid vacation and holidays." Former President Samuel Stanley made efforts to ensure that at MSU this wasn't ture. On his last day of service, President Stanley declared that, "MSU’s biggest investment — and greatest strength — is you, the exceptionally talented support staff, faculty and academic staff who bring our educational mission to life. You do so much to teach, inspire and support our students’ success in all they do. An important part of my job, and that of my administration, is recognizing your efforts and supporting your success." And the way in which Stanley recognized those efforts, was to award a new, annual winter break, which for this academic year will run from Dec. 23 through Jan. 2.In my experience, this is a time that many employees would use vacation days or accrued time off, but the act of intentionally gifting MSU staff this time means that the days they would have otherwise allocated to ringing in the new year can be distributed to other times in their work cycle. But will they? According to a study done by Glassdoor, the reasons U.S. workers don’t use their vacation time includes:

Their workload is too great and no one else at their company can do the work in their absence without fear they will fall behind.
They worry they will miss out on participating in an important project, decision or meeting.
They feel guilty about leaving the office too long because they think their team might feel lost or overwhelmed.
Some worry their desire to take vacation time will make them appear less motivated or dedicated.

Additionally, the Glassdoor study found that of those who did use vacation time, only 54% were able to fully "check out" while 27% were expected to stay aware of work issues and jump in if need be. This data-- combined with that from a study from the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization that found working 55 hours or more a week was associated with a 35% higher risk of stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from heart disease, compared with a working week of 35 to 40 hours-- has a few important take aways for us...

Over working ourselves has negative health implications.
Taking the time off that we're provided by our organization is important for both employees and employer.
Workplace culture, division of labor, and human capital/capacity all impact workers' ability to let go while taking time away (or taking time at all).

"While taking a vacation may make employees temporarily feel behind, they should realize that stepping away from work and fully disconnecting carries a ripple effect of benefits. It allows employees to return to work feeling more productive, creative, recharged and reenergized. In turn, employers should consider what a vacation really means – to actually vacate work – and how they can support employees to find true rest and relaxation to avoid burnout and turnover within their organizations," said Carmel Galvin, Glassdoor chief human resources officer. Additionalluy, in a report on the impacts of a reduction to 32 hour/4-day work-week in 27 companies, scholars at Boston College, the University College Dublin and Cambridge University found improvement in many well-being metrics. "Stress, burnout, fatigue, work-family conflict all declined, while physical and mental health, positive affect, workfamily and work-life balance, and satisfaction across multiple domains of life increased." Download a copy of the report for all the details.I love the way this Forbes article by Caroline Castrill puts it, "Don’t be a vacation slacker. Time off is linked to a slew of benefits, including better sleep and improved mental health. So, what are you waiting for? Put the guilt aside and plan your next holiday. Your body and mind will thank you." The article also links to multiple studies that support the assertions that vacation time:



increases mindfulness
improves heart health
reduces stress
boosts brainpower
improves sleep



The bottom line is taking vacation time is essential to employee survival. We (the royal "we") still have a long way to go when it comes to employee health and workplace wellbeing, but taking full-advantage of employer provided breaks is one place to start. So as the year comes to an end... leave your computer at work, set your away message, turn off notifications, and respect your own PTO boundaries. Photo by Bethany Legg on Unsplash

According to Brickman, Gormally, and Marchand Martella (2017), student evaluations at the end of each semester along with peer evaluations are the two sources through which faculty can receive feedback. That being said, faculty largely reported being dissatisfied with the information they received from student feedback. Specifically because student evaluations, “do not provide constructive information; have poor response rates; design do not align with instructors’ objectives; the evaluations only measure student satisfaction; and the process is not set up to truly engage students to attain useful and insightful feedback” (Brickman, Gormally & Marchand Martella, 2017, p4).These three authors advocate for structured, intentional, peer observations as one answer to the gap in feedback faced by faculty. “When peer evaluations are performed, they are more supportive of evidence-based teaching than student evaluations.”
So what is peer observation?
Peer observation “involves observers providing descriptive feedback to their peers on learning and teaching practice as a means to improve quality of teaching” (Sullivan et al. 2012). Basically, when educators observe each others’ practice with the goal of learning with and from one another. Benefits of peer observation for the practicing educator also include: sharing best practices, building awareness of your own teaching practice, identifying areas to improve or try something new, enhancing student learning by connecting the dots between learning design and student feedback, and engaging in a community of educators within your setting.
​Effective peer observation includes both feedback and reflection, and focuses on individual educators’ needs (Sullivan et al., 2012). Participating in peer observation provides opportunities to both get and give feedback. Benefits of peer observation for the observer include: seeing practice to emulate, gain student perspective, connect with and support colleagues within and beyond your unit, learn about different teaching technologies, and set aside time to reflect on teaching. All educators have strengths and opportunities for growth, peer observation can help you identify both! Seeking out peer feedback, and providing feedback through observations can contribute to the ongoing construction of a professional community of educators at Michigan State!
The study conducted by Sullivan et al. (2012) found the practice of peer observation of teaching to be a constructive way to improve courses and learning design, to support and encourage educators, and to reinforce good practice. All that said, participating in peer observation is highly encouraged as a part of your educator practice at MSU. And remember: “It is very important to note that peer observations are NOT evaluative and are NOT tied to your annual review process (regardless of role). They are a training and development tool to facilitate reflection and personal growth regarding teaching” (Baker, 2021). Peer observation of teaching is essentially confidential between you and your observer/the observed. It’s up to the observed educator if they want to share their takeaways and/or action plans with their administrators. 
 
Thanks to colleagues at The University of Queensland Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation, Leeds Metropolitan University, Cambridge Assessment International Education Teaching and Learning Team, University of Toronto Center for Teaching Support & Innovation, University of Texas at Austin Faculty Innovation Center, University of South Carolina Center for Teaching Excellence, and the Northeastern Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning Through Research.  
ADDITIONAL SOURCES:Brickman, P., Gormally, C. & Marchand Martella, A. (2016) Making the grade: Using instructional feedback and evaluation to inspire evidence-based teaching, CBE—Life Sciences Education, 15,4.https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.15-12-0249Sullivan, P.B., Buckle, A., Nicky, G. & Atkinson, S.H. (2012) Peer observation of teaching as a faculty development tool. BMC Medical Education, 12, 26. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6920-12-26 Baker, A. (2021) Peer Observations, #iteachmsu Commons. https://iteach.msu.edu/iteachmsu/groups/iteachmsu/stories/2106 Race, P. et al. (2009) Using peer observation to enhance teaching. Leeds Met Press. ISBN 978-0-9560099-7-5 Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

Accesible Design Checklist: Text and Content
This checklist meant to serve as a starting place, rather than a complete list or expert regulations. Accessibility should be considered throughout all parts of the design process, and designing accessible compositions benefits all people, not just those with disabilities. This post is the second part of the Accessible Design Checklist series: 

Overview
Text and Content
Multimedia

Text and Content Accessibility
When looking at the overall design of content, composers should consider the overall text and content on their designs.
Color ContrastColor alone should not be used to convey meaning. When color is used beside black and white, it should have a color contrast between the text and background of at least 4.5 to 1. Spartan Green is also an acceptable addition to use with white. The colors used should not affect colorblind users.FontThe font chosen should be a sans serif font with no narrow, bold, or decorative features. Preferably, a font that has unique characters (e.g., the I, l, and 1 are different) should be chosen. 

In general, no more than two different fonts should be used.
The font size should be at least 12 points.

HyperlinksHyperlinks should be descriptive, which means that without the context of the sentence around the hyperlink, it should be understandable on its own. Avoid using the full link directly into a design.Inclusive LanguageThere are many considerations for written language within a design. 

The work should avoid jargon and idioms that are not understandable for a wide audience. 
Written work should be concise and understandable. 
Avoid using a word fully capitalized to convey information (if it’s not an acronym). Acronyms should not be used without first defining them.
Avoid using language that excludes and/or harms users, such as ableist language or genderist language. 

SpacingText should be left-aligned, and alignment should not be used to convey meaning. There are many textual spacing properties to consider in designs: 

Line spacing is at least 1.5 times the font size;
Spacing following paragraphs is at least 2 times the font size;
Letter spacing is at least 0.12 times the font size; and
Word spacing is at least 0.16 times the font size.

TablesTables should be used for tabular data rather than visual presentation. Use simple tables with one column and/or one row with headings and avoid merged cells. Tables should have captions, textual contextualization, and all cells filled.
References and Resources for Accessible Design

Level Access’ Must-Have Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Checklist 
Michigan State University’s Create Accessible Content
University of Washington’s Accessibility Checklist
Web Accessibility in Mind’s WCAG 2 Checklist
Web Accessibility Initiative's Design and Develop Overview

Continue to read more about the checklist in the next part of the series, Accessible Design Checklist: Multimedia.Accessible Design Checklist: Text and Content © 2024 by Bethany Meadows is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0. The cover photo, "Free close design text computer" is marked with CC0 1.0.

I spoke with Kari Stone-Sewalish to discuss MSU's updated withdrawal policy and why this matters for MSU students and educators.EL: Can you tell us your name, your position at MSU, and how long you’ve been in this role?
Kari Stone-Sewalish, Assistant Director, Office of Accreditation, Assessment, Curriculum, and Compliance (AACC). I have been in this role for just over one year. I have worked at MSU for five years, having previously served as an Assistant Director in the Office of Student Support & Accountability (OSSA).
You’ve been presenting MSU’s updated withdrawal policy all over campus. To start us off, what is a withdrawal from the university?
A withdrawal from the university occurs when a student drops all their courses within a semester. This is different from a student dropping one course; students don’t withdraw from a course but from their whole semester of courses. A shorthand to consider is “withdrawal means all.”
Why does MSU need a withdrawal policy, and why does this policy matter to students?
No student starts the semester thinking they will have to leave; sometimes life just happens. Ensuring the withdrawal policy is easy to find and understand was a core goal of the redevelopment process. From a compliance standpoint, all colleges and universities that receive Title IV funds (federal financial aid) are required to have a withdrawal policy. From a student-centered perspective, MSU has a withdrawal policy to inform students of the process by which they may drop all enrollment during and after a term of instruction.
Why did you focus on improving the withdrawal process students have to follow? Why do clear processes matter to students?
We sought to improve the process to provide greater consistency of experience to students and to eventually bring the process to a student-facing platform. Clear processes matter to students because if we expect they will manage their own affairs at the university, we need to give them the best tools to do so. Withdrawing from college can be a difficult decision, likely informed by a difficult life circumstance. Making this process smoother just makes sense.
What are the key differences to know in the new withdrawal policy?
The new withdrawal policy allows students to withdraw themselves up until the Class Ends date for any reason. Additionally, students who withdraw after the Last Day to Drop with No Grade Reported will receive all “W” grades. These changes are significant and foster increased consistency of policy application across the university, as well as increased ability for students to return to MSU after a withdrawal.
Where can students find the new policy? The process?
The new policy is live in the Academic Programs Catalog and updates were made to the Office of the Registrar’s webpage about withdrawal. These updates are intended to help students gather more information about the impacts of withdrawal, prior to starting the process.
How can course instructors and other MSU educators support students thinking about a withdrawal? Who else should they contact to discuss their options?
Course instructors can refer undergraduate students to their academic advisor and graduate students to their program chair/major advisor to discuss the option to withdraw. The Office of the Registrar’s webpage about withdrawal includes additional topics that many students will want to consider before initiating a withdrawal.
What factors will students need to consider as they think about withdrawal?
Withdrawal can have differing impacts on students, depending upon several factors. It’s a big decision and we want students to be fully informed before initiating a withdrawal to avoid surprises. Withdrawal can have impacts on financial aid, immigration status, on-campus housing, student employment at MSU, and more.
How will course instructors interact with this policy?
When a student drops their course, the instructor of record may be asked to provide information about a student’s attendance in a timely manner. Course instructors play a pivotal role in MSU’s compliance with Title IV (of the Higher Education Act of 1965). When a student withdraws from MSU, the Office of Financial Aid completes a calculation to determine the amount of unearned aid that must be returned. The aid must be returned to the Department of Education within a short timeframe and instructors are essential for MSU to meet this requirement and to minimize any negative financial consequences for the student. More information on MSU’s responsibilities under Title IV can be found in the Academic Programs Catalog: Financial Aid Refund Policy.
What should course instructors tell students to do if they have more questions about withdrawals at MSU?
The best place to refer students to start the conversation about withdrawal is to their academic advisor. Academic staff and advising offices are well-positioned to support students through the withdrawal process, including discussion of returning to MSU when ready. We know that not every student who withdraws will return, but ensuring a positive “off-boarding” experience lays a strong foundation for future communication and potential reenrollment at MSU.
Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed about withdrawal! If educators have any more questions about withdrawal, what should we do?
Instructors and other campus partners with additional questions can contact Becky Marx Keogh, Senior Associate Registrar, at roreview@msu.edu.Photo by Alexandre Debiève on Unsplash

Feb. 13, 2024, resources for campus
 As we look to the Spring 2024 semester, we are also approaching the one-year mark of the violence of Feb 13, 2023. The university’s commemoration events are being designed to provide opportunities for all members of our community to come together and take the time and space they need for ongoing healing.Plans are underway for a student-led day of action and an evening remembrance gathering on Feb. 13, 2024. Committees consisting of students, staff, and faculty are actively planning these university-wide commemoration events. Committee members are engaging interest groups for additional input as they work through the details.
As a reminder, there will be no classes held on Feb. 13, 2024, though the university will remain open to support students and our community. 
Guidance to Campus in Support of Unit Level Efforts
To ensure that our campus is handling the commemoration of Feb 13 in the most sensitive and trauma-informed way as possible, it is not recommended that groups, units, or offices hold smaller commemoration events.  
If your unit is considering an independent commemoration event, here is some trauma-informed guidance to consider: 

Be aware of the university-wide events and avoid overlapping efforts, if possible. Additional timing, location, and details will be announced soon, and updates will be regularly available here. Additional timing, location, and details will be announced soon.
Ensure invitees are well prepared for exactly what will occur at your event, so that the details and their participation is not met with surprise.
Describe your event as fully as possible – what will you be doing, where will it be, what is expected of attendees or participants?
 Attendance should always be optional, and participants should be able to exit easily at any time. 
Commemorative events should not be a source of retraumatization, to this end, we do not recommend that individuals publicly share personal stories or that groups engage in expression of memories and experiences from Feb 13.
Providing narratives or listening to others’ stories can be quite activating for those who have experienced trauma.
Without the support and direction of mental health professionals, this type of exercise can create additional distress, often unexpectedly.
Share links to supportive resources with planners and attendees however possible. Some helpful resources may include:

Counseling & Psychiatric Services
Employee Assistance Program
Office for Resource and Support Coordination


Engage with IPF Events early for assistance in planning events which will involve entities outside your department or immediate responsibility and/or take place in university-managed spaces.
IPF Events can help you identify, coordinate, and schedule logistical support needs, such as Parking, Security, space-use approval, waste management, restroom facilities, electrical service, and seating.
They typically require 90 days notice for many approval processes, so contact them as early as possible for support.
MSU counseling staff will not be readily available for individual unit events, as MSU will be utilizing 3rd party support for presence at university-wide events, and MSU UHW staff will not be on duty to provide them an opportunity to engage in commemorative events. Plan accordingly.
Notify ORSC about your planned commemoration efforts, so that publicly announced offerings can be shared via our website and any important coordination can occur. 
Email orsc@msu.edu with planned dates, times, locations, and event details. 




Who is ORSC?





In April 2023, Michigan State University established the Office for Resource and Support Coordination, a temporary office to coordinate the university's continued response and supportive resources following the Feb. 13 violence on campus. The office is led by co-directors Natalie Moser and Dave Brewer. 
Moser currently serves as the director of the MSU Psychological Clinic and is a founding member of the university’s Trauma Services and Training Network. She is a licensed clinical psychologist, a leading expert in anxiety and has expertise providing consultation to families and communities. She holds a doctorate from the University of Delaware. 
Brewer most recently served as the director of building services for MSU Infrastructure Planning and Facilities and was a key architect behind the university’s logistical response to COVID-19 to ensure the health and well-being of the campus community. Brewer has been an active member of the university’s Emergency Operations Center and training and planning efforts. He holds a doctorate in mass communication with a focus on organizational communication from the University of Alabama.  
More information on the ORSC team can be found below.
To contact our office, please email us at orsc@msu.edu.Photo by Tom Shakir on Unsplash

The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard University has shared what to do if a difficult (also referred to as "hot") moment has arisen in your classroom.
While there’s often no single “right” response, as the instructor, how you address difficult moments in the classroom has implications for learning. Your response can communicate indifference or even hostility; alternatively, it can show that you’re aware of your classroom’s dynamics, you aim to promote learning even through struggle, and you care about your students’ well-being. Here are some tips for helping you to respond productively.

Attend to your own reactions. Take a moment to steady yourself. A couple deep breaths can be helpful here. Though it may be challenging, holding steady while navigating a difficult moment can help others feel safe, less reactive, and better able to slow down and explore the dynamics at work in the situation. There are likely many different, complicated responses playing out in the room. What are you feeling? Allow yourself a pause; you can even invite everyone in the room to pause along with you. How are others reacting to what is happening? You can offer everyone some time to think, write, or even leave the room for a bit. Observe your own reactions to what is happening. Try to distinguish between what you are experiencing, what is actually being said or done, and the various possible interpretations of what is happening. There’s a lot going on in this moment! Attending to your reactions is a skill to be practiced.
Understand the situation. It’s possible that, in the heat and complexity of the moment, there has been some misunderstanding. Maybe someone has misspoken or you’ve mistaken their meaning. Others in the room may be in the same situation, wondering whether they've heard and understood a comment correctly, for instance. It's important to make sure that your understanding of the situation is as accurate as possible and sensitive to the different perspectives present in the room. It may be fitting to ask the person or people involved for further explanation or clarification. If the difficult moment was sparked by a comment, you could try repeating back the comment or its logical implications – not as an accusation, but to allow the speaker to clarify their meaning. You might ask: “What makes you say that?” or “Can you say more about what you mean?” Try to discern if there is a learning opportunity here, or perhaps a need for articulating boundaries.
Deepen and nuance your short-term response. You’ve slowed down the situation, attended to your reactions, and asked for further explanation or clarification as needed. As noted above, the dynamics at play in this moment are complex! How can you deepen and nuance your response in the short-term? For one, try and separate the utterance, idea, or action from the person who articulated or performed it. Hold people accountable for what they say and do; also recognize that a single offensive or even harmful act doesn’t reveal the entirety of someone’s character and motives. You can make it clear that a comment or act is unwelcome in the classroom, even while admitting you’re not sure precisely why or how it came about. For another, you might acknowledge the various emotional responses in the room as material that can contribute meaningfully to class discussion. Can these responses reveal something interesting about a concept that is being studied or a method being practiced? This move can both validate the different kinds of responses unfolding for individuals in the room and communicate that lived experience is relevant for classroom learning.
Consider your long-term response. Your short-term response to a difficult moment need not be your only response. Do you think the moment requires follow-up action so that future classes aren’t negatively affected? Would it be helpful to check-in with the class or certain individuals either via email or during the next class meeting? If you perceived harm being done or unease being instigated, you may offer to talk with a student or students after class, over email or in-person. You may also consider how chances for feedback and communication of personal experience might be incorporated in the ongoing class structure. Perhaps invite everyone to write or share exit notes at the end of every class, or maybe you collect feedback at several points throughout the semester. Regular opportunities to articulate one’s experience in a course can do much toward alleviating the pressure placed on any one emotionally intense moment; they also help cultivate a practice of reflection and self-awareness.

Five Strategies to Interrupt Hot Moments from MSU IDI:

CURIOSITY: Ask powerful questions and listen generously to answers. Lead a dialogue balancing all voices in the class. Make sure to surface historically marginalized perspectives.
WRITING EXERCISE: Have students write responses to: 

“What I know about this topic…”
“What I want to learn…” 
“What I want to say….” 

You may ask them to respond anonymously, collect and review to determine how to proceed next time.


SMALL GROUPS: Divide students into groups of 2 or 3 and give them prompts (from above or others); debrief or have them write.
CONTENT/DATA SHARE: Create a graph and ask students what they already know about this topic, what they need to find out. What do we know about this issue historically?
NAMING AND FRAMING: Sometimes it is useful to actually stop the conversation and ask the group to name and explore something that just happened during the conversation. Move away from the specifics of the issue and ask class “what happened here?” Solicit ideas about what, why, how to move forward.

Looking for more resources? Check out the amazing work done by educator development team at the University of Michigan's Center for Research on Teaching and Learning. They provide strategies for anticipating and responding to difficult discussions as well as classroom incivility:

Guidelines for planning and facilitating discussions on difficult or controversial topics
Responding to incidents of hate speech
Teaching and learning in a tense election season
Strategies for making productive use of tense or difficult moments
Facilitating Challenging Conversations in your Classes (blog post)
Sample guidelines for class participation
Guidelines for responding to particular topics and tragedies
Responding to Incivility in the College Classroom

Thank you to colleagues in university educator development at the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard University, the Center for Research on Teaching and Learning at the University of Michigan, Institutional Diversity and Inclusion at Michigan State University, and others for their materials that informed or were adapted into this resource. Photo by Patrick Hendry on Unsplash

Title: Rise: A Tool to Building Interactive Online CoursesPresenter: Erin Bosch-HannahFormat: Learning Tech DemoDate: May 11th, 2023Time: 10:00 - 11:15 amClick to hereDescription:Rise is a course authoring software allowing instructors to quickly build online courses that are structured easily with high levels of interactivity. This technology helps change passive online learning to active engagement. The tool is asynchronous, allowing students to utilize their course at any time without the need for the instructor to be present. Assessments can be built in and it is compatible with all devices and most Learning Management Systems. This platform is user friendly, student oriented, and instructors can use a mixture of videos, voice recordings, quizzes, timelines, descriptive photos, and other modules. The amount of features and interactivity can be altered in each module, making for new and exciting learning experiences.Educators can quickly convert their existing content into Rise, allowing their students to interact with the material through several different learning styles. By incorporating additional activities that utilize the content in Rise, an increase in retention is often noticed since material is used frequently. Rise easily allows instructors to scaffold content through lesson sections and multiple educational blocks. Labeled graphics, tabs, processes, timelines, and sorting activities encourage students to proceed through information in an organized manner. These activities encourage connections and associations since students have to manually access the content and apply the information to the next section.