Welcome to Fall 2021! We approach this time filled with excitement, as many of us will be back on campus, and still with some trepidation as the spread of the Delta variant continues to remind us that we are not yet out of the woods. The safety of our students, faculty, and staff is our top priority. Over the summer, CSUN has exerted great effort to ensure that indoor air quality adheres to the strictest standards of protection. In light of this, we are excited to announce the Faculty Technology Center will re-open its doors to support faculty, who will be teaching on campus, with any questions related to instructional technology. The FTC will continue to be available for faculty teaching online as well.
This Fall will be especially exciting for our First Time Freshmen (FTF) and First Time Transfer (FTT) students. Thanks to the CSUCCESS initiative, they will have access to a free iPad Air, Apple Pencil, and Apple Smart Folio Keyboard to use through the completion of their degree. We expect that many of them will use their iPads to attend online classes, as well as complete their assignments and other coursework. What does it mean for you as faculty? Review our article about CSUCCESS on how you can prepare for students using iPads in your classes.
In addition, FTF will have free access to their course materials through the CSUN Ready project. This project allows students to seamlessly access their e-materials through the BryteWave Course Materials integration in Canvas for each of these courses.
Whether you are teaching online or in person, we are here to support you. Be sure to check out our Fall Prep Packet for some start-of-the-semester tips and other resources. In addition to our regular workshops on core technologies, this fall we are introducing a new "Ask an Expert" series where you can drop in with one of our resident technologists and ask questions. You will also be able to easily schedule an appointment with them. Stay tuned for more details.
We wish you a successful and fulfilling semester!
Dr. Helen Heinrich
Interim AVP of Academic Technology
