ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾

Submitted by: Christina Lammers, clammers@uca.edu on 01/30/2026

Check out the Unsung Hero for February and other ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾ information!!

/hr/files/2024/03/February-2026-EEE-Newsletter.pdf

Submitted by: Trent Reese, treese1@uca.edu on 02/02/2026

!Venue Change!

We are planning an informational meeting for anyone interested in hosting a camp on the ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾ campus on Thursday, February 5th at 1:30 and Friday, February 6th, at 9:00 AM. These meetings will be held at the Brewer Hegeman Conference Center, room 101. Please note the venue change.

 

 

Submitted by: Christina Lammers, clammers@uca.edu on 01/30/2026

**Social Media Accessibility Walk-In Session
Description: Receive direct one-on-one assistance with your department or organizational social media page.

February 5, 2026 (Thursday)
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Burdick 313
Session Assistants: Alyssa Sparks, UMAC Digital Media Specialist, Doris Pierce, OARS Director, John Ortigo, OARS Assistive Technology Specialist

**Presentation: Digital Accessibility Review
Description: Attend this presentation to gain clarity and ask either in general or specific questions about document, website or social media accessibility. Presenters will provide summarized information from previous presentations.

February 10, 2026 (Tuesday)
1:40-2:30 pm (X-Period)
Ronnie Williams Student Center 225
Presenters:
Mark Heffington, UMAC Executive Director, Website Accessibility
Alyssa Sparks, UMAC Digital Media Specialist, Social Media Accessibility
Vicki Parish, CETAL, Document Accessibility
Doris Pierce, OARS Director, Document Accessibility
John Ortigo, OARS Assistive Technology Specialist, Document and Website Accessibility

*This seminar has the option of either ZOOM attendance or in-person attendance. Please register at the link provided for the format you prefer.

/hr/protectedcontent/oars-seminar-february-10-2026/

Submitted by: Lyn Gayfield, egayfield@uca.edu on 01/30/2026

This grant program was established to support the efforts of individuals, teams, groups, departments, and divisions in furthering student success at ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾.

Scan the QR Code or visit the link to learn more.

Application Due Dates:

February 15
April 15

For questions, contact us at osac@uca.edu or 501-450-3135

/osac/advocacy-grant/

Submitted by: Jennifer Brewer, jbrewer1@uca.edu on 01/29/2026

Ready for Brightspace? Let’s get you trained!

Thanks to 19 amazing faculty trainers representing every academic college, CETAL is excited to open registration for in-person Introduction to Brightspace training sessions!

If Brightspace is in your future (and it is! 😉), this is your chance to get hands-on, ask questions, and learn the essentials in a supportive, small-group setting.

👉 Sign up here:

We’re offering:

• 50+ session dates and times (with more added as needed)
• Two-hour, in-person workshops
• Small groups capped at 10 participants for plenty of personal support

Each session is co-led by a CETAL team member and a faculty trainer from your college, so you’ll be learning alongside colleagues who understand your discipline and teaching context.

👉 Sign up here:

Faculty are encouraged to prioritize sessions designated for their own college (these are marked on the registration form), but you’re welcome to register for any open session that fits your calendar. And good news—you only need to attend one session.

Training dates:

• February 23 – March 20 (before Spring Break)
• May 4 – 15 (during that sweet spot between finals and summer plans)

These sessions are designed to help you feel confident and ready to go. Spots will fill quickly, so grab your seat early — your future self will thank you.

👉 Sign up here:

We can’t wait to see you there!

 

Submitted by: Jennifer Deering, jdeering@uca.edu on 01/27/2026

Calling all faculty mentors and undergraduate researchers! Ready to catch the wave of opportunity? Join us for the Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Open House on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Torreyson West, Suite 328. This is your chance to ask questions, learn the ins and outs of the application process, and enjoy some snacks with the friendly folks from the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.

Jennifer Deering will be on hand to discuss developing and writing a persuasive application. Deborah Donald and Brian LeBlanc will be available to discuss the budget and budget justification. And Lasi McGhee will take questions related to research compliance (IRB and IACUC approvals).

Whether you’re a mentor helping a student launch their research adventure or a curious student ready to dive into a funded scholarly project, this Open House is your first step toward success. This is also an excellent opportunity for first-time grantseekers to get their feet wet because this opportunity from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education requires the exact same materials as most grant applications, just in a shorter format.

Hope to see you there!

For more information on SURF, please visit the SURF webpage.

/sponsoredprograms/surf/

Submitted by: Jessica Underwood, cetal@uca.edu on 01/26/2026

The Course Audit: Phase 1

The Blackboard-to-Brightspace move is officially rolling along, which means it’s time to begin Phase 1 of the Course Audit. This week’s mission: toss the old stuff.

After years of course copies, it’s probably hiding a few digital relics—duplicate files, broken links, old videos, and announcements. Phase 1 is your chance to do a quick sweep and decide what actually deserves to make the trip to Brightspace.

In this phase, you’ll focus on:

• Removing outdated or duplicate documents
• Cleaning up broken or unwanted links
• Reviewing old videos or media you no longer use
• Saving or deleting past announcements and messages

No need to overthink it—this is about progress, not perfection.

Need the Details?

CETAL has created step-by-step guidance and tips to help you through Phase 1 without the guesswork. You’ll find everything on our website:

👉 /cetal/brightspace-course-migration/

As a reminder, you’re not doing the migration itself—we’ve got that covered. You’re just deciding what makes the cut.

Phase 2 guidance will be coming your way next week.

Questions? Concerns? We’re here to help!

/cetal/brightspace-course-migration/

Submitted by: Christina Lammers, clammers@uca.edu on 01/26/2026

At the link provided you will find the BeWell Annual Report that outlines the positive growth the program experienced for 2024-2025. We are looking forward to continuing to create a healthier workforce and a positive culture on campus.

/hr/files/2026/01/2024-2025-BeWell-Annual-Report.pdf

Submitted by: Madeline Kimbrell, mkimbrell@uca.edu on 01/26/2026

Have you ever looked at your biometric screening results and wondered what your lipid panel really means — or how to improve it? Join us for a quick and informative wellness session focused on heart-healthy nutrition and simple ways to improve your cholesterol numbers.

This presentation is on February 11 from 12:15–12:45 pm via Zoom, presented by Nathan Auleep and Emily Kreps, Dietetic Graduate Students, in collaboration with BeWell. Click the link to register for the presentation.

/hr/protectedcontent/bewell-lipid-health-presentation-registration/

Submitted by: Suzanne Massey, smassey@uca.edu on 01/23/2026

ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾ Faculty:
Last year, the ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾ Core underwent a 10-year self-study and subsequent external
review. As a result of that process, the Core Council decided to revise the ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾ Core
rubrics for the four competency areas definitive of the ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾ Core: Effective
Communication, Critical Inquiry, Global Learning, and Responsible Living. Revising
these rubrics entails redefining the competency goals and articulating new student
learning outcomes for each goal. This process resulted in defining each competency
area in terms of a single goal (as opposed to multiple goals like our current system),
encapsulated by a single rubric, with an additional rubric for Collaboration. The Core
Council and assigned sub-committees worked last academic year to define these goals
and articulate these outcomes considering the benefits and drawbacks of the current
ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾ Core Assessment rubrics. This process is the beginning of a revision to the ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾
Core program in response to the self-study and external reviewers’ report. We are
intentionally redefining our Core goals, student learning outcomes, with the intention of
revisiting the ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾ Core assessment processes. The first step in this process is
reviewing and revising the ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾ Core Goals and learning outcomes, and we want
campus’s feedback each step of the way.
The Core Council is now soliciting feedback from campus. If you are interested in, have
experience with, or otherwise would like to offer your input on the ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾ Core goals and
student learning outcomes, we are asking that you take a moment to complete the
attached surveys. The links are below; one for each competency area with a standalone
rubric for Collaboration. These are draft revisions of the goals and outcomes. We need
your feedback to help us make optimal revisions that articulate our shared expectations
of student learning in the Core, capture student learning in a meaningful way, and are
applicable across campus in various learning spaces.
In addition, I, as Chair of the ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾ Core Council, will be holding Townhall style meetings
with each academic college later this semester beginning in late February. These fora
will provide an opportunity for faculty, after having seen the revised draft rubrics and
having provided feedback via the surveys, to directly engage with me and members of
the ÿÈÕ´óÈüÍøÕ¾ Core Council. Details are currently being worked out with each college and will
be communicated to faculty once finalized.
If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me (jmheld@uca.edu/450-5307)
Thank you for your assistance,
Jake Held

Links to the surveys:
Collaboration

Critical Inquiry

Global Learning

Responsible Living

Effective Communication