Charting the Course
Academic Calendar
Essential to planning your semester and developing your syllabus, the academic calendar contains important dates and deadlines for both faculty and students. ECU offers traditional 15-week semesters, 8-week Alternate Block and Flight Path courses during the fall and spring terms, as well as multiple summer session options. Be sure to consult the correct calendar for the course you are teaching, as start dates, deadlines, holidays, final exams, and grading periods may vary by term and course format.
Writing Program
Writing is central to faculty life, whether you are developing course materials, conducting research, preparing manuscripts, or mentoring student writers. ECU’s University Writing Program and Writing Across the Curriculum provide resources and support to help faculty strengthen both their own writing practices and the role of writing in their courses.
Watch the video below as Dr. Kerri Flinchbaugh introduces these programs and highlights opportunities to support your teaching and scholarship.
Interested in learning more? The WAC Academy is a six-week institute offered each spring semester for faculty interested in incorporating writing more intentionally into their courses. For additional information, contact Dr. Kerri Flinchbaugh (flinchbaughk@ecu.edu) or Dr. Will Banks (banksw@ecu.edu).
What is UDL?
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for creating learning experiences that recognize and support the varied needs, backgrounds, and strengths students bring to the classroom. Rather than designing for an “average” learner, UDL encourages faculty to build flexibility into their courses so all students have opportunities to engage, learn, and demonstrate their knowledge.
Watch a video introduction of UDL by a member of the Instructional Design Team, Justin Littlefield.
Selecting Textbooks
If you’re teaching a course this semester your textbook may have already been selected by your department. Before making any changes, check with your department chair or unit administrator. Many departments use a common textbook across all sections or have already submitted adoptions before new faculty arrive.
For future semesters, if you are responsible for selecting a textbook, you will submit your adoption through the Adoption & Insights Portal (AIP), managed by the ECU Bookstore (Dowdy Student Stores). Once your teaching assignments are finalized you will receive a personalized email from the bookstore with instructions for submitting your textbook adoption.
Getting Started with Course Accessibility
Accessible course design benefits every student by making course materials easier to navigate, read, and engage with. It also helps ECU meet updated federal digital accessibility requirements that take effect later this academic year, making now an ideal time to build accessibility into your courses.
ECU’s Getting Started with Course Accessibility interactive guide introduces the fundamentals of accessible course design and provides practical strategies for creating accessible documents, organizing content with headings, writing descriptive links, adding alternative text to images, and identifying common accessibility issues.
Need additional support? Schedule an appointment with ECU’s Instructional Design Team. Whether you’re creating a new course or updating existing materials, instructional designers can help you meet accessibility requirements while creating a more inclusive learning experience for all students.
Introduction to Canvas
Canvas is ECU’s primary learning management system and your central hub for organizing course materials, communicating with students, posting assignments, and managing grades. Once you log in, you’ll have access to your course dashboard, notifications, and teaching tools.
As you prepare for the semester, start with the Canvas Semester Essentials guide, which walks you through the key steps for getting your courses ready before classes begin. You will also find instructor guides, a self-paced Getting Started with Canvas course, and additional training through LinkedIn Learning.
Need extra help? ECU offers live workshops, one-on-one consultations, and 24/7 Canvas support through the Help menu within Canvas.
Course Information and Syllabus
Your course syllabus is an important resource for communicating essential course information and university policies. ECU’s Faculty Affairs website provides guidance on the required components of the official syllabus, along with other helpful resources.
Keep in mind that UNC distinguishes between the official course syllabus and section-specific information. The official syllabus is a public document that contains the required course information and is uploaded to the university’s Syllabus Manager platform and later published to a public website. Details that vary by section or semester, such as assignment due dates, the course schedule, office hours, grading timelines, and other instructor-specific information should be provided to students through Canvas.
If you are teaching this fall, please upload your official syllabus as soon as possible. If you have questions about your department’s syllabus template or unit-specific requirements, please check with your department chair or school director.