Salisbury University |  Instructional Design & Delivery Newsletter | April 1, 2025

No Joke: Digital Accessibility Countdown Starts Now

Yes, it's April 1 - April Fool's Day, but we are also celebrating April is for Access with a focus on digital accessibility. Digital accessibility is the ability of a website, social media, mobile application, electronic document or course content to be easily navigated and understood by a wide range of users, including those users who have visual, auditory, motor or cognitive disabilities. Salisbury University is committed to making digital accessibility a core aspect of operations.

Per a Department of Justice (DOJ) ruling, by April 24, 2026 all USM schools must meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Version 2.1 for all digital content distributed either publicly or privately (behind a login). What does this mean for our campus?

All digital content, email communications, electronic documents (Word, PowerPoint, PDF), website, social media and SU Today posts, must be digitally accessible. We have a year to get this done - so join the Offices of Digital Strategy (web office), Disability Resource Services, Information Technology and Instructional Design & Delivery in making digital accessibility part of SU's culture.

To learn more:

• Join Dr. Candace Henry and Dr. Haley Cristea on April 9 for the DOJ Accessibility Ruling Year Countdown Kick Off Webinar
• Visit the Digital Accessibility website and sign up for the 5 Day Challenge training.

Call for Proposals for OER Faculty Grants

The Maryland Open Source Textbook (MOST) initiative is seeking proposals for its Faculty OER Grant Program, which supports faculty efforts to increase access, affordability and achievement for students at Maryland’s post-secondary institutions through the incorporation of open educational resources (OER) into teaching practice.

Available grants in 2025 include:

• Adopt/Adapt OER ($1,000 grant + Participation in the Lumen Circles Community of Practice).
• Create/Revise and Publish OER ($2,000 grant + Participation in the Rebus Textbook Success Program).

All proposals must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, April  18, 2025.

Creating an Inclusive Syllabus Webinar

Come join our webinar to help you learn how to update features of your syllabus to make it more inclusive.  We will cover interactivity, inclusivity, UDL features, and institutional links to consider.  We will learn about different types of syllabi and look at small things you can do to have a big impact on whether your students actually read your syllabus.   

• Date: 4/10/2025   
• Time: 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM 
• Format: Virtual
• Facilitator: Karen Silverstrim

Creation of Fall and Summer 2025 Courses in MyClasses 

Fall and Summer 2025 courses were created in MyClasses on March 28, and instructors were enrolled at the same time. Daily reports will be run to update course, section and instructor enrollments.

Student enrollments will be added on May 1 for summer session and August 1 for fall.

If you have multiple sections that need to be combined, please use our MyClasses Combine Sections request located under the MyClasses requests section of the ID&D Support Center. Faculty participating in the Inclusive Access textbook program should request sections be combined at least four weeks prior to the start of the semester.

SU is an Equal Opportunity/AA/Title IX university and provides reasonable accommodation given sufficient notice to the University office or staff sponsoring the event or program. For more information regarding SU's policies and procedures, please visit www.salisbury.edu/equity.

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