This message was sent to faculty, instructional academic staff and teaching assistants at the beginning of the fall 2026 semester. Additional groups that support instruction were also included for awareness.
Dear Instructional Colleagues,
Welcome to fall semester 2026. As you continue to prepare for the start of classes, I’m writing on behalf of the Division for Teaching and Learning to provide some campus-level instructional resources and reminders. We are eagerly anticipating the exciting opportunities each new academic year brings while also gearing up for the likely complexities and challenges.
Pre-Semester Teaching Toolkit
Visit our Pre-semester Teaching Toolkit to quickly find an array of teaching resources and strategies for deeper engagement with your students. Resources include the UW–Madison Syllabus template, generative AI guidance, and more.
Resource Highlights for Fall
We want to highlight a few specific resources that may be top of mind and timely for fall semester. These include guidance and considerations for responding to real-time (often unexpected) disruptions and preparing students to engage in civil discourse during an election season that is likely to be intense and divisive.
- Providing flexibility to students during times of disruption
- Navigating classroom dynamics and disruptions
- Political activity in the classroom
Resources for Supporting Students
There are many ways instructors support students – here are a few important resources to be aware of:
- The Office of Student Assistance and Support (OSAS) can provide guidance and direct support if you become concerned about a student, at any time. You can also contact your department chair, supervisor or school/college academic dean’s office.
- Recognize, Respond, Refer Online Suicide Prevention Training for UW–Madison faculty and staff is available in Workday. This online, self-paced training shares how to support students experiencing mental health challenges and strategies to prevent suicide. It takes an hour or less to complete.
- Religious and election day observances policy requirements and guidance on how to put them into practice. This non-partisan slide is also available for you to share with your students as they prepare to vote this fall.
Teaching & Learning Data Use
Lastly, these are two key resources to review around responsible use of student data:
- The Office of the Registrar’s FERPA (Student Record Privacy) webpage includes links to FERPA training in Canvas and a decision tree that can help you determine whether and when to share student information.
- UW–Madison’s Teaching and Learning Transparency Statement provides more information about the university’s commitment to the ethical and responsible use of data to support and advance student learning.