May 2026 ARC

The Need-to-Know on New Accessibility Standards

This year brings with it a lot of new accessibility standards and needs. Come hear about those standards and the support available to help you meet them. 

Krystal Iseminger
Director, ADA and Section 504 Compliance

John Jones
Executive Director, Media Reources Center

What Does Continuous Improvement Look Like? 

This session examines how student service departments can strategically leverage Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education(CAS)frameworks and departmental assessment practices to operationalize continuous improvement, moving beyond compliance to drive measurable institutional impact. Participants will gain practical, accessible strategies to turn assessment into action, clearly defining what continuous improvement looks like in everyday practice and how to implement simple, effective approaches that strengthen programs, enhance student support, and drive meaningful results.

Alicia Newell
Assistant Vice President of Student Belonging, Student Affairs

How to Build Surveys in Qualtrics

This training introduces building surveys in Qualtrics, including creating questions, structuring survey flow, and applying basic logic and validation. Participants will learn practical skills to design functional, user-friendly surveys that support data collection for research, assessment, and administrative purposes.

Whitney Crager
Senior Research Analyst, Qualtrics Administrator, Office of Planning and Analysis

What You Need to Know about the Current Generation of WSU Students

Today’s students are arriving with noticeable gaps in academic preparedness while navigating unprecedented mental health, financial, and social pressures, directly impacting how they show up, engage, and succeed in your classroom and across campus. This session equips faculty and staff with critical insights and actionable strategies to adapt teaching, support, and engagement practices to better meet the needs of today’s students and strengthen student success outcomes.

Alicia Newell
Assistant Vice President of Student Belonging, Student Affairs

Library Session (TBA)

Blackboard for Beginners: Setting Up your Course or Org (Faculty/Staff)

This session introduces faculty and staff to the core features of Blackboard Ultra. Join Rachel to learn how to manage users, create and organize course content, communicate with students, and manage your course. If you finish this session ready for more, plan to attend Getting Ready to Teach in Blackboard on Tuesday! 

Want an empty development shell to work with while Rachel shows you the ropes? Fill out a Development Shell Request. 

Rachel Bastian
Instructional Design Lead,  Office of Instructional Resources

Safety and AI, session title and description TBA

Imran Musaji
Assistant Professor, Communication Sciences and Disorders

Using AI in Grading Workflows

This session will walk instructors through how to use Copilot to assist with grading in Blackboard. We will also discuss other grading workflows that are not currently approved by the university so attendees will come away understanding what can and cannot be done.

Carolyn Speer
Director, Office of Instructional Resources

Susan Castro
Associate Professor, Philosophy; Director, The Academic Center for Biomedical and Health Humanities

Building an AI Policy for your Class

AI brings a lot of complexity and challenges — and writing clear policy for your syllabus can be a challenge.  The MRC and OIR have created a tool to help write a policy that suits your specific class and needs.  Come learn how! 

John Jones
Executive Director, Media Reources Center

AI Impacts: The Environment, the Economy, and Education

AI promises efficiency, innovation, and transformation, but it comes at a cost. Join this panel for a conversation about the environmental resources AI consumes, the economic shifts it's accelerating, and the opportunities and challenges it presents for teaching and learning in higher education.

Carrie Dickison
Associate Teaching Professor, English

Justin Keeler
Director, Business Analytics Graduate Program; Clinical Associate Professor

Holger Meyer
Professor, Physics

Getting Ready to Teach in Blackboard

Building on the foundations from the beginner session, this session walks you through the essential steps to prepare your Blackboard course for the first day of class. Learn best practices for organizing content and configuring the gradebook,  how to use groups, and more!

Want an empty development shell to work with while Rachel shows you the ropes? Fill out a Development Shell Request. 

Magi Penner-Hiebert
Instructional Designer, Office of Instructional Resources

Techniques to Streamline Online Large Enrollment Classes

Large enrollment online classes present special challenges for students and instructors alike. This session will cover ways to use Blackboard and online course design to make your large enrollment online class easier to manage.

Carolyn Speer
Director, Office of Instructional Resources

I Need Help Right Now! Open Blackboard Lab Time

Join this come-and-go lab session to get help from the experts. Bring your questions about Blackboard, Honorlock accessibility, or other tools. If we don't know the answer, we will help you find someone who does!

OIR Staff

WSU Classrooms of the Future

Ryan Corcoran
Director, Audiovisual Engineering, Media Resources Center

Get Creative with AI Conversations

Use Blackboard's AI Conversation to enrich your courses and even to solve some problems in new and creative ways. Real examples from previous classes will be used to illustrate the strengths of this tool.

Carolyn Speer
Director, Office of Instructional Resources

Using Microsoft as an Educational Technology 

Explore how Microsoft tools can enhance teaching, learning, and course design through seamless integration with Blackboard using the new Microsoft Education tool. This session demonstrates practical ways to leverage familiar Microsoft apps to improve collaboration, organization, and student engagement without adding complexity to your workflow.

Rachel Bastian
Instructional Design Lead,  Office of Instructional Resources

Magi Penner-Hiebert
Instructional Designer, Office of Instructional Resources

Coming Soon!

Make Course Files Work for All Students: Accessibility Tools with Microsoft, Blackboard, and Adobe

Accessibility doesn’t have to be hard or time-consuming! Simple changes to files and documents can remove big barriers for students. We’ll walk through Word, PowerPoint, and the dreaded PDFs while learning about Ally and how it assists both instructor and student.

Heather Merchant
Senior Accessibility Specialist, Office of Instructional Resources

Annual Mandatory Accessibility Training

This session, required for instructors once per year, covers everything from key expectations to service animals and the tools available to make accessible instruction possible. 

Krystal Iseminger
Director, ADA and Section 504 Compliance

John Jones
Executive Director, Media Reources Center

Honorlock: Your Proctoring Solution

Join this session to explore Honorlock, the proctoring tool adopted by our institution for online assessments. We’ll cover how to set up proctored exams, monitor student activity, and ensure academic integrity while maintaining student accessibility. The session will guide you through exam setup and clear communication with students. 

Rachel Bastian
Instructional Design Lead, Office of Instructional Resources

Magi Penner-Hiebert
Instructional Designer, Office of Instructional Resources

Data for Administrators

This session is designed for chairs, program directors, and deans and will cover interesting Blackboard data from the courses you identify.

*This session requires special registration. Please fill out the registration form at Course Data Workshop Registration.

Carolyn Speer
Director, Office of Instructional Resources

Rachel Bastian
Instructional Design Lead, Office of Instructional Resources

APS to Edify: What You Need to Know

Emma Ray
Data Scientist, Office of Data Governance

Using AI Workflows to Improve Course Content

Carolyn Speer
Director, Office of Instructional Resources

I Need Help Right Now! Open Blackboard Lab Time

Join this come-and-go lab session to get help from the experts. Bring your questions about Blackboard, Honorlock accessibility, or other tools. If we don't know the answer, we will help you find someone who does!

OIR Staff

Intentionally Serving First Generation Students

Sara Mata
Executive Director, Hispanic Serving Initiatives, Assistant Teaching Professor, ISLE

Josh Villa
Community Engagement Coordinator, Community Engagement Institute

AI's Impact on First-Generation Students

This session is a reprise of a keynote address the speaker gave earlier this week. Come hear her take on the opportunities AI presents to all students and especially first generation students.

Carolyn Speer
Director, Office of Instructional Resources

Making Your Course Career Ready*

Sarah Mathews
Director of Career Development, Shocker Career Accelerator

Be Part of Developing the ARC (Focus Group Conversation)

The Academic Resources Conference is built by and for the WSU community, and we want your voice in shaping its future. Join this informal session to share your ideas, experiences, and wishes for future ARCs.

Carolyn Speer
Director, Office of Instructional Resources