Meriam Library(opens in new window)
Faculty Affairs (FAAF)(opens in new window)
Accessible Technology Services (TEIN)(opens in new window)
March 2026 Tuesday Tips
3rd March 2026
Tuesday Teaching Tip: Invisible Curriculum
This teaching tip is brought to you by Faculty Fellow Professor Josie Blagrave
College courses are full of expectations that feel obvious to us and confusing to students. We assume students know how to “participate,” how to use office hours, how to read feedback, how to revise, how to study for something other than recall. Many do not. Not because they are unmotivated, but because much of academic work is invisible unless someone names it.
When we leave these practices implicit, students who have prior exposure to academic culture benefit. Students who come from marginalized communities or support networks without exposure to academic culture spend time and energy decoding the rules (sometimes incorrectly), which can lead to educational disparities.
Common “invisible” work can include:
- Using office hours strategically (not just when in crisis).
- Reading feedback as input for revision, not as justification for a grade.
- What counts as meaningful participation.
- How to prepare for discussion beyond skimming.
- What revision actually means (more than proofreading).
Concrete ways to make the work visible:
- Model the process: Show a before-and-after paragraph and narrate what changed and why.
- Define participation operationally: Provide 3–4 specific examples of what “strong” participation looks like in your course.
- Demystify office hours: Explain what students can bring, what happens in a meeting, and how it helps.
- Teach how to use feedback: Build in a short reflection where students identify one comment they will act on and how.
- Share your own process: Briefly describe how you draft, revise, or prepare for professional work in your field.
Naming invisible work does not lower standards. It clarifies them. It shifts effort from guessing what counts to practicing what counts. Over time, that clarity can improve student performance, confidence, and persistence, especially for students who were never taught the unwritten rules.
Learn more about transparency in teaching and learning through TILT Higher Ed(opens in new window).
If you’d like to comment on this or any other Tuesday Tip, visit the FDEV Blog(opens in new window).
All past Tuesday Tips are curated on the FDEV website.
All past Tuesday Tips are curated on the FDEV website.
10th March 2026
Tuesday Teaching Tip: Becoming a Better Teacher
Think back to a great experience you had as a student. Perhaps a time you had really mastered the material and aced a test, or a classroom discussion that shifted your perspective. You may not have realized it at the time, but your instructor was probably figuring it out along the way–just like you. In a recent episode of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, host Bonni Stachowiak(opens in new window) shared about the concept of becoming in the classroom “This comes from the work of Stephen Brookfield, and he’s written over 30 books about teaching in higher education. And he. I mean, I think about, my gosh, what would that look like to have written that many books and have so many people consider you an expert? And yet when he speaks about his own work, he speaks about it in terms of him still becoming as a teacher.”
I have often used this space to discuss the merits of making small changes(opens in new window) in teaching. The meta-lesson behind that, and indeed a lot of our programming, is that no matter how much experience we have, we are still learning how to be effective instructors. One of my profound joys in this role is working with experienced faculty whom I deeply admire and seeing their desire for new ways of understanding. You can see this as a commitment, but I would encourage you to think about it as a permission. Permission to experiment, fail, not have it all figured out, try again, and engage in the joy of becoming.
Zach Justus
Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Google Voice/Text: 530-487-4150
If you’d like to comment on this or any other Tuesday Tip, visit the FDEV Blog(opens in new window).
All past Tuesday Tips are curated on the FDEV website.
24th March 2026
Tuesday Teaching Tip: Navigating Copyright
This Teaching Tip is brought to you by librarian Michelle Mussuto
Navigating Copyright: A Quick Guide for Faculty
In our classrooms and research labs, information is our most valuable currency. However, ensuring we have the right to use and share that information can often be confusing. To help clarify some of the most common questions, the Copyright Clearance Center(opens in new window) put together a "Copyright Essentials" tip sheet to help you navigate intellectual property (IP) rights.
Beyond the Basics: Fair Use and Permission
A common misconception is that being a non-profit educational institution gives us an automatic "pass" on copyright. In reality, fair use is a legal defense evaluated on a case-by-case basis using four specific factors: the purpose of the use, the nature of the work, the amount used, and the effect on the work’s market value. It is also important to remember that giving credit to a creator is not a substitute for obtaining permission; attribution and copyright compliance are two different requirements.
Teaching Online and the TEACH Act(opens in new window)
For those of you teaching remotely, the TEACH Act provides additional exceptions for distance learning. However, it comes with specific compliance obligations, such as ensuring the use is part of "mediated instructional activities" and implementing technological measures like content timeouts or print-disabling to protect the material.
Simple Best Practices
- Link, Don't Upload: Generally, linking to a legitimate, non-infringing source (like a New York Times article on their own website) is allowed, whereas uploading a PDF of that same article to an LMS may require permission.
- Check Image Licenses: Never assume an image found on Google is free to use. Most are protected by copyright, even if they lack a visible license or watermark.
- Keep Records: Whether you are using material under a Creative Commons license or individual permission, maintaining good records is vital to avoid liability and ensure the university doesn't pay for the same rights twice.
Additional Resources
Beyond the tip sheet, the following resources can help you further understand and manage copyright:
- U.S. Copyright Office: They offer a specific, in-depth document titled Reproduction of Copyrighted Works by Educators and Librarians. (PDF)
- Copyright Clearance Center ((opens in new window)CCC): A helpful resource for exploring collective licensing options or using their "Pay-Per-Use" services for specific content needs.
- University Intellectual Property Policy(opens in new window): The sources recommend that faculty always refer to their specific district or university policy regarding the ownership of curricula and materials created during or outside of employment.
- Creative Commons(opens in new window): This is an excellent place to find Open Educational Resources (OERs) that are published under "open licenses," allowing for use without seeking additional permissions.
Zach Justus
Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Google Voice/Text: 530-487-4150
Director of Faculty Development
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Google Voice/Text: 530-487-4150
If you’d like to comment on this or any other Tuesday Tip, visit the FDEV Blog(opens in new window).
All past Tuesday Tips are curated on the FDEV website(opens in new window).
All past Tuesday Tips are curated on the FDEV website(opens in new window).