#LearnEverywhereXULA (#LEX) is our award winning Brightspace course that is organized around the eight General Standards for Higher Education set forth in the Quality Matters Higher Education Rubric Sixth Edition. The information, activities, and assignments in the #LEX course aids faculty in developing high quality, well-designed, objective-driven courses on Brightspace for Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) students.
When faculty complete the #LEX course, they have the opportunity to expand their horizons even more through #LEX Advanced certification. With the certification, faculty learn about using design and automation features available in Brightspace to apply better pedagogical practices within their courses by making them more user-friendly, accessible, and efficient.
#LEX Advanced takes a deeper dive into tools like Rubrics, Release Conditions, Intelligent Agents, HTML Templates, Awards & Badges, and more. #LEX Advanced certification also includes topics such as accessibility, academic integrity, rethinking assessment strategies in the age of AI, securing online testing environment, online discussions, group work, and video lectures.
A #LEX Advanced badge can be earned for participation in a #LEX Advanced workshop OR for completing its corresponding module in the #LEX course.
Our #LEX Advanced certification has five levels. Faculty can move up a certification level with every fourth #LEX Advanced badge they earn. Complete four modules to earn the #LEX Advanced Level 1 certification. Complete eight modules to earn the #LEX Advanced Level 2 certification. Complete twelve modules to earn the #LEX Advanced Level 3 certification. Complete sixteen modules to earn the #LEX Advanced Level 4 certification. Complete twenty modules to earn the #LEX Advanced Level 5 certification.
Faculty can view the badges they've earned by clicking on Activities in the NavBar and then click on Awards within the #LearnEverywhereXULA course.
Are you interested in becoming #LEX Advanced certified? Attend one of our upcoming #LEX Advanced workshops to start earning your badges. Alternatively, you can earn badges by completing modules in the #LearnEverywhereXULA course.
NOTE: Faculty who are not enrolled in the #LearnEverywhereXULA course can request enrollment using this enrollment request form.
#LEX Advanced Certifications
Congratulations to those faculty who have earned #LEX Advanced Certification!
Learners sometimes have a hard time keeping track of everything they need to get done. They may have to jump in and out of multiple courses to figure out if there are upcoming assignments or projects with due dates in the near future (or in the past!). This can be frustrating for them, and it can also lead to missed deadlines.
The Work To Do Widget is a simple way you can help students stay on top of their work.
Example of the Work To Do widget
How the Work To Do Widget Works
The Work To Do widget is designed specifically for students and displays all their overdue and upcoming learning activities in one place. Overdue work appears at the top of the list, and upcoming items are listed below. This makes it incredibly easy for students to see what's most urgent.
All quizzes, assignments, checklists, and other activities with due or end dates automatically appear in the widget. Students can see the widget on their My Home page in Brightspace, as well as on their individual course homepages. This means they can get a quick overview of all their courses at once, or focus on just the tasks for your specific course.
Example of the Work To Do widget showing no activities due
Making It Visible for Your Students
To ensure your students can take advantage of this helpful tool, all you have to do is make sure the Work To Do widget is enabled on your course homepage. When you use the default course homepage in Brightspace, the widget is automatically included. If you’ve customized your homepage, you may need to add it. A few minutes of effort on your part can save your students a lot of stress and help them stay organized all semester long.
The Work To Do widget can be seen by users with the role of student. Instructors will see the Work To Do widget when they view the course as a student.
Note: Instructors who have opted to customize their course homepage and want their students to be able to see the Work To Do widget on their customized course homepage, will have to add the widget to the course homepage.
For additional information and frequently asked questions about the Work To Do widget, see the following article in the Brightspace Community: Introducing the Work To Do Widget.
Note: Are you doing something innovative in Brightspace or perhaps you've discovered a handy tip? Share how you are using Brightspace in your teaching and learning in The Orange Room.
Now that the chaos of August is past, September is a great time to invest in your professional growth. The energy of beginnings — new students, new courses, new colleagues — offers everyone an opportunity for exploring innovative teaching strategies, connecting with colleagues, and strengthening the practices that make your work most meaningful to you. Whether you need touchpoints for community and reflection, help considering AI's role in education, or finding focused time for your scholarship, this month's offerings provide multiple pathways for professional growth and collegial connection.
Now that the chaos of August is past, September is a great time to invest in your professional growth. The energy of beginnings — new students, new courses, new colleagues — offers everyone an opportunity for exploring innovative teaching strategies, connecting with colleagues, and strengthening the practices that make your work most meaningful to you. Whether you need touchpoints for community and reflection, help considering AI's role in education, or finding focused time for your scholarship, this month's offerings provide multiple pathways for professional growth and collegial connection.
For any event below, click on the link for more information. Some events require registration.
WEEKLY OPPORTUNITIES
Coffee & Chat, every Monday, 10:00-11:00 Faculty can spend some time with members of the CAT+FD staff in our Conference Room for refreshments and conversation.
Fall Faculty Writing Group Lunch, every Monday, 11:00-2:00 Members of the Fall Faculty Writing Group meet every Monday to write and dine together.
Walking Club, every Tuesday & Thursday, 8:30-9:00 All members of the Xavier community are invited to gather outside the Fitness Center to get in some steps together.
Quarter of Quiet, every Wednesday, 2:00-2:15Members of the Xavier community are welcome in the Chapel's Meditation Room for 15 minutes of unguided contemplation.
SEPTEMBER OPPORTUNITIES
Start-of-Semester Mindfulness Check-in, September 3 at 1:00 pm, CAT+FD Conference Room - 534AJoin us for an informal and open conversation about being more mindful and contemplative.
Create Engaging Video Lectures with Camtasia, September 3 at 3:00 pm, OnlineThis workshop will be led by Casey Seiter, Customer Success Manager for TechSmith EDU, an expert in educational video creation and digital storytelling.
SERG (Science Education Research Group), September 3 at 3:30 pm, NCF 568 This monthly meeting provides space to share questions, concerns, and suggestions about pedagogy with colleagues in a supportive, multidisciplinary environment.
New Faculty Brown Bag, September 4 at 12:15 pm, Mellon Seminar Room - LRC 532BNew full-time faculty should attend these brown bags to learn about and engage with peers who understand the joys and challenges of the first year at Xavier.
Fall Faculty Writing Group Kick-off, September 4 at 5:00 pm, Mellon Seminar Room - LRC 532BFaculty enrolled in this semester's Faculty Writing Group should plan to attend. Dinner will be provided.
Part-time Faculty Brown Bag, September 9 at 3:00 pm, Online CAT+FD welcomes all current part-time faculty to our monthly online gathering, designed with your busy schedules in mind.
Academic AI Statement Roundtable, September 10 at 11:00 am, Mellon Seminar Room - LRC 532B Engage with faculty, staff, and students to discuss the draft statement about AI use in academic settings at Xavier.
Academic AI Statement Roundtable, September 15 at 2:00 pm, Mellon Seminar Room - LRC 532B Engage with faculty, staff, and students to discuss the draft statement about AI use in academic settings at Xavier.
2nd Year Faculty Luncheon, September 18 at 12:15 pm, Mellon Seminar Room - LRC 532B2nd-year faculty are invited to join their cohort colleagues for an informal lunch to reconnect and to learn about advising.
Build Your First AI Chatbot: Hands-On Workshop, September 19 at 2:00 pm, CAT+FD Teaching Lab - LRC 532AAll members of the Xavier community are welcome to join CAT+FD and the Library for an interactive workshop where you'll go from chatbot novice to creator.
Academic AI Statement Roundtable, September 26 at 10:00 am, Mellon Seminar Room - LRC 532BEngage with faculty, staff, and students to discuss the draft statement about AI use in academic settings at Xavier.
#LEX Advanced: Online Assessment Strategies in the Age of AI, September 30 at 3:00 pm, Mellon Seminar Room - LRC 532BDiscover how to adapt, innovate, and create online testing experiences that are both academically rigorous and genuinely reflective of student mastery.
OUTSIDE OPPORTUNITIES
CAT+FD is not a sponsor of any of the following. These links are provided to share additional professional development activities.
8th Annual Sparking Success Faculty Development Conference, Tulane University, January 7-8. Tulane University’s Center for Engaged Learning and Teaching (CELT) invites proposals for interactive breakout sessions for the 8th Annual Sparking Success: Faculty Development Conference, to be held Thursday, January 8, 2026. Sparking Success encourages faculty, staff, and graduate and professional students to come together, build community, and find inspiration for enhancing our lives on campus. Session proposals are due by November 1.
32nd Annual HBCU Faculty Development Network Conference, Charlotte, NC, October 30-November 1. This year’s theme, “Turning Challenges into Opportunities: Advancing Faculty Development to Serve Dynamic Institutions,” invites faculty, administrators, and higher education professionals to engage in transformative dialogue and hands-on learning. Through workshops, plenaries, and networking sessions, the conference will explore innovative strategies in teaching, learning, leadership, technology, and student success—empowering participants to thrive in a rapidly changing educational landscape.
Brightspace D2L Academy. The D2L Academy is a version of Brightspace available to all members of the Brightspace Community where you'll find Premium (paid) content like Certificate and Subscription Training Courses, as well as FREE Courses, Downloads and Teaching Tools. The D2L Academy is also where you can connect with Brightspace Guided Training, and the Product Idea Exchange (PIE).
Use due dates in Brightspace to help students stay on track. Students will see due dates when they look at entries in the course calendar, Work To Do Widget, and in the Pulse App.
Due dates and availability dates are generally entered when the instructor creates assignments, assessments, discussion topics and forums, etc. The dates automatically populate into the course calendar.
Instructors can use the Manage Dates tool to view, edit in bulk, and bulk offset date availability from one central location. You can also set the calendar status of all content topics and modules, discussion topics and forums, assignment submissions folders, grades categories and items, announcement items, quizzes, checklists, and surveys in their course in the Manage Dates tool.
Follow these steps to do it.
To add availability and due dates in Content:
Get into the course you want to add availability and due dates to course objects.
On the NavBar (of the course you want to change dates in), click Content.
On the Table of Contents page, click Bulk Edit.
For any topic or module that you want to add availability or due dates to, click Add dates and restrictions.
Do any of the following:
Click Add start date. Enter your start date details.
Note: Are you doing something innovative in Brightspace or perhaps you've discovered a handy tip? Share how you are using Brightspace in your teaching and learning in The Orange Room.
Image credit: “due today” by jflorent is dedicated to public domain under CC0 and is a derivative of calendar by tigerlily713 from Pixabay
D2L (the company that owns Brightspace) uses Continuous Delivery to update our Brightspace system. The Continuous Delivery model gives us regular monthly updates allowing for incremental and easily integrated changes with no downtime required for our Brightspace system.
Our Continuous Delivery update occurs on the 4th Thursday of each month. D2L provides release notes to help users stay up-to-date with the changes.
Here are some of the updates in the August 2025/20.25.08 release that were added to our system this month:
1) Brightspace – New Window icon for all menu items
To help users better anticipate navigation behavior in Brightspace, a New Window icon now appears next to all menu items that open in a new tab or window. This change applies to all applicable menu items across the platform interface.
The icon design is also updated to better align with current styles used in Brightspace.
View an example of this change in the Print Thread menu in a discussion topic (see image).
The New Window icon appears beside a menu item.
From a course, navigate to a topic in Discussions, select the actions drop-down for a thread, then view the New Window icon appears beside Print Thread.
2) Groups – Enrollment limit increase
To support growing class sizes, the Groups tool now allows enrollment of up to 3000 users per group within a group category. Previously, the limit was 200 users per group.
This increased limit applies to all enrollment workflows, including:
Automatic enrollment during group creation
Automatic enrollment during Classlist enrollment, where automatic enrollment group types exist
Manual enrollment using the Enroll Users and Import options within the Groups tool
Groups enrollment via the Bulk User Management tool
Enrollment using Brightspace APIs
The 3000-user limit is now strictly enforced across all methods of group enrollment. Previous workarounds that bypassed the former enrollment limit will no longer function for any group that has reached the 3000-user limit.
Currently, the automatic enrollment overflow functionality enrolls users into other groups in the same category if the selected group is full. However, when the 3000-user limit is reached in all groups, further enrollment attempts will fail. To continue processing enrollments, you must add additional groups to the category.
In cases where enrollment fails due to the user limit, the following indications appear:
Brightspace APIs return an error
Bulk User Management and Group Import CSV display user-specific errors in the import results
IPSIS and Banner integrations report failures
In the Groups tool, additional users cannot be selected without deselecting users already enrolled in the group
D6942 (Allow for more than 200 people in a group/section)
D4750 (Remove 200 member cap on Self-enrolling Groups)
3) Quizzes – Print your quiz
In response to customer feedback, this update provides instructors with a simple way to print an offline quiz that supports all native Brightspace quiz question types, shuffling and randomization options, question pools, multiple versions, and an Answer Key.
From the Manage Quizzes page, click the drop-down beside the quiz name and select Print.
From the Print Quiz page, select a version tab, configure formatting, and click Print [Version].
Options to support multiple quiz versions include:
Shuffle Quiz (under Timing & Display) to shuffle quiz sections and questions.
In the Timing & Display section of the quiz settings, select Shuffle Quiz to randomize the order of questions and sections within the quiz.
Shuffle questions in this section (when creating or editing a section).
When creating or editing a quiz section, select Shuffle questions in this section to randomize questions, sections, and pools within the section.
Randomize answer order when creating or editing a supported question type, for example, Multiple Choice.
When creating a multiple-choice question, select Randomize answer order to present answer choices in a different order for each learner.
To help instructors quickly and easily grade printed quizzes taken offline, an Answer Key is provided for each version. It includes the correct answers and, where applicable, the grading method.
To grade a quiz, instructors can select Show correct answers and print the required version of the quiz with an Answer Key.
This feature implements the following PIE items:
D362 (Print Quiz and Quiz Key)
D3718 (Quizzes - Generate PDF of the Quiz for Printing)
D5909 (Make all screens which have "forms" exportable to PDF)
D8049 (Printing Quiz)
D11794 (Quizzes: Print Test for Offline Completion)
4) PIE – Enhancement to the Product Idea Exchange (PIE)
This update enhances the Product Idea Exchange (PIE) based on customer feedback and introduces a new idea submission pipeline. D2L is refocusing on using PIE for new product ideas only. For bugs, support issues, or feedback on existing features, customers should use the Customer Support Portal or speak with your Customer Success representative. Updated guidelines for PIE are available in the Community.
This update makes it easier to:
Engage directly with the D2L Product Management team
Receive faster updates on submitted ideas with simplified statuses and streamlined process
Gain visibility into how ideas influence the product roadmap
D2L will provide feedback on submissions that do not follow the updated guidelines to provide an opportunity to update the submissions. Submitters receive a notification and have 90 days to enhance it.
D2L is also reviewing existing PIE submissions to inform migration plans. Customers are encouraged to revisit older submissions marked as Feedback Review Window and provide comments on those still relevant.
The current PIE interface remains open for commenting until August 31, after which it becomes read-only for six months to allow historical reference and migration.
Note: Are you doing something innovative in Brightspace or perhaps you've discovered a handy tip? Share how you are using Brightspace in your teaching and learning in The Orange Room.
Notifications enable you to customize what methods you want to use to receive notifications, such as email, as well as what events will trigger notifications.
Students can control how they receive information about course activity through their notification preferences. They can customize which actions in Brightspace will trigger a notification.
The Notification tool allows users to:
Subscribe to a summary of activity for each course and receive a daily email.
Specify your preferred email address for instant notifications and announcements.
Receive instant notifications about course activity, such as edited content, new discussion posts, assignments, grades, course announcements and upcoming quizzes.
Instructors can help their students to keep up with their coursework by encouraging them to setup their notification preferences. Additionally, there is a Getting Started for Learners Video Playlist that students should watch to get familiar with Brightspace.
Follow these steps to do it.
To customize notification preferences, users should:
From your Personal Menu (located in the Minibar), select Notifications.
Select the email address to which notifications will be sent.
Select the course activities for which you would like to receive notifications.
Click the Save button at the bottom of the screen.
Note: Are you doing something innovative in Brightspace or perhaps you've discovered a handy tip? Share how you are using Brightspace in your teaching and learning in The Orange Room.
Spring part-time faculty are often smaller in number than in fall semesters, and departments often rely on returning teachers to teach course offerings. Spring 2025 at Xavier was no different. This group included several returning teachers with tremendous experience in a range of disciplines.
Dr. Alla Rosca of the Political Science department completed the part-time faculty support program and is now CAT+FD certified! In addition to contributing greatly to our monthly meetings, Dr. Rosca also participated in the CAT+FD Faculty Writing Group. Dr. Rosca teaches quantitative analysis and research methods in Poli-Sci, serves on the board of the World Affairs Council, and has authored three books including her most recent, on the topic of democratic transitions, as well as over 60 academic articles. She is one of many powerhouse part-time teachers at Xavier and we are fortunate to have her in our teaching ranks.
A special shout out goes to Professor Christopher Hatten, maker-space and robotics teacher in XCOR, who contributed greatly to the monthly cohort. Professor Hatten stays busy between Xavier and his high-school robotics teaching, and Zoomed into our monthly meetings from the high-school. Excellent effort!
The XCOR and its interdisciplinary approach to a core, liberal-arts education, at a STEM-heavy school, is a big part of what makes Xavier competitive, appealing, and relevant to students. Having teachers from the part-time ranks teaching these courses, crafted around themes of New Orleans and the Xavier Mission, speaks volumes to the expertise and versatility of this group.
In the fall of 2025, we once again have a vibrant roster of part-time teachers. I've already met several at orientation and was excited to see some familiar faces as well, including some joining the group for the first time after teaching at Xavier for several years. I know these teachers will have a lot to bring to the table, and I look forward to hearing their insights on the challenges of the day.
Thanks again to Dr. Rosca and Professor Hatten, and I look forward to highlighting the next outstanding Xavier part-time faculty members!
Every August, I get to experience one of the highlights of my role as Director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development: welcoming our newest faculty members to Xavier. There's something energizing about our New Faculty Orientation (NFO), bringing together scholars from different disciplines, watching them discover what makes this university special, and seeing the connections start to form.
Two weeks ago, over two intensive days, our CAT+FD team, along with dedicated Xavier community members, had the privilege of watching 17 exceptional new colleagues begin their journey at our institution. These two days are about transformation, connection, and laying the groundwork for the innovative teaching and scholarship that will shape our students' futures.
From seasoned scholars embarking on new chapters to freshly minted Ph.Ds., each new faculty member brought their own spark of curiosity and expertise. Watching them connect with our existing community, ask thoughtful questions, and share their visions for their work here reminded me exactly why I love what we do at the Center.
But enough about the process. Let me introduce you to the 17 remarkable individuals who are now a part of the Xavier family:
Did you know, D2L rolled out a modern, upgraded, responsive, and accessible Brightspace Editor? The Brightspace Editor is the primary method of creating content in Brightspace. The Brightspace Editor allows users to enter text, pictures, or embed audio/video. Advanced users can even embed HTML code.
You can create course content using the Brightspace Editor. For example, the Brightspace Editor is available when you edit discussion topics, create custom instructions for assignment submission folders, create quizzes, create announcements, and create content topics.
Brightspace Editor
I find myself using emojis to help convey tone and emotion, which can be difficult to express through text alone. 🙂 You can easily insert an emoji using the "Other Insert Options" button in the Brightspace Editor's toolbar.
The Brightspace Editor has many icons that match those of common word processing software: bold, left justify, bullets, tables, and so on. It’s important to remember the Brightspace Editor is not a word processor. When you add pictures, links or embed videos, you are creating references to items that are stored internally (in Brightspace) or externally (another web site). If those items are changed or deleted, the reference will not display properly.
Brightspace Editor: A Breakdown of New Features
Redesigning the editor provided opportunities for D2L to provide a better experience. Some new features were added to the Editor, but there was also a focus on improvements in accessibility, responsiveness, and ease of use:
Improved accessibility – D2L ensured that toolbars met the new WCAG 3.0 standards for button spacing and that the keyboard navigation makes sense to users, especially those using screen reader technology. They also recreated their great color picker that highlights WCAG AA compliance to end users.
Enhanced responsiveness – The toolbar collapses intelligently based on the size of your screen, with different breakpoints. This means that formatting options collapse together, alignment options, and 'insert' options - creating a great experience on any device.
Ease of use – The editor now looks more like a standard web text editor - with all formatting options at the top. Contextual menus are inside the editing experience for quick access while typing. They included the advanced code editor that makes editing html code easier. They upgraded the tables feature and added: format painter, word count, and @mentions in Discussions. All areas clients suggested for improvement in the Product Idea Exchange (PIE).
Enhancements to the Editor
More and different formatting options.
An improved color picker with WCAG compliance checking.
A full set of emojis and special symbols
The move of footer options like 'preview' ' source' 'accessibility checking' and 'expand' to the main toolbar.
Updates to the font size menu
Removal of Spellchecker*
Removal of Cut/Copy buttons (which no longer worked on most browsers anymore in any case)
A refreshed Accessibility checker
The Brightspace Editor now remembers the open or closed state of the More Actions button, per user, in order to reduce clicks for users that frequently use options in the expanded editor.
*NOTE: The Brightspace Editor does not have a built in spell checker. Your web browser’s built-in spell check functionality is available in the new Brightspace Editor and D2L recommends using it.
Additions to the Editor
Format painter that enables you to copy and apply text formatting.
New Advanced Tables that includes sorting options.
Contextual menus for editing text, links, and images (image editing is not available in all areas)
Word Count including character and selection word count
Advanced Source Code Editor that includes code suggestions and color coding for tags.
Lato font
@mentions support in Discussions
An 'Other Insert Options' menu for overflow items to improve responsiveness.
Limited text pattern support: * * for italics, ** ** for bold, ## for H2, ### for H3, etc until H6.
Note: Are you doing something innovative in Brightspace or perhaps you've discovered a handy tip? Share how you are using Brightspace in your teaching and learning in The Orange Room.
The Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development invites you to join us for a regular silent meeting. We'll meet each Wednesday afternoon throughout the 2025-2026 academic year. Drop in when you can.
What to expect?
As the Meditation Room of the Chapel is located directly beneath the bell tower, we are using the bells in our timer. They chime quarterly, so our period of silence begins at 2:00 and ends at 2:15.
But I've never done this before!
You needn't have any experience with meditating; just stop by and give it a try. There's no commitment and no pressure.
Why bother?
Try it and see. Sitting quietly has numerous well-documented benefits, including stress management, improved emotional balance, increased focus and awareness and increased responsiveness to student needs.
All welcome
This is open for everyone in the Xavier community, for people of any faith or no faith.
Date: Wednesdays during the school year (whenever classes are in session)
Time: 2 - 2:15 PM
Location: Meditation Room, St. Katharine Drexel Chapel
