Be proactive and redesign your course to engage students. Facilitate high quality online courses that contain best practices, learning outcomes, and active learning.

Faculty Orientation and Guidebook

Resource guides for new faculty that include how to log into Blackboard and how to access Faculty Information in the MyGSU portal.

  • Faculty Resource Guide

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    As you begin your journey as a faculty member at Governors State University, your exploration of important resources will determine how prepared you are to achieve success in your role. This guide identifies and leads you to several categories of resources:

    • GSU Phone Numbers
    • Resources for Career Advancement
    • UPI Agreement
    • Academic Calendar
    • Digital Catalog
    • GSU Syllabus Template
    • Online Teaching
    • GSU Star
    • Faculty Senate
    • GSU Library
    • Instructional Review Board
    • Office of Spronsored Programs and Resources (OSRP)

    Open the Faculty Resource Guide to learn more.

  • Faculty Guidebook to the MyGSU Online Services:

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    Instructions for Faculty Information in Online Services​​

    Learn How To:

    • Log into the Portal
    • Access Your Class Schedule
    • View Your Class Roster and Student Profiles
    • Enter Grades​

    Open the Faculty Guidebook to the MyGSU Portal Online Services to learn more.

 

Additional Technology Tools

Provided below are several education technology tools to enhance your online courses. Though GSU CTL does not support these technology tools, most are available for free use.

  • Remind

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    This tool allows Instructors to send announcements (via SMS text message) to students and to create/send individual class reminders, files, and links to sites. The free version/subscription allows Instructors to create up to 10 classes. Remind is a great way to activate engagement across the learning community.

    Open the Remind website to learn more.

  • Mentimeter

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    This tool allows Instructors to create interactive presentations and meetings and use live polls, quizzes, word clouds to engage your audience. Mentimeter may be used as a great enhancement for synchronous sessions.

    Open the Mentimeter website to learn more.

  • Bitmoji

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    This tool allows users to create custom and expressive avatars. Instructors can create a landing page for their classroom and build an online community. Bitmoji does require an account and Chrome extension.

    Open the Bitmoji website to learn more.

  • FlipGrid

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  • Assistive Technology

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  • ThingLink

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  • Blackboard Quiz Generator

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Faculty Community

These communities share innovative, educational best practices for the success of students for both online and in classrooms.

  • American Association of Colleges and Universities

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    AAC&U serves as a catalyst and facilitator for innovations that improve educational quality and equity and that support the success of all students.

    Please visit the American Association of Colleges and Universities website for more information.
  • American Association of State Colleges and Universities

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    AASCU is a collective voice of 350 state colleges, universities, and systems united by their shared commitment to make affordable, high-quality education available to students of all backgrounds, races, and ethnicities.

    *View the Eliminating Barries to Postsecondary Education podcast.*

    Please visit the American Association of State Colleges and Universities website for more information.
  • American Association of University Women

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    AAUW advocates for women and girls since 1881 and into the future!

    Please visit the American Association of University Women website for more information.
  • Blackboard + Anthology

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    This community focuses on sharing teaching & learning best practices, useful techniques, help resources for student engagement, and more.

    Please visit the Blackboard + Anthology website for more information.
  • Faculty Focus

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    Faculty Focus provides Higher Ed teaching strategies for the online and college classroom.

    Please visit the Faculty Focus website for more information.
  • Illinois Online Network

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    The Illinois Online Network (ION) is a faculty development initiative that provides professional development opportunities in the area of online teaching and learning to faculty and staff from higher education institutions in Illinois and beyond.

    Please visit the Illinois Online Network website for more information.
  • Journal of Online Learning and Teaching

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    JOLT is an online publication that promotes scholarship with quality online resources to improve learning and teaching in higher education.

    Please visit the Journal of Online Learning and Teaching website for more information.
 

Open Educational Resources

These resources are purposely designed and licensed, at no cost to the end user, to own, share and make edits.

  • Coursera

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    An online platform that offers free and low-cost college-level courses from top universities and institutions around the world.

    Please visit the Coursera website for more information.
  • OER

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    A digital library of open educational resources, including textbooks, videos, and interactive simulations, for a wide range of subjects and grade levels.

    Please visit the OER website for more information.
  • OpenStax

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    A non-profit organization that provides free, peer-reviewed textbooks for college and high school courses.

    Please visit the OpenStax website for more information.
  • Khan Academy

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    A collection of online resources, including video lessons and practice exercises, covering a wide range of subjects.

    Please visit the Khan Academy website for more information.
  • MIT OpenCourseWare

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    A collection of online materials, including course syllabi, assignments, and lecture notes, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

    Please visit the MIT OpenCourseWare website for more information.
 

Campus Resources

Please become familiar with GSU resources that are available on campus. These resources include the Writing Center, the CUBE, the Library, and more.

  • GSU CUBE and ITS Helpdesk

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    The CUBE is located on the second floor, off the main entrance elevator. Students may use this lab to complete assignments, check email, or browse the internet. Employees and student workers are available to assist them in case of technical assistance.

    For more information, please visit the CUBE's webpage.

    Governors State University provides first level support for username and password issues (even for Blackboard), the myGSU portal, and the GSU Office 365 email. For more information, please visit the Helpdesk's webpage.

  • GSU Library

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    Access Library Catalogs, Journals, Databases, and a scholarly repository and receive research assistance from a librarian.

    Additional Resources:
    GCF LearnFree – Self-paced tutorials on tech basics, Microsoft Office, and more! Really well done and easy to understand.
    Digital Skillup – Lots of free, self-paced courses on topics including VR, AI, and robotics; many available in languages other than English
    Digital Travelors – Self-paced courses, users have to create an account
    ConnectSafely – Online security/privacy/content info on a variety of topics; includes guides for parents and seniors

    For more information, please visit the Library's webpage.

  • GSU's Registrar's Office

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    Register for courses, gain access to transcripts, receive information of commencement, and update your personal information. For more information, please visit the Registrar's webpage.

  • GSU's Writing Center

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    Schedule a one-on-one appointment with a writing consultant, view resources on how to write a paper, resources for documentation styles, and send papers for revision suggestions. For more information, please view the Writing Center's webpage.

  • GSU's Test Center

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    If you would like more information on setting up proctored exams for students, information about student make-up exams, or Testing Center information and policies, please view the GSU Testing Center webpage.

  • GSU Bookstore

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    Purchase required textbooks, e-books, school supplies, software and other items. For more information, please view the Bookstore's webpage.​

  • GSU InScribe Jaguar Circle

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    What is Jaguar Circle:
    Governors State has partnered with InScribe to create a new online space available to all General Studies students. This space will allow students to share knowledge, establish connections, and find answers to questions

    How will Jaguar Circle be Accessessed:
    Jaguar Circle will be in select courses in Blackboard. Students will click the link, InScribe Community, on the left side of the navigation. They may also access the community using this url: https://inscribe.education/main/govst/6754110229505337/home
    Students are provisioned to the community through the LTI launch (going through Blackboard) or by signing in using their GSU Username and Password (Single Sign On).

    Purpose of Jaguar Circle:
    Jaguar Circle is an optional space for students to use to connect to information and each other. Jaguar Circle is not graded or mandatory to use.

    Why Jaguar Circle and InScribe:
    Communication is key and we are using this community as a place to open up additional pathways for students to find practical solutions, answers, and to connect with each other. Research has proven that students who participate in this type of space experience greater feelings of belonging and have improved outcomes.

    Moderation of Jaguar Circle:
    Student Success coaches and a few staff members will help monitor the space to ensure it is a safe, inclusive environment. This space is meant for students to connect and help each other.