RITG Welcomes You to Fall 2026

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With the start of Fall 2026 just around the corner, we wanted to share a few updates and resources to help you prepare for the semester. Below you’ll find information about new initiatives, answers to common Canvas questions, and ways to connect with the Instructional Technology team as classes get underway.

First, a quick reminder to please publish your Canvas courses when they are ready. Follow the instructions in the article How do I Publish a Course? to learn more!

Student Access to Course Essentials (ACE) launches this fall

Students recently received an announcement about the new Student Access to Course Essentials (ACE) program, which provides required course materials at no additional cost. We’re sharing the details here so you’re aware of what students have been told and can help answer their questions.

• Pomona College students should check their email for information about accessing their course materials, which will be provided without charge in Pomona courses.
• When physical or print books are ready, they can be picked up at 175 East 8th Street:
  • Monday, August 31 through Thursday, September 3: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  • Friday, September 4: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Digital materials can be accessed through My Bookstore Materials in Canvas.

Check out the ACE student information page for additional details.

Notebook: a new note-taking tool in Canvas

Notebook is a built-in note-taking and highlighting tool available to students directly within their Canvas courses. On any Canvas page, a student can click and drag to select text, which brings up a menu to highlight the passage, flag it as “Important” or “Unclear,” or add a note.

Students can open their personal Notebook at any time from a link in the Course Navigation menu. It brings together their highlights and notes from across the course in one place. For more on the student experience, see How do I use the Notebook in Canvas? in the Instructure Community.

Poll Everywhere 2.0 licenses available

This past term, we piloted Poll Everywhere 2.0 to explore new ways of boosting student engagement in the classroom. The tool lets instructors run live polls, gather real-time feedback, and create more opportunities for students to participate. Based on positive feedback, we’re excited to share that a limited number of Poll Everywhere licenses are now available! If you’re interested in bringing live polling and interactive Q&A into your course, we’d love to help you get started. If you are interested, please email servicedesk@pomona.edu.

iClicker Cloud Events now available

Following last year’s iClicker Cloud pilot, iClicker Cloud Events is now available for faculty use. This feature allows you to create and run one-time polling sessions that participants can join by web browser, mobile device, or physical iClicker remote.

Note that this is not the full classroom version of iClicker Cloud; it is designed as a lightweight alternative for when you do not need to manage a roster, track student progress over multiple sessions, or connect to a gradebook to award points. If you are interested in using it, reach out to the Service Desk at servicedesk@pomona.edu.

Whether you’re reusing content from a previous course, organizing your course navigation, or adding media, a few small updates can make the semester smoother for you and your students. Below are answers to some common questions.

How do I copy content from a previous course into my new Canvas course?

Use the Course Import Tool to bring over modules, assignments, or quizzes from another course. This saves time and keeps your courses consistent. Consult this guide to learn how: Copy Content From One Canvas Course to Another.

How do I customize my course navigation menu?

A streamlined Course Navigation menu helps students find what they need and reduces confusion. Removing unused items also makes the course easier to navigate for students using screen readers. Some third-party tools, such as Gradescope or Kaltura Media Gallery, can be added to your course via the Course Navigation menu. See How to customize your Course Navigation Menu for steps.

How do I add Kaltura Media to my course?

Kaltura is a media management tool integrated into Canvas that allows instructors to upload and share audio and video content directly within their courses. Kaltura supports user-uploaded content, such as lecture recordings, as well as YouTube video links. To learn how to use Kaltura, check out the Kaltura Basics Guide and How to enable Kaltura for a Canvas course.

To stream film and television content for your course, please consult the library’s offerings: Find Streaming Videos – The Claremont Colleges Library.

Pomona is continuing its limited pilot of BoodleBox, a collaborative AI platform that brings several leading AI tools together in one place. The pilot launched earlier this year and includes a limited group of faculty, staff, and students in participating Pomona courses. Throughout the semester, participants are exploring how BoodleBox can support teaching, learning, research, collaboration, and everyday academic work.

With BoodleBox, users can access AI models such as ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and others from a single platform. The tool supports shared chats and folders for group work, custom AI bots, and a Knowledge Bank where users can upload documents for AI-supported conversations. BoodleBox also includes features designed to support responsible AI use, including built-in safeguards, learning resources, and Coach Mode to help users build AI literacy and think critically about AI-generated responses.

Prompts are anonymized, uploaded knowledge is encrypted, AI models cannot train on user data, and intellectual property remains protected. Access is currently limited to pilot participants and students enrolled in participating courses. To learn more or express interest in the pilot, please email servicedesk@pomona.edu.

We’ll be hosting Teaching with Technology Drop-In Sessions during the first week of classes. We encourage you to stop by with any Canvas or instructional technology question. Visit our Events Calendar for dates, times, and locations.

If you’d like more personalized support, you can also schedule a one-on-one consultation with an Instructional Technologist to talk through how Canvas, Kaltura, Poll Everywhere, or other tools fit your course design and teaching goals.

As a new academic year begins, we want to thank you for the creativity, care, and dedication you bring to your teaching. We wish you and your students a great start to the year!