Cosmic Classroom Cafe

The University of Maine System has shared 6 key ideas related to digital accessibility:

1. Student‑Centered Access for Success – Every service, course, and site must be accessible so that every learner is able to navigate without barriers..
2. Inclusive Excellence & Equal Opportunity – Accessibility is our promise of equity and legal fairness to the people of Maine and beyond.
3. Affordability, Sustainability & Quality – Designing with access first saves money, reduces rework, and raises overall quality long‑term.
4. Bold, Data‑Informed Leadership – We lead with evidence, not fear, staying ahead of risk and modelling best practice for peer systems.
5. Transparent Collaboration & Broad Input – Solutions are co‑created with voices from every unit, campus, and community partner.
6. Innovation as Everyday Practice – Accessibility fuels a future‑ready culture where creativity and inclusion go hand in hand. Consistent repetition of these six messages across all channels, emails, slides, policy decks, and leader talking points turns strategy into habit.

In this episode, the Instructional Designers from UMPI Center for Teaching & Learning discuss what these ideas mean for faculty and staff at UMPI.

Join hosts Heather Nunez-Olmstead and Michael Dobbs, as we chat with Shannon Sleeper about what experiential education is, how to incorporate it into your teaching, book recommendations to dive deeper, favorite Fall recipes, and more, in this episode of Cosmic Classroom Cafe!

Join us, Heather and Michael, in a Prelude episode of Cosmic Classroom Cafe, as we introduce ourselves, our backgrounds, and over-arching goals and vision for the Cosmic Classroom Cafe!