Message Sent: August 10, 2026
Recipients: All faculty
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to the start of the Fall 2026 semester.
The updated Syllabus Guidance for Fall 2026, developed with input from Faculty Senate, the Dean of Students, E3, associate deans, student support offices, and the Provost’s Office, can be found here. The document provides policy explanations, practical guidance, and sample syllabus language intended to promote transparency, consistency, accessibility, and student success.
One structural change this year is that many supporting resources and reference materials have been moved from the main guidance document to the Syllabus Supplemental Resources page. This change is intended to make the core guidance easier to navigate while continuing to provide faculty and students with access to current university resources and support information.
While I encourage you to review the document in full, I want to call particular attention to several updated sections:
Generative Artificial Intelligence, Sections 1.5 through 1.5.3
This section has been significantly revised. Faculty must clearly communicate whether, when, and how students may use generative AI tools in their courses. The guidance encourages thoughtful and pedagogically structured engagement with generative AI and includes updated sample syllabus statements for courses that permit or prohibit its use.
The section also provides expanded guidance regarding faculty use of AI-enabled tools, including expectations related to disclosure, approved USNH tools, student data, intellectual property, AI detection, and the use of AI to review or evaluate student work.
Attendance and Religious Accommodations, Sections 1.6, 2.1, and 2.2
The guidance includes updated information regarding required excused absences, religious accommodations, and documentation requests. UNH’s Attendance Policy has been rewritten for clarity and organization. Noteworthy changes to the policy include providing clearer guidance about the different processes through which students may receive attendance flexibility and including required court appearances as a reason that faculty must excuse a student’s absence. The Military Accommodations Policy has been moved to the Student Rights, Rules, and Responsibilities Handbook and more clearly directs students to contact Military and Veterans Services if they are called for a required deployment that may keep them out of class for an extended period of time.
By request, the syllabus guidance website now also includes an “Attendance Policy Templates” document that you may use and adapt when developing or revising your attendance policy.
Please review these sections carefully when developing course attendance policies.
Accessibility and Accommodations, Sections 1.13 and 2.3
A new accessibility section encourages faculty to ensure that syllabi and other course materials can be accessed and navigated effectively by all students. The accommodations section has also been updated to clarify faculty responsibilities after receiving an official accommodation letter and to direct faculty to current Student Accessibility Services resources.
Thank you for the care you put into creating clear, accessible, and supportive learning environments for our students. Please feel free to reach out with feedback or questions about the guidance document.
Wishing you a rewarding and engaging semester.
Warm regards,
Matt MacManes
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Michael Blackman
Dean of Students
