UDL Tip of the Week: Convey Meaning through Text Rather than Color

AU's Universal Design for Learning Task Force is pleased to share weekly tips to help faculty and staff provide an inclusive learning environment for all students, regardless of differences that may impact learning. This week's tip is:

Convey Meaning through Text Rather than Color

When creating materials for students, please ensure that students are able to engage with the content regardless of the use of color. It is important to convey meaning through the text itself, rather than relying solely on color. Not all individuals are capable of seeing color the same way. As a result, the students' understanding of colorful or highlighted text may differ from the intended meaning.

If colorful text is used, it is important to ensure good contrast between the font and the background for readability. The WebAIM Contrast Checker can help ensure that there is enough contrast between the text and background.

Link: WebAIM Contrast Checker

Submitted by: Meghanne Freivald

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Survey: Cable Television Service on Campus

ITS would like to gather information on the utilization of cable television on campus. Please respond to this brief survey to let us know how you watch tv.

Link: Cable Television Service on Campus

Submitted by: Robert Kuhn

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Survey: Campus Wi-Fi Feedback

ITS would like to learn about any issues you are experiencing with campus Wi-Fi. Please respond to this brief survey to let us know about this issue and where it is occurring.

Link: Campus Wi-Fi Feedback

Submitted by: Robert Kuhn

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Support Staff Retreat- May 19, 2026

We're excited to invite you to our upcoming Support Staff Retreat on Tuesday, May 19th from 9:30am - 11:30am.

This is a great opportunity to connect, learn, and explore resources that support both you and our students.

Morning Sessions (9:30am - 11:30am):
We'll cover a range of helpful and relevant topics, including:

*Tuition Exchange & Tuition Remission (Understanding the process)

*The difference between Statutory and Non-Statutory Employees.

*Student resources that support staff can share and utilize.

Afternoon Field Trips (1:00pm - 3:30pm):
After a break, we'll shift into some engaging experiences:

*Glass and sculpture demonstrations in Harder Hall

*Bird banding at Foster Lake

Whether you're looking to gain clarity on benefits, better support for students, or simply enjoy some time with colleagues, we hope you'll join us for all or part of the day.

More details will follow soon. In the meantime, please mark your calendars!

We look forward to seeing you there.
Support Staff Council Retreat Committee

Submitted by: Shannon Yocum

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MS/Glass Science Thesis Defense- Annika Blake-Howland

The Inamori School of Engineering graduate student, Annika Blake-Howland will defend her MS/Glass Science thesis onWednesday, May 6th in Binns-Merrill Hall Room 106 at 10:00A.M

Title of Thesis: ORIGIN OF IRIDESCENCE IN FREDERICK CARDER'S AURENE GLASS: LINKING SURFACE STRUCTURE, HEAVY METAL ENRICHMENT, AND OPTICAL RESPONSE


Copies of Annika's thesis will be on display in BINNS, 160 and McMahon in the CACT Office.

Aurene, an artistic glass developed by Frederick Carder in the early twentieth century, exhibits a distinctive iridescent surface where the structural origin is not fully resolved. This study employs a multi-technique approach including SEM-EDS, Raman spectroscopy, FT-IR microscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and profilometry to investigate the relationship between composition, structure, and optical behavior in Aurene glass.

The results demonstrate that the iridescent region corresponds to a chemically modified surface region approximately =1 �m in thickness, characterized by enrichment in tin and silver relative to the bulk lead-borosilicate matrix. SEM-EDS line scans reveal a steep diffusion gradient, with tin and silver concentrations decreasing to bulk levels within 1 �m or less. XRD analysis indicates the presence of a cassiterite-like SnO2 phase within an otherwise amorphous surface region, while UV-Vis spectra suggest the formation of Ag� nanoparticles, consistent with a broad absorption feature near ~400 nm.

Although Raman and FT-IR measurements are limited by fluorescence, spectral overlap, and spatial resolution constraints, they support an overall understanding of the structure of the lead-borosilicate bulk glass. Together, these results support a model in which Aurene's iridescence arises from the combined effects of thin-film interference due to refractive index variation across a submicron gradient, plasmonic contributions from silver nanoparticles, and multiscale surface morphology.

These features are consistent with surface-limited redox and oxidation reactions during production, as documented in Frederick Carder's archival papers. Overall, this work establishes a framework for Aurene glass in which rapid surface reactions produce a thin, compositionally heterogeneous layer responsible for its characteristic optical effects, linking archival descriptions with modern materials characterization.

Attachment: Blake-Howland Abstract

Submitted by: Eliza Sidenstecker

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