Semester Cycle for Instructors
Planning Ahead
This checklist covers common planning and teaching steps for a 15-week semester. If you are teaching a shorter term or partial-term course, adjust accordingly. Verify your course's listing in the and see ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ Dates & Deadlines for more details.
Before Classes Start
Please see our for more detail. You can save a copy to edit or add your own course information.
- Verify course description: (use CIM at that page for recent edits/courses)
- Verify assigned courses and enrollments in . Tip: save or print the waitlist, if you have one, before classes start
- Select textbooks and course materials (one semester prior) in the online book store, the ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ online bookstore. Learn more: ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ Selecting Course Materials
- Select technology tools that contribute to student learning: ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ Core Tools
- Write your syllabus
- Set up your courses after you are assigned as the instructor in UAOnline
- ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ Blackboard Instructor Help
- If you do not have access to the course in Blackboard yet, you can from IT (login required)
- If you're reusing a course, the has tips for maintaining and reusing Blackboard courses
Week 1
By Day 1:
- Send a welcome email to students with basic information, such as class schedule and course materials
- Make your Blackboard course to students
- Share the syllabus with students in Blackboard
Other Week 1 steps:
- Review your student list in Blackboard for new students
- Check whether students have obtained textbook and course materials
- Note the add/drop period: ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ Dates & Deadlines. Depending on how your course is set, you may need to approve students adding the course via
- Review and implement any Disability Support Services Accommodation Requests
Weeks 2-3
- Early in Week 2, reach out to students who have not attended class
- Submit a Week 2 Progress Report in Navigate for identified students and courses
- Provide review materials and activities to activate prior learning needed for your course, such as major concepts from prerequisites
- Use a low-stakes assessment activity to help students gauge whether this is the right semester for them
- Remind students of add/drop period: ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ Dates & Deadlines
- Remind students of ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ resources to help them succeed: Student Help & Support
If you are teaching next term, start working with your department on the course schedule and classroom requests. Course materials (e.g., textbooks, software) are due in the online bookstore before mid-semester, so identify those now.
Mid-Semester
- Connect with students needing support near midterm examinations
- Provide up-to-date grades to students so they know how they are doing (). Students can withdraw up to Week 10 in Fall and Spring terms
- Submit midterm grades in Navigate for identified students and courses
- Update the faculty information for the IDEA survey
Late Semester
- Provide up-to-date grade information to students ()
- Include low-stakes assignments or drafts for large projects
- Connect with students as needed before final examinations or projects
- Verify your exam time in the Final Exam Schedule and plan to hold an exam or class meeting during that time. (Note: Summer semester does not have a final exam period.) Remind students about the final session
- Ask students to complete the course IDEA survey
End of Semester
Please see our for more detail. You can save a copy to edit or add your own course information.
- Update the Blackboard Grade Center with final course grades and ask students to review them for any discrepancies. If you are not using Blackboard, share final grade and grade calculations with students in a FERPA-compliant method
- If collecting and assessing final work outside Blackboard (e.g., class presentations, papers, ePortfolios), save a copy of graded work for department and college assessment purposes
- Submit your final course grades in . Grades are usually due the first Wednesday after final exams in Fall and Spring terms. The timeline is shorter for Summer sessions
- Note any changes you want to make the next time you teach
Faculty Development & Instructional Support
Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence, Academic Innovations & eLearning, and Center
for Community Engagement and Learning
Library 213 • 907-786-4496 • uaa_cafe@alaska.edu • Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. –&²Ô²ú²õ±è;5 p.m.