Launching Your Class & First Day Checklist

LAUNCHING YOUR CLASS &  FIRST DAY CHECKLIST

 

On this page, we will cover:

  1. Getting Ready for the Semester
  2. Before the First Day
  3. Launching Your Class
  4. After the First Day
  5. References

 

Getting Ready for the Semester

There is always plenty to remember to do before the beginning of the semester, and lots of great strategies to set the tone for the weeks that follow. Here’s a checklist and a set of suggestions for ways to get ready, before class and on the first day!

 

Before the First Day

You’ve done the hard work of figuring out your schedule and assignments. Set yourself up for success by taking care of a few foundational tasks before the start of the semester. 

Syllabus

  • Update syllabus. Review CSUN’s syllabus policy and ensure that your syllabus meets the minimum requirements:
    • Course description
    • Course objective(s) or student learning outcomes (SLOs)
    • A list or summary of topics or projects included in the course
    • Course requirements, including how students’ performance will be evaluated and anticipated due dates
    • Grading criteria, including whether you will use plus/minus grades
    • Contact information: Instructor name, office hours/location, CSUN email address, campus phone number (if applicable) 
  • Review CSUN’s Syllabus Best Practices for information about highly recommended sections, such as the following (bonus—this website includes boilerplate information that you can copy/paste into your syllabus or change as you wish!): 
    • Absences
    • Academic honesty
    • Attendance and Participation policies
    • Basic Needs Assistance and Resources
    • Information about Canvas
    • Policy about cell phones, tablets, laptops, and other devices 
    • Classmate contact information encouragement 
    • Course description
    • Course name, number, meeting times, and room
    • DRES and accommodations statement
    • Information about the Learning Resource Center (LRC)
    • Mental Health Resources
    • Required texts/materials
    • Title IX information 
    • Information about possible syllabus updates 

 

  • Review accessibility best practices from the Universal Design Center to ensure that your syllabus can be read and understood by all students. The Universal Design for Learning framework ensures accessibility for all students and has been shown to increase student success rates, especially among students from historically marginalized communities (Edyburn, 2021; Xie & Rice, 2021). 
  • Upload your syllabus to Canvas. Remember to have a printable version in addition to any other optional formats, such as a syllabus page in Canvas or a liquid syllabus. Links to an external site. 
    • Consider posting syllabus in Modules and in the syllabus tool (so it’s available to users throughout Canvas). 

 

Canvas

Welcome and Preparation

  • Post an announcement via Canvas (and/or send an email) welcoming students to the course at least a few days prior to the start date. 
    • Introduce yourself as their instructor for the semester.
    • Remind them of the course’s start date and modality (in person, online, hybrid, HyFlex).
    • Tell students about required texts and materials—where can students get these materials, and by what date should they have them? The cost of materials is often a significant concern for low-income students (Dumais & Ward, 2010; Wofford, 2022), so it’s best to give students ample time to price-check available resources. 
    • Attach your syllabus or direct students to view the syllabus on your Canvas, if it is published.
    • Encourage students to update their preferred name, record how their name is pronounced, and optionally display pronouns and/or a photo using their CSUN profile. Note that sharing pronouns should always be optional to avoid forcing students to either misgender themselves or “come out” before they’re ready. 
    • Explain how you prefer to be contacted (email, Canvas inbox, etc.) and encourage students to contact you if they have questions or concerns before the first day. 
  • Double check your roster and waitlist. Make sure you have access to these documents on the first day. 
  • Save a copy of the waitlist if you’d like to refer to it when adding students; it disappears after the first week of classes. 

 

Launching Your Class

In Person

  • Publish your Canvas course (see above).
  • Arrive at least a few minutes early to give yourself time to set up any necessary technology or adjust the furniture as necessary.
  • Write the course name and your name on the board, if possible (this helps students know they’re in the right place!).
  • Acknowledge students with a friendly greeting or wave as they come in the door; this is your first impression!
  • Begin the first class by introducing yourself. Let students know what you want them to call you and how you like to be contacted. Give them a brief summary of your qualifications and let them know that you’re excited to be their instructor. 
  • Start with an icebreaker activity to facilitate community. Some great icebreaker ideas may be found in the Building Community toolkit page [link]. 
  • Be sure to take attendance! Students who do not attend during the first week are usually required to drop the course. Keeping careful attendance records will help you know which students to contact about their attendance and may inform any decisions you make about adding students from the waitlist. 
    • Consider distributing notecards to students to collect information on the first day. You may ask students to write their preferred name, a pronunciation guide, and any other useful information on the card. Collect the cards to take attendance on the first day, then use them to update your roster and inform your pronunciation in the future. 
    • Avoid mispronouncing names or calling students by the wrong name by having students introduce themselves (this works best in small classes). Alternatively, you can call roll by last name and first initial or have an attendance sign-in sheet. 
  • Consider creating a Community Agreement with the class on the first or second day.
  • Present a course overview. Draw students’ attention to the most important parts of your syllabus (such as classroom policies, required materials, and major assignments) and help them know what to expect from the coming weeks. 
  • Consider ending the first day with a relevant exit ticket [toolkit link] to increase engagement and gather information about students’ preparedness. 

 

Online

  • Publish your Canvas course as soon as possible, and at least by the first official day of the semester. Unpublished Canvas courses can be a major source of anxiety for online students. 
  • Create a brief course overview video to give students a virtual tour of your Canvas site. Explain how you’ve organized the materials and show students where and how to begin working through the material. Consider answering a few frequently asked questions or give students some general tips for success in the course. 
  • Post a Welcome/About the Instructor video or page to help students get to know you and develop a sense of connection.
  • Provide an opportunity for students to get to know each other, such as a discussion forum. For extra fun, students can use (captioned) video or voice thread to respond to each other. Consider asking students to reflect on their goals for the course and share one or two fun personal facts. Consider diving in, yourself! 
  • Use the “People” function to check on students’ engagement throughout the first week. Reach out to any students who haven’t logged in (you can find student email addresses on your course roster or message students using the Canvas inbox). 
  • Consider requiring students to complete their Canvas profiles and/or record their names so you can learn to pronounce them correctly. 
  • You may also want to add a syllabus check assignment, such as a quiz or scavenger hunt. 

 

After the First Day

  • Check your attendance records against the roster. Contact any missing students as necessary (their email addresses are available on the roster). 
  • Make decisions about adding students from the waitlist. 
  • Send a first week wrap-up announcement reiterating your warm welcome and thanking students for their engagement thus far. Include any relevant reminders about textbooks or upcoming due dates to help students get started on the right foot!

 

References

Barros-Lane, L., Smith, D. S., McCarty, D., Perez, S., & Sirrianni, L. (2021). Assessing a trauma-informed approach to the COVID-19 pandemic in higher education: A mixed methods study. Journal of Social Work Education, 57(1), S66–S81. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2021.1939825 Links to an external site. 

Bingham, B. E., Rea, V., Robertson, L., Smith, M. A., & Jacobs, S. (2022). Frequency, topic, and preferences: Tracking student engagement with several modalities of student–instructor contact in a first-year course. Federation of European Biochemical Societies Open Bio, 12, 12–23. https://doi.org/10.1002/2211-5463.13315 Links to an external site. 

Booker, K. (2016). Connection and commitment: How sense of belonging and classroom community influence degree persistence for African American undergraduate women. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 28(2), 218–229. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1111140.pdf Links to an external site. 

Dumais, S. A., & Ward, A. (2010). Cultural capital and first-generation college success. Poetics, 38, 245–265. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.poetic.2009.11.011 Links to an external site.  

Edyburn, D. L. (2021). Column guest editor’s introduction: A tactic for clarifying the teacher’s role in Universal Design for Learning. Intervention in School and Clinic, 56(4), 241–242. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053451220944382 Links to an external site. 

Kirby, L. A. J., & Thomas, C. L. (2022). High-impact teaching practices foster a greater sense of belonging in the college classroom. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 46(3), 368–381. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2021.1950659 Links to an external site. 

Morrow, J. A., & Ackermann, M. E. (2012, September). Intention to persist and retention of first-year students: The importance of motivation and sense of belonging. College Student Journal, 46(3), 483–491. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ996948 Links to an external site. 

Wofford, A. M. (2022). The perpetuation of privilege: Exploring the relationship between early admissions and high‐impact practices. Research in Higher Education, 63, 1312–1342. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-022-09681-z Links to an external site.  

Xie, J., & Rice, M. F. (2021). Professional and social investment in universal design for learning in higher education: Insights from a faculty development programme. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 45(7), 886–900. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2020.1827372 Links to an external site.