Start of the Semester Checklist – Fall 2022

As you prepare for the coming semester, take note of our Fall support resources, tips for setting up your Canvas course, and some steps for success in your courses!

Key Dates

• First day of classes: Friday, September 2, 2022
• Fall semester: September 2 – December 20, 2022
• Fall Canvas Courses Published: Tuesday, August 30th
• Review the Academic Calendar for additional dates.

Please note that online programs may follow different dates.

A Checklist for Setting Up Your Canvas Course

• Are you teaching a course you have previously taught? Import a course (or some materials) from a previous semester. It is easy to incorporate materials from previous semesters by importing or copying your course components.
• Are you teaching a course for the first time? Import our modifiable course template from Canvas Course Commons! This will give you a head start on using modules to structure your course, making it user-friendly for students. The template may be modified for multiple weeks by adding or removing modules as you see fit. You can also view a public version of the Course Template.
• Update the Canvas Syllabus page. Although you may have your syllabus formatted as a Word document or PDF, the Canvas Syllabus page will also need to be updated. It appears in every course with some important information. It’s based on the Montclair State Canvas Syllabus Template already imported into all Fall 2022 courses.
• Set up a course homepage (either a Canvas page or Canvas modules) that orients students to the course as a whole and clearly indicates where and how to get started.
• Use modules that are logically organized (e.g., weekly, thematically) and consistently structured.
• Design your course with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in mind, use the Canvas Accessibility Checker and Ally to help ensure your course content is accessible.
• Familiarize yourself with your gradebook and ensure your assignment group weights match the grading scheme from your syllabus correctly.
• Create assignments to allow students to submit their work (documents, media files, links to online work, etc.) and set up discussions to facilitate academic discourse, share course logistics, build community, collaborate, etc.
• Review your course before publishing it! Use the link validator and student view tools, and double-check your assignment due dates.
• Publish your course. Courses will be automatically published according to the dates listed above, but it is recommended that you publish your course earlier.
• Post an announcement to inform students of the course modality and your requirements for the first class. Courses must be published for announcements to be visible to students. An announcement that is posted while your course is unpublished will not send an email to your students!
• For more recommendations, please visit our Designing Your Canvas Course page.

Fall Drop-In Support and Consultations

The ITDS team will be available for teaching support to start the Fall 2022 semester. This support will be available August 29th to September 9th (excluding weekends and Labor Day). Please bring your questions and “walk-in” anytime between 10am and 3pm.

• Walk-in Support: If you choose in-person walk-in, please just tell the staff at the front desk that you are here for ITDS teaching support. We are located on the 5th floor of University Hall in rooms 5009 and 5011.
• Online Support: We will also be offering support through One-on-One Consultations online during these two weeks.