Quarter End and Start Checkist

  •  When your grades are finalized, it is advisable to download/export the gradebook Links to an external site.. This would be for your records and in case there were a problem with your old classes.  If you save them in your P:\ network drive, they will be backed up.
    • If you are teaching using an external site, it is advisable to at least download the gradebook (or better yet, get it linked to Canvas) for face-to-face (F2F) classes.
      • For online classes which use a third party site or application for work and communication, artifacts and records of these interactions should be downloaded or saved.  Saving them locally to your P:\ drive and saving them in the "Files" location in Canvas will help retain that evidence.
      • Regarding first and last attendance, evidence should be preserved of the first and last access by the student where they engaged academically in the online (or hybrid) class, if it is outside Canvas, in cases where these dates are required.
  • Concluding the ending quarter:   We will usually set the previous term to end in Canvas after grades are available to the students.  This varies depending on quarter.  Sometimes we will set the end date for faculty later than for students.
    • This will move the classes to ‘past enrollments’ and clear up active class lists. Students will have ‘read-only’ access and instructor rights are also limited.  If you have students working on incompletes or if you want them to continue to have full access to a previous course, you should change the date settings Links to an external site. for those classes before the faculty conclude date.  Be sure to check the Users can only participate … checkbox otherwise the date change will not have an effect. 
      Image of user access checkbox
      If you find out later that you need access restored for a class, let us know and we can open it for you.

  • Publish your classes: Consider publishing your classes a few days early to give your students the opportunity to review your syllabus and get started.  You can control what you want them to see, if that is important to you.  If you have questions about that, contact us.

    If you have online classes starting at the beginning of the quarter, they must be published by then – in the morning is preferable.  If there is a delay, please publish them and put a visible note in your class as to when everything will be available. If you have a face-to-face (F2F) class, let your students know if you are using Canvas and when it will be available. 

  • David and I have updated the Week Zero Canvas tutorial for students.  It covers Canvas basics for students and does not require logging in to Canvas.  Refer your students to this if they are new to Canvas or want a basic review.  There are now four videos on subjects related to being successful in online classes (which do require creating a login).

  • Turnitin: Turnitin offers originality (plagiarism) detection. The old, integrated method of using Turnitin is still available.  There is currently no date for it to be removed.  The newer LTI is also available.  You can convert your existing Turnitin assignments to use the LTI.  The original integration is easier to use, however the LTI gives you access to other tools.  There is information on using either mode in the Turnitin Module of the Faculty Canvas site.

  • Panopto: If you are going to use Panopto, launch the recorder in advance and make a quick test recording to see if it works in the rooms you’re in.  They should be updated, but just in case. If it doesn’t, try rebooting the computer first.  If it still doesn’t work, contact the IS helpdesk (ishelp) and cc me.  We can set up a schedule to record your classes automatically, if you’d like.  We need to install the remote recorder in the classroom, so let us know in advance.  Also, we would need your schedule and which class (item/line #).  Also, a note about mics in rooms:  If you are using Panopto, make sure the mic is plugged in.  In most rooms, if the mic is plugged in, there should be a red light on in it.  That red light does not mean it’s recording – only that it’s on.  So, for all instructors, please do not unplug the mic. If Panopto is recording remotely, you will see the indication in the System Tray section of the Windows task bar (right side).