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Beginning of Semester Checklist for GSMT Online Classes - Short Form

CSI Staff

Staff Writer

Center for Support of Instruction

Category: » Semester-checklist » Gsmt-checklist

No teaching is expected to take place in online classrooms prior to the official class start dates; however, it is UMUC policy that all online classrooms adhere to the following minimum setup standard most by one week prior to the start of classes. 

This page presents a brief overview of Graduate School online classroom setup requirements. A detailed online-class checklist and a detailed face-to-face web enhanced-class checklist are provided on a separate page that includes resource links.

In the event that an instructor is unable to provide the basic materials listed below by one week before the course start date, s/he should contact the program director and the CSI Instructional Support Specialist for the course.

Start of Semester Checklist for Online Classes

Items Required by 1 Week Before the Start of Semester

Note: MBA Faculty should contact your CSI Instructional Support Specialist for program specific information

1. _____ Faculty Biography

2. _____ Accurate email address

3. _____ Welcoming Initial/Introductory Class Announcement

4. _____ Course Syllabus and Schedule

_____ Faculty contact information

_____ Course goals and objectives

_____ Required text(s) and other course materials

_____ Grading criteria

_____ Descriptions of all projects/assignments

_____ Detailed course schedule

5. _____ Course "Housekeeping" Information

_____ Administrative resource information and guidance: Use this link to the standard "Read Me First " web page provided and updated each semester by CSI Instructional Support Specialist.

_____ Course-specific, instructor-specific "class roadmap" notes, including

_____ instructor's standard response time to emails (usually 48 hours)

_____ turnaround time on grading assignments (depending on complexity, but generally under 10 days to 2 weeks).

_____ guidance to students on appropriate use of email vs. discussion in the online classroom, preferred file types for homework assignments, method of assignment submission, policy on late assignments, etc.

6. _____ Introductory/First Week's Conferences

Required: At least ONE conference where students can post and interact in the week leading up to the start of class.

Recommended: The following types of conferences, either separately or in combination:

_____ Student Introductions

_____ Administrative Q&A

_____ Cyber Café

_____ Weekly Content-Related Conferences

7. _____ Gradebook

The Gradebook is required to be completely setup before the start of the semester, setting up and using the Gradebook IS a requirement of WebTycho classroom management and the total value of all assignments need to total 100% or 100 points. No letter grades can be used when grading assignments. Please use points or percentages when grading assignments.

There are several reasons why getting up the gradebook before the start of the semester is required:

• Issues that might arise when setting up the Gradebook sometimes cause an instructor to rethink his/her grading plan, which would impact the Syllabus document.
• Once the semester begins, dynamic management of class activity becomes the instructor's primary focus. Setting up the Gradebook before class starts helps avoid the delays or distractions of doing it later, as well as helps avoid student complaints when there isn't a way to submit assignments
• No Gradebook item = no way for students to privately submit an assignment online.

Items Required by the Start of Term or Shortly Thereafter

8. _____ Course Content - 1st Week's content (lecture, etc.) and activities plan must be provided no later than the first day of class.

Optional Items

1. _____ Reserved Readings

2. _____ Study Groups

3. _____ Webliography

4. _____ Workbook

5. _____ Class Chatroom

If you do not plan to use the above items, uncheck them in the Faculty Center index page (and Submit) to remove them from the class menu.