Semester Checklist

This document can be used to assist in preparing for each phase of a semester. If you have not done this already, group your courses by Term to minimize confusion:

Beginning of Semester Tasks
End of Semester Tasks

Beginning of Semester Tasks:

❑    If you teach in a classroom, set up the Instructor Station PC to your preferences BEFORE Deep Freeze is enabled.
❑    If you are teaching at MDCHS, learn the New Classroom PIN Number and remember to set up your new semester’s folders for Panopto recording on the Classroom PC.

If you are copying or importing a previously created Blackboard course from a Previous Semester, click here:

Set up a New Blackboard Course:

❑    Post Syllabus
❑    Add Faculty Contact
❑    Add Content
❑    Assessments: Assignments and Tests
❑    Publishers Content – follow instructions from Publisher
❑    Grade Center & Rubrics
❑    Combine Enrollments (if applicable)
❑    If you have Respondus tests, Link them to the Lockdown Browser
❑    If you are using Panopto, Provision your Course for Panopto and Put the Panopto Link in your course
❑    If you are conducting synchronous class sessions, Add links to Blackboard Collaborate ULTRA or Traditional Blackboard Collaborate 
❑    Make Course Available to Students
❑    Click on Student Preview to make sure your settings are correct.

Copying/Importing a previously created course into Blackboard:

❑    Copy your course if it is still in Blackboard, or Import your previous course into Blackboard if you have exported it. You can also place a Service Desk Ticket if you have not exported your previous course and OIT can import it for you. (Make sure you specify exact Course IDs).
❑   NOTE! Be careful that you only copy a course ONCE, otherwise you may end up with duplicates in the Grade Center.

AFTER THE COPY:

❑   Check your Announcements. Make sure that the “Email this Announcement ” box is UNCLICKED.
❑   Update your Syllabus
❑   Check your Faculty Contact to make sure your email address is @marybaldwin.edu
❑    Change the Dates using Date Management
❑    Synchronize the SafeAssignments and Tidy up the Discussion Boards
❑    If you are copying a course from before Fall 2015, this might be helpful: Guideline for tidying up after copying into current Default Course Shell
❑   If you have used Self and Peer Reviews, you will need to export them and import them again
❑    Combine Enrollments (if applicable)
❑    If you have Respondus tests, Link them to the Lockdown Browser
❑    If you are using Panopto, Provision your Course for Panopto and/or Copy specific lectures from another course folder.
❑    If you are re-using multiple lectures from a previously taught course, click on the link for that documentation.
❑    If you are using Groups, update if necessary and repopulate the groups with new students.
❑    If you are conducting synchronous class sessions, add links to Blackboard Collaborate ULTRA 
❑    Make Course Available
❑    Click on Student Preview to make sure your settings are correct. Click on My Grades to make sure the dates for your Assessments have been updated correctly.

End of Semester Tasks:

❑     Report Grades to MyMBU
❑     If you have made Blackboard Collaborate recordings that you will need to access in the future, create Links to Recordings.

If you are NOT using the same course next year:

❑     Export your Blackboard Course so it can be imported back in to Blackboard
❑     Download your Blackboard files so you can access them OUTSIDE of Blackboard 
❑     Download your Grade Center

If you ARE using the same course next semester:

❑   Copy your Blackboard Course

If your course has students who have not completed the course and are taking Extended Time:

❑   Export your Blackboard Course (if you have not already done so)
❑   Make YourCourseID for the term that has ended Available
❑   Make the students with the ET’s Available to the course
❑   Change the dates for the course content and assessments using Date Management

Blackboard Links and Tools:

X