Checklist: Beginning of the Term

  Beginning of the Term

Before the First Day of Class

  • Complete your syllabus using the Simple Syllabus e-syllabus application in ACES or the Course Syllabus link in Canvas.
  • Verify your employment status and pay rate in ACES, Faculty tab, Faculty Compensation Acknowledgement.
    • Click your current position title to acknowledge your contract. Be sure to accept your faculty contract each semester.
    • If you find discrepancies, please contact your Department Administrative Services Specialist, Department Chair or Human Resources: 210-485-0200
  • Consider sending a welcome notice to all of your students the week before class starts. This is a good practice to make the students feel welcomed, and to share information such as the required textbook and materials.
    • The easiest way to send a message to an entire class is through the Canvas Inbox.
      • Note: You must first publish your Canvas course before the system will allow you to send the students a message.
    • You may also wish to use your Alamo email. A list of all student emails for each class can be found in ACES, Faculty tab, Web Services, Faculty & Advisors, Detail Class List.

On-Campus Classes

  • Verify your classroom location(s) and ensure you have the correct key or door code. If you need a key or code, please contact your Department's Administrative Services Specialist
  • Verify that you are able to log in to your faculty workstation(s) both in faculty office spaces and in any classrooms where you teach. If you do not know your login username or password, please contact the NVC Help Desk: 210-486-4777
  • Familiarize yourself with the Campus and Parking Areas: Campus Maps Links to an external site.
  • Contact NVC Facilities: 210-486-4888 if you need a specific chair or desk for a student with accommodation needs, have heating or A/C issues, etc.
  • Contact your Department's Administrative Services Specialist if you need classroom supplies.

Canvas

  • Compare your Canvas People roster and your student Summary Class List found in ACES.
    • To locate your official class roster, log into ACES.
    • Select the Faculty Tab: Web Services: Class Summary
    • Enter the Term & Course or the 5-digit CRN (Course Registration Number) directly
    • Reconcile the Class Summary list with students who appearing in Canvas: People list
      • You can find the People tab in the left Canvas navigation menu, for each course section you are teaching.
  • If the ACES class list and Canvas People roster are different (you have "missing" or "extra" students in Canvas), contact Director of Teaching with Technology, Mallory Plummer: mplummer4@alamo.edu 
  • Add your contact info, photo, and bio to your course and edit your Canvas profile Links to an external site.
  • Set your Notification Preferences Links to an external site. to ensure you are notified when students send you Inbox messages.
  • Publish your course Links to an external site. (To double-check use Student View Links to an external site.
  • If you need help using Canvas, please call 833-507-7244 or use the Canvas Help Button question mark help button in canvas