Start-of-Semester Checklist

• Use the Institute’s syllabus template to ensure your syllabus is clear and accessible to students.
• If your course carries general education credits (i.e., Hub areas), be sure to include the relevant Hub area learning outcomes in your syllabus.

• Your department or program may have specific expectations for syllabi, grading, or specific policies for the first week of courses (e.g., add/drop periods, class wait-list protocols, prerequisites).
• Before finalizing your course and syllabus, check with your department administrator or program director to make sure you’re covering any requirements in addition to the guidance here and in the syllabus template.

• BU’s learning management system is Blackboard, which provides a central space for organizing course materials, communicating with students, facilitating learning activities, and managing assessments and grades.
• Check out our Blackboard Ultra Starter Kit to get started in Ultra today!

• Order books for your class by submitting course material orders to the BU Campus Store. Course material orders must be submitted through the MyBU Student portal.
  • Course Material reminders are frequently emailed from the BU Campus Store for all courses without submissions. You can also submit your course material requests by following the instructions provided in their email.
  • If your course materials are eligible, you will receive a request to participate in the Campus Store’s First Day digital delivery program after you submit your book order. First Day is an inclusive access model that provides students their required digital course materials at a discounted price billed as a course material charge on their student account. If you have any questions, contact the Campus Store’s course materials team at bksbu@bncollege.com.
• Place course materials on reserve through the Boston University Library system.
  • Videos in a variety of formats may also be placed on reserve at the Geddes Language Center (685 Commonwealth Avenue, CAS Room 537).
  • Krasker film/video services, in the basement of Mugar Library, offer information on showing videos during class. You may also use this media request form to place videos from Krasker on reserve at the Geddes Language Center for students to watch out-of-class.

Consider connecting with your students about a week before the semester starts. Early contact helps them get familiar with course requirements and lays the foundation for a welcoming, inclusive learning community. To get started, you could:

• Introduce yourself and the course by email or with a brief welcome video
• Let students know how to access the course Blackboard site
• Share information on course materials
• Share your goals for student learning and invite students to share their own hopes and concerns
• Send a short survey to get to know your students, where you could ask students about their learning goals
• Review your class roster and have a copy ready for the first day (Rosters are available through the MyBU Faculty Portal)

• Take a look at your classroom set-up ahead of time using the photos and technology lists on the BU Classrooms page.
• If you are not familiar with the technology in the classroom, consult the training guides provided by Learning & Events Technology Services (LETS).
• The LETS team can also schedule one-on-one or group training and support sessions in your classroom.
• If you need help with technology during class, call the LETS hotline at 617-353-3227.

• James Lang’s “How to Teach a Good First Day of Class” offers a useful frame for planning your first class. Lang argues that an effective first class goes beyond reviewing the syllabus: it generates curiosity, begins fostering a learning community, engages students in meaningful intellectual work, and establishes clear expectations for the course.
• For more information, check out our First Class Preparation resource.