1. Hand out a syllabus and calendar to students. Leave a copy of these in
the Division office; there will be a “syllabus” tray on the counter
next to Erin Eitemiller’s desk. See your course coordinator for sample
syllabi and information that must be included on your syllabus.
2. Announce (to students) required text(s), readers, and other materials.
3. Writing course instructors may choose to hand out folders and floppy disks
to students on the first day. Some instructors wait until the second or a
later class period to distribute those materials, which are provided by the
Division.
4. Take attendance. If any students in the room does not appear on your roster,
ask to see their registration forms. Make sure their registration form has
a recent date (after your roster was printed) because an addition may have
been made after your roster was printed. If you do not see your class listed
on a student’s form, direct him or her to the English / WL Division
office in ILB 239.
5. Collect contact information from students and find out what courses related
to your course they have taken prior to this semester. You may be able to
“catch” some students who have mistakenly registered for the wrong
course. If you suspect that to be the case for any students, you will want
to let them know as soon as possible.
6. After you have dismissed your students, leave the classroom door locked.
Do not allow students from the next class to enter your classroom unless their
instructor is with them or if you plan to wait with them until their instructor
arrives.
7. If you plan to give a diagnostic writing test (many writing instructors
do), most instructors give theirs on the first or second day of classes so
that students can be informed of their needs (e.g. to move to a higher level
class or to get a tutor).
