Start your semester strong with these essential tips and resources
To help you feel supported from day one, this section highlights key information, resources, and steps for beginning the semester.
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Connect with Your Department
Meet with your Department Chair or program leader to understand your role as a part-time instructor. Clarify expectations and ask questions to learn your department's culture and priorities. Administrative staff in the department will also be a valuable resource for gathering unit-specific information and accessing university resources.
Get Digital Access: GoldLink is the ETSU portal for all students, faculty, employees, advisors, and administrative staff.
Explore D2L/Brightspace: Once you have access to your ETSU email, familiarize yourself with D2L/Brightspace. Academic Technology Services (ATS) provides online course training, workshops, D2L training, and other resources for teaching and research needs. ATS also offers asynchronous training for faculty who are new to online teaching or need an update.
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Review Policies, Guidelines, & Expectations
Departmental Policies
Ask about department policies or guidelines for grading, giving exams, accessibility, working with teaching assistants, responding to grade change requests, and promoting academic integrity.
University Testing Center
The ETSU Testing Center's mission is to provide a service and environment that foster student success and support teaching excellence by returning class time to instructors and students. We endeavor to provide an environment that is comfortable, standardized, efficient, equitable, and secure; an environment in which each examinee has an equal opportunity to demonstrate their ability and receive reliable, valid, and comparable results.
Academic Misconduct
The Academic Integrity and Misconduct Policy outlines the rights and responsibilities of the student, the instructor, the Dean/Designee, and other members of the campus community regarding academic integrity and misconduct.
In the Policy, you can find information related to:
- Student conduct & rights
- Institutional disciplinary rules
- How to handle allegations of academic misconduct
- Steps in the Academic Misconduct Procedure @ ETSU
Appeals Processes
The Undergraduate Grade Appeal Policy specifies how an ETSU undergraduate student may file an appeal of a Final Course Grade (FCG).
The Graduate School Grade Appeal Policy specifies how a graduate student may file an appeal of a final course or comprehensive exam grade that is not related to academic misconduct or integrity. Appeals related to academic misconduct or integrity are processed under the Academic Integrity and Misconduct Policy.
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Plan with Key Dates & Academic Calendar
Academic Calendar
Search the ETSU Academic Dates calendar to answer any questions you might have about important or seasonal dates. Familiarize yourself with the structure of the academic year.
Be aware of specific reporting dates for course attendance and (for undergraduate courses) early semester progress reports, due around the 8th week of the semester. Learn more on the Course Essentials page of our toolkit.
Key Course-Specific Dates
Make sure in your syllabus or course schedule to highlight key course-specific dates such as:
- Major assignment due dates
- Exam dates (midterms, finals, quizzes if high-stakes)
- Project checkpoints (proposal, draft, peer review, final submission)
- Presentation days
Tip: Align these intentionally with the broader academic calendar (e.g., avoid placing a major deadline right after spring break unless purposeful).
Plan to Flex or Have Contingency Days
When life throws a curve on campus, how can you adapt your course to a shorter timeframe while remaining flexible for your students? From pandemics to natural disasters, our university can encounter unexpected disruptions to our classes.
Build in:
- Buffer days for possible delays or unexpected cancellations
- Review sessions or optional workshops
This shows intentional course design and adaptability. Included in the Emergency Course Adaptations Toolkit below are tips for how to communicate with students and remain flexible - while also keeping your own well-being in mind.
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Consult the Start of the Semester Checklist
Before the Semester
Consider these practices in the weeks and days leading up to the first day of classes.
Start of the Semester Checklist
- Open the D2L shell
- Draft the course schedule
- Prepare an inviting syllabus
- Welcome students with a friendly email
- Share info on how to access or purchase course materials
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Explore Campus
Getting familiar with campus spaces and services can help you feel more confident and prepared as you begin teaching.
This section highlights key locations and services you may find useful.
The ETSU Campus
Explore ETSU from anywhere at any time with our interactive virtual tour. You'll discover our vibrant campus, scenic views, and state-of-the-art facilities through 360° photos, videos, and audio, giving you a closer look at academic buildings, residence halls, research centers and labs, and student spaces.
Get Tech Help
ITS provides a comprehensive set of training services to help ensure faculty have the technical knowledge and skills they need to be successful in the modern classroom. ITS offers workshops for faculty and staff to provide general instruction helpful for beginners. Faculty and staff are also welcome to seek one-on-one instruction in person, over the phone, through email, or through live web chats.