Beginning-of-the-Semester FAQ for Instructors

The Faculty Senate’s Syllabus Policy lists all items that must be included in the syllabus. A fillable template is available to assist faculty members when creating their syllabus.

Faculty can insert the following phrase and link into their syllabus in place of the full language of the policies listed below:

Students are responsible for knowing the university policies and resources:

• University-wide Attendance Policy
• Academic Honesty Policy
• Services for Students with Disabilities
• Mental Health and Well-Being Resources
• Final Exam Schedule
• Fifteenth Week Policy
• Emergency Procedures
• Diversity & Inclusiveness
• Title IX Policy
• Other Relevant University-Wide Policies

Visit the CTT AI Policy Examples page. For assistance in thinking through your policy, contact your instructional designer.

Final examinations for full-semester classes may be given only at the regularly scheduled time published in the official schedule of classes, or at another time during Finals Week that is mutually agreeable to all concerned.

During the last week of classes, also known as the 15th week, the only examinations that may be given are laboratory practical examinations, make-up or repeat examinations, and self-paced examinations.

For further explanations and exceptions, see the 15th Week Policy.

Important academic dates are available on the Registrar’s academic calendar.

Starting Fall 2026, Canvas courses are available at canvas.nebraska.edu.  Previous courses that were not included in the migration to the new site can be found at canvas.unl.edu

To help students prepare for the semester, instructors are encouraged to make the course Canvas site available about a week before classes begin, especially the syllabus, initial assignments, and course schedule. At the latest, students should be able to access their courses on the first day of the semester.

If you are teaching multiple sections of the same course, or a cross-listed course, you may want to merge the sections in Canvas so that they appear as a single course.

You have two options:

• Submit a support ticket: You can request that your sections be merged by submitting a ticket to the UNL support team: Canvas Support Request. This option is also available through the Canvas Help menu.
• Use UNL Canvas Utilities: You can merge courses yourself by going to the Canvas Help menu and selecting the UNL Canvas Utilities link. You may also go directly to its-lmsutilities.unl.edu. You will use your DUO credentials to log in. A video tutorial is available.

Courses should be merged before the semester starts to avoid losing course materials or grades.

When Canvas sections are merged, students see a single “parent” course in Canvas. As a result, the course number displayed in Canvas may not match the course number a student originally registered for in MyRED.

To reduce confusion, instructors of merged or cross-listed courses should consider sending an announcement at the start of the semester that lists all course numbers included in the merged Canvas course. Instructors may also remind students that they can set a nickname for a course in Canvas if they want the course name to match the section for which they registered.

It depends on the question. Get started with this comprehensive FAQ. For additional help with specific materials to be used in your course, see the Accessibility and UDL Instructor Resource or contact your instructional designer.

Passing grades are A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, and P. Students registered Pass/No Pass must earn a C or better to receive a P. A grade of F means the student did not pass the course and is factored into the student’s GPA.

There is no university-wide grading scale. Unless departmental guidelines apply, instructors define the numerical value for each letter grade they assign. Check with your department about grading-scale policies and practices.

A grade of I, or incomplete, indicates that a student was unable to complete the course because of illness, military service, hardship, or death in the immediate family. Incomplete grades should be used only when the student has already substantially completed the course requirements (i.e. roughly >/= 70%). 

The student should complete remaining assignments or exams without re-registering for or attending the course in a subsequent term. For undergraduate courses, I grades automatically expire and are replaced with a failing grade one year after the end of the term unless the instructor submits a grade change form before that time.

Note: For graduate dissertation or thesis hours, a different incomplete system applies.

Yes. The UNL Faculty Senate maintains a class attendance policy.

Faculty may, and are encouraged to, establish an attendance policy specific to their course. The Center for Transformative Teaching provides guidance on flexible attendance policies and considerations for designing an attendance policy that supports student learning.

Gradescope – Streamline grading for assignments and exams with flexible rubrics, AI-assisted grouping, and feedback tools. Click the dots to the right of +Assignment in your Canvas Assignments section to create a Gradescope assignment.

Ally – Improve the accessibility of your Canvas course materials with real-time feedback and alternative file formats for students. Visit “Ally Course Accessibility Report” in the lefthand navigation bar of any Canvas course to get started.

Perusall – Engage students in collaborative reading and annotation of course materials, integrated directly in Canvas. Create a Perusall assignment within Canvas to get started.

Polling App – Gather real-time responses during class to boost engagement and check understanding. This great tool was developed at UNL, has many features, and is free for you and your students. Visit polling.unl.edu to get started.

Qualtrics – Create professional surveys for research, feedback, or course-related data collection. Visit the UNL Qualtrics site to get access.

DesignPLUS – Save time building rich Canvas content with easy-to-use templates and advanced design features. When you are editing an assignment or page in Canvas, press Shift/Option/D to pull up the DesignPLUS sidebar and get started building rich content.

The Center for Transformative Teaching’s Timely Tools for Student Success page offers practical, research-informed strategies instructors can use to support student learning and persistence.

The CAS Career team created a collection of career resources to easily incorporate career development into courses, including: Request an interactive career presentation for your class, Assign students to meet with a career coach or attend a career event, and Integrate career competencies into the curriculum.

Services for Students with Disabilities, or SSD, determines appropriate academic accommodations. Instructors do not evaluate or decide what accommodations are appropriate.

Students share approved accommodation plans with faculty through the Accessible Information Management system, or AIM. If a student contacts you outside of that system, ask them to work with SSD so that appropriate accommodations can be determined and documented. Learn more about AIM.

Common accommodations may include extended test time, a distraction-reduced test environment, class notes, accessible media, or flexibility with attendance. Information about a student’s disability is confidential. Do not ask a student about their disability, and do not disclose to others that a student has a disability.

The Student Referral Guide can help you identify the appropriate referral for students facing personal or life challenges, academic concerns, or mental health concerns. The guide includes information about Student Advocacy and Support, Academic Navigators, Counseling and Psychological Services, the Center for Academic Success and Transition, Services for Students with Disabilities, and the Center for Advocacy, Response and Education.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. In general, FERPA gives the student, not a parent, guardian, spouse, or other third party, control over who has access to the student’s academic record. 

Unless the student has given appropriate permission, instructors may disclose only directory information. Instructors should not disclose grades, course schedules, details of conversations with the student, or the student’s academic standing. Talk with your department’s assigned academic advisor if you need help determining if a student has granted someone this permission.

Additional information is available on UNL's FERPA website.

If you suspect academic misconduct, first attempt to discuss the concern with the student and give the student an opportunity to respond. Under Faculty Senate policy, faculty should allow up to two University days for the student to respond. The discussion may take place in person, by email, or by Zoom.

After speaking with the student, or after two University days have passed, submit an Academic Integrity Report to the Office of Student Conduct & Community Standards. Faculty should report academic misconduct they determine occurred in their class, even if they do not apply a grade penalty or other academic sanction. 

Include relevant documentation, such as the syllabus, assignment instructions, exam or quiz materials, the student’s work, and any correspondence with the student. After the report is submitted, 

After a report is submitted, Student Conduct & Community Standards reviews the information and may contact you if additional information is needed. In many cases, the faculty member’s involvement is complete after the report is filed. If the student accepts responsibility, the case may be resolved through the administrative resolution process. If the case moves to a formal hearing, the faculty member may be asked to participate so the University Conduct Board can hear both the student’s perspective and the faculty member’s perspective. On the reporting form, faculty may request a follow-up by selecting “yes” to the “I request to receive information about t the outcome…” section. Once the case is resolved, the conduct officer responsible for the case will notify them of the outcome and any related information that can be shared.

Questions about reporting or the process can be directed to Student Conduct and Community Standards at 402-472-2021 or studentconduct@unl.edu. 

Faculty are encouraged to review UNL’s emergency response resources before the semester begins. The Safety at Nebraska emergency response site includes guidance on emergency preparation, active shooter situations, severe weather, fire and explosion, power outages, public health concerns, and other emergency response issues.

Please review the active shooter safety video and guidance and consider response options for the specific classrooms or instructional spaces where you teach.

Customizable training on emergency procedures and assistance with emergency planning is available by contacting preparedness@unl.edu.

The Dean’s Office recognizes that instructors may have questions or concerns about how course content could be perceived or challenged. The College stands by its approved curriculum and the faculty expertise, departmental review, college-level review, and university-level review that support it.

If the College is asked about an approved course, the Dean’s Office will respond in substance as follows:

This course was proposed by faculty with expertise in the field and underwent a thorough review process. It was approved by the department, the College Curriculum and Advising Committee, and the University Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and/or the Graduate Council. We uphold the integrity of our curriculum and the rigorous standards it meets.

The learning outcomes of this and similar courses are not designed to make students feel or think a particular way. Rather, they focus on increasing knowledge and understanding of history and human experience. This is a key component of a liberal arts education, which ensures that students receive a well-rounded education and are prepared to participate in and make a positive impact on society.

Instructors of record in the College of Arts and Sciences also have the rights and responsibilities of academic freedom. These rights apply to anyone who leads a class in the College, including faculty members and graduate student instructors.

Instructors are encouraged to read the College’s Statement on Academic Freedom in Teaching and Learning.

If you are contacted about a concern related to course content and are unsure how to respond, please reach out to the Dean’s Office for guidance.