New this Fall: First Assignment Requirements in Blackboard

We are no longer using the Automated Attendance Tool to record attendance. You may wish to record attendance for your own purposes, such as follow-up with students and referral to support services through Navigate. Students now need to complete the First Assignment/Enrollment Verification to indicate their participation in the course.

(5.6.F of Faculty Handbook)

Attendance Reporting and Procedures Policy

Class attendance is very important, not only to the instructor and the individual student, but also to the entire campus community. While the university does not require attendance to be reported, faculty will still want to communicate should reach out to any student who fails to submit assignments or is excessively absent, and alert the Registrar in any cases where the student should be withdrawn. Faculty can access up-to-date course rosters through Self-Service Banner or Navigate.

In face-to-face, virtual, and online learning environments, instructors may choose to have an attendance policy in their syllabus. Faculty must clearly define the consequences for non- attendance and include their policy on withdrawing due to excessive absence. If attendance is identified as a portion of the student’s final grade, faculty must maintain a record of students’ attendance throughout the term.

Enrollment Verification

Students are required to submit a university-wide first assignment to acknowledge course participation. The first assignment will be available to students at 12:01am on the first day of their course. First assignment submission information is available to faculty via a link on the portal.

Faculty can view their current CRN’s and see their course rosters which will indicate whether or not each student has completed the first assignment. Faculty are encouraged to reach out to students who have not submitted their first assignment. Students who do not submit the first assignment will automatically be dropped for non-attendance by the Registrar’s Office.

Please see the recording and other information below:

Event Recording: https://cuwaa.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=30478244-4e88-4d19-a3ee-b1bf016525c4

Handouts from Presentations:

Presenters: Stephanie Barnhill, Lisa Stenulson, and Brooke Johnson

Description of the event: Recording accurate student enrollment is important for financial aid, billing changes, housing eligibility, immigration status, athletic eligibility, and faculty load and compensation. This enrollment data will now be captured as a “first assignment” that has been automatically built into all courses. Join us as we discuss the who, what, where, when, why, and how of the process. We will share dates, deadlines, and communication plans and walk faculty through the steps. In addition, we will show you what it looks like for a student to complete the First Assignment.

8/1/2024