Essential Information & Dates

• New to Canvas or UIS? View our Canvas for Instructors page and contact COLRS to schedule a quick tutorial to get started!
• Students added to Canvas on Friday, August 9th
  View course rosters and student email addresses in Enterprise Self-Service.
• Full-term and first-half Fall 2024 courses open to students on Friday, August 23rd at 12:01 a.m.
• Second-half Fall 2024 courses open to students on Monday, October 21st at 12:01 a.m.
• Summer 2024 courses close Thursday, August 22nd

Where is My Online Course Site?

You will find your online course sites on Canvas. Log in with your UIS NetID and password.

Don’t see your Canvas courses? If you are listed as the instructor on the Course Schedule, then contact COLRS and we will assist you. If not, then contact your Department or Dean's office to be added to the official Course Schedule. 

Past Canvas courses are go in a read-only archived state after the semester ends to maintain a record of student work. Learn how to view past Canvas courses. Instructors may copy content from past courses into using the import tool.

Regular & Substantive Interaction

The U.S. Department of Education requires regular and substantive interactions (RSI) between instructors and students for UIS to maintain eligibility for federal funding. For a standard sixteen week course, instructors should plan for at least one RSI activity each week. For eight week accelerate courses, instructors should plan two RSI each week.

Examples of Instructor-Initiated Regular and Substantive Interaction

• Creating discussion questions and actively facilitating the conversation
• Inviting a student to office hours or scheduling a phone call or Zoom meeting
• Posting personalized comments on individual learner's assignments.

Course interactions that do not qualify for RSI

• A learner deciding to drop by regularly scheduled office hours
• Entering numeric grades to the gradebook without further comments and feedback.
• A learner submitting a quiz that is automatically graded.

Learn about activities that qualify as "regular and substantive" interactions to be sure your course plan aligns.

Digital Accessibility in Canvas Courses

Digital accessibility is legally-required for all digital course content. View our accessibility resources for online teaching or reach out to the Digital Accessibility Remediation Team to have your materials remediated for accessibility. 

Instructors also have access to UDOIT, a powerful accessibility tool available in every UIS Canvas course. This tool scans course materials and helps instructors to fix accessibility issues. Learn how to use UDOIT.

Talking to Your Students about Generative AI in Your Course

Whether you want to encourage or discourage students' use of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools in your course, syllabus statements are a great way to frame the conversation about generative AI with your students. COLRS has created a common document for UIS instructors to share the generative AI syllabus statements. Please share your statement with COLRS staff to have it added to the document on your behalf.

You might also find the UIS syllabus and assignment icons useful. The icons represent common approaches to generative AI use for course policies and assignments. These icons have been adapted from the Oregon State Syllabus and Assignment AI Icon Project. Icons can be downloaded from Box. 

COLRS frequently updates a resource page on generative AI (like ChatGPT). You'll find resources on background information, assignment design, academic integrity, and more.

Syllabus Resources

• Lance Eaton, from College Unbound, is collecting classroom policies on AI.
• The Sentient Syllabus Project has some language to consider. 
• Check out Ryan Watkin's Update Your Course Syllabus for ChatGPT on Medium. 

Teaching Resources and Common Tasks

Commons Canvas Tasks and Topics

The Canvas for Instructors page on the COLRS website has useful information for faculty, including: combining Canvas course sections into a single course site; copying Canvas course content; creating an inviting course home page; customizing your view of the Canvas dashboard; and student preferred names. 

• Canvas courses for previous terms are available under All Courses.
• Instructor Tutorials: The COLRS website contains information about online teaching and specific information about our Canvas site. The Canvas Instructor Guide provides detailed information on individual Canvas tools.
• Student Tutorials: Tutorial videos and a recording of an ITS student Canvas training are available. Consider sharing this with your students.

Resources & Course Reserves from Brookens Library

The UIS Brookens Library offers electronic course reserves and streaming media. The resources meet accessibility standards. Faculty submit request forms for these resources. Many journal articles and other items from the library databases can be linked in your Canvas course. Learn to access Library Databases off campus.

UIS Syllabus Template Now on Canvas

Please update your syllabi using the updated UIS accessible syllabus template on the Academic Affairs website. Or, use the new Canvas Accessible Syllabus Template, created with DesignPlus. COLRS staff are here to help you use the tool!

Online Test Proctoring

UIS offers several tools to support online exams, including Respondus Monitor, Zoom proctoring through the UIS Testing Center, and Examity live video proctoring. Learn more on our Academic Integrity and Test Proctoring page. If you are planning on using Examity live proctoring for online tests this semester, please let COLRS know to add your course to the list.

COLRS Support for Instructors

Office Hours

Join the COLRS team – Carrie, Taylor, and Emily -- for open office hours on Zoom at 10 a.m. on weekdays (central time). 

Video Creation and Editing

Our multimedia specialist Scott is here to assist you with all your video needs! Scott's professional background in video recording and editing will help your course to shine with lightboard lectures, green screen work, and on campus shoots. Contact Scott to plan your next digital media project.

One-to-One Support

Please feel free to call, or email us with questions or to set up an appointment. 

• Phone: 217-206-7317
• Email: colrs@uis.edu 
• Book a one-on-one appointment with COLRS staff!

COLRS Events & Teaching Tips

See the COLRS events on our home page for all workshops and training sessions. Teaching tips will be sent to full- and part-time faculty email lists periodically during the term. Feel free to email us an idea for a workshop or tip!

Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service
1 University Plaza, MS-428, Springfield, IL 61703
+1 217-206-7317  |  Connect with COLRS staff