Teaching Policies & Advice

The course outline must identify prerequisites and instructors should announce prerequisites for the course on the first day of class. Students who have not met the prerequisites should be asked to withdraw from the course and the instructor should notify Education Student Services at edacad@ualberta.ca.  Please note that BearTracks is unable to screen for prerequisites in most cases.

Students often try to persuade instructors to waive prerequisites by presenting the instructors with reasons as to why they need to stay in the class (e.g., they have financial difficulties and need to graduate in a timely fashion, etc.). Individual instructors cannot make such decisions about student eligibility for enrollment. Refer these students to ESS (See contact list) for assistance in sorting out the remainder of their program and notify ESS at edacad@ualberta.ca. When you make a referral, avoid making statements that reinforce the student’s belief that the prerequisite may not be necessary (e.g., “I would let you into this class if I could.”). This can make it more difficult for the student to accept subsequent alternatives that are suggested to them. 

The course outline must identify course objectives. Here are some examples of course objectives from undergraduate courses in the Faculty of Education. Remember that each assessment/evaluation item in the course should be connected to at least one course objective. See examples of course objectives here.

The course outline must identify how all undergraduate courses in the Faculty of Education are connected to the Alberta Teaching Quality Standard. Here are some examples from current courses of how to list to what extent the course prepares students to meet the competency. Please contact your Subject/Program Area Coordinator for consistency across courses/sections.

During the first week of class, include a thorough overview of the course outline during class time. Identify assignments, dates, policy for late assignments and the grading system used. Do not assume that students will read this independently. 

Students are responsible for the completeness and accuracy of their registration. The appearance of a student’s name on BearTracks indicates confirmation of registration in the course section. A student whose name does not appear on BearTracks is advised to contact Education Student Services (ESS) through the Student Service Portal or email educinfo@ualberta.ca to confirm their registration status. A student who does not have a confirmed registration in a course section is not permitted to attend. Please do not allow students to sit in classes if they have not registered for the course and please do not tell students that you are willing to add another student. Individual instructors cannot make decisions about student enrollment.

Please refer all undergraduate student registration requests (including switching sections) to Education Student Services (ESS) through the Student Service Portal or email educinfo@ualberta.ca. Do not promise students that they can join your class as there may be waiting lists and other constraints.

Instructors should announce how the University defines plagiarism, cheating, misrepresentation of facts and participation in an offense and explicitly point out the statement that you have included in the course outline. Check the course outline templates at the Course Outline Templates website. It is advised that you also include a statement about expectations around Academic Integrity in each of your assignment documents.

At the outset of your course, you are also strongly encouraged to invite a discussion among your students about academic integrity, what it is, and why it is important. The Student Success and Experience website has some excellent materials, including video clips, to foster discussion (see Academic Integrity). Opening such a discussion helps the students understand the importance of integrity within an academic and professional community and lets them know you are serious about ensuring academic integrity in your course. You should also refer the students to the resources on the Student Success and Experience website and encourage them to consult with you if they have any questions or concerns.

With the increasing availability of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, instructors are encouraged to understand how students can access and use these tools to support their learning. The university’s Centre for Teaching and Learning has developed some resources for instructors to consider, especially in planning for evaluation items (assignments and exams). Visit their website: Teaching in the Context of Artificial Intelligence. 

Personal information such as name, address, telephone numbers, email addresses and personal identification can be shared only with student consent. You can report personal information to the Undergraduate Coordinator or Associate Dean (Academic & Student Experience) if you have concerns about a student’s professional conduct and/or well-being. The Undergraduate Coordinator and/or the Associate Dean (Academic & Student Experience) will assist you in accessing university resources to address your concerns.

Instructors are under no obligation to admit visitors, including the children of students in the class. Any class is a learning community that can be disrupted by the presence of outsiders. Give permission for visitors only after careful thought to the requests and when advance notice of such requests is given. Do not give permission at the door of your classroom. We suggest that you talk with your students before giving permission for visitors to come into your class. Do not allow graduate students to sit in on a class. The appropriate route for these requests is through auditing registration. 

There are many good reasons to group students to work on assignments and classroom projects. However, working together can prove to be stressful and can promote feelings of inequity, freeloading, and even bullying. The issues for students are compounded when they are working in several different groups on graded assignments throughout the term and when the group assignments comprise a large percentage of their overall grade. Students occasionally appeal marks when they feel that the requirements of group work have unfairly hampered their grade. Monitor groups carefully and recognize that you may be called upon to facilitate positive group dynamics to ensure that individual student achievement is fairly reflected in the grade. Instructors must also ensure that all students are graded fairly in accordance with their individual achievement.

Instructors who are planning field trips or other off-campus activities for students must reach out to the Risk Management team before finalizing their plans. The Risk Management team will help to identify potential risks and provide guidance to ensure a safe and successful experience for everyone involved. Depending on the nature of the trip, students may need to sign waivers or other types of forms to ensure proper risk mitigation. Additional information on waivers can be found on the Risk Management and Insurance website. For activities that involve overnight or longer-term work away from campus, please engage the Field Research Office. 

If you are planning an off-campus activity, please fill out the University of Alberta waiver request form to start the process of determining if you need a waiver. For questions or assistance, please contact Risk Management at insurance.risk@ualberta.ca.