Get ready for next trimester

Some tips and reminders for staff as a new trimester approaches.

Paper Outlines

As per the Paper Outline Policy, all outlines should be approved, published, and made available to students by two weeks before the new trimester begins. If you need to make changes to your approved Paper Outline, your Head of School or delegated approver must approve the changes.

If you have not completed your Paper Outlines by this deadline, please complete, seek approval for, and publish them as a matter of urgency.

If you need support and advice with the Paper Outlines tool, drop in to an online Ask Me Anything (AMA) session with Te Puna Ako, 9-10am and 3-4pm Monday to Friday. Help pages are available in the Paper Outlines section of Moodle help for staff.

Moodle

When your paper is ready, you need to make it visible to students in Moodle. Your Paper Outline needs to be approved before you can do this. We recommend you make the paper visible in Moodle before the start of the trimester, so students can orientate themselves in the paper and plan their workloads.

We recommend continuing to use the Zoom activity in Moodle for teaching. Recordings to the cloud are added to your My Folder in Panopto.

If required, request any metapapers (two or more occurrences taught in a single Moodle space) for next trimester. Complete the form for each metapaper you require. You can request metapapers up to 3 months before they will begin.

If you don’t have access to a paper you are teaching, please ask your administrator to associate you with it. They will need to add you to your papers using the Staff Paper Association Tool in MyWaikato.

Timetable

Timetable changes may be ongoing, so please check your allocated rooms carefully for the following:

  • Your papers are timetabled for the correct weeks
  • The correct number and type of activities
  • Allocated rooms are the right type and size
  • Synchronous teaching activities are clearly indicated

A new Staff Timetable web resource is now available. 

Moodle and Paper Outlines may not have updated timetable information, so please do not rely on these. If the timetable team make room changes later than 2 weeks before the first day of trimester, they will email your department to inform them of the changes. 

Making timetable changes

Please talk to your School Manager in the first instance. They will work with you to find a solution with minimal impact on students and other papers.

As per the Timetable Policy, changes to lecture times require approval from your Divisional Director or equivalent, and the Pro Vice-Chancellor Teaching and Learning. They are only approved in exceptional circumstances.

Following initial discussions as above, you should then submit a request to make a change.

Please ensure any changes are updated on information visible to students, for example the website, degree planner pages, and the student timetable view.

Library

Make sure your paper’s Reading List is finished, published, and has the correct links. Contact the Library if you are unsure what a Reading List is and whether you need one, or if you need support to update your Reading List or upskill on the Reading List software. 
 
If specific print books are required for your paper, contact the Library if you would like copies held in the High Demand collection, or if you would like new editions of required texts purchased.

Library help for students

The Library offers guides, resources, and classes to support your students with research and referencing. Contact the Library to discuss how these resources can best meet the needs of you, your paper, and your students. 

Checklist

  • Paper Outlines are approved and published.
  • Papers are visible to students in Moodle.
  • Request any metapapers
  • Check your papers’ timetable
  • Ensure any timetable changes are reflected in student-facing information.
  • Finish and publish your Reading Lists.
  • Request any high demand books or new editions.

Student enquiries

Please direct any first-year student or general enquiries to the Student Centre.
Students in subsequent years of study should refer to their Division for paper advice and degree planning.

The Student Centre is available as follows:

  • 8.30am-5pm Monday to Friday
  • Level 2, Te Manawa (M Block), Hamilton
  • The Hub, Tauranga
  • 0800 WAIKATO
  • info@waikato.ac.nz

There is Supporting Students information on Te Hononga, including a link for you to refer a student about whom you have concerns to their Study Advisor. This could be a student who seems to have stopped regularly attending class, a student who was achieving good grades but has stopped submitting work, or any other cause for concern.

You can refer students at any level of study and the Study Advising team will refer them to their Division or Faculty if they aren’t assigned to a Study Advisor. The referral form is available from the Study Advising page on Te Hononga.

Help for staff