Faculty Absences

D2L BrightSpace is the web service most utilized by our enrolled students. It is recommended that faculty use the following procedure for posting their absences:

1. Post your absences in D2L BrightSpace as announcements for students to view*.
2. Enter your leave in the Employee Timesheet Portal.  (eTimesheet links are also in SWARM)
3. Send any necessary reporting to your respective Dean.

*How can Students View Announcement Notifications?

 Text Messages (SMS)

An additional benefit to posting absences as announcements in D2L BrightSpace is students have the option to opt-in to receive announcements as text messages.  For students who are off campus, they can receive an instant notification of absences or any other course changes.

 E-mail

By default, students will receive email notifications when a course announcement is made in D2L. It is important to note that students have the ability unsubscribe to announcements, as well as subscribe to many other course-related notifications.

IMPORTANT: Course Announcements are not emailed out to students before the course start date, nor after the course end date. However, instructors can adjust the default start and end dates for their BrightSpace courses in the Course Offering information page to allow for announcements outside of the set dates.

All correspondence after the last day of classes should be made by class-list email function. If you wish to make announcements after the last day of classes, you will need to update your classes end-of-date setting.

Faculty instructions for students:

How to subscribe to text (SMS) and e-mail notifications:

1. Log In to D2L Brightspace.
2. Click on your name in the top corner to access your personal menu.
3. Click on Notifications.
4. If you want to receive text messages, click on Register your Mobile.
5. Fill in the required information. You will be prompted to go through a verification code process with your phone. (Note: Not all cell phone providers are supported.)
6. Click on Save.
7. Scroll down to Instant Notifications.
8. Check the box under the SMS column next to the items for which you want text notifications.
9. Check the box under the E-mail column to select items for which you want email notifications.
10. Click on Save.

Other Tips:

• Explain the importance of announcements to students and what information they will get from them.
• Encourage students to have notifications activated for announcements or to at least check the course announcements regularly.
• Encourage students to subscribe to the text notification option.
• Do not send so many announcements and emails that students turn notifications off or ignore your messages.