InstructorLink Guide

Introduction

InstructorLink is UC San Diego Extended Studies’ instructor portal, and your InstructorLink login credentials (username and password) will also allow you to access our Canvas learning management system (LMS). This guide has been created as a guide for our instructors on how to use the features in InstructorLink.

Contents

1. Creating an InstructorLink Password

• For those accessing Canvas for the first time or who have forgotten their password.

2. How to Change Your Email Address

• Some instructors can change their email address in the DES system using this method.

3. Using My Sections

• View an archive of all of the past sections you have taught, as well as your current section(s), and any upcoming sections you are scheduled to teach.

4. Contacting Students Before a Course Begins

• Students do not have access to their course in Canvas until the start date. One way to contact your students prior to the start date is by emailing them using InstructorLink.

5. Textbook Requests

• Submit your required and optional textbooks for an upcoming quarter.

6. Final Grades

• Enter final grades for a course. All final grades must be submitted through InstructorLink within 10 business days of your course’s end date.

7. Using My Calendar

• A quick way to view deadlines associated with the courses you are scheduled to teach.

8. Using My Availability

• Submit your availability to teach an upcoming quarter.

9. Using My Profile

• Update your biography, photograph, and links that appear on Extended Studies’ website.

10. Accessing Extended Studies’ Canvas LMS

• My Resources is the easiest way to access Extended Studies instance of the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).

Important: please note, as of WI24 Extended Studies implemented a new Course and Instructor evaluation tool called Watermark. Instructors can now view their survey results directly through Canvas using the directions outlined in our help article Course and Instructor Evaluations (Instructor).

Creating an InstructorLink Password

To log in to InstructorLink for the first time, you will need to create a password. Here is how.

1. Open InstructorLink in your browser by going to instructorlink.ucsd.edu.
2. Generate a temporary password by clicking Forgot Password.
3. Enter the email address that you provided to your Academic Department in your application and during the onboarding process. If you have problems with this step, reach out to your program manager to verify the email you have on file.
4. Check your email for the temporary password.
5. Go back to the InstructorLink login page and click Click Here to Login.
6. Enter your email address and the temporary password in the login screen.
7. You will be prompted to change your password when you log in using the temporary password.

How to Change Your Email Address

Payroll employees will use UCPath to make changes to contact and other employee information. Non-payroll employees will be able to edit their contact and other information in InstructorLink. If you have questions about your payroll status, please reach out to your Program Manager.

For directions, please reference our help article: How to change your email address (Instructors).

Using My Sections

By clicking on My Sections (on the left side of the interface), you will be able to see information that is specific to your scheduled course sections. Upcoming sections appear in InstructorLink AFTER your Program Manager enters this information into another system. Usually, section information appears three months prior to the start of an academic quarter.

1. When you select My Sections from the InstructorLink menu, you will see information for all of your scheduled classes, including past, current, and upcoming sections.
2. Click on Update Details (in the Action column to the right of your course title).
3. From this page you can monitor the number of students enrolled in your course, view and print your class list, send an email to the students enrolled in your course, and enter final grades for your course.

Contacting Students Before a Course Begins

Students do not have access to their course in Canvas until the start date. One way to contact your students prior to the start date is by emailing them using InstructorLink.

1. From the My Sections page, click on Email (on the left side of the interface).
2. Check All students who you wish to email.
3. Click Next.
4. You will then be able to write an email that will be sent to you, with your students included on the Bcc line. You are also able to add attachments using the specifications outlined in InstructorLink. Click Browse to upload a file from your computer. Click Add Attachment to add additional files to the email. Please note, the file size limit is 1 MB and a maximum of 5 attachments are allowed.
5. Click Send when complete.

Textbook Requests

This section will take you through how to submit your required and optional textbooks for an upcoming quarter. Please note, this task must be completed before every quarter even if you are using the same textbook as the previous quarter. Textbook Requests are due 2 months prior to the start date of your course. If you need to request a Textbook after the deadline, please contact your Program Manager.

1. When you log in to InstructorLink, click on My Sections from the menu on the left side of the home page to see a list of all the class sections you have been assigned to teach.
2. Click on Update Details (in the Action column to the right of your course title).
3. Click Textbook on the left side of the interface.
4. Click Request a Textbook.
5. On this page you will be given the option to enter a new textbook using the Search Textbook Database tool or you can Request a Textbook(s) from Previous Quarter. For both options you can specify whether the textbook is required or optional.
6. When finished, click Request.

Final Grades

Final grades must be posted in InstructorLink within 10 days of the posted end date in InstructorLink. Please note, the Canvas and InstructorLink systems are not connected, so instructors must manually enter grades from Canvas into InstructorLink.

To submit final grades in InstructorLink:

1. When you log in to InstructorLink, click on My Sections in the menu on the left side of the home page to see a list of all the class sections you have been assigned to teach.
2. Click on Update Details (in the Action column to the right of your course title) for the course you want to enter final grades.
3. Prior to the start of the course, students select their preferred Grade Option.
   • If a student selected Letter Grade, you will be given the following options.

• • If a student selected Pass/Not Pass, you will be given the following options.

4. Enter grades and comments (if applicable) for each student.

5. To save your grades, click Submit Grades. Important note: once you enter grades, you cannot edit them unless you request to make changes.

Using My Calendar

My Calendar is a helpful tool that shows deadlines associated with your scheduled course sections, including Textbook Requests, Grades Submission, and Availability Submission.

1. When you log in to InstructorLink, click on My Calendar inthe menu on the left side of the home page.
2. Here you are given the option to view the calendar using the Month View, Term View, or Year View.

Using My Availability

The My Availability feature allows you to submit your availability to teach upcoming quarters. Your Program Manager will check your availability to determine your teaching schedule. Instructors are asked to submit their availability to teach 4 months prior to the term start date.

Please note, not all Program Managers use the “My Availability” feature in InstructorLink. Confirm with your Program Manager their preferred method for you to submit your availability.

1. When you log in to InstructorLink, click on My Availability in the menu on the left side of the home page.
2. You will see all upcoming quarters listed. Click on Edit to specify your availability for the corresponding quarter.
3. You will be given the option to choose “I am AVAILABLE to teach this quarter” or “I am UNAVAILABLE to teach this quarter”. You can also select the days you are available to teach, your available times, and provided comments for your Program Manager. You can also specify which courses you are interested in teaching.
4. Once you submit your availability your preferences will be saved and viewable on the My Availability page.

Using My Profile

My Profile allows you to review and update your biography, photograph, and links that appear on Extended Studies’ website. When your Program Manager schedules you to teach an upcoming section in Extended Studies’ systems, then your biography page appears in UC San Diego Extended Studies website search results.

1. When you log in to InstructorLink, click on My Profile in the menu on the left side of the home page.
2. Click on Request to Update My Biography.
3. You will be provided with a pre-formatted email with space to provide your credentials, qualifications, biography, and links. You can also attach a professional headshot which will accompany your biography.
4. Click Send. The email will be sent to the departmental email address provided.

Accessing Extended Studies’ Canvas LMS

My Resources is the easiest way to access Extended Studies instance of the Canvas Learning Management System. Please note, that the email and password you use to access InstructorLink are the same credentials you will use to access Canvas.

1. When you log in to InstructorLink, click on My Resources in the menu on the left side of the home page.
2. On this page you will see the list of resources with direct links to each one, including Canvas LMS.
3. Click on Canvas LMS to access the Extended Studies instance of Canvas. Please note, you will need to click one more login button before you are logged into Canvas.

For questions, please contact Instructor Excellence at ext‐instructorexcellence@ucsd.edu.