On the first day of class, dedicate time to clearly explain what you expect of them and what they can expect of you and the class. 

Use class time to discuss the syllabus. Students appreciate the opportunity to go over the syllabus with the instructor, as it helps them recognize the role of the syllabus as a learning contract and see the areas that are especially important for the instructor. Consider creating an activity around reading a syllabus, e.g. a quiz or a collaborative reading activity using one of the social annotation tools.

• University Faculty guidelines recommend that all course syllabi include a reference to the Code of Academic Integrity such as the following: “Each student in this course is expected to abide by the Cornell University Code of Academic Integrity.  Any work submitted by a student in this course for academic credit will be the student’s own work.” 
• In class, talk to your students about the importance of academic integrity, teaching the principles relevant to your discipline and class work, and provide specific instructions about assignment requirements for compliance. 

Explain what students can expect of you. Clarify how and when you can be reached, how quickly you will respond, how office hours will work, and how students will receive feedback on their work. 

Describe what you expect of your students, and link these expectations to class success. Some possible examples include: 

• “I’ve been teaching this class for X number of years and, in my experience, students succeed in this course when they do the following …” (i.e. attend class, engage in class discussions, complete reading, ask questions, seek help early, apply study skills, find a study partner, etc.). 
• "In previous years, students found this topic challenging. I (or/and students from past semesters) suggest doing the following to help learn it" (i.e. practice problems, flashcards, drawing a diagram).
• Share resources provided by the Learning Strategies Center that can help your students learn: 
  • Find study partners
  • Learning from digital materials
  • What to do if you (student) need to miss class
  • Get help with your courses
  • Using office hours
  • Start your semester strong
• If classroom attendance is important, be explicit about why it matters.
  • For example, "In this course, the main focus of each class session will involve continuing discussions with your colleagues. Therefore, attendance in this class is mandatory".
• Consider a number of “free passes” allowing students flexibility before instituting penalties for missed classes. 

Organizing a discussion or activity to create class norms together can set a strong foundation for a class. While this approach may not scale for every class, it allows you to co-create a set of shared values and expectations, increase student buy-in, and return to the community agreement when challenges arise.

Collaborative contract activity. Depending on the class size and other factors, you can decide how collaborative this process can be. If you want your students to shape the community agreement, ask your class “What does a successful learning experience look like to you?”

Display what students' responses are (by writing on the board or projecting), and emphasize what’s come up more often. Then ask “How can we hold each other accountable for these values?” Summarize and add those responses into the contract.

Alternatively, in larger classes, you can start by displaying a list of values, norms, and/or expectations you want your students to vote on or consider as they discuss what’s important for them. These values may relate to classroom participation (conduct) and productive intellectual/disciplinary engagement. Students can vote using a classroom response system (e.g. Poll Everywhere), or submit their responses to a Canvas assignment (or on a feedback card). You can then use these responses to form a collaborative contract.

You can either use a polling question or a traditional show of hands to check in on how your students are doing. Building empathetic connections with and among your students will help them feel a part of the classroom community.

• Poll Everywhere word cloud question: "Type in one word to describe how you are feeling about class today."
• Ask students to check in with the student(s) next to them in the minutes before class, and ask how they are doing. Small group discussions can help students connect and build their own network of study partners and support.

To learn more about your incoming class, consider sharing a pre-course survey to ask about students’ background knowledge, preparation, and motivations for taking your class.

Use student name tents or name tags in class to help everyone learn and use names. You can have students use folded paper to make name tents or you can purchase reusable dry-erase name tent cards. 

For smaller classes, you can ask students to introduce themselves to each other in an online discussion post, by answering a few questions and including an image. For example, What is your major? Do you have any pets? What was something you did over the break?  What is a favorite album, book, or movie? You could also include yourself and your teaching assistants in these introductions.

Consider posting a page in Canvas with a paragraph about yourself, your background, and your interests. Ask your teaching assistants or other members of your teaching team to contribute to this page.

Offer various ways for students to share how they are doing:

• Discussion boards like Ed Discussion allow instructors to create subtopics, like “Q&A” for students to pose (anonymous) content questions to their instructor and peers, “Peer Learning” to find a study partner, and “Social” to connect about social and campus events. 
• Normalize seeking help early as an academic success strategy; encourage students to attend office hours; clarify what students can get help with during office hours. Share the resource on Using office hours from the Learning Strategies Center.
• The Classroom assessment technique is an effective way to gather student feedback on learning and catch potential classroom dynamics issues. Ask questions like "What one thing did you learn today? What surprised you? What question remains unanswered? "
• Mid-Semester Feedback Program is a powerful tool to help you understand where students are a few weeks into the semester and ask for their advice.