Instructor/Academic Department

• Meet with department to review class syllabus, class content/material, copyright and assessments
• Textbook ordering
• Assignments and examinations
• Grading and grade submission
• All academic matters

• Appointment letter
• TD1 forms
• Travel/expense claims
• Financial matters

• Teaching facilities
• Multi Media equipment
• Admission/registration of students
• On-site instructional matters

Information and Communications Technology (ICT)

You will be given an NSID (Network Service Identification Number), which allows you access PAWS. To obtain your password, call IT Support at 306-966-2222. Your password will not be issued by email.

PAWS gives you access to:

• an email account
• instructor services
• blackboard platform
• class lists
• payroll information
• expense claims

See the IT Instructor Guide for information on ID cards, email accounts and blackboard access.

• IT Support
• IT Instructor Guide

As a condition of employment as a U of S off-campus instructor, you are required to apply for and maintain membership in the C.U.P.E. Local 3287 bargaining unit. Please complete the union application form.

Please contact ConnectionPoint at 306-966-2000 or CUPE 3287 at 306-966-7023 or cupe3287@usask.ca if you have questions on employment related matters.

• CUPE Application Form
• CUPE 3287 Agreement
• Benefits Information

If a class must be cancelled on short notice (inclement weather or illness etc.), please notify the Off-campus Site University Coordinator as soon as possible. Discuss cancellation procedures with the University Coordinator at each teaching location.

On the first day of classes, inform students of how cancellations will be handled. Setting up a telephone tree or sending a class email announcement works quite effectively. Students and instructors are encouraged to regularly check PAWS for such announcements. Since many students in rural areas have to travel some distance to attend classes, it is very important that a cancellation procedure is planned and discussed.

It is your responsibility to advise the DEU Off-campus Program Manager if you are unable to instruct a class. However, should a situation arise where you are unable to teach a class for several consecutive occasions, it will be necessary to arrange for an alternate instructor. If you are going to miss more than two classes in a row, please inform your Department Head.

Depending on how often the alternate instructor teaches, it may be necessary to post the position to members of CUPE 3287. Please consult with the DEU Off-campus Program Manager with regard to such matters. The alternate instructor must be approved by the Department Head and approval forwarded to DEU, who will then appoint the alternate instructor to teach the number of sessions designated as necessary by the Department Head.

You are responsible for grading all the assessments associated with your class. It is also your responsibility to invigilate all examinations.

The examinations and examination booklets (if requested) can be picked up by instructors living in Saskatoon from the academic department well in advance of the examination date.

Instructors who live outside of Saskatoon should not submit or pick up their examinations in person. Please use the mail. Note that travel claims will not be paid by the DEU for expenses incurred in driving to Saskatoon to pick up or deliver examinations. Exams should be forwarded by registered mail.

Final examinations for off-campus classes will be scheduled by the Distance Education Unit and must fall within the final examination period.

Off-campus sites will be informed of the examination dates. The exam schedule will be distributed to instructors and students during class and through a PAWS annoucement. Final exam dates cannot be changed after the exam schedule has been announced, unless 100% of the students are in agreement. 

Supplemental Examinations are not granted automatically in the case of failing marks.

Deferred Examinations may be granted to a student who is absent from a final examination for medical or compassionate reasons, or is ill during a final examination and stops writing the exam. Please note that students who complete an examination cannot apply for a deferred examination due to illness. Therefore, if a student complains of illness during an examination, please bring this rule to their attention. They are probably better off to stop writing the examination at once so that they are still eligible to apply for a deferred examination.

Please read the following information related to scheduling of deferred or supplemental examinations as well as policies regarding all examinations including midterm exams.

• Exam Info for Students
• Exam info for Instructors
• Read Exam Policies

You are responsible for entering all grades in to the PAWS system. 

Do not divulge the results of a final examination or the final marks directly to students. Grade submission must be done electronically by instructors in PAWS. Once you have submitted the grades, they go to the Academic Department Head for approval. Once approval has been granted, the marks will be visible to students through their PAWS accounts. University regulations require that final grades be submitted within five working days (counting Saturday, but not Sunday or holidays) of the final examination.

• How to enter and approve grades

Please familiarize yourself with policies and procedures with regard to student appeals in academic matters.

• See Appeals in Academic Matters

The U of S has moved to an online process for travel expenses. The Concur Travel and Expense reporting system can be found in your PAWS account.

Expense Reports

Expense reports must be submitted every 30 days. Log into your PAWS account. Click on Admin Services in the menu. Then click on Concur Travel and expense. Many of the training steps are not applicable for off campus instruction. Please use the DEU Concur Travel Guide found below. If you continue to have problems with your expense claim, go to ConnectionPoint. Be sure to inform them that you are an off-campus instructor with DEU.

We require that you itemize your expenses by location and date to satisfy our auditors. Kindly note that Payment Services requires original copies of receipts for telephone, postage and shipping charges, gas for rented vehicles, and accommodation. These receipts can be scanned and attached with your online submission. Instructions regarding receipt submission and using the Concur App are found in the reporting system.

All receipts must indicate GST, PST, and the GST registration number. This is required for all receipts.

Please submit your final expense claim as soon as possible after the final examination, especially for classes ending in April. The University's financial year-end is April 30 and it is essential that claims are processed before then.

Expense Rates

For expense rates please visit the USask Travel and Expense knowledge base website. 

• DEU Concur Travel Guide

Each instructor who travels to another centre to teach a class is entitled to reimbursement for meals when applicable. 

You should claim for what you actually spend rather than automatically claiming the maximum each time.

Amounts in excess of the per diem must be supported by receipts and must be reasonable. The number of meals you claim is also based on what is reasonable. For example, if you leave at 1:30 p.m. to travel to teach a 3:30 class, it would be reasonable to expect you to eat lunch before leaving and not to claim lunch.

• Meal per diem rates

Rental cars will be arranged through DEU. The approved University provider is Enterprise. In situations where you choose to use your own vehicle, you will be reimbursed at the approved U of S per kilometre reimbursement. This reimbursement includes all car related expenses including maintenance, insurance, deductibles, etc.

To arrange vehicle rental please contact Dean Evans.

Accommodation allowances are paid when special circumstances prevail and when overnight stays are required because of the distance from the instructor's home.

Authorization for these must be obtained in advance, but such allowances will be granted without advance authorization in cases of inclement weather.

Please err on the side of safety when trying to decide whether to travel or stay where you are.

Receipts are required for these claims.

When making reservations for accommodation, please inform the hotel personnel that you are from the University of Saskatchewan. By doing so, you may get a lower corporate or government rate.

If you stay in a private home, you may claim up to $15 per night as long as you provide receipts.

• See Travel Expense Guidelines