Changing the Instructor of Record (IoR) After a Moodle Course is in Use

This article provides guidance on changing the Instructor of Record (IoR) for courses after an IoR has already been assigned in Workday and a Moodle course is in use.

• NOTE: This process does not replace contacting the Faculty Technology Center (FTC) for assistance. 
   

Overview 

When an Instructor of Record (IoR) is assigned to a course in Workday, Moodle generates a course shell at least 30 days prior to the start of the term. In addition, if a new IoR is added in Workday to replace a previously assigned IoR, and it is after the 30-day threshold, a new empty Moodle course shell will be created and the new IoR and students will be moved to that new shell. If work has been done in the course, the following procedure is necessary to avoid any student data loss. 

The steps below should be taken when an instructor must be replaced in Workday and there is course content or student work that needs to be preserved in Moodle. One of two scenarios is possible: 1) The department is aware in advance that the IoR will need to be updated, or in rare cases, 2) the replacement of the instructor is unexpected. For example, the department may be aware that the incoming instructor has not been hired or credentialed in time, or due to unforeseen circumstances, an instructor is no longer able to finish teaching a course (e.g., due to illness, death, or resignation). In the first case, when the department is aware that they will need to update the IoR, it is necessary to assign an appropriate placeholder instructor. See instructions for this below.

In either case, as soon as the department is ready to change the IoR in Workday, the department must first contact the Faculty Technology Center (FTC) at ftc@lsu.edu with the following information before the IoR is changed: 

• Course name 
• Section number 
• Identified placeholder or current instructor 
• Incoming IoR 

This will avoid the loss of any course content or student work. The FTC will guide the department through the change process.

If You Know That the IoR Will Be Replaced:

1. Select a Placeholder Instructor 

   Select an appropriately credentialed placeholder instructor who has access to and will load the course syllabus and content for students to begin working. Keep in mind that when the incoming instructor is placed in the course, students will have already begun working with this syllabus content. 
    

2. Identify Conflicts with Placeholder Section Assignments 

   To avoid potential issues when Moodle shells are created, it is recommended that the placeholder instructor does not teach their own sections of the same course number. If this is unavoidable, the placeholder instructor must use course splitting to separate the Moodle course into shells for individual sections prior to adding content (see GROK 20172). This will isolate sections that will be reassigned.
    

3. Assign the Placeholder Instructor 

   No more than one week prior to the start date, assign the placeholder instructor as the IoR in Workday. 
    

4. Provide Temporary Access for the Incoming Instructor 

   If the incoming instructor has myLSU/Moodle access but is awaiting credentialing, the placeholder instructor can add the incoming instructor to the Moodle course with the role of "Guest Instructor" (see GROK 20282). This allows the incoming instructor to teach the course until they are added as IoR in Workday. 
    

Steps When it is Time to Change the IoR to Preserve Moodle Content

When the department is ready to change the IoR in Workday, coordinate with the FTC and instructors on the following to minimize the amount of time that the course is unavailable to students. After contacting the FTC:

1. Notify Students

   The instructor should notify students that the Moodle course will be briefly unavailable. 
    

2. Hide the Moodle Course Shell 

   The placeholder instructor or the FTC will hide the Moodle course shell to prevent student access during the transition. 
    

3. Update the IoR in Workday 

   The department must: 
   1. Change the IoR in Workday from the placeholder instructor to the incoming instructor. 
       
   2. Notify the FTC once the change is complete. 
       

4. Wait for the FTC to Preserve Content and Student Work 

   The FTC will perform actions to preserve course content and student data. They will then notify the department and the instructors when finalized. 
    

5. Unhide the Moodle Course 

   The new instructor can unhide the Moodle course and resume normal use. They should communicate with students as needed.