This document outlines best practices for starting and ending a semester. Before the semester begins, instructors should set course availability, post a current syllabus, create a welcome announcement, provide directions for students, copy the course to a template, clean up content by checking links and dates, and remind students to update personal information. After the semester ends, instructors should make the course unavailable for at least two weeks, clean up content collections, and prepare the template for copying in the next semester. Following these best practices helps ensure courses are organized, up-to-date and accessible for students.