How Do I Mark a Staff Member as Absent/Assign a Substitute Instructor? – iClassPro Support

IN BRIEF
iClassPro's Substitute Instructor feature allows administrators to mark staff members as absent for specific dates and assign substitute instructors for their classes during those absences. It can be done directly from the CLASSES, STAFF, or CALENDAR pages, and includes options for email notifications and bulk updates.

Overview
Accessing the Feature
Step-by-Step Instructions
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Related Articles

Overview

Unplanned absences can occur due to illness, jury duty, travel, or other obligations. iClassPro allows administrators to easily record these absences and assign substitute instructors to cover affected classes or events. Once a substitute has been assigned for a date, that assignment will remain even if the permanent instructor is changed or removed.

Important Note: Before assigning a new permanent instructor, remove any substitutes linked to classes taught by the original instructor. To remove substitutes, see Editing Substitutes.

Accessing the Feature

Administrators can assign substitutes or mark absences from several areas within iClassPro:

The Classes page
The Staff page
The Calendar page

Each method launches the same Assign Substitutes window, where you define the date range, assign substitutes, and set notification preferences.

Step-by-Step Instructions

From the CLASSES Page

Navigate to the Classes page.
Use filters or search to locate the desired class(es).
Select one or more classes.
Select Substitute Instructor from the toolbar to open the Assign Substitutes window.
Choose the date range (defaults to the selected Enrollment Date).
Each class meeting time will appear as a separate entry.

Drop-down Menu Options

Present – marks the permanent instructor as present (default).
No Substitute – marks the instructor as absent but does not assign a substitute.
Selecting a Staff Name – marks the instructor as absent and assigns the selected staff member as a substitute.
- If 25 or fewer staff profiles exist, all are listed directly.
- If 26 or more exist, select Choose a Substitute to open a staff selection dialog.
- Any scheduling conflicts will be shown below the menu.

Email Options

Send Email to Affected Families With Substitution Information – notifies families using the template under
SETTINGS>SETUP>GENERAL SETTINGS>COMMUNICATION TEMPLATES>iClassPro>"Instructor Substitutions (To Families)".
Send Notification Email to Substitute – notifies assigned staff using the template under
SETTINGS>SETUP>GENERAL SETTINGS>COMMUNICATION TEMPLATES>iClassPro>"Instructor Substitutions (To Staff)".

After reviewing, select Process to confirm or Previous to make changes.

Note: If you cancel the background task, also delete its entry from the Background Task window to avoid duplicates.

From the STAFF Page

Navigate to the Staff page.
Locate the desired staff member(s) using filters or search.
Select one or more names.
Select Substitute Instructor from the toolbar to open the Assign Substitutes window.
Choose the date range (defaults to the current date).
Each class meeting time will appear as a separate entry.

Drop-down Menu Options

Present – marks the instructor as present.
No Substitute – marks the instructor as absent without a substitute.
Selecting a Staff Name – assigns another staff member as substitute.
- Any conflicts are noted below the menu.

Email Options

Send Email to Affected Families With Substitution Information – notifies families using the template under
SETTINGS>SETUP>GENERAL SETTINGS>COMMUNICATION TEMPLATES>iClassPro>"Instructor Substitutions (To Families)".
Send Notification Email to Substitute – notifies assigned staff using the template under
SETTINGS>SETUP>GENERAL SETTINGS>COMMUNICATION TEMPLATES>iClassPro>"Instructor Substitutions (To Staff)".

After reviewing, select Process to confirm or Previous to make changes.

From the CALENDAR Page

Note: Substitutions from the Calendar page are date-specific.

Navigate to the Calendar page.
Locate and select the desired class.
In the “What would you like to do?” window, select Edit Absences and Substitutes.
The Assign Substitutes window will open, defaulting to the selected date.
Select a date range and review entries.
Use the same drop-down and email options as described above.
Select Process to save or Previous to edit.

Using the “Mass Actions” Option

After selecting a date range, you can edit absences or substitutions in bulk using the Mass Actions drop-down menu.

Editing Absences

Select Edit Absences from Mass Actions.
In the Mass Editing Absences window, define:
- Who would you like to apply these changes to?
  - Choose Instructor – select the instructor to update.
- What adjustments would you like to make?
  - Present – mark the instructor as present.
  - No Substitute – mark absent without a substitute.
  - Selecting a Staff Name – assign a substitute.
    - Scheduling conflicts are displayed automatically.
- Where would you like to apply these changes?
  - Apply to Classes Where Currently Present
  - Apply to Classes Where Already Absent
  - Apply to All Classes
Select Save to apply or Cancel to return.

Editing Substitutes

Select Edit Substitutes from Mass Actions.
In the Mass Editing Substitutes window, define:
- Who would you like to apply these changes to?
  - Choose Instructor – select the current substitute to modify.
- What would you like to do with these substitutions?
  - Cancel all substitutions – removes the selected substitute (no replacement).
  - Reassign to someone else – removes and replaces with another instructor.
  - Present – mark the instructor as present.
  - No Substitute – mark absent with no replacement.
  - Selecting a Staff Name – assign another substitute.
    - Scheduling conflicts are displayed automatically.
Select Save to confirm or Cancel to return.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

What happens if I change the permanent instructor after assigning substitutes?
- Once a substitute instructor has been assigned to a class for a specific date, this assignment will remain even if the permanent instructor is changed or removed. It is highly recommended that you remove any substitutes linked to classes taught by the original instructor before assigning a new one.
  - To remove a substitute instructor from a class, follow the instructions to "Cancel all substitutions" in the Editing Substitutes section above.
Can I notify families or substitutes automatically?
- Yes. Enable the appropriate email options in the “Assign Substitutes” window to send notifications based on predefined templates.
What if I choose to cancel the Background Task after clicking to Process?
- If you choose to cancel the Background Task after it has begun, it is strongly recommended that you also delete the entry from the Background Task window by clicking on the “Delete” button (trash) to the right of the Background Task entry.
  - Deleting the Background Task entry is specifically recommended for tasks that both perform a task and send email notifications, such as generating makeup tokens, canceling classes/camps, assigning substitute instructors, and sending Statements.