Title: Creating a Syllabus
Headings: Teaching & Learning
Teaching & Learning
Creating a Syllabus
Purposes and content of a syllabus
The syllabus as a contract
The syllabus as a permanent record
The syllabus as a learning tool
Links
Resources
Readings

Content: Topics and readings to be covered in sequence with dates
Important dates (e.g., assignment due dates, exam dates, and holidays)
Standards and criteria for graded assignments
Description of how the final grade will be computed with a breakdown of the ranges for each letter grade and whether or not pluses/minuses will be used
Policy on late assignments, incomplete assignments, and revisions
Academic integrity policy (see the Student Code, Article 1, Part 4)
Attendance policy (see the Student Code, §1-501)
Accommodation policy for students with special needs (see the Instructor Information page on the DRES website)
Expectations for classroom interaction. For example, you may point out that you will be incorporating active learning strategies throughout the semester in the form of group work, in-class writing assignments, etc. Or if you address controversial topics, you may want to lay out some guidelines for discussion. The syllabus as a permanent record
A syllabus should serve accountability and documentation functions. It should document what was covered in a course, at what level, and for what kind of credit. Such a syllabus contains information useful for evaluation of instructors, courses, and programs, and can thus be useful in course equivalency transfer situations, accreditation procedures, and articulation. To do this, a syllabus should include the following: Basic course information (course by number, section, title, semester, meeting times, days, place, format)
Instructor information (name, title, rank, office location, office phone number, e-mail)
Description of the course content
Course goals and objectives (linked to professional standards if appropriate)
Required purchases for the course. You may also want to note where else texts will be available (e.g., the library, online, electronic reserves)
Pre- and co-requisites for the course (not just courses; what skills are expected also)
Names and contact information for teaching assistants
The syllabus as a learning tool
A syllabus should help students become more effective learners in the course.