Tips for Creating a Syllabus That Will Keep You and Your Course On Track

by Ann Brucklacher

Remember all that training you had on writing a syllabus? No? If you’re like most instructors, you probably never had any. But does that matter, you may ask. It’s just a syllabus, a glorified course calendar. You learned what to do by, perhaps, swapping syllabi with colleagues or looking through sample syllabi provided by your department. To be frank, in between last-minute class assignments and heavy teaching loads, who has time to ponder a syllabus? However, before you dismiss the syllabus as first-day filler or as an utilitarian schedule, consider this document’s potential impacts. A vague or poorly organized syllabus can lead to student misunderstandings and instructor regrets. A well-constructed syllabus, on the other hand, can serve as an effective teaching tool, and help both you and your students understand and manage a course. A top-notch syllabus can even land you a better teaching job. While there is no such thing as a perfect syllabus, here are some key elements to remember.

Syllabus 101

A well-written syllabus starts with basic information. Make sure, for example, that you know the official name and number for your course. Outline class meeting dates, holidays, the final exam date, and possibly even drop and add dates (since students often believe faculty memorize these dates). While you’re digging for information, check to see if the university requires any specific information on its syllabi. Some schools, for example, mandate disability, grading, or academic integrity statements.

Once you have an idea of the university’s schedule and requirements, think about your own. Will you hold scheduled office hours or meet with students by appointment only? How may students contact you? Providing a departmental office number where you check messages moments before class will not endear you to your students or the department’s administrative staff. If you choose to provide a home or cell phone number, set strict parameters unless you enjoy midnight pleas for term paper deadline extensions.

Be Objective

Now comes the most difficult part: establishing course objectives. Neill Johnson, Research Associate and Program Manager at Penn State’s Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, leads syllabus workshops. Clear objectives are the heart of an effective syllabus, Johnson says, but “it is amazing how many syllabi writers neglect this step.” Too many instructors, Johnson says, settle for “pat course descriptions.” Lifting the university bulletin description may seem like an easy, safe way to go, but this shortcut deprives you and your students of an opportunity to think about the true aims of the course.

In many ways, planning course objectives is like constructing individual lesson plans– only on a semester-long scale. Knowing what you want to convey and what you want your students to learn makes laying out individual tests, readings, and lectures a bit easier. Johnson suggests that faculty list daily activities as one of the last steps in syllabi writing.

Assume Nothing

Clarify your objectives. This not only helps you prepare, it also helps your students understand your teaching methods. Joyce Weinsheimer, Director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Teaching and Learning Services, says that an effective syllabus can act as a “springboard for the rest of the course.” Take a moment to look over some sample syllabi, Weinsheimer recommends. Then, imagine you are a student on the first day of class. What would the syllabus tell you about the instructor, his or her teaching methods, and the course? Is this a course you’d want to take? Is the syllabus impersonal or even terse? Does it convey a message about the “culture of the class?” Instructors should remember, Weinsheimer says, that students have ingrained assumptions about how classes work. These assumptions, “may not meet our assumptions.” The syllabus can help start a “conversation about the course.” Through that conversation and written syllabus reminders, students can get a better idea of what is expected of them and what they can expect from the instructor.

Defining points

Like a good conversation, a syllabus should not serve as a one-sided rant. For example, it it’s unnecessary to spell out how you will dismember cell phones that ring during class. However, you could use the syllabus to explain the general atmosphere you hope to create. The syllabus is also a good place to set standards, define evaluation criteria, and provide information about helpful resources. Emily Mieras, an assistant professor of American Studies at Stetson University, has found that the longer she teaches a course, the longer her syllabi become. She includes details on out-of-class assignments, lecture themes, and an appendix of reference materials. Mieras also defines grading criteria, including a summary of what constitutes “good participation” (rather than mere sleepy or chatty attendance). The syllabus can help a faculty member defend grading decisions later on, Joyce Weinsheimer notes. A syllabus also lets you explain your teaching methods. If you require extensive group work, for example, let your students know the rationale for this strategy and the extent of their responsibilities.

Explicit definitions of plagiarism and academic integrity can also help you avoid trouble. Your university may provide an academic integrity statement and the consequences for disregarding it. Specific definitions and examples of plagiarism can also save you and your students from misunderstandings.

A Living Document

The syllabus should be more than a first-day fling. Just because students zero in on testing and grading when you hand out the syllabus does not mean you’ve missed your chance to highlight other important information. Encourage students to reexamine the syllabus before the second class period. You can even give a follow-up syllabus “quiz” to make sure students have truly examined the course themes and requirements.

However, even the most carefully structured syllabus may need alteration. Unforeseen events, student capabilities and interests make each course unique. Treat your syllabi like polished rough drafts. This keeps students attuned to the class, and shows how teaching and learning are works in progress and subject to ongoing improvement.

Altering a syllabus during the midst of a semester conflicts with one school of syllabus thought. Some instructors believe that the syllabus is a contract. There are instructors who even require their students to sign the “contract” syllabus. Conversely, other instructors either gently warn students that the syllabus might change, or boldly stamp “THIS IS NOT A CONTRACT” on every page. Decateur Reed writes on legal issues and teaches law-related courses at Boise State University. Reed notes that the contract confusion is largely unfounded, because most syllabi lack the requirements of true legal document. Further, Reed notes, academic freedom allows instructors to teach a course as they see fit and thus make changes. Because of this freedom, instructors need not put a “limitation” or disclaimer notifying students that the course schedule might change. However, a short note may help avoid confusion.

Of course, there are some aspects of the syllabus that you should not change, especially late in the semester. The most obvious ones deal with major assignments or percentage allocations for papers or exams. Few audiences are more vengeful than students after you announce that the final exam is going to count 30 percent rather than the original 15 percent because “their grades are too high.” Students might also interpret numerous syllabus changes as a sign of poor preparation or lack of direction in a course.

On-line or in Print?

With e-mail on their cell phones and the Internet in their dorm rooms, students are more wired into technology than ever. A syllabus posted to a course Web page makes sense both for you and your students. Syllabi posted on-line combat convenient “but I lost the syllabus” excuses. More importantly, posting materials on-line offers faculty some important advantages. It is easier to update syllabi. By requiring that students check the syllabus weekly, you can insert updates or notes about assignments. On-line syllabi can also provide hyperlinks to readings, images, and reference materials posted on-line. For example, no matter how much you stress the importance of a certain reference guide, not all your students will trek to the library to find it. Some students will be more inclined to use on-line references, if any are available. Of course, posting a syllabus on-line does not mean you should discard the traditional paper model. You can have both and provide the same URLs in the printed syllabus.

Future Considerations

An effective syllabus can help both you and your students. A well constructed syllabus helps guides the direction of a course, and can also change to flexibly meet your and your students’ needs. Beyond one-semester considerations, syllabi are also primary documents of sorts that showcase your teaching activities and philosophies. During an academic job search, a well-designed syllabus complements statements on your teaching philosophy and experience. Even if you’re a veteran instructor, taking the time to consider or reconsider your syllabus can pay off throughout the semester and beyond.

Checklist:

Necessary Basics:

* Course name and abbreviation

* Number of credits

* Course meeting time, scheduled class days, current year and semester

* Holidays and other non-class days

* Instructor’s name, contact information, and office hours

* Required texts and other materials (and, if not obvious, where to find them)

* Breakdown of grading

* Any university-mandated information (e.g., disability statement)

* Pre-requisites

* Due dates for readings or other assignments

Other Considerations:

* Course objectives

o What do you hope to accomplish with this course? What specific skills or knowledge will students attain?

* More detailed explanation of grading parameters

o Qualitatively, what does each letter grade mean? This system is good if you are an especially hard grader, or if the course requires the mastery of special skills. For instance, “An ‘A’ in this course represents outstanding performance relative to the necessary requirements.”

* Evaluation specifics

o What are your tests designed to measure-memory, comprehensive knowledge, technical skills? How can students study for the tests? Are sample exams available?

* Special policies or procedures

o What are your policies on missed exams and late work? How soon will you return graded materials?

* Teaching methods and philosophy

o Will the course focus on lectures, student participation, or group work? What constitutes “participation”? How will you evaluate group projects?

* Student roles or expected behavior

o How are students expected to act towards their classmates or the instructor? Are there any behaviors that you wish to discourage (e.g., picnicking in the chemistry lab or cell-phone text messaging during lectures)?

* Definitions of academic integrity and plagiarism

o What are the consequences for plagiarism? How will you determine plagiarism or other cheating?

* Detailed information on major assignments

* What are the requirements for the term paper or class project? Of course, reminders may be necessary, but providing detailed information early on puts time management in students’ hands.