New Faculty Orientation: Syllabus Guidelines
Randolph-Macon College
Suggested Syllabus Guidelines
Creating an effective syllabus for your course will help students gain a smooth entry into the semester. It communicates many of the overall expectations for the course and will allow students to plan their semester and assess their progress.
A good syllabus also has an important "political" function. It reduces the likelihood of misunderstanding and conflict between you and your students. It will also help resolve such conflicts once they occur.
Eberly, Newton, and Wiggins (2001), in the Journal of General Education, state "a syllabus can be an important learning tool." (p.72) They indicate that it can:
- Articulate college curriculum goals as well as course goals
- Outline expectations for student responsibility for learning
- Serve contractual functions
- Introduce the climate of learning for the course.
A copy of each of your syllabi must be filed with the Provost's Office every semester. This is required documentation for the decennial reaccreditation review. It would also assist a faculty member who might have to take over for you in an emergency.
Syllabus Checklist
The following suggestions may help you design a syllabus that is complete and useful for you and your students.
- Course Number/Section and Course Title
- Course Track/Meeting Time and Location
- Semester and Year
Instructor Contact Information
- Name; office hours/location
- Office telephone number
- College email
Course Description
- Prerequisite courses or prior knowledge basic for course (e.g., statistics for certain economic courses)
- Objectives (brief statements of what students should know and be able to do by end of course)
Required and Optional Texts/Equipment
- Texts. List those required as well as optional.
- Computer hardware and software requirements, supplies, and any other materials necessary for success in the course
Assignments/Final Exams or Projects
- Types of assignments to be used in learning. Examples include: exams, research papers, in-class assignments, labs, weekly quizzes, online discussions, small group work, etc. It is useful to explain in 1-2 sentences or phrases how these accomplish stated objectives.
- Assignments which require specific guidelines. It is useful to include these directives on the syllabus.
- R-MC requirement for culminating course experience. Typically this is a final exam, but it may include final project. The final exam schedule is available from the Registrar. Students must comply with established final exam date. Any changes must be approved by the Provost's Office.
- Extra credit. State whether or not you accept extra credit and what is required to earn it.
- Late assignments. State whether or not you accept late work and the impact of late assignments on grades.
- Make-up work. Explain your policy on make-up work.
Grading Policies
Students need a clear understanding of your grading from the beginning of the semester. It is in your best interest as well as in the interest of the student to explain grading policies in writing on the syllabus.
- Criteria for assignments and how each assignment contributes to final course grade
- Grading scale for course. If you grade on a curve, explain how you do this.
- R-MC policy on incomplete course grades as well as semester withdrawal deadlines or refer students to resources to find this information (i.e., R-MC catalog or R-MC calendar on website)
Class Participation
Instructors vary widely in expectations and grading of student participation in class. If participation is part of the course grade, it would be useful to explain how it is graded.
It would also be appropriate to list the types of participation to be graded. For example: in-class responses, small group work, or online discussion participation.
Academic Integrity
Every syllabus should include a statement concerning academic integrity. The following is offered as a guide:
- The College's Code of Academic Integrity sets out a list of prohibited behavior, including plagiarism, cheating, and tampering with or destroying College property (including computers in computer labs). The most common act of academic misconduct is plagiarism, which is defined "Passing off a source's information, ideas, or words as your own by omitting to acknowledge that source-an act of lying, cheating, and stealing." (Gordon Harvey, Writing with Sources: A Guide for Students) Any student who commits a violation of the Code of Academic Integrity will be subject to the policies and procedures outlined in Fishtales. It is each student's responsibility to read and be familiar with the Code.
Students with Disabilities
Every syllabus should include a statement concerning students with disabilities. The following is offered as a guide:
- Any student in this class who has a disability that may prevent him or her from fully demonstrating his or her abilities should contact me as quickly as possible to discuss accommodations necessary to ensure full participation and facilitate his or her educational opportunities.
- Students will not receive any special accommodations unless they are registered with the Director of Disability Support Services (Jack Trammell).
Attendance Policy
- Specific information on impact of attendance on learning and course grade
- How many classes can be missed before penalties
- Explicit information on being tardy or leaving early (e.g., 4 tardies = 1 absence)
It may be wise to define what you mean by tardy.
Calendar of Topics and Assignments
It is useful to list class dates with relevant:
- Topics
- Assignments (readings, exams, papers, projects, homework, etc.)
- Guest speakers, field trips, presentations
Other Resources for Developing a Syllabus
Several of the resources listed below provided ideas and suggestions included in the R-MC guidelines. The resources may offer other information you will find helpful.
Eberly, M., Newton, S., and Wiggins, R. (2001). The syllabus as a tool for student-centered learning. The Journal of General Education, 50 (1), 56-74.