Syllabus Guidelines
Table of Contents
Submission
Purpose
Effective Syllabi
Equitable and inclusive syllabi
Consider the following prompts to frame your syllabi as an invitation and prioritize collaborative learning
Consider the following prompts related to drawing on a diverse range of content and/or examining issues of structural inequality related to the course topic
Consider the following prompts related to the variety of ways to learn and demonstrate learning
Resources and Readings
Syllabus Components Required by the Curriculum Committee
Course Information
Course Description and Method of Instruction
Course Goals
Student Learning Outcomes
Materials, resources, and estimated costs
Grading Policy/Evaluation Criteria
Course Policies and Expectations/Vision for the Learning Environment
Course policies and expectations must include the following statements and links
Shop Policies
COURSE SCHEDULE
Submission
● Course syllabi should be uploaded to Canvas and distributed to students by the first meeting of the course, and preferably as early as possible so that students may make informed decisions about their courses.
● Syllabi must also be submitted to the department office prior to the start of the semester, unless required to do so earlier by the Curriculum Committee.
Purpose
Syllabi serve several important purposes, the most basic of which is to communicate course content, goals, and expectations to students, colleagues, and accreditors. A student’s first introduction to the course, the syllabus also provides a guide for the faculty member on how to plan, implement, evaluate, and improve instruction.
The purpose of this document is to establish principles of high-quality pedagogy that support students and the creation of a learning environment at RISD that is transparent and accessible. This document begins with a series of prompts for you to consider related to effective, equitable and inclusive syllabi, and concludes with a description of syllabus components required by the curriculum committee.
Effective Syllabi
● Demonstrate how the course contributes to the departmental, divisional, and institutional learning goals and mission.
● Clarify course expectations, requirements, resources, and methods of evaluation for students, thereby helping them manage their learning
● Set the tone for the course, and articulate how we understand our role as teachers and their role as students.
Equitable and inclusive syllabi
Consider the following prompts to frame your syllabi as an invitation and prioritize collaborative learning:
● How can you emphasize opportunities for learning and what students will gain, as opposed to rules and prohibited behaviors?
● How can you utilize inclusive and motivating language?
● In what ways have you provided a rationale for your choices in designing the course, articulated norms for learning in your classroom, and clearly stated pathways for learning?
● Can you do more to define and cultivate inclusive discussion/critique?
● Are there opportunities for students to provide feedback on and contribute to the course design?
● Are there a variety of mechanisms (anonymous weekly questions or regular check-in moments) that assess how students are learning and what their concerns are?
● Is the document easy to read and navigate, and have you used images and visual representations where possible?
Consider the following prompts related to drawing on a diverse range of content and/or examining issues of structural inequality related to the course topic:
● Are there opportunities to expand the range of material you draw on to include examples from historically marginalized cultures, whenever possible?
● What are some social justice and equity related learning goals that you can incorporate into your course? For example: a recognition of power dynamics; an ability to analyze normative and disciplinary assumptions, beliefs, and biases; an understanding of how research methods in the discipline marginalize particular communities.
● In what ways have you framed your material and brought in a variety of critical lenses to bear, including discussions of the racial and economic dimensions of the work?
● In what ways have you sought to cultivate an understanding of how certain forms of knowledge and experience are normalized, while others are silenced and marginalized?
● In what ways are you adequately scaffolding how research works in your discipline, so as to examine and cultivate an understanding of its implicit power dynamics and ethics?
Consider the following prompts related to the variety of ways to learn and demonstrate learning:
● How can you vary assignments to address different learning styles – individual vs. collaborative; written, oral, visual?
● Are students given the time to process before responding in discussion or critique?
● In what ways do you allow students to choose how they will demonstrate their learning and achievement of assignment objectives?
Resources and Readings
● Kevin Gannon’s “How to Create a Syllabus”
● Course design module from RISD’s Teaching and Learning Lab
● Exemplary syllabi from RISD’s Teaching and Learning Lab
● Decolonizing the Imagination, a RISD-based reading community for peers around post- and decolonial thinking
Syllabus Components Required by the Curriculum Committee
Course Information
● Course number (if known) and title
● Semester and year being offered
● Number of credits
● Class meeting time and location (if known)
● Instructor and Teaching Assistant information (if known)
● Instructor’s office location and hours (if full-time)
● Instructor’s contact information
● Pre- or co-requisites (necessary skills and/or courses)
● Course website (if relevant)
Course Description and Method of Instruction
● Brief, general introduction to the course: its scope, purpose, and relevance to the field and its role in the curriculum (one-two paragraphs).
● How the course is organized and taught, e.g., lectures, discussions, studio, individual or group presentations, independent work.
● Mention any required Out of Class Activities like field trips.
Course Goals: What does the course aim to accomplish?
Student Learning Outcomes:
Outcomes are measurable and demonstrate a student’s achievement of course goals.
In other words, students need to do at least one assignment that asks them to enact each of the learning outcomes listed on the syllabus, while daily activities will help students understand and build up to the outcomes. Outcomes might relate to:
● Content knowledge
● Skills, tools, methods (including non-content related skills like oral presentation)
● Critical frameworks and orientations
Books, materials, resources, and estimated materials costs
What are the materials that students will need to complete work both in and out of class (studio use and homework)? How will they access these materials? What are the anticipated costs?
List required and optional software, materials/supplies/tools/equipment, reading materials (author, title, edition), reserve readings, course readers/packs, and other resources (websites, blogs). Estimated costs should include required out-of-class activities. Include a link to the RISD Materials Fund https://www.risd.edu/student-hub/finances/financial-support
Course Requirements
It is important that students understand the overall time-commitments, workload, and range of work related to the course.
Course Requirements
It is important that students understand the overall time-commitments, workload, and range of work related to the course.
Describe:
● the nature and format of major assignments
● expected amount of time for the completion of assignments
● expected length of written work
● provide due dates for all assignments and exams.
● distinguish between graduate level and undergraduate level requirements, if relevant
Expected student work and participation may include:
● assignments
● exams
● projects
● crits
● department/divisional lectures
● exhibitions
● performances
Grading Policy/Evaluation Criteria
● The value and standards of quality used to determine the success of a student’s performance.
● A breakdown of elements that will comprise the final grade and an explanation of grading policies and how elements are weighted—contact, participation, motivation/attitude, craftsmanship, visual skills, conceptual skills, risk-taking, assignments, projects and exams, attendance (in and out of class events).
● Describe any extra credit options
● Describe what grades mean
Course Policies and Expectations/Vision for the Learning Environment
Your teaching philosophy, and the beliefs and values that undergird the type of teaching environment you want to cultivate, should frame/inform your classroom policies, including attendance, participation, tardiness, academic integrity, engaging controversial material, missing work, missed exams, food in class, laptop and cell phone usage, etc. In describing expectations regarding student behavior and what students can expect from the instructor, explain their pedagogical underpinnings. These expectations should logically and necessarily differ for learning environments (i.e. in-person, hybrid, online courses, etc.) and expectations should reflect these different contexts. For example, the following frame can be used to introduce a range of policies and diversity and inclusion statements:
“In this course, we will work together to create a supportive and inclusive learning environment where we can engage critically with the material and explore big and controversial ideals. Because class discussion is at the heart of this course, you are required to be in class, and what we do in the course of our class meetings will determine a large portion of your grade.”
Course policies and expectations must include the following statements and links [We encourage you to read and reflect on the intentions of the statements and policies]:
● A Diversity/Civility Statement [see sample diversity / civility statement, here]
● A Disability Statement [see sample disability statement, here] with a link to The Office of Disability Support Services
● Link to Office of Equity & Compliance
● Links to Chosen Name Policy (and how to update it) and link to The Office of Intercultural Student Engagement (ISE)
Shop Policies
Shop hours, tools/equipment available to support class projects/assignments safety requirements and procedures.
Course Schedule
A breakdown of topics and assignments for each class (readings, homework, project due dates). Major assignments, reviews and exams, field trips, tests, final critiques for each class day.
Important Notes:
● For 1-credit workshops: one-credit workshops meet for 20 contact hours following a studio model. Workshops must span the length of the full 13-week semester (12 weeks plus crit week). Typically, workshops are scheduled as four concentrated weeks of instruction (for five hours each meeting) with eight weeks of access/work-time/prep-time culminating in a final review. Other workshop schedules may be appropriate as long as it spans the length of the full semester and meets for 20 contact hours.
● For all other credit designations: must reflect a schedule that contains 12 weeks of instruction plus crit/exam week (excluding spring break and holidays)
THIS MEANS THAT ALL FALL & SPRING COURSE SCHEDULES MUST REFLECT 13 WEEKS OF CLASS ACTIVITY
RISD’s SYLLABUS GUIDELINES 2021 (4).pdf