Syllabus Design
“A well-designed syllabus is an essential tool for effectively managing a course. It gives students a clear understanding of your expectations and a road map for how the course will be conducted. When done right, a syllabus can prevent a lot of misunderstandings as the semester progresses.”
The CLT promotes a student-centered syllabus design, assisting faculty in moving from thinking of syllabus creation as "what do I have to include?" to "what do the students need to be successful in this course?"
A syllabus serves many purposes. Most importantly it sets the tone for the course and provides you with a tool to connect to your students from day one. A well-designed and organized syllabus signals to the students that the instructor has put thought and effort into the course. Logistically, the syllabus is the primary location where students are informed about what, when, and how students will learn and what they need to do in order to be successful. We encourage instructors to write their syllabi to meet the following goals:
encouraging students to read and use the syllabus
focusing on essential content and relevant activities
improving daily effectiveness in the classroom
anticipating student questions and issues
spurring student engagement and involvement
creating a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible guide to the course
The goals above are important, but how do you get there? Here are some important considerations for designing a syllabus that meets those goals.
Formatting
You want to make sure that the document is easily navigable for all students in a variety of situations.
Use sans-serif fonts in size 12 or 14 (What is a sans-serif font?)
Use a clear consistent layout
Use structured headings in Microsoft Word or Google Docs (What are structured headings?)
Provide alternative text for any images or tables
Do Not use color to convey meaning
Spell acronyms, define terms, and avoid jargon
Keep a good amount of white space (What is white space?)
Content
Using the CLT Syllabus Template below is a good start! Each section of the template will explain its purpose and some will provide suggested language.
Tone
Think about your syllabus as an expression of your approach to teaching
Use first-person, positive language, and a welcoming, collaborative, and approachable voice (What counts as positive language?)
Provide explanations and rationale for specific course policies, expectations, and assignments
Delivery
Contact students early (before the first day) with the syllabus to give them time to prepare for the course.
Provide both print and digital formats of your syllabus.
Make sure digital formats are accessible for screen readers. (How do I make sure my document is accessible for a screen reader?)
Discuss the syllabus with students!
In in-person courses, make day one syllabus day. Read through it together and make sure to cover content in detail.
Consider making this a group activity that also helps build your class community. Students can discuss first in small groups and then come together as a whole class.
For any sort of course, consider using a social annotation tool (such as Perusall) to collaboratively go over the document. Students can comment and ask questions and you can respond.
Syllabus as a Corner Stone of Great Course Design
The syllabus can be a great tool for guiding your students to success, but it is just a piece of the puzzle. We encourage instructors to use the Backward Design process to ensure alignment and as further support in creating a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible course.
Get Started with Our Syllabus Template
A first step in this process is using our syllabus template, which we've designed to support you in creating a syllabus that addresses the important aspects listed above and more.
To use our syllabus template, open the link to the CLT Syllabus Template.
Then click on "File," and scroll to "Make a Copy."
This will make a copy that you can edit for your course.
Resources
CLT Event - What’s in Your Syllabus?, November 6, 2015
Further Reading
Bain, K. (2014). The promising syllabus. What the Best College Teachers Do Seminar.
How to Create a Syllabus. (2018, September 12). The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Ludwig, M. A., Bentz, A. E., & Fynewever, H. (March/April 2011). Your Syllabus Should Set the Stage for Assessment for Learning. Journal of College Science Teaching, 40(4), 20–23.
Parkes, J., & Harris, M. B. (n.d.). The Purposes of a Syllabus.