Syllabus

Your syllabus is similar to a contract with your students. It is a guide to how the course will run for the semester and explains expectations and policies. The syllabus is one of the first documents in a course students have access to and helps them plan for the semester. Therefore details in the topical outline or course schedule are very important. It is also highly suggested the syllabus be placed in the identified location in each course. This helps students' know exactly where to look for the syllabus.

Required syllabus language is current in the Faculty Handbook listed on the Campus Policies page of UMA's website. The Handbook can also be found in the Faculty Resource module of every Brightspace course.

Syllabus Template - The syllabus template includes optional and required language indicated by the instructional content highlighted. The instructional content should be removed prior to posting. The template is formatted for accessibility but revisions you make might impact the accessibility so be sure to check after completing your specific information.

Are they reading the syllabus? How do you know? Students know that courses include syllabi, with a lot of policy information, but often do not recognize their importance. Posting the syllabus in the course in the designated location supports consistency of courses throughout UMA and will be easy for students to locate. Including the syllabus when courses open is also helpful to students for planning and time management. Some instructors also email the syllabus to students or include in an announcement as part of welcoming messages. There are several strategies to help identify if students are reading the syllabus.

Create a syllabus quiz. Potentially include an attestation that they have read and understand the syllabus. Faculty Focus recently published an article entitle Prevent Student Errors with a Self-Paced Syllabus Quiz
Have a syllabus scavenger hunt where students locate and identify key elements of the syllabus. This could be in the form of a quiz or a written assignment.
Include an assignment in the syllabus. For example, assign them to email you with something specific (an image or statement), submit to a discussion topic, or submit some topics they hope are covered in the course.

Course Description & Learning Outcomes (Click to Expand)

Your syllabus must include the course description and learning outcomes from the course charter as approved by the curriculum committee. Any revisions to these must be submitted to the curriculum committee for approval. You can find course charters on right side of the Curriculum Committee webpage.

Course Policies (Click to Expand)

Instructor Policies

The course policies are policies and expectations you hold for your course. These include details concerning communications and feedback, grade requirements, make-up/late work policy. Attendance requirements are included as instructor policies to an extent. You may also want to include a policy about online communications and Zoom expectations. A link to Example Language for Online Expectations includes such language examples and is included in in the Faculty Resources moduel of every Brightspace course shell. Your syllabus may include other details such as publisher resources, professional resources, student supports, and other information you find important to your course.

Campus Policies

Required content and policies on the syllabus include, contact information, course details, prerequisites, credit hour information, course description and learning outcomes (directly from the course charter), textbook materials, technical requirements, academic integrity policy, ADA accommodations, and Title IX statement. Current language for these policies is included in the Faculty Handbook.

Grading Details (Click to Expand)

Grading details are very important to your course and students. The two most common grade calculation options are points and weighted (percentages). The grade details must be consistent from the syllabus to the grades area in Brightspace. A grading scale for your course should be included, whether points or weighted based. Some programs use a common grading scale so check with your coordinator to determine if there is a departmental specific scale. Grade details include grade requirements that describe how student work will be evaluated and how the final course grade will be determined. You decide if the grade calculations will be weighted (percentages) or points based. This is an example of weighted grades:

Discussions 20%

Assignments 30%

Quizzes 20%

Midterm Paper 15%

Final Paper 15%

You should also include details for students about when they can expect work to be graded and feedback. Consider if you will accept late work and if there will be a penalty for late submissions. Then each assessment should include details of the expectations and how it will be graded. A rubric is a great way to define expectations and grading details.

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