Creating a Syllabus
The syllabus serves as a contract between the instructor and the student. It should reflect clear expectations and policies. Syllabi must be formatted well with clear distinctions between each element. All syllabi must include the catalog description, learning objectives/outcomes, participation and attendance policies, list of required and/or recommended readings, assignments with their weight towards the final grade, a grading rubric, a scale for determining the final course grade, and the students with disabilities and academic integrity statements.
The Syllabus Construction Guide outlines the required and recommended elements of an MCC syllabus, explains department expectations, and provides some sample language for key policies.
The Syllabus Template is a pre-formatted Google doc that includes all the core sections and placeholders you need to get started quickly. You can download it or make a copy for yourself to edit in your own Google Drive.
Used together, the guide explains what to include and why, while the template helps you format it easily and consistently. Even experienced MCC instructors are encouraged to review the guide, as it includes revised recommendations on AI policy language, the MCC Land Acknowledgement, and required syllabus statements aligned with current MCC and university standards. It’s a useful refresher and ensures your syllabus reflects our most up-to-date guidance. If you have questions about these documents, please contact me.