History
History
Torrie Hester, Ph.D, Br. Ken Homan, S.J., Nathan Johnston | slu1818history@slu.edu
Hiring for the Dual Credit Coordinator role in history in spring 2026!
Department of History - St. Louis University
Embedded Files
Syllabus Templates, Resources, and Important Dates
Syllabus Templates, Resources, and Important Dates
Syllabus Templates
Syllabus Templates
The course templates below are provided for all 1818 History instructors. If you are returning faculty, you are welcome to use one of the templates or to copy and paste any updated information into your current syllabi. [Updated May 2025 per university guidelines].
HIST 1110 Origins of the Modern World to 1500
HIST 1120 Origins of the Modern World (1500 to Present)
HIST 1600 History of the United States of America to 1865
HIST 1610 History of the United States Since 1865
*NEW*: SLU policy statements update as of August 2025
Sample Syllabi from SLU History Professors
Sample Syllabi from SLU History Professors
Please note that these sample syllabi may not reflect the most recent required statements for SLU and/or 1818 syllabi. We encourage you to use these syllabi to inspire your choice of content, textbooks/readings, and assignments, but also that you closely adhere to the format in each template above.
Prof. Marcus McArthur, HIST 1600
Prof. Enrique Davila, HIST 1610
Prof. George Summers, HIST 1110
Prof. Hal Parker, HIST 1120
Prof. Kenan Nerad, HIST 1120
Sample Syllabi from 1818 Instructors
Sample Syllabi from 1818 Instructors
Dr. Thomas Curran, HIST 1600 and 1610
1818 Academic Calendar, 2026-2027
1818 Academic Calendar, 2026-2027
Please click here for the full academic calendar.
Syllabus Checklist
Syllabus Checklist
Please use this checklist to ensure that you have addressed all the 1818 requirements for your syllabi.
Grading & Assessment Best Practices
Grading & Assessment Best Practices
Syllabus Submission
Syllabus Submission
Be sure to submit your syllabus through Dual Enroll: https://slu.dualenroll.com. If you have not received your log-in information, contact 1818@slu.edu. Your faculty liaison will provide feedback on the syllabi through Dual Enroll.
Instructions for accessing Dual Enroll are available through the link. Please reach out if you have any questions!
NB: some newly onboarded teachers and schools have been instructed to email their syllabi directly to Dr. Lillie. Unless you have explicit directions to email your syllabi to her, please submit through Dual Enroll.
Important Dates
Important Dates
TBD
Getting Students to Read the Syllabus
I sometimes do a syllabus quiz for extra credit to make sure they've read it, or I may include an "easter egg" for those who read the fine print. For example: in one of the units I might write something like: "and whoever sends me the funniest picture they can find of Alexander Hamilton by Sept. 15th will get 5 extra credit points on an assignment of their choice." Completely optional, but I've found it injects a little fun into the document.
We have developed a few guidelines for teaching history in the 1818 Program; you are likely already doing much of what the guidelines recommend. Please consult at your convenience.
A.I. Policy Updates
A.I. Policy Updates
The document linked above is worth a look. The AHA has provided some useful ways for thinking about A.I. use in history education.
SLU History Department Guidelines
All 1818 instructors should consider carefully each of the four AI statements below. Please adopt the statement which best aligns with your course goals and school policies. Make sure that you adjust the bracketed sections of the statement you choose to align with your individual course expectations. Please publicize this policy to all your 1818 students and add the statement to your syllabus.
All violations should be reported through our Academic Integrity Incident Report Form. For more information about what constitutes an academic integrity violation, please see this infographic.
Citation: SLU's History department uses the Chicago Manual of Style for all citation. We strongly encourage you to require this citation method in your classes unless an assignment calls for an alternative form of citation. You may access citation guides and more information through SLU's Pius Library.
If you have any questions, you may contact me at lisa.lillie@slu.edu, or email the chair of the History department, Dr. Mark Ruff: mark.ruff@slu.edu.
Our sincere thanks for your time and effort in this endeavor.
Policy Statements (choose ONLY one)
The following four statements regarding the allowance or disallowance of the use of generative AI may offer different templates for use in course syllabi. The italicized text within brackets is intended to be a place holder for contextual information specific to a given instructor and/or the course being taught. The contextual information an instructor adds to the statement is crucial to making the statement specific to a particular course and/or instructor.
1. Statement prohibiting the use of generative AI.
1. Statement prohibiting the use of generative AI.
Generative AI, including but not limited to [ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Midjourney, DALL-E or Github Copilot] may not be used for work in this class. The use of such generative AI tools may compromise your learning by undermining your ability to [ideate, fully understand how to structure an argument or narrative or formulate/create nonderivative creative work.]
You may not use generative AI to [brainstorm, compose theses or arguments based on theses provided by generative AI.] You may not use generative AI to in any way [augment your original work.] For example, asking an AI [to polish a piece of work you have written, debug code you have written or change art you have created] is not allowed. You may not use generative AI to compose work as a whole or in part for any assignment in this course.
Please review item three in the section labeled Plagiarism in the Saint Louis University Academic Integrity Policy.
2. Statement allowing the limited use of generative AI.
2. Statement allowing the limited use of generative AI.
You are allowed to use generative AI in a limited capacity in this course. Tools such as [ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini, Midjourney, DALL-E or GitHub Copilot] can be used for specific assignments as directed in the assignment. I have thoughtfully chosen when to implement the use of generative AI for your assignments. Please note the assignments for which generative AI is allowed come after you have been introduced to foundational skills and concepts [such as… ]. Tools that [perform readability analysis, detect tone and provide editing suggestions as well as those that paraphrase, summarize and outline] are allowed for general use on any assignment.
Using a generative AI tool may assist your learning by [simplifying texts, helping you brainstorm, providing choices of theses when writing, assisting you with forming arguments, providing grammar checks or feedback for structure, debugging code or creating works of art]. However, becoming dependent on generative AI could undermine your learning by [eroding your ability to ideate independently, participate fully and intentionally in the writing process, or critically problem solve by debugging your code]. The use of generative AI can [strip a writer of her/his voice diminishing a creative work]. Generative AI still produces inaccurate information and hallucinations are still common which if left unchecked can harm your grade on the assignment. Any work generated with AI should be fact checked to ensure accuracy. You are responsible for the content of your work.
If you have a question regarding if you are allowed to use generative AI for an assignment or whether you are using it appropriately, please discuss your concerns with me at your earliest opportunity.
If you choose to use a generative AI tool to assist with an assignment, you need to document its use. The proper citation format can be found here [APA, MLA, etc]. Please append your assignment with how you used generative AI for your work, where in the assignment it is used and provide proper citation in [APA, MLA etc] format. Your original work and your AI assisted work should be clearly evident. In addition, use of generative AI should conform to academic integrity policies for the university and regulations put forward by [the college or school you are in.] Please review item three in the section labeled Plagiarism in the Saint Louis University Academic Integrity Policy.
3. Statement allowing the use of generative AI.
3. Statement allowing the use of generative AI.
You may use generative AI for any work or assignment and at any stage in this course. The use of generative AI may help your learning by [simplifying texts, helping you brainstorm, providing choices of theses when writing, assisting you with forming arguments, providing grammar checks or feedback for structure, debugging code or creating works of art]. But the use of generative AI can also undermine learning by [eroding your ability to ideate independently, participate fully and intentionally in the writing process, or critically problem solve by debugging your code]. This can impact your work in future courses.
When using generative AI, please remember that these tools can still be inaccurate and produce hallucinations. You are responsible for the content of your work. [Please remember to cite all resources including the use of generative AI using the proper citation format. I ask that you identify your original work in addition to the work aided by generative AI. Please include a brief narrative relating the ways you utilized generative AI in your work].
Proper citation format for generative AI use can be found here [APA, MLA, etc]. Any work generated with AI should be fact checked to ensure accuracy. You are responsible for the content of your work.
4. More permissive allowance for generative AI use
You are invited to use generative AI for any work in this course. In that this work is generated based on prompts you provide; you are not required to cite or otherwise identify how or where you used generative AI for an assignment. However, generative AI still produces inaccurate information and can hallucinate. You are responsible for the content of your work.
The use of generative AI tools can have both beneficial and detrimental effects on your learning. Benefits may include [simplifying texts, helping you brainstorm, providing choices of theses when writing, assisting you with forming arguments, providing grammar checks or feedback for structure, debugging code or creating works of art]. However [eroding your ability to ideate independently, participate fully and intentionally in the writing process, or critically problem solve by debugging your code] can be detriments to your learning.
Classroom Visits
Classroom Visits
TBD
AI in the Classroom
AI in the Classroom
Our students are using AI - and many in ways we might not anticipate. We take academic integrity seriously, but AI is more than a plagiarism device. It can also be an incredible tool for the study and dissemination of history.
AI: it's not SkyNet, so what is it really?
Khan Academy, How AI Works
AI in the classroom: to use, or not to use?
Edsurge, "We Can't Keep ChatGpT out of the Classroom, so Let's Address the 'Why' Behind our Fears"
Harvard, "Embracing Artifical Technology in the Classroom"
Wired, "Chat GpT is Unoriginal - And Exactly what Humans Need"
Ethan Mollick, U Penn "One Useful Thing" AI blog: sign up for regular updates
Notable Detractions
LLMs (large language models) like ChatGpT are highly complex text predictors; they are not sentient, or self-aware. There are notable problems with this technology, in large part because it is based on human knowledge - with all its attendant biases. This video shows what happens when AI, Barbie, and bias mix, with culturally toxic results. There is also the problem of A.I. "hallucinations": wholesale fabrications and errors. It's worth stressing these points to students.
“If you don’t know an answer to a question already, I would not give the question to one of these systems,” said Subbarao Kambhampati, a professor and researcher of artificial intelligence at Arizona State University. Read more here.
What do the students say?
The Chronicle - "I'm a student. You have no idea how much we're using ChatGpT."
Initially, this article raised my blood pressure. Then it made me think. Now, it's helped me reorient my attitude to AI and education.
Lesson Ideas (full article here)
"As with many challenging technologies before it, ChatGPT has prompted a strong response from educators, ranging from cautious optimism to outright skepticism. It’s understandable to proceed with caution, since the misuse of AI chatbots like ChatGPT is easily done. However, there can be benefits to incorporating this technology to enhance teaching and learning; consider having open conversations with students regarding the misuse of AI, but also ponder the possibilities of how this technology can be helpful to them as learners.
Here are some ways ChatGPT can be leveraged as a teaching and learning tool:
Feedback assistant: Students can ask ChatGPT for feedback on how to improve their writing. For example, it may suggest a student add more specificity to their writing by incorporating additional examples, adding transitions, or even give recommendations to include alternative perspectives. Consider having students keep record of the feedback they receive to incorporate into their writing, or analyze the feedback and justify if they are valid recommendations or not.
Act as an English Professor and provide recommendations to enhance this paper: [copy and paste text]
Debate partner: To help students exercise strong argumentation, they can prompt ChatGPT to act as a debate partner (Roose, 2023). By asking ChatGPT to take a particular stance on an issue, students can develop counterarguments and spar with the chatbot. This can help students develop deeper understandings of alternative perspectives, prepare for an actual debate in class, or enhance argumentation for a persuasive assignment.
Act as my debate partner for the topic of “Banning Books in Public Schools.” Play the role of a parent who wants to censor texts they feel should not be read by high school students.
Additional point-of-view: Incorporate ChatGPT into a class discussion by modifying the traditional “Think, Pair, Share” format to, “Think, Pair, ChatGPT, Share” (Miller, 2022). Inviting an AI perspective can provide another critical lens for students to collectively analyze.
Ask ChatGPT the same question you’ve posed to students (or have students ask ChatGPT the question). After generating an initial response, try prompting ChatGPT with the following: Now, answer the same question from the perspective of a [insert persona]
Prompt generator: As an educator, consider using ChatGPT to help create discussion prompts for your students on a topic or based on a particular (open access) text. You’ll need to provide the link to the text for ChatGPT to access and develop its questions.
As a journalism professor, create a short prompt that will inspire college students to write an open-ended response about the media’s effect on society.
Quiz creator: ChatGPT can create open-ended or multiple choice quiz questions based on a text you provide (Roose, 2023). Be sure to double-check that questions are accurate.
Develop 5 open-ended and 5 multiple choice questions based on this article [insert link]."
Sample History Lesson Plans using LLMs to teach History (Large Language Models, ex. ChatGpT)
Clio and the Contemporary, "How to Use ChatGpt in the Classroom"
step-by-step lesson plan on Frederick Douglass
National and Regional Resources for History Education
National and Regional Resources for History Education
Resources and Support from National & Local Associations
These institutions do a great job of providing lesson plans, resources, and virtual field trips for HS classes and instructors.
National
American Historical Association - Teaching Resources for Historians
AHA - Guidelines for Textbook Selection
AHA - Criteria for Standards in History / Social Studies
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
National Women's History Museum
phenomenal virtual exhibit visits are curated and led by wonderful historians. You can book a virtual field trip here.
National Council for History Education
I particularly recommend their free "History Matters" Conversation led each Friday at 9:00 am by Dr. Joanne Freeman, celebrated Yale historian of early America: History Matters (...and so does coffee!)
National History Day Teacher Resources
Theclio.com - an absolutely fantastic website featuring over 40,000 geo-located historical sites across the U.S.! Essentially, google maps for history. There are also 1653 walking tours, virtual tours of museums, heritage trails, and other curated experiences.
Regional
National History Day - Missouri
see the list of last year's projects and winners here
Missouri Humanities (NEH)
Professional Development and Meetup Dates
Professional Development and Meetup Dates
TBD
Wellness Statement and Mental Health Resources
Wellness Statement and Mental Health Resources
If you or someone you know needs support now: call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or visit 988lifeline.org to chat online.
Community Resources
Community Resources
The following resources are available to anyone who may need support:
The Optum Emotional Support Help Line (866-342-6892) connects callers to caring professionals and resources 24/7.
SSM Health Behavioral Health Urgent Care is a walk-in clinic treating adults and children in urgent need of care for mental health crises
St. Louis University Wellness Statement (for optional inclusion on syllabi)
Instructor Note: The language below encourages students to contact you for course-related concerns. If you wish to customize the language to include other members of an instructional team (e.g., Teaching Assistants, co-instructors), download the MS Word version, customize the language, and insert it in your syllabus. If you do not wish to customize the statement, simply remove this instructor note and add the content below to your syllabus.
All students experience stressors and challenges at some point, and seeking support is beneficial. Such challenges may be the result of academic concerns (such as those related to particular assignments or content in a course), or they may be more personal in nature (such as concerns related to relationships, mental health, loss, identities, alcohol or drugs, housing or food security, or finances, among other things). If you experience these or other difficulties, please consider seeking support from the resources available to you.
For concerns related to this course, please contact me. I am invested in your success and will support your success in the ways I can.
Additionally, you have access to the many resources SLU provides in support of your personal wellness. You will find a list of available resources on the Well-being page of the SLU website.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis: please consult the Crisis Support and Warning Signs on the University Counseling Center website.
In the spirit of cura personalis, the University sees your academic success as connected to your health and well-being and provides resources to support your holistic wellness.
Helpful Links for Teaching Advanced College Credit Courses
Helpful Links for Teaching Advanced College Credit Courses
Resources for Teaching Dual Credit
Taking the Duel Out of Dual Credit - webinar from NACEP (pdf version)
The Funnel to Passing AP Exams
interactive tool which allows you to see how many students take AP exams per state, and filter pass rates by demographic. Helps to highlight some of the limitations of the AP system. FYI, data is from 2021.
Balancing Flexibility and Rigor to Advance Equity in Course Design
Libraries and Online Archives
Fordham Internet History Sourcebook Website
an oldie but a goodie, full of primary sources for World, Western, and American History.
Folger Shakespeare Library - full texts and other teaching resources
General Pedagogy
Rob Jenkins, "How I learned to Stop Worrying and Trust Students"
Cult of Pedagogy - teaching blog & podcast with resources
I recommend their podcast, particularly this one for teaching difficult topics like slavery.
1818 Program Links
General Saint Louis University Links
Other Resources
Requests for virtual or on-campus Library visits
Requests for virtual or on-campus Library visits
Please visit the 1818 website for more information on scheduling a library visit or receiving research help: Library Research and Instruction : SLU - Saint Louis University
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