Designing a Course Syllabus
Mike Davis
2002 Graduate Teaching Assistant Recipient
Presidential Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

 “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to...

(Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, Chapter VI, p. 64)

Where does learning actually occur? The classroom? Ironically, most learning occurs outside of the classroom. Planning how to help students learn outside class is one of our most important tasks. A syllabus contains such a plan of assigned readings and activities scheduled on dates correlated with lecture topics.

The syllabus helps us to think about the practicalities of what may have to be deleted  in order to fit within the constraints of time, place, students, available resources, and our own limitations.

As you block out activities in relation to the college calendar, you will begin to note when you will want films, guest lecturers, field work, or other things that require advance scheduling.

What exactly is a syllabus?

A syllabus is a document generated by an instructor to reflect the planning of the course. The main purpose of a syllabus is to help the instructor present an organized, coherent, and academically responsible course. It also provides a structure for the students taking the course and can serve as a guide for a GTA (Graduate Teaching Assistant).

Why have a syllabus?

An effective syllabus accomplishes the following

1) It requires instructors to organize early.

2) It defines what the instructor expects of students and also what the students can expect of the instructor. In a sense, the syllabus is a contract between the instructor and the students.

3) It helps students understand what is expected of them from the start of the course so they can more effectively plan their semester.

4) It reduces opportunities for capricious grading.

5) It presents a positive image to the students (a solid syllabus shows that the instructor takes teaching seriously).

6) It provides pertinent information about the course to other faculty. 

Where do I begin?

1. Use your department as a resource. Many departments keep syllabi on file. Also ask to see the syllabi of other faculty members. Remember though, syllabi differ in format and content. If your department does not have a standard form, use your colleagues’ syllabi as models. Don’t forget about the World Wide Web either. Lots of interesting things can be found on the Web.

2. Consider what kinds of questions the students will ask. What will they like to know about the course? The most common questions are: Will they be able to do the work? Will they like the instructor? Will they get along with others in the class? What topics will be covered in class? How many and what kinds of tests and assignments will the instructor give? What is the grading system of the instructor like? Which textbooks or readings are they responsible for? What are the instructor’s policies towards attendance, late work, and makeups; What is the purpose of the course? What will be the nature of class discussions? ? What does the student have to do to do well in the course? Why should the student take this class?

3. Make the syllabus flexible. Some classes move more quickly than others and some get sidetracked on certain topics. To prevent confusion, the instructor might indicate the topics to be covered each week rather than day-by-day. Some instructors even choose to issue a revised schedule at the some point in the semester.

What information should be included in a course syllabus?

A syllabus can include as little or as much as the instructor wants. Experienced instructors almost always include more rather than less material. Howard B. Altman and William E. Cashin (in IDEA Paper No. 27, September, 1992), suggested that the following topics be included in your course syllabus in some form.

Course Information. The first items of information in a syllabus should give the course information: course title, course number, and credit hours. Also, are there any prerequisites? Is the permission of the instructor required? Include the location of the classroom, and the days and hours the class meets.

Instructor Information. Second, the students need information about the instructor: your full name, title; office location (and where to leave assignments), office phone number; office hours; and the same information for a G.T.A. (Graduate Teaching Assistant), if the faculty member has a G.T.A. assisting them that semester. Depending on the size of the class it may be desirable to include an emergency phone number; quite often this can be the department office. Many instructors give the students their home phone number. If you do, make sure to list restrictions, e.g., “No phone calls after 10 p.m. please.”

Texts, Readings, Materials. College courses are still heavily dependent upon print materials, either a required textbook or a variety of readings or text provided on the World Wide Web. The syllabus should provide information about the following:

    Textbook(s) - include the title, author, date, edition, publisher, cost, where 
   available. Some instructors choose to explain why a particular text was chosen 
    and how much it will be used.

    Supplementary Readings - in addition to the detailed bibliographic information
   about the readings, the syllabus should indicate whether the readings are required
   or only recommended, and whether the readings are on reserve in the library or
   available for purchase in the bookstore.

    Materials. - although many courses use only print material, there are a myriad of
    courses that require additional - sometimes expensive - materials, e.g., lab or
    safety equipment, art supplies, special calculators or even computers, etc.

Course Descriptions/Objectives. The bare minimum would be to repeat the description in the K.S.U. catalog - assuming that it describes the course with some accuracy. Certainly be sure to include a paragraph describing the general content of the course - and even a sentence or two on why the course is important. Information about instructional methods, e.g., large lecture with small discussion sections, may also be included. 

Instructors who have designed their own instructional objectives often include them in their syllabi. That may result in “information overload” for some students. However, the inclusion of general course goals (e.g., the learning and application of the general principles of... or the development of the skill of... or the development of a more positive attitude toward...) can help orient the students to the purpose of the course, the instructor’s expectations, etc. 

Course/Calendar/Schedule.  Some instructors worry that including a daily or weekly schedule of topics to be covered will make it difficult to depart from it. One remedy is to state that the schedule is tentative and subject to change depending on the progress of the class. Sometimes the instructor has no choice in scheduling, e.g. in a multi-section course where departmental exams are administered on specific dates, or in a course which is a prerequisite for another course (the material has to be - should be - covered by the end of the semester). 

If we as instructors expect students to meet deadlines, we must give them the information they need to plan their schedules. The course calendar/schedule should include the dates of exams, quizzes, and due dates for major assignments. For example, when a paper is due; if the topic has to be approved, when; if an outline or draft is a step, when it is due.

Finally, any required special events need to be included in the calendar, e.g., a lecture by a guest speaker, a musical performance, a field trip.

Attendance, Tardiness. The syllabus should include some statement about attendance (is it required, will students who attend on a regular basis be given a break if their grade is borderline?) and about lateness, at least if students are penalized for it. (Students who arrive late can disturb the class but keep in mind that the K.S.U. Campus is large and sometimes students are unable to leave the previous class as early as they should.  

Class Participation. If students are to learn and apply what they have learned, they need to be active participants in the classroom. It’s a good idea to indicate this in the syllabus. Moreover, the syllabus needs to explain if and how participation will be graded. 

Missed Exams or Assignments. Since these affect their grades, they are of great interest to students. A syllabus should inform the students whether exams and assignments can be made up; statements regarding extra credit should also be included, if that is an option.

Lab safety/ health.  In some classes these concerns can be a matter of life or death. Even if detailed materials are handed out early in the semester, the syllabus should include a short statement about the importance of these concerns and indicate that more information will follow.

Grading. Each syllabus should include information about how the students will be evaluated - what factors will be included, how various factors will be weighted, and how all this will be translated into grades. 

Other topics to consider include various University policies that relate to teaching and learning in the classroom:  

Academic Honesty. The syllabus should address questions related to academic integrity to avoid instances of cheating and plagiarism. Many students actually do not know what plagiarism is. Instructors owe it to their students to explain what plagiarism is and what constitutes cheating.

The Kansas State University Undergraduate Honor System

The 1999 Fall semester marked the beginning of Kansas State University’s Undergraduate Honor System. Previously, the Hearing Panels who adjudicated instances of academic dishonesty were made up entirely of faculty and administrators. Now, the panels are composed of students who hold majority representation. This change gives students ownership of the effectiveness of the Honor System and a reason to help protect the integrity of Kansas State University. 

Some version of the following information should be included in your course syllabus:

Kansas State University has an Undergraduate Honor System based on personal integrity, which is presumed to be sufficient assurance in academic matters one's work is performed honestly and without unauthorized assistance. Undergraduate students, by registration, acknowledge the jurisdiction of the Undergraduate Honor System.  The policies and procedures of the Undergraduate Honor System apply to all full and part-time students enrolled in undergraduate courses on-campus, off-campus, and via distance learning.

A prominent part of the Honor System is the inclusion of The Honor Pledge, which applies to all assignments, examinations, or other course work undertaken by undergraduate students.  The Honor Pledge is implied, whether or not it is stated: 

"On my honor, as a student, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this academic work."

A grade of XF can result from a breach of academic honesty.  An XF would be failure of the course with the X on the transcript indicating failure as a result of a breach of academic honesty

For more information, please visit the Honor System’s web page at:http://www.ksu.edu/Honor

If you have questions about any of the previous information, please contact the Director of the Honor System, Phil Anderson, by E-mail at phil@ksu.edu.

Note-Taking and Reserved Rights. Several wordings have been proposed for this issue and they are based on legal advice that has been received by the University. You might choose to use one of these in your syllabus:

The instructor reserves all copyright and ownership to the content and component elements of this course. Professional note-takers or their agents are expressly excluded from this course. 

Another version could be as follows:

The lecture material in [number and name of your course] is copyrighted. Reproduction of class notes for commercial purposes without the express permission of the instructor is prohibited.

ADA Accommodations. The following statement could prevent a major problem from happening:

Any student who may require an accommodation under the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact the course instructor in this matter as soon as possible and no later than the end of the first week of classes.

A student who has a certified learning disability, such as dyslexia, is legally entitled to certain accommodations. Fortunately, these students get valuable help from the Office of Educational and Personal Programs in Student Services, which also has the responsibility to help in making suitable arrangements with instructors and departments. In short, you cannot discriminate against a student for a disability. You should do your best to discover these possible anomalies in course procedure early. Be advised though that a student remains entitled to accommodation for a certifiable disability even if a suggestion such as “no later than the end of the first week of classes” is included in your syllabus. 

Tone. Keep a positive tone throughout your syllabus. Do not have a “Thou shall not do this...” attitude.

Include supplementary material to help students succeed in the course. For example, consider providing one or more of the following:

- Helpful hints on how to study, take notes, write an essay or book review, or do well in class.

- Glossary of technical terms used in the course.

- References on specific topics for more in-depth exploration. 

- Bibliography of supplemental readings at a higher or lower level of difficulty in case students finds the required text or readings too simple or too hard. 

- Copies of past exams so students can see at the beginning of the term what they will be expected to know at the end.

- Information on the availability of videotapes of lectures.

- A list of campus resources for tutoring and academic support, including computer labs. Calendar of campus lectures, plays, events, exhibits, or other activities of relevance to your course.

Provide space for names and telephone numbers for two or three classmates. Encourage students to identify two or three people in the class who they can call if they miss a session or want to study together. 

Final checklist. Once you have written your syllabus you may want to check its adequacy with the following checklist. Does the syllabus: 

1. Contain your name, title, office, telephone, office hours, and where to leave messages?
2. List the course by number, section, title, meeting days and times, room and building?
3. List the prerequisite(s), if any, for the course? 
4. Give an adequate description of the course?
5. Effectively outline course goals or objectives?
6. Discuss required purchases such as texts and supplies?
7. Contain a space for the names and telephone numbers of at least two classmates?
8. Indicate due dates for major assignments; give place, date, time of the final exam?
9. Give your grading standards and criteria?
10. Discuss K.S.U. policies regarding “P,” “F,” “I,” “W,” marks?
11. Discuss the K.S.U. policy regarding academic dishonesty?
12. Discuss your policy regarding attendance?
13. Discuss your policy regarding late assignments?
14. List the topics to be covered in sequence with dates?
15. List reading assignments and the dates that they are due?
16. Convey your idea in a simple manner, namely, is it readable?
17. Have important sections highlighted?
18. Hurt the eye of its readers, namely, is its print large enough?
19. Contain any grammatical or spelling errors? 

Using the Syllabus. Once your class begins, what would be the best way to use the syllabus? Barbara Gross Davis in her Tools for Teaching (1993) says that there is no real answer to this question, but she offers a few suggestions:

1.  You should annotate your copy of the syllabus. On this you should make notes of details that you need to mention during the first class session. As the course progresses, note on the syllabus changes you would make in the future. For example, indicate those topics that could not be addressed in the time allotted. Also, add new topics that come up during the course.

2. Distribute the syllabus on the first day of class. Review its essential points and be prepared to answer questions about your requirements and policies. If you make any changes, prepare a written addendum for the class to look at.

3. Bring extra copies the first few days of class. Use these extra copies to replace lost syllabi or give them to students who enroll late.

Final Thoughts.  A carefully planned and prepared syllabus becomes a clear and concrete contract between you and your students. You will know that it is useful when students refer to it frequently. Be creative in its generation. Use syllabi in your department as well as others on the K.S.U. campus for models/examples. Also, don’t forget to “surf” the World Wide Web. 

References

For additional help with syllabus construction, please consult one or more of the following:

Altman, H.B.  “Syllabus Shares ‘What the Teacher Wants.” The Teaching Professor, 3 (5), 1989, 1-2.

Altman, H.B., and Cashin, W.E.  “Writing a Syllabus.” Idea Paper, no. 27. Manhattan: Center for Faculty Evaluation and Development, Kansas State University, 1992.

Birdsall, M.  Writing, Designing and Using a Course Syllabus. Boston: Office of Instructional Development and Evaluation, Northeastern University, 1989.

Davis, Barbara Gross.  Tools for Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1993.

Lowther, M.A., Stark, J.S., Martens, G.G.  Preparing Course Syllabi for Improved Communication. Ann Arbor: National Center for Research to Improve Postsecondary Teaching and Learning, University of Michigan, 1989.

McKeachie, W.J.  Teaching Tips. Lexington, Mass.: Heath, 1999. 

Rubin, S.  “Professors, Students and the Syllabus,” Chronicle of Higher Education, August 7, 1985, p. 56.

Ryan, M.P., & Martens, G.G.  Planning a College Course: A Guidebook for the Graduate Teaching Assistant. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, National Center for Research to Improve Postsecondary Teaching and Learning, 1989.