Template Syllabus (CTE)
TemplateSyllabusCTE.doc
The following is generic advice and may not apply to all courses in all disciplines. In preparing your syllabus you should consult with your department and/or college to find out what the local norms are. If you are teaching a course for the first time, ask to see the syllabus used by previous instructors.
Syllabus for COURSE NUMBER & TITLE
SECTION, DAYS, TIME, LOCATION, SEMESTER, YEAR
Instructor Name:
My Office: Phone: Email:
Department Office Phone: Fax:
My Office Hours: Be explicit. Consider including: And by appointment
Course Description/Goals/Instructional Methods: Include course content, course goals in the form of student learning outcomes (what the student will know, be able to do, and value upon successful completion of the course) and, if appropriate, describe instructional methods such as group work, projects, presentations or portfolios.
Required Text(s): (if any)
Assignments, including Readings:
Homework: Give policies including, if/how homework will be graded and factored into the grade, and how late homework will be handled.
Exams, Quizzes, and Projects: (Give policy on missed exams or quizzes, and consider notifying students of the Final Exam date and time – available from the Registrar’s office calendar)
Use of Technology: What will be used/required/optional and how to access it (for example, LMU’s course management system Blackboard 7.0).
Email Communication: If you plan to communicate with your students by email using the email addresses on PROWL (the registrar’s database) or on LMU’s course management system (Blackboard 7.0), it will be important to tell them they must either check their student email account periodically or forward email from it to their personal account. Here is one possible wording: EMAIL COMMUNICATION: At times I will communicate with the entire class using campus email systems, so it is essential that you regularly check your lion.lmu.edu email address or forward your lion account email to your preferred email address.
Attendance/Participation: Policies at the professor’s option; check departmental norms.
Extra Credit: If offered, it must be fairly and universally offered, not just to selected students. Be specific how it is factored into the grading.
Grading: Be very specific regarding the components of the grade and include “floors” for each of the letter grades A (or A range) through D (or D range). One possible way to state a “floor” is: an overall average of xx% will receive at least a grade of A-.
Academic Honesty: Include some version of the following: Academic dishonesty will be treated as an extremely serious matter, with serious consequences that can range from receiving no credit for assignments/tests to expulsion. It is never permissible to turn in any work that has been copied from another student or copied from a source (including Internet) without properly acknowledging the source. It is your responsibility to make sure that your work meets the standard of academic honesty set forth in the “LMU Honor Code and Process” in the Undergraduate Bulletin 2008-2010 pages 58 – 59. Also, you might include a more specific statement about plagiarism if students will write papers in your class.
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Americans with Disabilities Act: Students with special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act who desire assistance or academic accommodations should contact the Disability Support Services on campus to make arrangements for accommodations and services (Location: Daum Hall, Room 224; Telephone: 310-338-4535).
To Promote Classroom Respect: You can refer to the Lion’s Code. Here is one possible wording: RESPECT FOR SELF AND OTHERS: As an LMU Lion, by the Lion’s code, you are pledged to join the discourse of the academy with honesty of voice and integrity of scholarship and to show respect for staff, professors, and other students.
Important Note: Be sure to include something like the following: If necessary, this syllabus and its contents are subject to revision; students are responsible for any changes or modifications announced in class or posted on Blackboard 7.0 (if you are using LMU’s course management system).
Optional: A list of important dates, the add/drop date and final exam dates, some advice on how to succeed, the prerequisites for the course, when/where you are willing to discuss questions about grades, your cell phone and iPod policy and courteous behavior suggestions. Regarding cell phones, here is one possible wording: ELECTRONIC DEVICES: Please turn off and put out of sight all electronic devices (other than a calculator or computer, if/when allowed) during classtime. The interruptions they cause disrupt class and interfere with the learning process. A repeat offender may lose credit for the day's work.
For additional advice and examples, see: http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/syllabus/index.html