Course Syllabus Policy

Students need a consistent level of basic information about the content and expectations for each course in which they are enrolled. A syllabus is a written document that informs students about course requirements and expectations.

Instructors of record are required to develop a syllabus for every course, regardless of delivery method (e.g. traditional, online, hybrid, etc.), and distribute the syllabus to students enrolled in the course in an appropriate written format. The syllabus must be distributed in class or posted electronically on Blackboard on or before the first scheduled day of the class. The Higher Learning Commission’s Credit Hour Policies, developed to enforce the U.S. Department of Education’s requirement related to credit hour definition, necessitates that a syllabus be available for review for each course taught.

All syllabi must include an Americans with Disabilities statement. Faculty may use the sample statement or create their own, providing it includes similar content.

Syllabi vary in format, but ordinarily include:

• Course Information
  • Course title
  • Designator and number
  • Section number
  • Number of credit hours
  • Semester/Term
  • Course location (if applicable)
  • Related lab, recitation, studio locations
  • Course website (if applicable)
• Instructor/TA Contact Information
  • Name and title
  • Office location
  • Methods of communication (Two methods suggested, including office phone, email, fax, etc.)
  • Office hours
  • TA information (if applicable), including name, office location, email address, and office hours
• Course Description
• Intended Learning Outcomes
• Student Assessment
  • Assessment types (e.g. quizzes, exams, journals, observations, performances, etc.)
  • Weighting of assessments
  • Grading scale to be used
• Course Resources
  • Required reading assignments (if applicable)
  • Required software, equipment including personal response system (if applicable)
  • Suggested readings (if applicable)
  • Course packs (if applicable)
  • Electronic reserves (if applicable)
  • Course website on Blackboard (if applicable)
  • Laboratories, studios, and learning centers available for the course (if applicable)
• Course Policies, as appropriate (e.g. attendance, make-up work, extra credit, etc.)
• Academic Integrity Statement
• Proposed Course Schedule
• Additional College or Unit Requirements (if applicable)

Exemptions: For nontraditional courses (e.g., theses, dissertations, independent studies, and internships), the syllabus may be replaced by a learning contract and/or proposal providing it includes items 1-5 above.

Use of Syllabi: Information from course syllabi will be used internally and for accreditation-related purposes and will not be disseminated publicly.

• Approved by Graduate Council, March 2, 1992
• Approved by Undergraduate Coordinating Council, April 30, 1992
• Modified by Undergraduate Coordinating Council, September 2, 1993, September 10, 2012
• Modified by Graduate Council, Spring, 2006, (part C.2.c.3; part G.1.)
• Modified by General Education Committee, October 18, 2012 (part B1.h,i,j; B3)
• Editorial modification, June 5, 1997 (pages 1, 2), August 7, 2007
• Modified by Undergraduate Coordinating Council, November 7, 2002
• Approved by Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and Graduate Curriculum Committee, (H) January 22, 2013
• Approved by University Council (H), November 6, 2013 and APPM Advisory Committee on November 20, 2013.
• Approved by Undergraduate Council, March 13, 2025
• Approved by Graduate Council, April 7, 2025