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Why Do I need a Syllabus?

TWU requires a syllabus for all TWU courses (TWU Faculty Handbook/ Faculty-Student Relationship/ Minimum Requirements for Course Syllabus).

There are other benefits to creating effective and detailed syllabi for your courses.

1. The Syllabus is a form of contract
   1. Since it is written, it allows you to detail course expectations and requirements in a form that can be used as evidence of the requirements for the course.
2. One stop reference for students
   1. Syllabi contain all assignments, readings, activities, and course schedules for the semester.

How do I Create an Effective Syllabus?

Make sure you include all required elements for a TWU syllabus

1. Course name, number, and description
2. Faculty contact information: office location, phone, hours
3. Course goals/student learning outcomes
4. List of textbooks and supplies
5. Disability Support Policy Statement: If you anticipate the need for reasonable accommodations to meet the requirements of this course, you must register with the office of Disability Support Services (CFO 106, 940-898-3835, dss@twu.edu ) in order to obtain the required official notification of your accommodation needs.   Please plan to meet with me by appointment or during office hours to discuss approved accommodations and how my course requirements and activities may impact your ability to fully participate.
6. Grading policy, major course assignments and examinations, and attendance
7. Tentative calendar of classes, assignments
8. Academic Integrity: Honesty in completing assignments is essential to the mission of the University and to the development of the personal integrity of students. In submitting graded assignments, students affirm that they have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance, and that they have abided by all other provisions of the Code of Conduct in the TWU Student Handbook. Cheating, plagiarism, fabrication or other kinds of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will result in appropriate sanctions that may include failing an assignment, failing the class, or being suspended or expelled. Suspected cases in this course may be reported to Student Life. The specific disciplinary process for academic dishonesty is found in the TWU Student Handbook. The TWU library link, “Avoiding Plagiarism,” will aid students in completing their assignments with integrity.
9. If an antiplagiarism tool is used in the course a statement must appear on a course syllabus indicating same. (Refer to Academic Use Policy – Antiplagiarism Software, Turnitin)

Suggestions

1. Good practice suggests that you should include more than one means of contact. Multiple methods (phone, email, hours by appointment) allows some flexibility for students. If you have preferred contact methods, preferred calling hours, or other contact details, specify them in writing.
2. Spend some time defining general course goals and then detailing specific learning objectives for the course. Some explanation of what you hope students will learn and how you plan to teach is helpful. For more detail, try to create direct connections between learning objectives and specific course activities.
3. Clearly define textbook requirements (required or recommended) and provide information on other materials necessary for the course. The more detail you provide increases the likelihood that students will purchase the correct materials and supplies.
4. The purpose of stating the grading policy is to define specific grading policies early in the semester. Specify the number and types of exams that will be given and the percentage of the grade awarded to each exam. Provide detailed requirements for papers and activities. Specify policies for make-ups, late assignments, etc. Make the grading process as transparent as possible so students fully understand the grading requirements.
5. Be specific – include as much detail as you can anticipate. Information about all assignments, required and recommended readings, grading policies, attendance requirements, and course goals should be included. Information on due dates, requirements for written assignments, communication expectations, etc. is also helpful.
6. Define policies and procedures – define all course policies and procedures. This includes having information about attendance policies, late assignments, expectations for group work or group communication, etc.
7. Review the syllabus with students – use the first day of a F2F class or use some assessment or activity about the syllabus in an online course. Use some time to clarify and explain the purpose behind activities and requirements.
8. If, for some reason, you need to change some item in the syllabus, announce the change to students. Using email or announcements provides a written record of any changes to the schedule or syllabus requirements.
9. A course schedule outlining class-by-class or week-by-week requirements is a useful planning document for students and for your teaching. Many instructors include topics, assigned readings, activities, assignments, and assessments in the schedule.

Is There a Template to Help me Build my First Syllabus?

TWU provides an optional template for your use. To use the template, download the Word document to your desktop.  Each gray field allows you to insert your information in the field. Click once on the field and enter your information. You can also delete the fields and enter your information by highlighting the field and clicking delete.

Syllabus Template (Microsoft Word Document)

Note: Use of this template is optional. The template is a "Work in Progress". We actively seek your input on the template before we investigate ways to build a more interactive form. To provide feedback, please send comments to DE@twu.edu.

If you see this image when using the Syllabus Template, click on the pencil/ruler image to exit the design view, in order to be able to type within the form.

 

If you see this image when using the Syllabus Template, click on "Enable Macros", in order to be able to type within the form.

 

 

 

What About An Online Course? Do I Still Need a Syllabus?

Online courses require a syllabus and we recommend you create a menu item for the syllabus so students can get to the syllabus from anywhere in the course. Add a button or link to your syllabus in the main menu for your course. When you add the syllabus to your course, we recommend that you include the document as a PDF. TWU offers a PDF Converter through your portal account. Log in to your portal and go to My Tools. You can use the converter to make a PDF of your syllabus. Another good practice is to indicate, on the syllabus whether the course is 100% online or blended with required face-to-face sessions.

Suggestions:

1. In online courses, you also have the opportunity to include information contained in the syllabus in other locations throughout the course. We strongly recommend that you create locations for online course policies (define online communication expectations, participation expectations, assignment policies, acceptable citation style, etc.) and contact information (including preferred communication methods and expected instructor response time).
2. We also recommend that you include information on TWU technical assistance (TWU Helpdesk 940-898-3971 or helpdesk@twu.edu).
3. Provide specifics on course requirements unique to distance education courses
   1. Working e-mail account
   2. Requirements for discussion board postings, including: frequency, minimum requirements, spelling and grammar expectations, citation requirements, formatting, etc.
   3. Announcements feature to remind students of upcoming due dates and course activities.
4. It is good practice to list learning objective for each session (class) of the course and connect these to the goals of the course.
5. Additionally, make sure you clearly post the grading policy for the course and grading rubrics or policies for each assignment.