INFORMATION IN THIS TEMPLATE WAS REVISED IN SEPTEMBER 2017
In spring 2013, Academic Assembly passed new “requirements” and “recommendations” for all Seattle University syllabi.
This syllabus template is designed to help SU faculty meet those requirements in a way that is user-friendly both for you and your students. As with all activities and resources from the Center for Faculty Development, it is not required, but optional; if you have a syllabus format that works well already, continue to use it, while checking that the sections in red below are included.
Suggestions/comments from the Center for Faculty Development are in blue and in [brackets]. Please delete them as you create your syllabus. Use the document “Styles” sheet to ensure legibility and consistency.
Feel free to re-use or adapt any wording in this document that looks useful for your courses.
If you are pasting text from another document in MS Word, use Paste > Paste Special > Unformatted Text to remove previous formatting. (These instructions should work the same on both Macs and PCs.)
** Required sections (as approved by Academic Assembly in 2013) are marked with two asterisks in red. Use the Styles function in MS Word to return them to black.
* Recommended sections (as approved by Academic Assembly in 2013) are marked with one asterisk.
Remember to delete all asterisks and this opening text.
Course Title
SYLLABUS AND SCHEDULE | Quarter/Semester date
*Course description/rationale
[Address students throughout the document as “you”. Include in this section an overview of the course that gets the students excited about the material. Highlight what’s great about the subject; explain how it relates to other courses in the major, Core, program, etc.]
[You may also want to add a comment about adjustments to the syllabus. Example:]
Your learning is my primary concern in this course, so I may modify the schedule if, for instance, we discover we need to spend time on a certain topic and less on another.
Course information
/Instructor information
Course code: XXXX-XX*# credits: X
*Location: XX
*Class times: MTWThFS X:XX–X:XX
First session: Date
Last session: Date / *Instructor: XX
*Phone: XX
*Email:
*Office: XX
*Office hours: XX
(or) Please phone or email to arrange appointments outside office hours.
[You may wish to clarify your communication policy here to help manage student expectations. Example:]
I will check my email regularly. You can email me at any time, but you may not receive a response outside regular business hours. Generally, emails received before 3 p.m. will receive a response before 5 p.m., and emails received after 3 p.m. will receive a response on the following business day. Business days are Monday–Friday, except for holidays.
Table of contents
[As syllabi are relatively long and are often accessed electronically, it may help students if you have a hyperlinked Table of Contents, ideally on a new page. If you use the “Styles” sheet, you can generate one easily. For instance, in MS Word for PC, click References > Table of Contents > Automatic Table 1.]
Course Title 1
*Course description/rationale 1
Course information 1
Instructor information 1
Table of contents 2
**Learning outcomes 3
**Core Curriculum learning objectives 3
*Instructional methods 3
*Evaluation: Overview of assignments 4
*Required readings and materials 4
Recommended resources for additional exploration 4
**Academic resources 4
**Library and Learning Commons 5
**Academic integrity tutorial 5
General course and university policies 5
**Support for students with disabilities 5
Classroom norms 6
*Missed classes 6
Cell phones, laptops, and recording devices 6
**Academic policies on the Registrar website 7
Grading procedures and policies 7
*Attendance and participation expectations 7
Grading scale 8
Submitting your assignments 9
Formatting your assignments 9
*Bibliography and citation requirements 9
*Assignment deadlines and extensions 10
*Student responsibilities for learning 10
*Detailed assignment descriptions 11
*Provisional schedule and readings 12
**Learning outcomes
[List the course learning outcomes addressing the student directly as “you.” To create outcomes that are more easily demonstrable through assignments, use the sentence fragment below to start your outcomes. Remember that outcomes express what students will demonstrate in order to pass the course, not to get an A. Try to use one action verb – e.g. describe, apply, analyze, formulate, evaluate – for each outcome. For a typical 5-credit course, you’d expect to see around 3–6 outcomes. For further resources on outcomes, check under “Course design” at http://www.seattleu.edu/faculty-development/resources/]
On successful completion of this course (i.e. by passing this course), you will be able to
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
**Core Curriculum learning objectives
[If you are teaching a course in the University Core Curriculum, include the learning objectives for the course exactly as stated in the approved Core documentation. You can retrieve the exact wording for your Core Learning Outcomes from the link provided at http://www.seattleu.edu/core/faculty-staff/faculty/]
This course helps students
1.
2.
3.
*Instructional methods
[Give students an overview of your teaching style and the instructional methods used in the course, including information on Canvas (LMS) if you are using it. This will help them better prepare for class as well as understand your teaching philosophy. For example:]
Education research shows that your learning is greatest when you are actively involved in making sense of new concepts (“constructing knowledge”) and when you do this in social settings. This model is technically called “social constructivism.” We will use this model throughout the course, so you can expect to
· be engaged in plenty of classroom activities to build on the readings you have done for each class
· work in small groups during class and for those groups to change on a regular basis
· ask your instructor for clarifications, rather than expecting lectures.
If you find that you haven’t managed to complete a reading before class, you will likely find that particular class frustrating, since we will build on and apply the readings each time (including trouble-shooting the issues you found most perplexing), but class will not involve regurgitating the content of the readings. I hope you find this an engaging and enjoyable approach to learning.
*Evaluation: Overview of assignments
[Provide a brief summary of assignments for the course here to help students see the course in its entirety. (Greater detail can come later.) Show how the assignments connect to the course outcomes. The chart gives students a clear picture of your expectations and allows them to plan ahead.]
Assignment / relevant learning OUTCOMES / Relative value / Due date1. [e.g. mid-term exam] / [e.g. Outcomes 1, 3, 4] / X%
2. / X%
3. / X%
4. / X%
5. / X%
[If you plan to provide full assignment details and/or grading rubrics in your syllabus, consider putting them together toward the end of the document just before the schedule.]
*Required readings and materials
[List the required text(s) and materials for the course and where they are available to students. Use the full standard referencing system for your discipline (e.g. APA, MLA, etc.) so that students can see examples of the referencing they are expected to use in their graded work for you.]
Recommended resources for additional exploration
[Include any additional resources in this section using the referencing system you ask of your students. This is a good place to add supplementary books, journal articles, YouTube videos, or other resources that are not a required part of the class but will add to the students’ learning experience. If this section is longer than one quarter of a page, consider providing it in a separate document.]
**Academic resources
[Insert any encouragement here about resources. Example:]
My goal is to create a learning environment in which you can be incredibly successful. I will work hard to create and improve the learning environment throughout the quarter/semester based on my own observations of the course and your feedback on what would help you learn more. In return, I ask and encourage you to make the most of this learning opportunity. Please take advantage of the academic support services available to you at the university. Even if you have had excellent study skills in the past, it is easy to slip into suboptimal habits and these services can help you excel in your studies.
**Library and Learning Commons
** http://www.seattleu.edu/learningcommons/
Writing Center
[Insert most recent information on the Writing Center and its contact details here. 2017 info as follows] The Writing Center employs undergraduate writing consultants who assist students at all stages of the writing process. Consultants will help students begin writing tasks, organize and develop first drafts, and revise and edit later drafts.
Learning Assistance Programs
[Insert most recent information on Learning Assistance and its contact details here. 2017 info as follows] Learning Assistance Programs provide peer tutoring, facilitated study groups, and learning strategy development through scheduled workshops and individual meetings with a learning specialist.
Research Services
[Insert most recent information on Research and Instructional Services and its contact details here. 2017 info as follows] Need help with your research? Save time by starting with your Research Services Librarians. We are eager to help you at any stage of the research process. Contact us if you need help brainstorming keywords, using our databases, finding articles and books or sorting through the information you find on the internet.
Math Lab
[Insert most recent information on the Math Lab and its contact details here. 2013 info as follows] The Math Lab is a drop-in service available to students enrolled in lower division mathematics courses. Students can stop by the lab to work with a tutor who will assist them with their particular mathematics assignments. Visit us on the 2nd floor.
**Academic integrity tutorial
** https://www.seattleu.edu/academic-integrity/resources-for-students/
General course and university policies
**Support for students with disabilities
If you have, or think you may have, a disability (including an “invisible disability” such as a learning disability, a chronic health problem, or a mental health condition) that interferes with your performance as a student in this class, you are encouraged to arrange support services and/or accommodations through Disabilities Services staff located in Loyola 100, (206) 296-5740. Disability-based adjustments to course expectations can be arranged only through this process.
Classroom norms
[Insert your policy on classroom norms here if you have one. Example:]
During our first class session, we will jointly create classroom norms (or “agreements”) to which we will all abide so that we have the most productive and positive learning environment. We will also revisit these norms regularly during the quarter/semester. Regular examples from previous years include that we agree to:
· Start and end on time
· Come to class prepared
· Participate actively in discussion
· Show one another courtesy, including when we disagree.
*Missed classes
[Insert your policy on missed classes here if you have one. Example:]
If you expect to be absent or to be late, please e-mail me beforehand (or as soon as possible). I will pass on your apologies to the group at the start of class.
If for any reason you do miss a class, be sure to obtain notes from one of your peers to catch up. If, after going over those notes and checking the readings for the class, you still have questions, please arrange to meet me during office hours to discuss. Remember to bring those notes with you so that we can work on your specific, focused questions.
Cell phones, laptops, and recording devices
[Insert your policy on laptops, cell phones, and recording devices here if you have one. Include a rationale if possible. Example:]
So that we can all stay focused and get the most from our time in class, all cell phones – including my own – must be turned off except by prior agreement. (For instance, if you’re the primary caregiver for someone, a relative or close friend of someone who’s critically ill in hospital, or an expectant birth partner, please let me know so that we can make a suitable arrangement.)
There will be a few opportunities during class to use your laptops and I will let you know when these occur. If you want to use a laptop, other mobile device, or recording device in class at any other time, you need to ask for permission in advance. There are very few instances where I will agree (such as an accommodation through Disability Services), and there are good reasons for this:
· Good note-taking skills are vital for you in your future careers: You can’t always rely on technology being available, can’t expect to be given prepared summaries or notes, nor can you afford the time to write everything long-hand. It’s important that when you graduate, you have some good note-taking techniques and can differentiate essential facts from background information during a discussion. We will also discuss this in class.
· Using laptops can be a distraction, both for other students and for the instructor. The temptation to attempt to “multi-task” using technology in class can also be enormous, but to do so would be extremely discourteous to the entire class, and would be a waste of your own learning opportunity.
· Recording devices can make individuals feel less free to express themselves and can therefore constrain discussion.
Please be respectful of other students’ time and commitment to their studies by not breaching this policy so that we don’t end up in the embarrassing position of having to ask you to leave the class. If your phone does accidentally go off, I expect you to turn it off immediately, and not to answer the call.
**Academic policies on the Registrar website
** https://www.seattleu.edu/redhawk-axis/academic-policies/
Be sure that you understand the following university academic policies, posted on the Registrar’s website:
**Academic integrity policy
**Academic Grading Grievance Policy
**Professional Conduct Policy
(only for those professional programs to which it applies)
Grading procedures and policies
*Attendance and participation expectations
[State your attendance and participation expectations clearly and concisely. Example:]
Numerous research studies have shown that when students actively ask and answer questions, they take greater interest in the material, they clarify shared misconceptions, and they retain more information. I would like to see all of you actively participating in the learning process during discussion, interactive micro-lectures, and small-group work. At a minimum, active participation requires regular and attentive class attendance. I will not take formal daily attendance, but if you are regularly absent or if you regularly appear to be inattentive in class, it will concern me so I will contact you. If attendance or attentiveness become a continuing problem, then please note: research studies indicate that this will negatively affect your grade.