Syllabus Guidelines

The following information is required on your syllabus.

Download this information in a PDF file.

Sample Signature Course syllabi are available to download from our Signature Course Essentials sample documents page.

Course Details

  • Course name, number, unique number, and semester (unique numbers are found in the course schedule)
  • When and where the class meets
  • Instructor’s name
  • Instructor’s office location and phone number (instructor and TA contact information and office hours are optional for the version to be posted online by the university)
  • Instructor’s office hours
  • Discussion section(s) time and place (if applicable)
  • Teaching assistant(s)/grader(s) name(s), office, phone number, and office hours (if applicable)

Course Overview and Objectives

  • Overall academic goals
  • Course overview
  • Specific topics for each class meeting
  • Readings and problems to be assigned

Course Requirements

  • Signature Course essential elements and a written assignment in the first few weeks (so
 that 
students 
can 
receive 
early 
feedback 
from
 you 
and 
learn
 during 
the
 semester 
how 
to 
write 
to 
your 
standard).
  • Textbooks and other materials required
  • Grading policy, including whether attendance is used in determining the course grade and whether or not plus/minus grading will be in effect. If you plan to turn a raw score into a final grade on the basis of a curve, please indicate how you will do this. First-year students should know how well they are doing as the course proceeds, so they should know what final grade their raw scores predict.
  • A detailed description of how the course will be graded (how many quizzes, tests, papers; the weighting of each; the amount of homework, etc.)
  • Details on how homework will be handled (grading, posting, late policy, etc.)
  • Information on term papers or projects, if any

Course Policies

  • Policy statements on such things as attendance, makeup exams, observance of religious holidays, etc.
  • A list of all critical dates for the administration of class including exam dates (including final exam date), major due dates for projects (this is required for projects that make up 20% or more of the overall course grade), and any other special dates (field trips, special speakers, etc.).
  • Policy on academic honesty and plagiarism.
  • Location of and bibliographic data on any reading on reserve in libraries.
  • The class website, if any, or how Blackboard and/or other forms of technology or social media may be incorporated.
  • A notice that students with disabilities may request appropriate academic accommodations from the Division of Campus and Community Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities (471-6259)

Information based on “A Syllabus Course Production Checklist” by Teresa Sullivan with additional points based on Signature Course requirements or recommendations, as well as on recent state law.

Download the syllabus checklist.