Best Practices for Faculty Syllabi

August 1, 2022

Each syllabus should include the following:

Course Information

This should include course title, prefix, course and section number, credit hours, division and description.  The syllabus course description must align with the master outline description for the course.  If IAI approved, include the IAI code and any other information as required by the appropriate IAI panel.  If the course has a prerequisite, include the prerequisite’s title, prefix, course number, and IAI code if IAI approved.

Course Meeting Location and Time

This section should list the campus, building, room number and duration, as well as meeting times – or explain that the course does not meet physically if it is an online course.

Instructor Contact Information

This information should include office number, office hours, telephone number, and e-mail address.

Required Resources

This can include texts, people, offices, supplies, and online tools, all with acquisition or contact information.

Institutional Learning Outcomes

These should correspond to the outcomes specified on the master course outline.

Course Outcomes and Competencies

These should be identical to the outcomes specified on the master course outline.

Evaluation of Student Achievement

These should be linked to course objectives and outcomes and limited to only those methods of evaluation indicated on the assessment grid of the master course outline.

Grading Criteria and Scale

This section should categorize assignments and indicate how the assignments are weighted in calculating the course grade.

Descriptions of Assignments

This can include papers, tests, projects, and labs.  Any assignments substantial enough to be listed in the grading criteria should be described briefly but specifically.

Topical Outline and Weekly Schedule

This should cover each week of the course, listing units of learning under subject headings and specifying which assignments occur within those units.  This may be labeled a tentative schedule.

Class Policies

This should specify the consequences of student absence, and may include withdrawal, late, incomplete and/or other class specific policies.

Support Services Information

This should include a statement about the availability of accommodations: “You may be eligible for academic accommodations if you have a documented physical, psychiatric (anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, AD/HD, post-traumatic stress, or others) or cognitive disability such as a learning disability.  If you have a disability and need more information regarding possible accommodations, please contact Tina Hardy at (tina_hardy@ivcc.edu, 224-0284) or stop by office C-211.”

Additional support services for students are available across the campus and may be included per instructor preference.