Useful Guidelines for Your Class and Syllabi Development
As we all know, a syllabus is a contract between an instructor and the students. Thus, it's important that you include the following details in each course syllabus that you develop:
Course Description: Catalogue descriptions for your courses can be found online at the following link: http://www.umassd.edu/catalog/undergraduate/welcome.cfm Feel free to add more information to your course description if you prefer.
Course Objectives: Include clear course learning objectives that can be properly assessed.
Office hours and contact information: Campus policy is for a minimum of 4 office hours per week. You should post your office hours on your syllabus, with your office phone number and email address clearly stated. This information should also be posted on your office door and given to your departmental secretary.
Texts: Include a list of course texts.
Assignments: List assignments and grading expectations clearly.
Calendar: Provide schedule of assignments and readings for students.
Course Policies: Include any course policies you would like students to know.
Plagiarism Policy: Please see the Academic Regulations and Procedures as taken from our Student Handbook.
Incomplete Policy: An incomplete grade may be given only in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the instructor and at the student's request no more than 48 hours after the final exam or class. The student must be passing the course at the time of the request or be sufficiently close to passing that the instructor believes that upon completion of the work, the student will pass the course. If the work is not completed with one year of recording the I, the grade will become an F(I). Each instructor should include an incomplete policy in his/her syllabus. Please see a sample incomplete statement.
Disabled Students Policy: Please see the Center for Access and Success and a sample student disability statement.
To facilitate your syllabi planning, a sample syllabus is available for review.
