from WLAC

Recommended Elements for a Course Syllabus

“A detailed syllabus is a valuable learning tool for students and lessens their initial anxieties about the course.” Barbara Gross Davis, Tools for Teaching, Jossey-Bass, 1993, p.15.

Basic Course Information

Name of College

Course Number, Section, Title, Location, Semester/Date

Instructor’s name, office hours, phone extension, E-mail address, webpage URL.

Prerequisite information (if appropriate)—course name and specific exiting skills.

Required textbooks, title, author, edition, as well as any recommended materials.

Students with disabilities who believe they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Disabled Students Programs and Services located in HRLC 119, phone number 310-287-4450 as soon as possible to better ensure such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.

(To be sure that students who have real emergencies can contact you out of class—via Academic Affairs--faculty may wish to visit academic affairs and make certain their contact information is accurate.)

Provide an overview of the course’s purpose.

State general learning goals or objectives, class format, and instructional methods.

This course will help students achieve the following institutional Student Learning Outcomes (as listed in the Winter and Spring 2006 Schedule of Classes, page 3):

(This sample is taken from Rod Patterson’s Political Science 4 “Intro. To State and Local Governments” outline.)

A. Communication: Effectively communicate thought in a clear, well-organized manner to persuade, inform, and convey ideas in academic, work, family and community settings. Assessment: The students will form a hypothetical political interest group, establishing a budget, an incentive-based recruitment plan, a legislative agenda, and a lobbying strategy. The students will distribute their written plan to the class and build support for their goals and objectives with an oral presentation.

B. Civic Responsibility: Apply the principles of civility to situations in the contexts of work, family, community and the global world. Assessment: The students will attend a meeting of local policymakers such as a school board or city council. The student will use a structured process to prepare a written evaluation of the procedural and substantive aspects of the meeting.

Tentative Schedule

Include a Tentative Schedule for the date and time of each class meeting

List the topics, themes, or concepts to be covered each class session or week

Pre-class reading assignments

Non-graded assignments

Grading System

Explain how students will be evaluated and graded

Number and types of graded exams, quizzes, projects, and papers

Grading system—how are assignments weighted?

Briefly explain the content and format of each type of assignment

Discuss other factors affecting a student’s grade—participation, etc.

Provide a grading scale—if appropriate

Policies

State your policy regarding absences, tardiness, late work and make-up exams

Refer students to current college schedule for “Standards of Student Conduct” (pp. 84-5 in Spring 2006 Schedule)

Include a statement on plagiarism, classroom disruption, cell-phone noise, or other issues

Advice

Describe special class procedures—collaborative learning, group assignments, projects, etc.

Give advice or information on how to study for the class