Rational

Students should be provided with the information necessary to prepare and perform well in courses.

Policy Proposal

The instructor of each section of any course at Michigan Technological University shall provide each student enrolled in their section of the course a printed copy of a course syllabus or shall provide students with a URL containing the web-based version of such a document.

The syllabus should be provided to students on the first day of class but must be provided to students within the first week of class. *Students who add the class after this time are responsible for obtaining the syllabus. Elements of the course syllabus are subject to modification by the instructor during the semester as the need arises. Instructors must, however, give students sufficient notice of any modifications to the syllabus that might affect their performance in the course. Notification of modifications should be made in writing via handout or email.

The course syllabus must contain the following information and may contain any additional information that the instructor deems appropriate or necessary.

Required Content

Instructor Identification

Instructor's Name, Title, and Contact Information (including email address, university phone number, office location, and other contact information deemed appropriate by the instructor)
Instructor's Office Hours

Course Identification

Course Number and Section (e.g., PSY 4110-R01)
Course Title
Course Description, Overview, and Learning Outcomes/Objectives
Prerequisites/Corequisites

Course Requirements

e.g., required textbooks, course packs, fees, materials, supplies, etc.

Grading Scheme

e.g., weighting of assignments/exams, class participation, attendance, penalties for late/missing work, etc.

Schedule

Projected Schedule of Exams and Projected Due Dates for Projects, Papers, and Other Assignments

Course Policies

e.g., behavioral standards, attendance, group work/collaboration, safety regulations, etc.

University Policies

Citation of, or web reference to university policies on Academic Integrity, Americans with Disability Act, and Equal Opportunity

Rules

Specific course rules or policies regarding collaboration on graded academic exercises.

Additional Information

Any changes to the above elements should be provided to students in writing.

The chair of the department may approve deviations from the above format if deemed appropriate (e.g., independent study, research assistant, etc.).

*Note: Syllabus templates and suggested elements will be available by Fall 2008 via the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Faculty Development website.

Introduced to Senate: 2 April 2008
Adopted by Senate: 16 April 2008
Approved by Administration: 28 April 2008

Download Syllabus Templates*

Click Links to Download:

Word 2003/2004 Format: Syllabus_Template.doc

Word 2007/2008 Format: Syllabus_Template.docx

*Template is based on the syllabus design created by Dr. Dana Johnson (School of Business and Economics)