The University Senate of Michigan Technological University

PROPOSAL 18- 14

(Voting Units: Academic)

"Proposal to Amend Senate Policy 312.1;

SYLLABUS REQUIREMENT FOR ALL COURSES AT MIGHICAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY "

1. Background and rationale

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is hearing more and more that students want a standard starting point for a course. Distributing paper syllabi is now regarded as an outdated practice and a questionable use of resources. Although many instructors may have objections to using Canvas more broadly, this policy would allow students to assume a standard starting point, and faculty would still have the freedom to direct students to whatever other resources they prefer to use (e.g., their own website), or to also distribute paper syllabi if necessary.

2. Proposal

We recommend the following change to Senate Policy 312.1 on the Syllabus Requirement for all Courses at Michigan Technological University:

Replace the text:

‘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’

With the following text:

‘The instructor of each section of any course at Michigan Technological University (with the exception of research sections) shall post either a course syllabus document or URL link to the course syllabus within the Learning Management System course (currently Canvas) linked to Banner and created for that section’

Introduced to Senate: 19 February 2014

Rejected by Senate: 05 March 2014