ANGEL Help

Field

Description

Heading

Type the text that you want to display as the title of the syllabus.

Keywords

Type a list of keywords separated by spaces to improve keyword search results.

Description

Name

Type the primary instructor’s full name as you want it to appear in the syllabus.

Home Phone

Type the home phone number of the primary instructor if desired.  Please remember that this information is publicly available if provided.

Office Phone

Type the office phone number of the primary instructor.

Office Address

Type the building code and room number of the primary instructor.

Calling Hours

Type the days of the week and hours the instructor is available to accept phone calls.

Office Hours

Type the days of the week and hours the instructor is available for office hours.

E-mail

Type the e-mail address for the primary instructor.

Homepage

Type the URL of the primary instructor’s homepage if one exists.  Do not use the URL for the course’s homepage as a different field is available for this URL.

Photograph URL

Type the URL for a photograph of the primary instructor if desired.  Remember that this photograph is publicly available if provided.

Description

Meeting Location

Type the building code and room number or physical address where class is held.

Meeting Times

Type the days of the week and times class is held.

Start Date

Type the date that class if first held.

Homepage

Type the URL for the homepage for this course.  This may be a common page for all sections of the course or unique to this section.

Required Text

List all textbooks and other materials required for the course.  Make sure to include the names of the authors and revision number.

Suggested Text

List any additional suggested books or other resources.

Description

A strong course description early in the syllabus can often generate student interest by giving a stimulating overview of the course, including its content, its value, and the philosophical or pedagogical assumptions behind it.  You will want to increase student enthusiasm and to emphasize the relevance and applicability of the course.  You will also want the description to reflect your values and attitudes.

Objectives

Course objectives or goals can sometimes be combined with the course description, depending on their complexity and the nature of the course and discipline. Course objectives, ideally characterized by action verbs, usually appear as a statement or an outline describing what students should be able to do at the end of the semester. Clear objectives can foster a sense of partnership and an awareness that you and your students are working toward the same goals. Objectives can provide both a focus and a motivation for learning.

Four basic questions can help you identify and/or quantify your objectives or goals: 

1. What do you want your students to learn?
2. What assignments, classroom activities, and pedagogical approaches will help them master the identified knowledge, skills, or attitude change?
3. How will you determine that students have accomplished what you set out to teach them?
4. How will you evaluate their achievements?

Field

Description

Schedule

Students often turn first to the tentative schedule, which lists topics, assignments, class activities such as field trips, projects, and examinations with their due dates. They want to know what will be happening and when.

For an instructor, probably the most difficult planning decisions concern the structuring of course material. How much can students cover in a typical semester? What points should be emphasized? What textbook material can be omitted?

To help students organize their time, your syllabus could also reflect a step-by-step approach to major assignments. For a research paper counting significantly toward the final grade, for instance, you might want to assign due dates for a working bibliography, outline, and a rough draft. Be certain your schedule emphasizes, perhaps through bold type, the dates of exams and specific assignments.

Your list of assignments should permit adjustments if your entire class should suddenly get involved in an animated discussion that seems more worthwhile than a scheduled quiz or if you unexpectedly need to spend more time on a particular topic. Many instructors include a formal announcement indicating that their syllabus is subject to change depending on the needs of the class but emphasizing that students are responsible for the material covered because of an adjustment.

Requirements

Course requirements should be suggested in your objectives and in your assignment schedule. It is desirable, however, to also give an explicit explanation of your expectations in a separate section of the syllabus, or combined with your explanation of grading policies. Many instructors prepare handouts during the semester to aid students with specific assignments, but these should not replace a written explanation of the course requirements in your syllabus. The extra material (explanations of the assigned case study, book review, class project, research paper, or term paper) can even be attached to the syllabus. Some instructors indicate their attendance and make-up policies in this section of the syllabus. 

Field

Description

Attendance Policy

You need to determine whether or not to count attendance or class participation toward the final grade. Some students will need to miss class because of work or family obligations, so you will want to clarify your policy in writing. You should be flexible, but not overly permissive. If you want to count points for class participation toward the final grade, be certain you define this sometimes-elusive phenomenon and emphasize its significance for students. Are you looking for the number of times students speak up or for the quality of their commentary? Will you let students know, during the semester, how they are doing in this regard? Will active class participation substantially affect the final grade or only be considered in borderline cases? Will lack of participation - especially by the shy or insecure person - have an adverse affect on the final grade? Will participation in group activities be evaluated?

Academic Integrity

To protect yourself, perhaps in conjunction with your grading policy, you will want to mention the School's policy on integrity in the Student Handbook and your own views about cheating on exams or about plagiarism. Students are often naive about plagiarism, associating it merely with copying and not with the use of ideas which they have paraphrased without proper citation.

To encourage academic integrity, especially in large classes, you might include this statement in your syllabus: "You may be asked to show photo identification before being permitted to sit for course examinations. Please bring photo ID to all exams." 

Miscellaneous

If you use any unusual class procedure, such as cooperative small group learning, panel presentations, or class journals, course web sites, or an online course environment, you should make them known in your syllabus at least briefly.