Syllabus Resources

A. Purpose 

To establish minimum expectations of information required within course syllabi to meet federal, state, and accreditor requirements and provide necessary information to students. 

B. Background 

A syllabus is a statement of intent by the course instructor that should clearly explain what a student must do and when they must do it to successfully complete the course, as well as explaining how the student’s efforts will be evaluated and graded. A syllabus must also provide information about the policies set by the instructor, department, and university that govern conduct of the course. Federal Department of Education guidelines and laws, including Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, state Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, and Higher Learning Commission accreditation guidelines also require some information to be communicated to students within the syllabus.   

C. Policy 

1. All faculty and academic instructional staff will be complete a syllabus for each class, excluding courses focused on individualized instruction, such as internships, mentorship, or independent studies. 

2. The syllabus should be made available to students electronically and/or on paper within the first two class sessions of the course, or within the first week for asynchronous courses.

3. The syllabus will include the following items: 

a. GENERAL COURSE INFORMATION: 

i. Course title 
ii. Subject code or department/program prefix 
iii. Course number 
iv. Section number 
v. Academic term and year 
vi. Mode of instruction, e.g. face-to-face, online, or hybrid 
vii. Course meeting time and location. If online, specify synchronous or asynchronous and specify synchronous meeting times. 
viii. Course description from the Academic Catalog 
ix. Course learning outcomes 
x. General Education learning outcomes, if applicable 
xi. Departmental/programmatic learning outcomes 
xii. Credit hours and expected time commitment. For courses not offered 100% face-to-face, instructors should detail how meetings, assignments, activities, and/or online work meet the expectations of the U.S. Department of Education for regular and substantive interaction. 
xiii. Prerequisites/corequisites, if applicable 
xiv. Required discussion or lab sections, if applicable 

b. INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION: 

i. Instructor’s name 
ii. Instructor’s contact information, including email address and office phone number if available 
iii. Office/student hours, in person and/or online 

Instructors must include at least some office hours with detailed time and location to fulfill U.S. Department of Education guidelines 
Instructors may additionally offer the option to meet by appointment 

c. LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: 

i. Required texts. If none, say so 
ii. Other required resources, e.g. lab equipment, calculator, art supplies, etc. 
iii. Technology requirements, e.g. computer, software, reliable internet, webcam, etc. 
iv. Description of course content/schedule of topics 
v. List of all major assignments and/or examinations with anticipated due dates and weight for final grade 
vi. Grading policy and scale 
vii. Distinction between the requirements and/or performance for combined undergraduate and graduate sections, or for combined level undergraduate sections (e.g. 200 and 400 level meeting together). The following unique expectations of the graduate or upper-level students must be addressed: 

1. Content, e.g. the additional content that graduate students will explore, or the additional depth and scope of course content that will be covered by graduate students 
2. Intensity, e.g. the additional readings, assignments, requirements, evaluations, etc. that reflect additional rigor 
3. Self-direction, e.g. the work required outside of class that reflects increased self-directed learning 

viii. Required clinical, field, or travel experiences with dates specified, if applicable 

d. COURSE POLICIES: 

i. Academic integrity policy, in alignment with Wisconsin state statute UWS 14 
ii. Campus policies on inclusion, respect, accessibility, and accommodation, or a link to these policies
iii. Attendance/participation policy, which must include reference to accommodations for religious observances in line with Wisconsin state statute UWS 22 
iv. Late submission/missed exam policy 
v. Link to the Academic Calendar drawing attention to important dates such as drop/withdrawal deadlines 
vi. Class conduct policy 
vii. Notification of proctoring requirements, including requirement of online proctoring software such as Honorlock, if applicable 
viii. Teaching and learning data transparency statement, or link to the statement 

4. Instructors retain the ability to modify aspects of the class in order to meet course learning objectives and to respond to student needs and interests, as long as such modifications are consistent with both the official course specifications (i.e. Academic Catalog) and any written departmental expectations (i.e. approved formally by the department), and that any modifications are communicated to students in a timely manner. 

5. Instructors retain the academic freedom to deliver course content to achieve academic rigor and to serve the best interest of students based on their professional expertise and experience.