Syllabus Basics

A syllabus is both a map of your course and an agreement between you and your students. It's a resource that you will likely refer students to throughout the course. Having an organized, approachable, and accessible syllabus helps to set a positive tone for the course and support students' confidence in you as the instructor. According to backward design, writing the syllabus is one of the last things you do because, until you have worked through your outcomes, assessments, activities, and content, you wouldn't have the information that you need to write one. You are basically translating your course map into a syllabus at the end. If you made a visual course map you may want to include that in your syllabus as well.

Strategic Learning Syllabus Template

Constructing a syllabus can be a complicated, time-consuming endeavor. Strategic Learning has put together a sample syllabus template for adaptation. This template (in Microsoft Word format) includes recommended language related to University policies and resources for students. The syllabus is broken into discrete sections, which can be rearranged, removed, or modified to best fit your course and teaching style.

What is Different About a Syllabus
for an Online Class?

An online course syllabus is generally similar to a well-structured traditional syllabus in many ways. The differences center on the need for it to be very clearly written, well organized, readable, and complete. Unless you are doing an in-person or synchronous video orientation there won’t be easy opportunities to talk through confusing points or clarify instructions or explanations. The syllabus needs to convey the necessary information in a way that students can understand.

Research into syllabus construction and the influence of the syllabus on student motivation and retention has influenced growing popularity of a learning-centered syllabus (in contrast to a coverage-centered syllabus). This also reflects the Significant Learning process by Fink as we mentioned in 1.2 Course Planning with Backward Design. This is an especially useful form for online students who may have no interaction with an instructor in the first few weeks of class. While still containing much of the standard information, a learning-centered syllabus also communicates enthusiasm, mutual accountability, and a belief in students' learning potential, as well as respectfully socializing them to the roles and norms of the class (Habanek, 2005; Sulik & Keys, 2014).

Palmer, Bach, and Streifer (2014) developed and validated a rubric for learning-focused syllabi review, reflecting the importance of learning outcomes and alignment as well as Fink's Significant Learning taxonomy. Their rubric criteria include items such as:

Well-organized and easy to navigate
A positive, respectful, and inviting tone
Directly addresses the student as a competent, engaged learner
Indicates a learning environment that fosters positive motivation (see teaching approach section below)
Clearly communicates high expectations and projects confidence that students can meet them through hard work

Expectations and Responsibilities

As noted in the rubric, in an online course it is important to define expectations and responsibilities up front as much as possible. Online there are fewer opportunities for peer pressure to encourage disengaged students to participate. Making sure participation expectations, as well as other expectations such as writing quality, citation format, etc., is quite helpful to both your students and to you as the semester progresses. While spelling out these sorts of expectations in the syllabus may seem odd at first, you will appreciate taking the time to do so - and doing so in a positive, encouraging manner - as you refer students back to that pre-written section.

Complete Syllabus

Having a complete syllabus at the beginning of the course is often much more important for online students than for on-campus students. On-campus students who physically see you every week tend to have a higher tolerance for ambiguity so it is easier for instructors to make decisions about the course as they go along. Changing the focus of a week, swapping out an assignment, replacing readings and resources are all easier for students to manage in an on-campus course. Online students who are balancing school work with jobs and families are less amenable to change and lack of evidence of clear planning tends to make them anxious when they don't feel a personal connection with the instructor. Lack of visible proof that the course is fully planned can be unsettling - especially to online students who have had the experience of being in a course that was only built a week or two in advance.

Sections of an Online Course Syllabus

As you have seen over your time as a student and an instructor, there are some standard items that are on most syllabi. Instructor contact information, required textbooks, course grading scale, and university, school, and department policies are almost universally included. Other sections recommended to make your syllabus complete, and sufficiently detailed include:

Measurable learning outcomes which are then referenced throughout the course
Brief module descriptions - these are especially important if your modules are not all open to students at the beginning of the semester
Technology requirements such as needing a headset with a microphone, a webcam, or specialized software, if applicable
A clear statement about types of academic misconduct, their consequences, and the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct.

On the other hand, there are also some sections you may include on your on-campus syllabus that are not needed in an online class because there are other places where they should be. For example, some instructors automatically put a section in the syllabus for detailed assignment instructions because in the on-campus class the syllabus may be the only piece of paper students keep. In an online class, the detailed assignment instructions should be kept with the Canvas Assignment, Discussion, or Quiz and only a brief overview of the assignments needs to go in the syllabus.

Faculty also often write up a schedule and include it as part of the syllabus. In Canvas, as you put due dates in published Assignments, Discussions, and Quizzes, they are automatically added to both the course Calendar and at the bottom of the Syllabus Tool. When you change a date in one place it is automatically updated everywhere else in the course where you would have entered it in a due date field. Wherever you type a due date in a text box or a document, if you change it you have to manually find every instance where you typed it in and change it yourself. By using these automatic schedule tools you know everything will be consistent and students will not see different due dates for the same assignment.

Other important items to pay attention to in a syllabus for an online course include:

When and how are you available to your students: Many instructors find that holding online open office hours is less effective than asking students to request a meeting and finding a mutually acceptable time. It's also helpful to have options for how to meet that include both phone and video. Providing more than one option for contacting you, as well as stating how quickly you will respond to requests for a meeting provides a signal to students that you are accessible to them should they have a question or a concern.
How the time zone of the course affects deadlines and other communication: If your assignments are due at midnight students need to understand if that means only midnight in the eastern time zone and 11pm or 10pm or earlier in their time zone or if it means midnight in their respective time zone. Clarifying time zones for synchronous activities is also critical as time differences are not something most people think about on a regular basis.
How the course progresses through the semester: Many students come to online courses with the expectation that it will work like a correspondence course - they can do what they want, when they want. The fact that there are deadlines, interaction, and potentially, group work involved can be a surprise. Making sure they understand the pace of the course from the beginning helps to set realistic expectations for student participation. If you have 1-week modules with more than one regularly occurring due date (for example, initial discussion posts are due every Friday and quizzes are due every Sunday) it is critical for them to understand the pace and rhythm in that first week.

University Policies

There are also some specific sections that should be included on every syllabus that you may not automatically add.

Diversity Statement
Disability Accommodations
Attendance Policies
Ball State Academic Ethics Policy
Plagiarism Policy
Technology Accessibility Information
FERPA and Privacy
Video Conferencing and Recording

Diversity Statement

Ball State University aspires to be a university that attracts and retains a diverse faculty, staff and student body. We are committed to ensuring that all members of the campus community are welcome through our practice of valuing the various experiences and world views of those we serve. We promote a culture of respect and civil discourse as evident in our Beneficence Pledge. For Bias Incident Response information, visit the Bias Incident Reporting website or email mc2@bsu.edu.

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Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, please contact me as
soon as possible. The Office of Disability Services coordinates services for students with disabilities;
documentation of a disability needs to be on file in that office before any accommodations can be
provided. Disability Services can be contacted at 765-285-5293 or dsd@bsu.edu.

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Attendance Policies

Faculty are required to establish attendance policies for their courses and ensure that they communicate these policies through their course syllabi. In some cases, faculty may be asked to provide the last date of attendance for a student in association with financial aid requirement.

Students are expected to review course syllabi regarding absence guidelines and follow those guidelines. Course attendance policies must be consistent with University policies. The University has a number of specific policies regarding student absences that are housed within different areas. Explore Ball State course attendance policies.

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Ball State Academic Ethics Policy

Honesty, trust, and personal responsibility are fundamental attributes of the university community. Academic dishonesty and other forms of academic misconduct threaten the foundation of an institution dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge and will not be tolerated. To maintain its credibility and reputation, and to equitably assign evaluations of scholastic and creative performance, Ball State University is committed to maintaining a climate that upholds and values the highest standards of academic integrity. Visit the complete Student Academic Ethics Policy.

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Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism is not acceptable, unless otherwise indicated for all assignments, you must work independently by yourself. Sharing of files is not permitted for any reason.

Potential Violations

Examples of academic integrity violations include but are not limited to:

Working with another person on any assignment other than authorized group
projects.
Sharing or allowing others to access your files, whether done with permission or not.
Use or possession of a file created by someone else.
Reusing work from another semester, course, or section.
Fraudulent submission of work.
Using unauthorized materials during Exams.
Impersonating someone else or having them impersonate you.
Making fraudulent or dishonest statements regarding your work.
Soliciting others to complete work for you.
Posting course files and resources on study or content sharing websites.

Plagiarism Detection

The campus subscribes to Turnitin, a plagiarism prevention service, through Canvas. You may need to submit written assignments to Turnitin. Student work will be used for plagiarism detection and for no other purpose. The student may indicate in writing to the instructor that he/she refuses to participate in the plagiarism detection process, in which case the instructor can use other electronic means to verify the originality of their work.

Proctoring

This course will require the use of the Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor for online exams. Watch this short video to get a basic understanding of LockDown Browser and the optional webcam feature (which may be required for some exams.) Instructions for obtaining the software can be found in our course.

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Technology Accessibility Information

Canvas provides a user experience that is easy, simple, and intuitive. Special attention has been paid to making Canvas screen-readable. The Rich Content Editor encourages users to create accessible content pages (i.e. text formatting is accomplished using styles). Canvas is designed to allow limited customization of colors and schemes to be accessible for all users. The National Federation of the Blind granted Canvas the Gold Level Web Certification in 2010.

Find more information by visiting the Canvas Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT).

For each external tool you are using you also need to provide a link to the accessibility information for that tool.

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FERPA and Privacy

As a student, your educational records are considered confidential. Under FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), your records are confidential and protected. Under most circumstances, your records will not be released without your written and signed consent. However, some directory information may be released to third parties without your prior consent unless a written request to restrict this is on file. You can learn more about student rights to privacy by reading Ball State's FERPA and Privacy and Protection.

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Video Conferencing Recording

In this class, software may be used to record live class discussions. As a student in this class, your participation in live class discussions may be recorded. These recordings typically will be made available only to students enrolled in the class, to assist those who cannot attend the live session or to serve as a resource for those who would like to review content that was presented. Students who prefer to participate via audio only will be allowed to disable their video camera so only audio will be captured. Students who prefer to listen only must disable their audio capability and visual camera. If you have concerns, please discuss these options with me.

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Academic & Student
Support Services

Academic Support and Student Support sections are recommend in cases where these services are realistically accessible and useful to online students. Availability of online academic support on each campus will vary. If your campus only provides some support service to on-campus students it can be helpful to let these offices and centers know that you have online students with additional needs for support services.

The Writing Center
The Learning Center
The Basic Needs Hub

The Writing Center

All writers improve with practice and feedback, so as a student in this course, you are encouraged to use the Writing Center (in Robert Bell 295, Bracken Library, or online) to get additional feedback on your writing. To schedule a free appointment to discuss your writing, go to www.bsu.edu/writingcenter. Online and in-person appointments are available seven days a week; however, plan ahead because appointments book quickly!

The Learning Center

The Learning Center offers free Tutoring and Academic Coaching for many courses at Ball State. Students can make appointments for online (Zoom) or in-person (NQ 350) appointments. To make an appointment, visit my.bsu.edu and click on “Navigate” in the Additional Tools Section, or just go directly to https://bsu.navigate.eab.com.

Testing accommodations for students with disabilities are available for students who have received the appropriate documentation from Disability Services. Tests may be administered in the Learning Center.

Supplemental Instruction is available in select courses. If you have an SI leader for your course, that person will provide students with information the first week of school regarding weekly study sessions. For more information about all of our programming, visit bsu.edu/learningcenter or call 765-285-1006. Follow us on Instagram: BallStateLC.

The Basic Needs Hub

If you are having difficulty affording enough food, do not have a safe and reliable place to sleep, and/or experiencing an emergency or crisis, help is available through the Basic Needs Hub. The Basic Needs Hub has information, resources, and provides individualized support to students. To talk with a supportive staff member about your experience, receive one on one assistance, or learn more about resources, you can submit a Basic Needs Assistance Form.