Course Syllabus Guidelines
(prepared by the CII at WWU)

Students should expect to receive a course syllabus during the first week of class, preferably at the first meeting, which serves as a contract with the students and effectively communicates the mechanics of the course, the instructor's expectations of student participation, and the methods used to evaluate students' work. The syllabus is a tool that answers some of the most basic questions that students need to know early in the course in order to lessen their anxiety and to set the tone of the learning environment. Although there are necessary elements, these guidelines allow individual discretion with regard to additional information which may be included.

The syllabus should consist of:

• Current year and quarter
• Course number, course title, and number of credits
• Instructor name, office location, office hours
• Title and author(s) of textbook(s); other required materials
• Course description, explaining how the course fits into the curriculum
• Course goals/learning objectives
• Grading standards, including a definition of S/U, P/NP grading options
• Course agenda (by week), important due dates and assignments, and holidays
• Assignments and other required activities (e.g. field trips, research projects)
• An invitation to students with special needs to request accommodations for any physical or learning disability (see sample statements below)

In addition to the above, syllabi might include the following where appropriate:

• Office telephone number, campus email address and/or web page URL
• Names and phone numbers of teaching assistants
• Indicate whether you require or make appointments with students during office hours
• Attendance policy
• Late work policy
• Make-up exam/quiz policy
• Incomplete (K grade) policy
• Policy concerning extra credit and/or curved grades
• Academic dishonesty policy.  Students could be referred to Appendix C of the Western Bulletin: Academic Dishonesty Policy and Procedure.  Also, students could be referred to the WWU Dept. of Sociology Student Writing Guide:  The Student's Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism (PDF).  (Note: The Guide is in PDF format. To view or print the document, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader). See also: Western Libraries Plagiarism Information and Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism.
• An estimate of student work load
• Sample exam questions (or old tests)
• Lecture handouts

To allow for flexibility during the quarter (for example, you can expect to stray from the proposed schedule in order to pursue student interests) you may give approximate or tentative dates/deadlines in your syllabus, as long as every student receives revised or updated final decisions regarding course scheduling.

You may want to include any additional expectations of students (eg. classroom behavior and in-class discussion), and what the students may expect from you, the instructor.

A copy of the syllabus should be sent to your department chair, to be kept on file.

Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Sample statements:

• To request disability accommodation or assistance related to required course procedures, please contact the Office of Student Life, x3844.
   
• Reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities may be arranged through the Office of Student Life, x3844.
   
• Western is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in all programs and activities. Requests for accommodation or assistance should be directed to the Office of Student Life, x3844.