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Registrar – Enrollment Services

Syllabus Information


The WSU Educational Policies and Procedure Manual states:

The instructor(s) of each course shall make available to enrolled students a course syllabus which should be presented during the first week of class, and include information about the method(s) to be used for evaluation of student progress and determination of grades.

Required inclusions for course syllabi:

(Get a pdf version of this information)

LOGISTICS

  • Instructor(s) contact information (office location, phone number, and email address) and office hours; TA contact information and office hours.
  • Course prefix and number, title, number of credit hours, and prerequisites; UCORE category as applicable.
  • Meeting schedule with times and building(s)/room(s).
  • List of required and recommended reading materials.
  • Required fees or field trips.

CONTENT

  • Student Learning Outcomes: For any course taught/offered at WSU, a course syllabus must contain student learning outcomes, and a method of assessing them.
  • Week-to-week course outline including dates of in-class and out-of-class activities ( e.g. Field trips, competitions, or other commitments) and assignment deadlines.
  • Descriptions of required assignments.

GRADING POLICIES

  • Relative weighting of required assignments in the midterm and final grades
  • Any penalties for late assignments

GRADING CRITERIA

  • Composition of midterm and final grades
  • Attendance or participation policies

POLICY STATEMENTS ON SAFETY, CONDUCT and ACCESSIBILITY

Recommended for Course Syllabi:

METHOD OF COURSE DELIVERY

  • Lecture, discussion, online, AMS, lab, studio, fieldtrips, etc.

INSTRUCTOR-SPECIFIC EXPECTATIONS

  • Many Faculty members find a list of expectations for student conduct helpful in setting a productive classroom tone.
  • Do you have policies about cell phones and text messaging in class, late papers, or late arrivals to class? What are your expectations regarding safety procedures? Do you remind freshman and sophomores to keep papers for Writing Portfolios submissions?

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS

Will you be using group work or peer review? Do you expect students to collaborate or work independently? Will your course be a combination of lecture and interactive discussion? Do you have hands-on projects and opportunities for critical inquiry? Spell out expectations of groups vs. individual work, evaluation of group work, permissible re-writes or revisions, allowable collaboration, etc.

Additional Resources

Course designing, developing student learning outcomes and more resources for teaching faculty are available on the Policies web page of the WSU Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education. (Get a detailed checklist for creating a syllabus.)