The course syllabus serves as a contract between the student and professor regarding course expectations and policies. The course syllabus should clearly communicate what the instructor expects of students and what students can expect from the instructor.
The course syllabus must be finalized and distributed to the class during the first week of classes. All course syllabi should include the following components:
The course materials section may include the following:
Learning outcomes for the course should be linked back to the curriculum map for the program. Whether these are called outcomes, goals or objectives, these are specific student-focused statements that specify what the student should be able to do or know at that the completion of the course. Student Learning outcomes should:
Course Learning Outcome | Program Outcomes/Competencies | Instructional Method(s) | Assessment Method(s) |
---|---|---|---|
Please include the following:
Students should be apprised of how various graded activities will be combined to form their final grade for the course, including:
*The course syllabus should include a statement that reminds students of their responsibility to participate in the course evaluation process.
Weight (percent of overall grade) | Assignment |
---|---|
xx% | |
xx% | |
xx% | |
100% |
Grade | Quality Points |
---|---|
A | 4.000-3.671 |
A- | 3.670-3.331 |
B+ | 3.330-3.001 |
B | 3.000-2.671 |
B- | 2.670-2.331 |
C+ | 2.330-2.001 |
C | 2.000-1.671 |
C- | 1.670-1.331 |
D+ | 1.330-1.001 |
D | 1.000-0.001 |
F1 (for a student who participated beyond the 60% point of the class) | 0.000-0.000 |
F2 (for a student who started participating, but stopped prior to the 60% point of the class) | 0.000-0.000 |
F3 (for a student who did not participate in the class) | 0.000-0.000 |
S | n/a |
U | n/a |
Grade | Quality Points |
---|---|
I/A- | 3.670-3.331 |
I/B+ | 3.330-3.001 |
I/B | 3.000-2.671 |
I/B- | 2.670-2.331 |
I/C+ | 2.330-2.001 |
I/C | 2.000-1.671 |
I/C- | 1.670-1.331 |
I/D+ | 1.330-1.001 |
I/D | 1.000-0.001 |
I/F1 (Incomplete/Failure for a student who participated beyond the 60% point of the class) | 0.000-0.000 |
I/F2 (Incomplete/Failure for a student who started participating, but stopped prior to the 60% point of the class) | 0.000-0.000 |
I/S | n/a |
I/U | n/a |
The following text must be included on the syllabus:
Academic integrity is critical to the learning process. It is your responsibility as a student to complete your work in an honest fashion, upholding the expectations your individual instructors have for you in this regard. The ultimate goal is to ensure that you learn the content in your courses in accordance with UB’s academic integrity principles, regardless of whether instruction is in-person or remote. Thank you for upholding your own personal integrity and ensuring UB’s tradition of academic excellence.
Please also include any additional instructor, programmatic, departmental or decanal level requirements regarding academic dishonesty, as applicable.
The following text must be included on the syllabus:
If you have any disability which requires reasonable accommodations to enable you to participate in this course, please contact the Office of Accessibility Resources in 60 Capen Hall, 716-645-2608 and also the instructor of this course during the first week of class. The office will provide you with information and review appropriate arrangements for reasonable accommodations, which can be found on the web at: http://www.buffalo.edu/studentlife/who-we-are/departments/accessibility.html.
Week Number and/or Date | Topic | Required Reading(s)/Assignment(s) | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|
Your attendance policy might include reference to:
While your attendance and participation are essential components of this course, it is critical that you follow public health guidelines. As such, any student exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms should not come to campus to participate in coursework. If you need to miss class due to illness, isolation or quarantine must notify the instructor by email as soon as possible and no later than 24-hours after missing class. At that time, you are also expected to make arrangements to complete missed work.
Your graduate course syllabus should include the following language, (if you desire to protect your course materials from use outside of your class):
"All materials prepared and/or assigned by me for this course are for the students’ educational benefit. Other than for permitted collaborative work, students may not photograph, record, reproduce, transmit, distribute, upload, sell or exchange course materials, without my prior written permission. “Course materials” include, but are not limited to, all instructor-prepared and assigned materials, such as lectures; lecture notes; discussion prompts; study aids; tests and assignments; and presentation materials such as PowerPoint slides, or transparencies; and course packets or handouts. Public distribution of such materials may also constitute copyright infringement in violation of federal or state law. Students who violate this policy will be required to complete an educational sanction about the value of intellectual property. More serious and/or repeat violations of this policy may be treated as acts of “academic dishonesty” and/or subject a student to disciplinary charges under the Student Code of Conduct."
The following could be included in this section:
This section could include guidelines for lab safety, including policies and procedures.
Discussion of classroom expectations, including tardiness and/or use of cell phones and laptops, may be included in this section.
Students are often unaware of university support services available to them. For example, the Center for Excellence in Writing provides support for written work, and several tutoring centers on campus provide academic success, support and resources.
Other vital support for graduate students include counseling services and sexual violence resources. A support service section of your syllabus might include information about those. Feel free to add the following text in your syllabus as you see fit.
As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning or reduce your ability to participate in daily activities. These might include strained relationships, anxiety, high levels of stress, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, health concerns, or unwanted sexual experiences. Counseling, Health Services and Health Promotion are here to help with these or other issues you may experience. You learn can more about these programs and services by contacting:
Counseling Services
120 Richmond Quad (North Campus), 716-645-2720
202 Michael Hall (South Campus), 716-829-5800
Health Services
4350 Maple Rd, Amherst, NY 14226, 716-829-3316
Office of Health Promotion
114 Student Union (North Campus), 716-645-2837
UB is committed to providing a safe learning environment free of all forms of discrimination and sexual harassment, including sexual assault, domestic and dating violence and stalking. If you have experienced gender-based violence (intimate partner violence, attempted or completed sexual assault, harassment, coercion, stalking, etc.), UB has resources to help. This includes academic accommodations, health and counseling services, housing accommodations, helping with legal protective orders, and assistance with reporting the incident to police or other UB officials if you so choose. Please contact UB’s Title IX Coordinator at 716-645-2266 for more information. For confidential assistance, you may also contact a Crisis Services Campus Advocate at 716-796-4399.
Please be aware UB faculty are mandated to report violence or harassment on the basis of sex or gender. This means that if you tell me about a situation, I will need to report it to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. You will still have options about how the situation will be handled, including whether or not you wish to pursue a formal complaint. Please know that if you do not wish to have UB proceed with an investigation, your request will be honored unless UB's failure to act does not adequately mitigate the risk of harm to you or other members of the university community. You also have the option of speaking with trained counselors who can maintain complete confidentiality. UB’s Options for Confidentially Disclosing Sexual Violence provides a full explanation of the resources available, as well as contact information. You may call UB’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at 716-645-2266 for more information, and you have the option of calling that office anonymously if you would prefer not to disclose your identity.
To effectively participate in this course, regardless of mode of instruction, the university recommends you have access to a Windows or Mac computer with webcam and broadband. Your best opportunity for success in the blended UB course delivery environment (in-person, hybrid and remote) will require these minimum capabilities.
Additional Optional Text: For this class, you should have access to (insert specific requirement here). Access is available (insert where on campus/how) or (recommended) students can purchase the (repeat specific requirement here) (insert where to purchase).
Departments/programs may have additional requirements and/or may outline a particular format for the syllabus. Faculty should check to make sure there are no additional departmental guidelines they must follow when creating/revising course syllabi.