Some Tips for Preparing Course Syllabi

Greetings again. I hope all is going well for you. And I hope you enjoy the photo, which was taken near our college of medicine.

As you might have seen, our newest Resource of the Week consisted of guides for preparing course syllabi. Some readers, though, might like to start with just some tips on the subject. Therefore, here are some quick tips for preparing course syllabi:

• Remember to include basic information, such as the following:
• the title of the course
• the course number, if any
• the name(s) of the teacher(s)
• the time the course meets
• the place the course meets
• State the goals, objectives, or both of the course.
• Include a session-by-session schedule for the course. However, label the schedule “tentative”, because sometimes changes are necessary.
• List the assignments for the course, and say when each assignment is due. If feasible, include some instructions for the assignments.
• Say what percentage of the grade each component of the work will be worth.
• Perhaps state that academic dishonesty, such as plagiarism, will not be tolerated.
• Consider whether to provide the syllabus in hard copy, electronically, or both. (I usually like to provide syllabi both ways.)
• Maybe use colored paper for hard copies, so they’re easy to find.
• Include hyperlinks, if relevant, in electronic syllabi.

If you’re starting a new semester now, as we are, I wish you an excellent semester. In any case, I wish you all the best.

Until the next post—

Barbara