Twenty years ago, many instructors would have described the syllabus as a "table of contents" or, alternatively, a "contract." Today's books on college teaching and course design are likely to draw on different metaphors: the syllabus is a map or travelogue, as it both describes the intended destination and explains why one might want to go in the first place (Nilson, 27).

The most effective syllabus goes beyond listing the logistics and the topics covered in the course - it (a) articulates the conceptual framework for the course; (b) introduces students to the key questions or problems facing experts in the field; (c) suggests the ways in which an understanding of the course subject matters; and (d) identifies the specific skills and knowledge students will be able to demonstrate upon leaving the course.

Typical elements of a syllabus

• Title page (Course title, semester, date written, your name)
• Contact information including office hours
• Course pre-requisites, description, and objectives
• Required material
• Assigned work
• A calendar or events including lecture topics, assigned work, and special announcements
• Grading rubrics
• Course policies and student/teacher expectations (Attendance, participation, tardiness, academic integrity, missing homework, missed exams)
• Additional comments or advice to students

• Required DePaul syllabus content
• Other things to consider

Sample Syllabus Statements:

• Plagiarism (required)
• Students with disabilities
• The Writing Center Services
• Statement on online teaching evaluations  (from the College of Commerce)
• Statement introducing students to i-clickers (Sandy Virtue, Psychology)
• Expected classroom demeanor from University of California Santa Cruz

Sample DePaul Syllabi

E-mail the Teaching Commons and share a syllabus with other DePaul faculty.

The School for New Learning has a large repository of their syllabi online, ordered by first letter of each class.

Face-to-face classes

• MUS 360 Introduction to acoustical and cognitive aspects of music composition and performance
  
• DES 348 Lighting II
  
• PRF 311 Acting III
  
• THE 204 History of Dramatic Literature
  
• THE 327 Playwriting

Blended classes

• HCI 440 Usability Engineering
• MUS 360 Introduction to acoustical and cognitive aspects of music composition and performance

Online classes

• LL 155 Critical Thinking
• MUS 400 Introduction to Music Education Research – Literature and Methods
• SW 208 Issues in Science and Religion

Additional Readings

Grunert, J. (1997). The course syllabus: A learning-centered approach. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing.

Nilson, Linda. (2003). “The complete syllabus”. Teaching at its best: A research-based resource for college instructors. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing Company. (Available at the Office for Teaching, Learning and Assessment).

Wasley, Paula. (2008). “Research Yields Tips on Crafting Better Syllabi.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, 54(27), A11.

Wasley, Paula. (2008). “The Syllabus Becomes a Repository of Legalese.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, 54(27), A1.

Faculty Council

• Syllabus requirements

Office for Instructional Design and Development

• Strategies for creating a syllabus online

Office for Teaching, Learning and Assessment

• Resources on effective syllabus design