| Not long ago, as director of the Excellence in | | | | General suggestions, worthy of consideration: |
| Teaching Program at our university, I held a series | | | | |
| of focus groups so students could help us know | | | | 1. Let students know that you care. We heard |
| their thoughts on what they need and want in a | | | | more than once, "I don't think the professors |
| course syllabus. The results were quite | | | | really care." |
| informative and are shared in this article. | | | | 2. If the syllabus changes too much, give a |
| Based on their responses, the following 5 | | | | revised one. Students are frustrated when they |
| components: a) need to be in every syllabus, b) | | | | have made so many changes and then are |
| should be the first items that students see, and c) | | | | worried that they haven't made them all or when |
| should be clearly labeled: | | | | it becomes too messy to read. One suggestion |
| | | | was to provide a full schedule that doesn't have |
| 1. Schedule for the semester: include meeting | | | | much detail and then to hand out approximately 2 |
| dates, topics to be addressed, readings, | | | | weeks of detailed syllabus at a time, throughout |
| assignments that are due. | | | | the rest of the semester. |
| 2. List of assignments/assessments and due | | | | 3. Use 12 - 14 point font and use a variety of |
| dates: include both an executive summary, as well | | | | type faces (BOLD or italics help to emphasize |
| as lengthier explanations and grading criteria; | | | | certain items). |
| students want to have one sheet that they can | | | | 4. Use white space effectively; make the syllabus |
| refer to when planning their overall schedule as | | | | more readable. |
| well as having the more extensive information | | | | 5. Leave a decent margin. |
| they need to complete their assignments | | | | 6. Consider the overall length of your syllabus-long |
| assessments in an effective manner. | | | | enough to give all the information, but not so long |
| 3. List of books, readings, and/or other required | | | | that it is intimidating. |
| materials: provide all necessary bibliographic and/or | | | | 7. Provide "real" expectations. |
| purchasing information as well as a clear | | | | 8. Give examples for how to study for a class. |
| delineation about whether the items are required | | | | 9. For web-based: |
| or optional. It is helpful if students can tell when | | | | - Give links to good examples of assignments, |
| the books, readings, or other materials are | | | | papers, etc. |
| needed so that they potentially have more | | | | - Tutorials (e.g., how to write a good paper). |
| options for purchase (on-line, used bookstores, | | | | - Make sure the web site is well designed and |
| etc.) | | | | easy to maneuver around in. |
| 4. Grading scale/information: Basically, how can | | | | - WebCT/Blackboard and other such courseware: |
| students earn an A, B, C, D, or F? Provide all the | | | | Remove the syllabus button if you're not going to |
| ways that their grades are determined (tests, | | | | use that feature. |
| papers, attendance, participation, outside projects, | | | | General tips/hints-verbatim from student |
| etc.) and include percentages and even estimated | | | | comments: |
| time requirements. | | | | - "If the syllabus is important to you, let the |
| 5. Ways to contact the professor: List as many | | | | students know that. If you spend time on it, it |
| ways as possible that students can get ahold of | | | | tells the students that it's important." |
| you and what they can expect in the way of | | | | - "If you want us to look at it everyday, then |
| response times. Most students consider "office | | | | you need to look at it everyday to make sure |
| hours" a joke because their schedules rarely mesh | | | | stuff is right." |
| with faculty members' schedules; email that is | | | | - "If it's easy to read and follow, then we don't |
| answered promptly is their favorite means of | | | | mind looking at it." |
| communication, with voice mail that is answered | | | | Take these students' suggestions and comments |
| promptly as the second choice. It isn't that | | | | under advisement. It's not hard to imagine that |
| students don't want to meet face to face; it's | | | | your college or university's students would say |
| just that the reality is the difficulty in doing so. | | | | nearly the same thing as these students did. |