Course Syllabus

Syllabus Developing the Course Syllabus

Now that you have carefully thought about your course expectations, learner expectations, and what the learners can expect from you, it is time to put it all together in your syllabus.  Remember that the syllabus is one of the most important communication tools that you can share with your students, as it is the first way to set the tone for the upcoming semester.  The Online Learning Consortium Faculty Playbook to Optimize High-Quality Digital Learning Experiences Links to an external site. lists the following considerations when developing a course syllabus:

  • Make the syllabus learning-focused
  • Use essential questions and big themes to organize your course
  • Align the syllabus with Universal Design for Learning (UDL)  
  • Use inclusive language 
  • Design supportive course policies to help students be successful
  • Ensure that your syllabus is accessible

For more information on the course syllabus and information regarding any required policy statements, visit the <Replace - Institution Name> Syllabus page.  Find out if your institution has Syllabus template available on  <Replace - Your LMS>.

Group Work Student Support Resources

Another way to help ensure a smooth course is to provide students with resources to help them be successful.  

  • Visit <Replace - Your Institution Name> Academic Support page.  Are there any especially pertain to your class?  Consider highlighting a few of these resources and providing the link to your students.
  • Visit <Replace - Your Institution Name> Student Services page. Are there any that you have found particularly helpful to former students?  Consider highlighting a few of these resources and providing the link to your students.

These resources can be shared on the syllabus, on a course orientation page, or on the course expectations page.  

Support Technical Support Resources

It is very important to provide technical support for your learners.  This is especially true in any online setting, as students may be working on the course after office hours, often in the evenings or on the weekends.  As the faculty member, you often are your students' first contact - but you are not alone. Your <Replace - Your LMS> support offers a wide variety of student support services, like the ones a listed below:

  • <Replace - Your LMS> Support - Canvas Support answers student questions concerning technical issues in online courses. Students should first refer to online resources or other students to help resolve technical questions or problems.
  • IT Support - Students can  visit the IT website to find answers to their computer hardware questions or for issues with Student Email or passwords.

Info Implementation tip. 

Student resources might be built into your institutions Canvas.  If you are not using the templated pages, we suggest adding these links to the course homepage, the syllabus, and the course expectations or orientation page.