Your syllabus documents the expectations you have of your students and their (initial) expectations of you and your course. It is an important learning tool that will reinforce the intentions, roles, attitudes, and strategies that you will use to promote active, purposeful, and effective learning.

Suggested Steps for Planning Your Syllabus :

• Develop a well-grounded rationale for your course
• Decide what you want students to be able to do, demonstrate, or represent as a result of taking your course, and how their work will be assessed
  • Tips on writing a student learning outcome
• Structure your students’ active involvement in learning, considering how these activities are linked to the learning outcomes
• Identify and develop resources
• Use the UD Syllabus Template to compose your syllabus
  • Include statements that ensure an inclusive learning environment
  • Be explicit about expected student learning outcomes, student responsibilities, criteria for assessment.
  • Refer to this syllabus checklist for guidance

Additional Resources

• Study Abroad Course Syllabus Design
• Designing a learning-centered syllabus
• Suggested syllabi statements for learning, inclusion, and resources
• Suggested syllabi statements that address issues of academic integrity, University of Delaware, Office of Student Conduct
• Graphic display of student learning objectives, The Chronicle of Higher Education, October 19, 2010. Graphic displays of student-learning goals in a particular course can help students understand the rationale behind assignments, and can help faculty members clarify and modify course design.