Syllabus template

Syllabus template 2024-08-08

Notes about this version

AUGUST/JULY 2024 

Updated formatting for accessibility purposes, especially:

• Session-by-session schedule (end of document) to remove the table format so that screen-readers can access.
• New formatting styles for screen-reading accessibility purposes. Please remember to use the built-in Styles sheet in Word (see instructions at the beginning of the template).
• Recommendation to all faculty: In the Review tab in Word, click "Read Aloud" to ensure that your syllabus is accessible.

Additional revision of URLs for the new university website.

Thank you to Liz Wick in the Albers School for advice on accessibility revisions.

At the request of the Academic Assembly, the Center for Faculty Development has been maintaining a course syllabus template since 2013, incorporating all elements required by Academic Assembly, university regulations, and state or federal law.

A note about ADA compliance

In summer 2020, we revised the template to meet ADA regulations around accessibility – with generous help and guidance from Liz Wick in the Albers School of Business and Economics. Please be sure to check your syllabi for any accessibility issues before you distribute them. Guidance on this is provided at the start of the syllabus template.

If you have questions about any of these revisions, please contact us at faculty-development@seattleu.edu.

New main URL for the Library

Learning Assistance Programs (LAP) provides peer tutoring, facilitated study groups, language conversation groups and learning strategy development through scheduled workshops and individual consultation sessions with a learning specialist. We offer these in various modalities (in-person, synchronous, and asynchronous), depending on university policy and LAP staff availability. Please visit our website or e-mail us at learningassistance@seattleu.edu for the most updated information about accessing services.

New URL

Research help is available to students at any stage in the research process. Students can schedule an in-person or virtual consultation with our team of Research Services Librarians and Student Peer Research Consultants (SPRCs) to get help finding and assessing sources, learn database search skills, and develop research topics.

To learn more about our services, chat online with a Librarian, or to book an in-person or virtual Consultation, check out our Lemieux Library.

Revised title and shorter wording

Is your technology giving you trouble with a remote or hybrid class? The library lends a variety of Chromebooks, webcams, headphones, short-term hotspots, etc. Learn more at our collections page.

New section

Seattle U has adopted a Campus Climate Incident Reporting & Response Protocol to support our commitment to providing an inclusive and nondiscriminatory campus community. If you have seen, heard, or experienced a harmful incident on the basis of one or more of your or another individual’s actual or perceived identities, you may report that incident. Any member of the University community can make a report. For more information or to file a report, please visit campus climate incidents.

Revised link

Research help is available to students at any stage in the research process. Students can schedule an in-person or virtual consultation with our team of Research Services Librarians and Student Peer Research Consultants (SPRCs) to get help finding and assessing sources, learn database search skills, and develop research topics.

To learn more about our services, chat online with a Librarian, or to book an in-person or virtual consultation, check out our Ask a Librarian page [Link superseded - see later revisions].

Recommended for courses with an in-person component; updated September 12, 2022 to be more sustainable.

Revised wording

Seattle University is committed to our educational mission and to the safety of our community members. The university continues to closely monitor COVID-19 developments and respond accordingly based on public health guidance. For more information about the university’s COVID-19 response, including current policies and protocols, please visit: Reopening Covid Policies.

Change in delivery of instruction

SU reserves the right to change the delivery of instruction for courses without prior notice due to COVID-19 or other events.

Guidance

You can add the following resources after the section on academic resources. Insert any encouragement at the start. For example:

I recognize that your ability to focus on your coursework does not exist in a vacuum. Your physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being is integral to your success as a student. Below are some campus resources that are available to support your overall well-being.

New wording

SU Food Pantry

The SU Food Pantry provides free, supplementary food to all students, staff, and faculty with a current Seattle U ID card. The Pantry is located in Pavilion 180 (Office of Multicultural Affairs) and is part of a larger Food Security Initiative at Seattle University. Learn more at Food Security Initiative.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

CAPS offers short-term, individual therapy and referral and consultation services for currently enrolled SU students. Clinical services are confidential, provided by licensed clinicians, and free of charge. Call (206) 296-6090 to schedule an appointment. For detailed information about current services and resources visit CAPS.

TalkNow

TalkNow offers 24/7, on-demand, emotional support from a mental health professional to talk about anything at anytime, provided by TimelyCare. There are no out-of-pocket costs or insurance requirements. For more information about the service and registration visit TimelyCare.

988 – Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

You can call or text 988 for 24/7 crisis support or can chat online at 988 Lifeline.

Revised wording

The English Language Learning Center (ELLC) offers free tutoring for all SU students who are multilingual speakers and for whom English is not their first/primary language. Experienced ELLC tutors can help you improve your English language skills and better understand American culture. We can help with any type of assignment: written essays, online discussions, oral presentations, interview practice, etc. For the schedule or to book a session please visit Ellc Tutoring.

Revised link and library page name

Research help is available to students at any stage in the research process. Students can schedule a virtual consultation with our team of Research Services Librarians and Student Peer Research Consultants (SPRCs) to get help finding and assessing sources, learn database search skills, and develop research topics.

To learn more, or for assistance via chat/phone/email, check out our Ask a Librarian page.

Guidance from the Provost’s Office

We all share responsibility for helping ensure the ability to contact trace if needed. Please identify and implement the methods to accomplish this that best suit your class, including possibly taking a photo of each class, or keeping a seating chart, so you have your own record of close contacts and requiring students to track and record those individuals with whom they have been in close contact, defined as people who have been within six feet of you for 15 minutes or longer. (A photo of the class is protected under FERPA and can be shared with school officials with a legitimate educational interest [i.e., Public Safety for contact tracing purposes].)

Suggested wording

Please track and record the names of those individuals with whom you have been in close contact in class (including other students and faculty) in case SU Public Safety requires your assistance in contact tracing. For the purposes of contact tracing, “close contacts” are people who have been within six feet of you for 15 minutes or longer.

Revised wording

Seattle University values diverse types of learners and is committed to ensuring that each student is afforded an equal opportunity to participate in learning experiences. Disability Services (DS) works with students with disabilities to provide reasonable accommodations to support their learning experiences. Disabilities include “invisible disabilities,” such as a learning disability, a chronic health problem, or a mental health condition. This could include any long-term effects of COVID, even after recovery (“long-COVID”), if a health care provider determines it is a chronic health problem.

If you have, or suspect you may have, a disability that may interfere with your performance as a student in this course and have not yet been assessed by DS, please contact DS staff at DS@seattleu.edu or 206-296-5740. Disability-based accommodations to course expectations can be made only through this process and must be approved by DS before implemented in a course. I am committed to working with you, so please consider meeting with me to discuss the logistics of implementing any accommodations approved by DS.

Guidance

Be sure to explain your plan for instruction this quarter/semester. If you are experimenting and expect your approach to change, then say that in advance and make sure students know you’ll be getting feedback from them on what works and what doesn’t. Example intro:

I will regularly ask for your feedback on how the class format is working for you. Expect there to be a few changes as the quarter/semester progresses; in any changes, I will be putting your learning first.

Below are three examples of wording for instructional methods based on different class modalities.

Example text for in-person teaching without any covid restrictions:

Education research shows that your learning is greatest when you are actively involved in making sense of new concepts (“constructing knowledge”) and when you do this in community with other students. This model is technically called “social constructivism,” and is closely aligned with the Jesuit teaching tradition (Ignatian pedagogy). We will use this model throughout the course, so you can expect to

• be engaged in plenty of classroom activities to build on the preparation materials you have completed for each class
• work in small groups during class and for those groups to change on a regular basis
• ask your instructor for clarifications, rather than expecting lectures.

If you find that you haven’t managed to complete an assigned reading/podcast/video before class, you will likely find that class session frustrating, since we will build on and apply the material each time (including trouble-shooting the issues you found most perplexing), but class will not involve regurgitating the content of the material. I hope you find this an engaging and enjoyable approach to learning.

Example text for in-person teaching under variable covid restrictions

I’m excited to be teaching in-person again, and instructional methods this quarter/semester will be experimental as we deal with current social norms!

Education research shows that your learning is greatest when you are actively involved in making sense of new concepts (“constructing knowledge”) and when you do this in community with other students. This model is technically called “social constructivism,” and is closely aligned with the Jesuit teaching tradition (Ignatian pedagogy). We will use this model throughout the course, so you can expect to

• be engaged in plenty of classroom activities to build on the preparation materials you have completed for each class
• work in small groups during class and for those groups to change on a regular basis
• ask your instructor for clarifications, rather than expecting lectures.

In order to spread out and maximize the use of space in our classroom, many of the materials we use will be on OneDrive, so please bring your laptop with you to class. If you don’t have access to a laptop, you can borrow a Chromebook from the Library [https://libguides.seattleu.edu/technology] – see “Academic resources” below.

Example text for remote teaching

We’ll be starting out with a mix of what are called “synchronous” and “asynchronous” learning.

Synchronous means we’ll all be together at the same time and we’ll be doing that using Zoom. It can work really well if we have the bandwidth and quiet space. This is my preferred approach as it helps me get to know you, as well as allowing for an easy switch between whole-group and small-group discussions using breakout rooms. We’ll also take breaks: we get tired more quickly using the Zoom format compared to a face-to-face class.

In contrast, asynchronous learning happens at a time to suit your schedule, within certain limits (for example, you may need to complete an asynchronous activity before the first class of each week). I’ve designed some asynchronous activities to prepare for, reinforce, or supplement what we do over Zoom.

If we discover the synchronous format isn’t working well enough, then I plan to shift the balance toward more asynchronous learning. Your feedback will be the key deciding factor here.

Remember, too, that if you are having technology problems, you may be able to borrow a Chromebook or internet hotspot from the Library. (See “Academic resources” below or go straight to the Library.)

Guidance

Recommended for courses with an in-person component during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Revised wordings

Safe Start Health Screen

Each day before coming to campus or class, all of us – students, faculty, and staff – need to complete the Safe Start Health Check screening [link no longer functional, see 2022-09-12 amendment above] and should be prepared to show the screening result upon request. We are expected to stay home if we are unable to pass the health screening. If you live on campus in the residence halls and do not pass the health screening, you should stay in your room. In addition to completing the daily health screening, all of us in the SU community – students, faculty, and staff – must continuously monitor for symptoms of illness throughout the day and take appropriate steps to isolate from others if we become symptomatic.

Face coverings

We will all wear face coverings consistent with SU’s COVID-19 Face Covering Policy.

Change in delivery of instruction

SU reserves the right to change the delivery of instruction for courses without prior notice due to COVID-19 or other events.

Revised wording

The Seattle University Writing Center supports SU students from all levels of writing expertise, voices, experiences, and writing practices to achieve their writing goals. We seek to provide an accessible, anti-oppressive, and collaborative space for learning and growth through one-on-one peer consultations. The peer consultants are also students who engage in intensive study and hands-on practice to provide thoughtful feedback and to share writing strategies. Consultations are available at any stage of the writing process, from brainstorming, organizing, and developing rough draft to revising and editing in later drafts. The Writing Center offers appointments in various modalities: in-person and online, synchronous, and asynchronous. Please visit Writing Center to learn more. You can schedule an appointment and select an available modality through wconline scheduling tool.

Guidance

Structure revised to make it easier to create a Canvas module for the syllabus.

New suggested structure:

Course title

Welcome/Introductory statement of principles

*Course description/rationale

Course information

Instructor information

Office (student) hours

Response times

**Learning outcomes

**Core Curriculum learning objectives

Assignments and grading

*Overview of graded assignments

Formatting and submitting your assignments

*Bibliography/References and citation requirements

*Assignment deadlines and extensions

Grade scale

**Academic integrity tutorial

A note about grades

How class will work

Your workload in this course

*Instructional methods

Classroom norms

*Attendance and participation expectations

*If you miss a class

Using Zoom for synchronous classes

Zoom class recordings

**Academic resources to support your learning

**Library and Learning Commons

(Writing Center, Learning Assistance Programs, Research Services, Math Lab)

English-Language Learning Center (ELLC)

Support for remote learning

Borrow a Chromebook or an internet hotspot from the library

University policies

**Support for students with disabilities

**Notice on religious accommodations

**Academic policies on the registrar website

*Health and safety protocols

*Health screening and monitoring

Materials for you to read, listen to, or watch

*Required readings and materials

Recommended resources for additional exploration

*Detailed assignment descriptions

Assignment number and title

*Provisional schedule and readings

KEY:

**Sections required by Academic Assembly (2013) or WA state law.

*Sections recommended by Academic Assembly (2013) or by the university in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Revised wording

Learning Assistance Programs (LAP) provides peer tutoring, facilitated study groups, and learning strategy development through scheduled workshops and individual consultation sessions with a learning specialist. We offer these in various modalities (in-person, synchronous, and asynchronous), depending on university policy and LAP staff availability. Please visit our website Learning Assistance or e-mail us at learningassistance@seattleu.edu for the most updated information about accessing services.

Guidance

Address students throughout the syllabus as “you.”

We recommend you begin your syllabus with a personalized statement that helps students feel that they belong, are welcome, and will be supported and encouraged in their learning. For Fall 2021, students and faculty may have a range of concerns about adjusting to being together in person, so acknowledging that context up-front will be helpful. Focusing on our humanity before moving to course content can help reaffirm to students that Seattle University’s priorities lie in supporting one another in a community of care.

Guidance

Include in this section an overview of the course that gets the students excited about the material. Highlight what’s great about the subject; explain how it relates to other courses in the major, Core, program, etc., and what kinds of skills – transferable or subject-specific – students will be practicing to help boost their motivation and engagement.

Student career readiness

Guidance

We suggest this becomes its own section.

If you are teaching online and discover your students are in different time zones, consider offering shorter blocks of time for office hours at different points in the day, rather than one long block of time.

We suggest using Microsoft Bookings to schedule office hours, since it is part of the Office 365 suite and connects automatically to your Outlook calendar; if you’ve had to schedule a meeting during what would normally be office hours, those times will disappear from the students’ options. For details on how to do this, follow the guide from SeattleU’s ITS on Scheduling Office Hours Using Microsoft Bookings.

Example

Since the term “office hours” causes confusion for many students, an explanation is helpful. Example wording (partly adapted from Dr Amy Nusbaum).

The time I have listed as “Office hours” is time for you. Office hours are a chance for you to meet with me one-on-one or in small groups to discuss the course, your learning, your plans for the future, or just to check in. Office hours can be in person or via Zoom, provided we have the bandwidth. As an alternative, I can offer some office hours over the phone. You can schedule an appointment using Microsoft Bookings at [insert URL]. If we are meeting over Zoom, we’ll use my Personal Meeting ID at [insert Zoom ID], and I’ve set up a waiting room to ensure you receive my full attention during your time slot – and to maintain your privacy.

Guidance:

Insert your policy here. Provide a rationale if possible.

Example:

The assignments in this course build on one another, so the feedback process is an important part of your learning. My plan is therefore to return your assignments as soon as possible after you have submitted them. (My normal policy is to return papers within five working days; I hope to be able to keep to that this quarter.) Faster feedback means you’re more likely to remember what you wrote and can more easily take the feedback on board for the next assignment.

It would greatly help the learning process if you are able to submit your assignment by the stated deadlines. If you find that you are unable to complete an assignment on time, please communicate with me in advance. I do understand that life happens and can sometimes get in the way. I’ll do my best to be flexible; for that to happen, we need to keep in dialogue so that I know where you are in your learning and how I can best support you.

To help keep yourself on track, I strongly encourage you to plan ahead: Check the session-by-session schedule at the end of this syllabus to see when assignment briefings will be given and when assignments are due. This enables you to block out time in your calendar now so that you know when you will be working on assignments for this course. If you’re wondering how much time you need to allow for completing assignments well, then I suggest you use the approach I take for my own writing: make a rough estimate of time and then multiply it by 2.5. This sounds like a lot, but I think you’ll find it more realistic for managing your expectations and planning.

An agreement to receive an Incomplete (I) grade may be negotiated if your circumstances do not allow you to finish the course on time. The Incomplete Grades Policy of the university is available on the Office of the Registrar web site.

Guidance

Possible new section, especially for faculty whose grading is regularly challenged by students.

Example

Sometimes I receive questions and complaints when students don’t get perfect scores on their work. As you think about your grade, please keep in mind:

• Through our schooling, we have been socialized to focus on grades, oftentimes overlooking what we are learning or trying to learn.
• Practice interrupting your socialization about grades and focus on the goal of learning how to receive feedback and how to use it to improve your work in your next assignment.
• Ask yourself why you expect to receive a perfect score every time (and how your social identities may inform that expectation).

All assignments are scored with rubrics to which you will have access. I always strive to give you quality feedback to help you understand why you received the score that you did. If you do not understand the feedback or would like to learn more from the assignment, please feel free to contact me.

Guidance

Be sure to explain your plan for instruction this quarter/semester. If you are experimenting and expect your approach to change, then say that in advance and make sure students know you’ll be getting feedback from them on what works and what doesn’t.

Example introduction

I will regularly ask for your feedback on how the class format is working for you. Expect there to be a few changes as the quarter/semester progresses; in any changes, I will be putting your learning first.

Example text for in-person teaching without any COVID restrictions

Education research shows that your learning is greatest when you are actively involved in making sense of new concepts (“constructing knowledge”) and when you do this in community with other students. This model is technically called “social constructivism,” and is closely aligned with the Jesuit teaching tradition (Ignatian pedagogy). We will use this model throughout the course, so you can expect to

• be engaged in plenty of classroom activities to build on the preparation materials you have completed for each class
• work in small groups during class and for those groups to change on a regular basis
• ask your instructor for clarifications, rather than expecting lectures.

If you find that you haven’t managed to complete an assigned reading/podcast/video before class, you will likely find that class session frustrating, since we will build on and apply the material each time (including trouble-shooting the issues you found most perplexing), but class will not involve regurgitating the content of the material. I hope you find this an engaging and enjoyable approach to learning.

Example text for in-person teaching at three-feet distance

I’m excited to be teaching in-person again, and instructional methods this quarter/semester will be experimental! As we return to physical classrooms, we’ll be following WHO guidance, which currently means staying three feet apart at all times.

Education research shows that your learning is greatest when you are actively involved in making sense of new concepts (“constructing knowledge”) and when you do this in community with other students. This model is technically called “social constructivism,” and is closely aligned with the Jesuit teaching tradition (Ignatian pedagogy). We will use this model throughout the course, so you can expect to:

• be engaged in plenty of classroom activities to build on the preparation materials you have completed for each class
• work in small groups during class and for those groups to change on a regular basis
• ask your instructor for clarifications, rather than expecting lectures.

For the activities to function while spaced out, many of the materials we use will be on OneDrive, so please bring your laptop with you to class. If you don’t have access to a laptop, you can borrow a Chromebook from the Library  – see “Academic resources” below.

Example text for remote teaching

We’ll be starting out with a mix of what are called “synchronous” and “asynchronous” learning.

Synchronous means we’ll all be together at the same time and we’ll be doing that using Zoom. It can work really well if we have the bandwidth and quiet space. This is my preferred approach as it helps me get to know you, as well as allowing for an easy switch between whole-group and small-group discussions using breakout rooms. We’ll also take breaks: we get tired more quickly using the Zoom format compared to a face-to-face class.

In contrast, asynchronous learning happens at a time to suit your schedule, within certain limits (for example, you may need to complete an asynchronous activity before the first class of each week). I’ve designed some asynchronous activities to prepare for, reinforce, or supplement what we do over Zoom.

If we discover the synchronous format isn’t working well enough, then I plan to shift the balance toward more asynchronous learning. Your feedback will be the key deciding factor here.

Remember, too, that if you are having technology problems, you may be able to borrow a Chromebook or internet hotspot from the Library. (See “Academic resources” below or go straight to the Library’s Technology Loans page [LINK NOW SUPERSEDED; see revised text).

Guidance

State your attendance and participation expectations clearly and concisely.

Example

Numerous research studies have shown that when students actively ask and answer questions, they take greater interest in the material, they clarify shared misconceptions, and they retain more information. Studies also show that missing classes – and therefore missing the opportunity to process ideas together with your peers – negatively affects your grades, even without an attendance grade. (Get in touch if you’d like to find out more about this).

I would like to see all of you find ways to participate actively in class (in small- and large-group settings), as well as in any activities or discussions on Canvas. I will not take formal daily attendance, but I’ll get in touch with you if I notice you are regularly absent or if you appear to be inattentive in class, just to be sure you are ok and to find out what would best help you learn.

If you are sick, please stay home and rest so that you can recover more quickly and can be fully present in class when you are better. (See notes below on what to do if you miss a class).