[Course Title] Syllabus

Whether you prefer to lead in with a relevant quote, visual image, or simply your course title,
consider what you want students to see first in this document. How can you inspire their
curiosity or convey an important idea from the course from the start?

Welcome to the Course

This section sets the tone for the course and the syllabus. In addition to containing the basic
information about the course (e.g. description, learning outcomes), the course information
section contains an introduction, sets expectations, and characterizes the format for the course.

Course Information
Course Description What the course is about, why it is important, and how it is relevant to
students’ lives. This is a good place to inspire excitement about the
course.

Credits Number of units/credit hours hours/wk. on assignments/reading/lab

Instructor Name of instructor(s)

IA/TA Name of IA/TAs

Course Learning Outcomes

Course learning outcomes are the fundamental learning goals of a class. They describe the
specific skills and dispositions that students will walk away with upon successful completion of a
course. Course learning outcomes should be measurable, and describe what students will know,
value, and be able to do after taking your course. The Engaged Teaching Hub has provided a
brief screencast on writing effective course learning outcomes.

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Course Format
Describe the format of the course: face-to-face, flipped, hybrid, online. Explain when students
are expected to attend lectures, attend discussion sections, engage in learning activities online,
participate in labs, and visit office hours. Share what elements of your course are synchronous,

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where students engage in real-time, or asynchronous, where they can participate at their own
pace.

Synchronous Online Lectures:

Zoom room url
Day/Time

Asynchronous (Online) Course Elements:

UC San Diego’s Learning Management System: [Link]
Login: UC San Diego Active Directory credentials
Purpose: Include information on what course elements appear on Canvas--assignment
submissions, discussion forums weekly, quizzes weekly, slides

A Typical Week in This Course

How should students navigate your course week-by-week? Providing a sketch of a typical week
in your course (via brief text description or in a day-by-day table) can help students organize
their time and form a routine around their engagement in your course.

Overall Course Expectations

What you can do to support your success in What I will do to support your success in the
the course: course:

Read the syllabus and stay current with Be prepared and bring my enthusiasm for
course information teaching to each session

Keep up with readings and lab assignments, Respond to emails within one working day,
as each one builds on the previous one. and provide timely feedback on
assignments / submissions.

Contribute to the learning environment with Establish a learning environment with

fairness, cooperation, and professionalism fairness, cooperation and professionalism,
and will take action if these principles are
violated.

Treat your classmates, instructional assistants Treat you honestly and ethically, and will
and myself honestly and ethically address any concerns you might have

Commit to excel with integrity1. Have the Uphold integrity standards and create an
courage to act in ways that are honest, fair, atmosphere that fosters active learning,
responsible, respectful & trustworthy. creativity, critical thinking, and honest

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 collaboration.

Manage your time, so you can stay on track Only assign work that is vital to the course,
with the course and complete tasks on time and will work to meet the standard credit
hour allotment for the course.

Communicate with me if you determine that Consider requests for adjustments and will
a deadline cannot be met due to extenuating make reasonable exceptions available to all
circumstances students when approved

1. Please read UC San Diego’s Policy on Integrity of Scholarship and take the integrity pledge!

Course Materials and Tools

This section lays out the materials (e.g. books, readings, hardware and software) that are
incorporated into the course. All information should be very clear, so that students know what
course materials and tools are needed and how to access them. (e.g. what is required and
optional), including which version(s).

Text/Readings/Other Material
List cited readings (and whether required or recommended), materials, supplies here.

Technology Requirements
List iClicker or software programs here.

Assignments, Projects, and Grading

This section describes the types of scored activities that will be included in the course grade. It
should provide information about assessment activities, such as projects, group work, exams, or
research papers. Basic grading policies should be included. Additionally, this section covers how
the course grade will be calculated (e.g. weighted categories, grading scale). Note that
assessments should tie to desired learning outcomes.

Summary of Grade Criteria [SAMPLE]

Assignment Points Weight Due Date
Discussion x 5 %
Quizzes x 10 % Mondays before lecture
Assignments x 2 %
Final Exam % March 16, 9am-12pm
Self-Checks x 10 ungraded
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 Labs ungraded
100%

Grading Scale
A = 90-100% B = 80-89% C = 70-79% D = 60-69% F = 59%-below

Grading Procedure and Feedback

Describe how students will be graded and evaluated: On a curve or absolute scale? Outline your
policy on late or missing assignments, final deadlines, and how to notify you of difficulties or
emergencies that might prevent students from turning in work on time. Define when and how
students should expect to receive feedback (e.g. digital feedback, handwritten feedback,
rubric/grading forms, peer reviews, etc.). In a remote or online environment, letting students
know when they can expect feedback and/or the return of graded assignments is especially
important and can minimize email traffic. If you offer extra credit, outline the procedure here.

Attendance and Participation

Describe your policies for attendance and participation, including how you will assess
participation if it is a required portion of the grade (for example, do you define “participation”
as speaking in class discussion only, or does it also extend to contributions like discussion board
posts, engagement in group work, or attendance at office hours?).

For Summer and Fall 2020, synchronous elements of the course must also be offered
asynchronously for students who are in different time zones or otherwise unable to be present
at specific class times. Please click here for alternative ways of taking attendance that can
encourage student participation in the course, including asynchronous options.

Include your policy on religious observance; see Academic Regulations.

Instructional Team: Who Are My Instructors?

This section provides students with information about the instructor(s) and any teaching or
instructional assistants. It is an opportunity to introduce the team as individuals with expertise
in both the subject and instruction.

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Instructor
[Formal Name]
[Title]
[Bio / URL of Homepage]
[Include a brief description of yourself and your
teaching methods. This is your opportunity to
invite students into the course, set the tone,
convey positivity, and communicate the value
and importance of this course topic.]
Replace that visual with a picture
Virtual Office Hours: [Include regularly scheduled
[Name that you would like the students to utilize]
office hours]

Teaching Philosophy
Briefly share your research and teaching practice and how aspects of the course align with your
teaching philosophy.

Inclusion Statement
If you have a philosophy or practices around inclusion integrate those into your syllabus. Here is
a guide with sample Inclusion Statements.

Connecting with Students

If you were a first-generation college student or a transfer
student, consider adding the #firstgen or transfer student
sticker to your syllabus. This can serve as a good
conversation starter and let students know you may share something in
common.

Teaching Assistants

Replace that visual with a Replace that visual with a Replace that visual with a
picture picture picture
Name Name Name
Virtual Office Hours: [Include Virtual Office Hours: [Include Virtual Office Hours: [Include
regularly scheduled office regularly scheduled office regularly scheduled office
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 hours] hours] hours]

Resources for Support and Learning

There are a variety of resources available to students at UC San Diego, which are designed to
address needs and enhance the student experience. In this section, the course is connected to
the broader university community by services and programs for students. If there are resources
specific to the course, school, department and/or topic, be sure to include those here.

Learning and Academic Support

Ask a Librarian: Library Support Writing Hub Services in the Teaching +
Chat or make an appointment with a Learning Commons
librarian to focus on your research needs One-on-one online writing tutoring and
workshops on key writing topics
Course Reserves, Connecting from Off-
Campus and Research Support Supplemental Instruction
Find supplemental course materials Peer-assisted study sessions through the
Academic Achievement Hub to improve
First Gen Student Success Coaching success in historically challenging courses
Program
Peer mentor program that provides students Tutoring – Content
with information, resources, and support in Drop-in and online tutoring through the
meeting their goals Academic Achievement Hub

Office of Academic Support & Tutoring – Learning Strategies

Instructional Services (OASIS) Address learning challenges with a
Intellectual and personal development metacognitive approach
support

Support for Well-being and Inclusion

Basic Needs at UCSD Community and Resource Centers
Any student who has difficulty accessing Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
sufficient food to eat every day, or who lacks As part of the Office of Equity, Diversity, and
a safe and stable place to live is encouraged Inclusion the campus community centers
to contact: foodpantry@.[Link] | provide programs and resources for students
basicneeds@[Link] | (858) 246-2632 and contribute toward the evolution of a
socially just campus
Counseling and Psychological Services (858).822-.3542 | diversity@[Link]
Confidential counseling and consultations
for psychiatric service and mental health Get Involved
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 programming Student organizations, clubs, service
opportunities, and many other ways to
Triton Concern Line connect with others on campus
Report students of concern: (858) 246-1111
Undocumented Student Services
Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) Programs and services are designed to help
Supports students with disabilities and students overcome obstacles that arise from
accessibility across campus their immigration status and support them
through personal and academic excellence

Campus and Course Policies

Providing information about campus and course policies helps students know their rights and
responsibilities. Include policies that foster a positive learning environment and that express
expectations for how students are to communicate online and in the classroom.

Course Policies
Include specific expectations so students know how to behave to succeed in your course. Some
optional policies to consider appear below:

Health and Well-Being Statement

Include a statement that shows your commitment to student well-being.

Subject to Change Policy

Include a statement indicating whether, and under what circumstances (e.g. to enhance
student learning) information in the syllabus is subject to change.

Letter of Recommendation Policy

Share your guidelines about writing letters of recommendation. How much lead time do
you require and what materials should students have prepared before making this type
of request? This is also an opportunity to encourage students to engage in active class
participation and demonstrate qualities that they would like included in a letter of
recommendation.

Technology Policy
When is it appropriate to use devices in your course? Articulate if students should or
should not have devices accessible for certain parts of your course.

Campus Policies
UC San Diego policies and statements to include within your syllabus.
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 ● UC San Diego Principles of Community
● UC San Diego Policy on Integrity of Scholarship
● Religious Accommodation
● Nondiscrimination and Harassment
● UC San Diego Student Conduct Code

Course Schedule
The course schedule lays out the week-to-week plan, which will ultimately guide students to
attainment of the course-level learning outcomes. Use the schedule to provide, at minimum, the
following: Weekly topic/title, deliverables (with due dates), and any key dates (e.g. holidays,
guest speakers).

🔑 Key Tip: Canvas will automatically create a dynamic calendar, based on the due date of all
assignments and calendar entries. If changes are made to the assignment dates, the calendar
will automatically be updated. You can include a simplified schedule below, then point to the
Canvas calendar for up-to-date deadlines.
● How do I use the Canvas calendar as an instructor?
● How do I use the Canvas calendar as a student?

Week Title / Topic Activities, Assessments, Learning Outcome

and Due dates By the end of this week,
you will be able to

1 ● Introduction Read: 1.1 Given a speech,

● Principles of Speech ● Chapter 1 identify the key
● Planning a Speech Watch: components
● Syllabus overview 1.2 Understand the
● Sample Speech phases of speech
● development
Do:
● Post to the
Introduce Yourself
Discussion

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 6

10

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