The syllabus provides a common reference point for instructors and students. More than a course outline, the syllabus sets the stage for learning by communicating key information about your goals, expectations, course policies, and resources. On this page you will find information on the basic components of an effective syllabus at the UW, as well as strategies for getting students to read your syllabus.
Basic syllabus components
The form and content of the syllabus will vary by discipline, department, course, and instructor. However, most effective syllabi contain a few common components.
- Key details. Course location and meeting time, names and contact information for instructor(s) and teaching assistant(s).
- Office/student hours location and times. Be sure to articulate the function and goals of office hours – many students assume that “office hours” are the time when professors are busy working on their research or course prep. Specify if your office hours are first-come-first-serve or whether students should sign up for appointments. Learn more about how to help students see value in attending office hours.
- Course description. Consider developing a course description that not only identifies the focus of the course, but also indicates the topic’s relevance to your discipline, to students’ lives, and society more broadly.
- Learning outcomes. The bedrock of effective course design, learning outcomes are simple, concise statements that tell students what they should be able to do as a result of working through your course. Learn more about developing effective learning outcomes.
- Brief description of graded activities. Providing students with an overview of key assignments (e.g., exams, papers, projects, discussions), as well as their relative value in the overall course grade, allows them to see how the graded components of your course fit together. It also gives students the information they need to begin developing their own time management plan.
- Grade-related information. Share information about your grading scale, as well as the process students need to follow if they want to contest a grade.
- Weekly schedule. Include information about the week’s topics, readings, activities, assignments, and due dates.
Two other components are worth mentioning in more detail: course policies and information that helps foster a sense of belonging among students.
Course policies
Many policies and recommended practices at the UW are enacted at the school or departmental level, so be sure to connect with your department about expectations regarding syllabi. The university also has institution-wide guidelines and expectations that you’ll want to explore as you build your syllabus.
In addition to departmental and university-wide expectations, here are a few additional key course-level policies and guidelines you might consider including in your syllabus:
- Course policy on student use of artificial intelligence. Clearly articulate if, how, and when students may use AI when completing course work. Learn more about developing AI-related course policies.
- Late work policy. Describe what options students have if they miss an assignment deadline.
- Communication guidelines. Articulate how and to whom students should reach out if they have course-related questions.
- Academic integrity statement. Clearly define what constitutes cheating and explain the importance of academic integrity. Learn more about creating a culture of academic integrity.
Fostering belonging through your syllabus
The syllabus provides an opportunity for instructors to establish a positive, welcoming class environment. Here are a few things you can include in your syllabus to help students feel welcome and supported.
- Welcome statement. Consider starting your syllabus with a short statement that welcomes students to your class. Your statement might emphasize that struggle as a normal part of the learning process, but that you’re there to support them through that struggle. Invite students to reach out to you for a chat, ask questions, share ideas, and seek your help if they need to.
- Information about key campus resources. Providing information about every campus resource might overwhelm students. Instead, consider highlighting a few key resources that can help students succeed in your course, such as Disability Resources for Students, campus health and well-being services (Bothell, Seattle, Tacoma), and UW Libraries.
Getting students to read the syllabus
Instructors are often frustrated by the reality that many students don’t read the syllabus. So make reading the syllabus a required activity in your course. Research supports the effectiveness of actively engaging students in reviewing the syllabus through a low-stakes syllabus quiz that tests their knowledge of key information. Success on a syllabus quiz tends to correlate with improved understanding of expectations and overall performance in the course. Offering a syllabus quiz also increases student self-efficacy by giving students an opportunity to earn a few easy points early in the course. This can be particularly impactful with students wrestling with doubt about their ability to succeed in college.
Make it easier for students to engage your syllabus by complying with federal standards for making your syllabus accessible and by posting it on Canvas. And, even if you use a syllabus quiz, take time to review key information during the first week.
Information for teaching assistants
The information above will certainly be relevant if you are a teaching assistant teaching your own course and developing your own syllabus. But if you are a teaching assistant teaching a quiz section or lab, you might not be involved in the developing the course syllabus. Nevertheless, students in your quiz section or lab might still appreciate a quiz section- or lab-specific syllabus. Revisit the Common Syllabus Components section above and consider what information would make sense to include in a quiz section- or lab-specific syllabus. Make sure to discuss the information you plan to provide in your quiz section or lab with the lead instructor or graduate program advisor before distributing it to your students.