Crafting a Syllabus

Equitable Syllabus Design Series: Topic Intro | Part 1 | Part 2

Equitable Syllabus Design Series
Part 1: 
Crafting a Syllabus

Overview

What is a syllabus?

A syllabus is an academic guide that curates basic information about a course offered at institutions of higher education. It is essential to creating interactions between course materials, the instructor(s), and students. Typically, a syllabus includes basic information like a course description, learning objectives, office hours, contact information, course schedule overview, methods of assessments, policies, and student support resources. With this information, students should know how to navigate one course and the broader university support system. 

Educational researchers stress that a syllabus can be viewed as: 

  • A first impression to a course (Gannon 2018, 2020) 
  • A learning tool for students to familiarize themselves with common practices, outcomes, expectations, etc. (Gannon 2020; Slattery & Carlson 2005) 
  • A communicative tool of classroom norms, practices, language, and conduct (Harnish & Bridges 2011) 
  • A contract and document of accountability between instructor & students (Foraciari and Lund Dean 2014; Center of Urban Education at the University of Southern California 2020) 
  • A site for transformative change and an equity tool to disrupt historical norms (Laura Zanotti, 2020, p.115) 

By reading the syllabus, the students are able to familiarize themselves with common practices, outcomes, and expectations, which help align this basic information with their individual learning goals. The syllabus is considered one of the first places for the instructor(s) to establish accountability and partnership. The syllabus also demonstrates the instructor(s)’ teaching philosophies and practices that reflect broader knowledge-making processes in higher education.  

Since a syllabus often provides a first impression to a course and the instructor, it is important to be aware of the language, rhetoric, and attitude expressed through this document (e.g., warm vs. cool tone, use of must vs. I invite/encourage you, etc.). Furthermore, the instructor needs to consistently reflect, review, and revise this document in considering situational factors that lead to potential changes in the syllabus design. Such reflection can shape the attitudes students may have towards the course, their sense of confidence, and their ability to succeed. Thus, it is important to view the syllabus beyond an introductory document for the course (D’Agostino 2022; Pacansky-Brock 2014). 

Syllabus design varies and syllabus content is mandated at the university and department levels. This guide will show what UC Davis minimally requires and some helpful suggestions for what to include to have a more holistic, transparent, and well-rounded syllabus. Section order is not rigid and can be designed by the instructor to maximize readability and clarity. Please check with your department for any departmental requirements when crafting your syllabus. 

UC Davis’ Academic Senate (Section 537) requires the following to be in a syllabus by the end of the first week of instruction: 

  1. Topical content with course outline: The course description as provided by the Registrar and an overview of topics. A course calendar outlines the weekly course topics and their accompanying readings, lectures, and assessments.  
  2. Amount and kind of work expected: The syllabus should explicitly state 1) how the students will be evaluated by describing the type of assessments and assignments that will be given throughout the quarter and 2) how much work outside lecture is expected of students. 
  3. Examination and grading procedures: The syllabus should have the final examination time and location listed as well as the course grading policy.  
  4. Notice of Academic Conduct: Reference to a university’s code of academic conduct can be written in many ways. The one below is meant as a template, but each department may have preferred language for this section: “By being enrolled in this course, each student has acknowledged and explicitly stated they are aware of, know, and will abide by, please visit UC Davis’ Academic Code of Conduct”. 
  5. Contact & Office Hours: A syllabus should contain how to get into contact with the instructor of record (IOR) and the rest of the teaching team (TAs or Readers). Contact information could include email, office location, and office hour times. 

Other sections commonly found in syllabi (although not required): 

  • Land or Territory Acknowledgements: Land or territory acknowledgements are formal statements that acknowledge the history of the land where institutions reside and conduct business. In these acknowledgements, Indigenous history and sovereignty are affirmed and respected. The Office Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at UC Davis has provided a formal land acknowledgement–one version in English and another in Spanish, please visit UC Davis’s Land Acknowledgement Statement. 
  • Accessibility Acknowledgement: An accessibility statement affirms and acknowledges diversity of learning and ability, communicate a willingness to create and accommodates students learning needs based on ability, and showcase potential resources to support students to success. To see some example statements and more context factors to consider when creating accessibility statements please visit Praxis’ Suggested Practices for Syllabus Accessibility Statements. UC Davis also has suggestions which you can visit at, Faculty Responsibilities for Providing Accommodations, for even more resources.  
  • Acknowledgement
  • This resource was developed by Daisy Underhill (Teaching Assistant Consultant, Center for Educational Effectiveness; PhD candidate in Philosophy) and Mark Hsiang-Yu Feng (Teaching Assistant Consultant, Center for Educational Effectiveness; PhD candidate in Ethnomusicology).
  • Citation
  • Center for Educational Effectiveness (CEE). (2024). Equitable Syllabus Design Series: Just-in-Time Teaching Resources. https://cee.ucdavis.edu/JITT
  • References
  • Cruz, M. (2019). An equity-centered syllabus journey. Academic Senate for California Community Colleges. https://www.asccc.org/content/equity-centered-syllabus-journey

    D’Agostino, S. (2022). For frictionless syllabus access, some professors bypass the college. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/11/11/frictionless-syllabus-access-some-bypass-college

    Davis Division Bylaws | Academic Senate. (n.d.). https://academicsenate.ucdavis.edu/bylaws-regulations/bylaws

    Fornaciari, C. J., & Dean, K. L. (2014). The 21st-century syllabus: From pedagogy to andragogy. Journal of Management Education, 38(5), 701–723.

    Gannon, K. (2018). How to create a syllabus. The Chronicle of Higher Education.

    Gannon, K. (2020). Radical hope: A teaching manifesto. Journal of Public Relations Education, 6(2), 193–199.

    Harnish, R. J., & Bridges, K. R. (2011). Effect of syllabus tone: Students’ perceptions of instructor and course. Social Psychology of Education, 14(3), 319–330.

    Pacansky-Brock, M. (2014, August 13). The liquid syllabus: Are you ready? Michelle Pacansky-Brock. https://brocansky.com/2014/08/the-liquid-syllabus-are-you-ready.html

    Roberts, M. (n.d.). The syllabus: A tool that shapes students’ academic experiences. Center for Urban Education, University of Southern California. http://cue-equitytools.usc.edu/

    Slattery, J. M., & Carlson, J. F. (2005). Preparing an effective syllabus: Current best practices. College Teaching, 53(4), 159–164.

    Wood, T., & Madden, S. (2022). Suggested practices for syllabus accessibility statements. PraxisWiki. http://praxis.technorhetoric.net/tiki-index.php?page=Suggested_Practices_for_Syllabus_Accessibility_Statements

    Zanotti, L. (2020). The inclusive syllabus project. Susan Bulkeley Butler Center for Leadership Excellence and ADVANCE Working Paper Series, 3(2), 115–126.