Graduate Faculty Resources Handbook

• General
• Syllabi
• Curriculum
• Grading
• Assessment
• Personnel

Syllabus Guidelines

A course syllabus should include the following components:

1. Course Syllabus Cover Sheet
2. General Information
   • Course title
   • Course term and year
   • Course days, meeting times, and location
   • Textbooks, materials, and equipment required
   • Faculty name, phone number, email address, and office location
3. Course description for catalog—description of instructional approach/pedagogy
4. Course goals and objectives—describe what the student is expected to demonstrate as a result of taking this course
5. Theoretical framework
6. Required and recommended reading
7. Course calendar—include due dates, course topics, special guest speakers, special equipment needs, holidays, etc.
8. Major assignments and activities—include clear examples of what work will be graded (papers, portfolios, presentations, exams, etc.) and how grades will be determined.  The requirements can include the expected format for work, due dates, criteria for evaluation, exams, etc.
9. Evaluation and assessment—explain your method of determining final grades.
10. Authorization Levels  (for education courses only)—note which authorization levels are addressed in the course and where the levels are addressed.  The levels are: Early Childhood (pre-Kindergarten–4th grade), Elementary (3rd–8th grades), Middle Level (5th–9th grades), and High School (9th–12th grades).
11. Bibliography

Course Syllabus Template
A downloadable version of the information above (pdf).

Disability Services Statement for Syllabi

Faculty should consider adding the following language about student access to support services to all each course syllabus:

If you have a disability that may impact your academic performance, you may request accommodations by submitting documentation to the Student Support Services Office in the Albany Quadrangle (x7156). After you have submitted documentation and filled out paperwork there for the current semester requesting accommodations, staff in that office will notify me of the accommodations for which you are eligible.