Syllabus Template

Final Exam Date | Required Text | Course Description | Course Requirements | Prerequisites | Learning Outcomes | Teaching Philosophy | Instructional Methods | Course Policies | eCollege | Campus Resources | Course Schedule | TCU Mission

This syllabus represents my current plans and objectives.  As we go through the semester, those plans may need to change to enhance the class learning opportunity.  Such changes, communicated clearly, are not unusual and should be expected.

Course Title and Number Here – Syllabus

(be sure it matches the title as shown on Registrar’s site)

Instructor Name:
Semester/Year:
Class location:
Class Meeting time(s):
Office:
Telephone:
Email:

Final Exam date

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Required text and additional resources

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Course Description

[from the course catalogue]

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Course Requirements

This course currently meets all or part of the following requirements for a degree: 
[check off or include as many of the following as are appropriate for your course:]

• University Curriculum Requirement (UCR)
• TCU Core Curriculum Requirement(s) (if a Core-designated course; ‡see below)
• Requirement within the Major
• Requirement for other Majors
• Supports Mission Statement

(‡Check Registrar’s site to determine if your course is designated as fulfilling one or more Core requirements; for each Core requirement it fulfills, you should have at least one Core outcome for that requirement showing as an outcome on your syllabus.  For instance, if the course is designated as meeting both Religious Traditions and Humanities Core requirements, then, at minimum, you should include one RT Core outcome and one HUM Core outcome on your syllabus.)

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Prerequisites

[What are the prerequisites and how will you build on them? You may wish to refer students to resources for correcting weaknesses that might interfere with their learning in the course]

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Learning Outcomes

[List as specifically as possible the learning outcomes the course is intended to produce. It is helpful here to think about the kinds of evidence that you will need to evaluate the students’ learning, as your objectives should drive your grading. A well stated outcome has two components: substance (content/subject matter) and form (what action must the student perform with regards to the substance--compare and contrast, evaluate, analyze, apply, etc.) If your course is a Core-designated course, at least one of the Core outcomes should appear in your syllabus as a course outcome for each Core category. For example, if your course is designated in Literary Traditions and Humanities, then you should show at least one LT Core outcome on your syllabus and at least one HUM outcome on your syllabus. Click here for additional explanation, examples, etc.]

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Teaching Philosophy

[In your statement of teaching philosophy, you should include descriptions of how you think learning occurs, how you (as teacher) will impact the students’ learning, what goals you hold for student learning, and how you believe students should participate in the learning process.]

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Instructional Methods

[It is helpful to students to understand how you have structured the course and how classes will be conducted. If the course has multiple formats (like lecture & recitation, lab and discussion, group learning projects and/or presentations), these should be explained clearly.]

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Course Policies and Requirements

[must include attendance policy, policies on late assignments and make-up exams or assignments

Grading

Course Requirements (Grading):

[Each syllabus will include details about how the student will be evaluated - what factors will be included or not included, how they will be weighted and how they will be translated into grades. In addition to this explanation, the grading scale must be included.  For example:

Final Grade Calculation (+/-):                                                      Final Grade Calculation:

(Faculty have the option of choosing +/- grading or not.  There is an option allowing +/- grades on the PeopleSoft final grade rosters. Courses at the 5000 level, which can have both graduate and undergraduate students enrolled, should include both undergraduate and graduate grading scales.  Additional grading information is available in the Undergraduate Studies Bulletin, the Graduate Studies Bulletin, and the Brite Divinity School Bulletin.

(Keep in mind, the weighting of amount of points for the different assignments and tasks you give students will have a major impact on their effort distribution. For example, if you have many homework assignments and/or quizzes, but not any one of them will count significantly toward the final grade, students may invest less time and commitment to doing them. If a certain percentage of the students’ grades is based on class participation, what criteria will be used to make that assessment: quantity or quality? If quality, what determines quality?  Publishing your rubrics for how you determine student performance on an assignment is advisable (though you may not want to put rubrics for all assignments in the syllabus).]

Sample Threaded Discussions Rubric

Attendance

[The university attendance policy states that regular and punctual class attendance is essential and that no assigned work is excused because of absence, no matter what the cause. Records of class attendance are kept by faculty. When an accumulation of absences reaches the point of endangering a student’s academic status, the faculty member should report this situation to the Campus Life Office. An instructor should not assume that continued absence from class indicates an official withdrawal until notified by the Registrar (TCU Faculty Handbook). Your attendance policy should be stated clearly in this section. You may also want to include information about withdrawal from a course.]

Statement of Disability Services at TCU

Disabilities Statement : Texas Christian University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 regarding students with disabilities.  Eligible students seeking accommodations should contact the Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities in the Center for Academic Services located in Sadler Hall, 11.  Accommodations are not retroactive, therefore, students should contact the Coordinator as soon as possible in the term for which they are seeking accommodations. Further information can be obtained from the Center for Academic Services, TCU Box 297710, Fort Worth, TX 76129, or at (817) 257-7486.
                                
[Note:  The following two paragraphs may be included, but are not required.]

Adequate time must be allowed to arrange accommodations and accommodations are not retroactive; therefore, students should contact the Coordinator as soon as possible in the academic term for which they are seeking accommodations.  Each eligible student is responsible for presenting relevant, verifiable, professional documentation and/or assessment reports to the Coordinator.  Guidelines for documentation may be found at http://www.acs.tcu.edu/DISABILITY.HTM.

Students with emergency medical information or needing special arrangements in case a building must be evacuated should discuss this information with their instructor/professor as soon as possible.

Academic Misconduct:

**Academic Misconduct (Sec. 3.4 from the Student Handbook) –Any act that violates the academic integrity of the institution is considered academic misconduct. The procedures used to resolve suspected acts of academic misconduct are available in the offices of Academic Deans and the Office of Campus Life and are listed in detail in the Undergraduate Catalog (Student Policies>Academic Conduct Policy Details; http://catalog.tcu.edu/undergraduate/). Specific examples include, but are not limited to:

• Cheating: Copying from another student’s test paper, laboratory report, other report, or computer files and listings; using, during any academic exercise, material and/or devices not authorized by the person in charge of the test; collaborating with or seeking aid from another student during a test or laboratory without permission; knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in its entirety or in part, the contents of a test or other assignment unauthorized for release; substituting for another student or permitting another student to substitute for oneself.
• Plagiarism: The appropriation, theft, purchase or obtaining by any means another’s work, and the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of that work as one’s own offered for credit. Appropriation includes the quoting or paraphrasing of another’s work without giving credit therefor. 
• Collusion: The unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing work offered for credit.

Netiquette: Communication Courtesy Code

All members of the class are expected to follow rules of common courtesy in all email messages, threaded discussions and chats.  If I deem any of them to be inappropriate or offensive, I will forward the message to the Chair of the department and the online administrators and appropriate action will be taken, not excluding expulsion from the course. The same rules apply online as they do in person.  Be respectful of other students.  Foul discourse will not be tolerated.  Please take a moment and read the following link concerning "netiquette".

http://www.albion.com/netiquette/

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eCollege

• If you have not yet taken the Student Tutorial, please exit this course and do so immediately.  Once you have finished, return to this course and continue.  The Student tutorial is listed on your personal student homepage.  To access it, click on "Exit Course" at the bottom of this page.  Then click on the "Student Tutorial" on your home page.  Follow the instructions.  Good luck! 
• If you experience any technical problems during your usage of this online course, please do not hesitate to contact the HELP DESK (at eCollege).  They can be reached by phone or by email 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

email: helpdesk@tcuglobal.com  phone: 1-800-826-1665

For questions about logging into eCollege visit the online video: http://www.elearning.tcu.edu/resources/howtologinvideo/howtologinvideo.asp

If, however, you have a course related issue (course content, assignment troubles, quiz difficulties) please contact the professor in the "Virtual Office" or during office hours by phone or by email.

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TCU Campus Resources for Students

**TCU Campus Resources for Students: Many resources exist on the TCU campus that may be helpful to students: Mary Couts Burnet Library (257-7117); Center for Academic Services (257-7486, Sadler Hall. 11); the William L. Adams Writing Center (257-7221, Rickel Bldg. 244); Student Development Services (257-7855, BLUU 2003); and Office of Religious & Spiritual Life (257-7830, Jarvis Hall).

**Email Notification: Only the official TCU student email address will be used for all course notification. It is your responsibility to check your TCU email on a regular basis.

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Course Schedule

[number and dates of exams must be included]

**the specific day-to-day or week-to-week schedule is not required, but it is encouraged

Etc.

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TCU Mission

To educate individuals to think and act as ethical leaders and responsible citizens in the global community

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