Welcome to another semester. We at HSJMC of course want to help you with all your teaching needs, from keys to email to room assignments to instructional advice, Canvas training or copy access. Whatever you desire or need.
And, of course, there's always this request we send every semester in an email:
Please paste the accompanying massive block of boilerplate text as an appendix to your syllabi.
Thank you.
Syllabi have become pretty long and complicated, it's true. By the time you finish detailing the course's descriptions, competency expectations, competency goals, textbooks, grading standards, schedule and long list of policy statements, it's not unusual for a syllabus to be more than 10 pages, and often too long for students to absorb fully. (As a side note, last semester I wrote about Professor Kathy Hansen's habit of creating a syllabus quiz to help students master the details of it, which is a great strategy to review.)
The syllabus is a contract
It's obviously critical for faculty to take syllabi seriously as a contract with students. So paying attention to the details of what's in a syllabus is important. Students might not pay attention to a syllabus' details on deadlines or file name requirements, but they are quick to point out when something in it -- especially something not stated clearly -- disadvantages them.
To avoid problems, put all your policies in writing. The boilerplate material is no exception.
Yet some adjunct instructors who don't teach every semester are confused by updates in university policy or whether they can amend some parts of the boilerplate to mesh with their classroom style. Frankly, the boilerplate seems like a giant tangle of something vaguely important trailing after all the main stuff you tell students.
Fair enough. That's why I thought it might be fun -- well, useful -- to unpack the boilerplate to give a little context before you begin teaching.
Why so much information about grades?
It's probably not surprising that grades are of great interest to students. Using the syllabus to spell out the details of how you grade will NOT be a waste of paper, I assure you. In general, you should:
- Reinforce the university's grade policy, which governs faculty decisions but leaves the details, such as what constitutes outstanding, to your discretion.
- Add specifics about your point calculations that relate to your course
- Detail how you calculate plus or minus grades, which are not specified in the university's policy. (For example, I tell students I calculate minus grades within each letter grade from .00 to 3.5; and plus grades from 7.5 to .99. I also tell them that, as a rule, I don’t round up. You are free to decide whatever you wish or to not give minus or plus grades at all. Just tell them what you do.)
What if I want to let them use laptops?
You'll notice statements banning laptops and mobile devices from classes. Those are to discourage technology disruptions, which are increasingly a problem in classroom environments. (See my conversation last semester with Assistant Professor Amy O'Connor on the subject.)
But if you want to allow students to use those devices in your class, you are free to change those policies. Just be thoughtful about the impact of technology on other students as well as the learning environment. There's no one solution for every class.
What policy statements aren't optional...and why?
Good question. It's very important every syllabus include the university policy statements on the following (and here's why, with some links that might help you understand how to understand them):
- Academic freedom and responsibility: This sets the groundwork for open, civil discussions in your classroom.
- Student conduct code and definitions: This establishes the students' responsibilities to act in compliance with the Student Conduct Code.
- Grades (we've mentioned this, so nuff said)
- Extra credit: This makes sure they know you won't secretly offer extra points to one without offering the opportunity to all.
- Attendance and excused absences: This outlines when they can expect makeup work for legitimate absences -- a policy that was changed last spring to include one "single-episode medical absence" that does not require a note but is eligible for makeup work.
- Adviser access to Moodle/Canvas gradebook: This tells them we will be tracking Moodle or Canvas grade book to assist students who fall behind.
- Disabilities: This is an important statement about access to accommodations, which you may receive for mental health or other disability reasons. Read my earlier post about how to handle those.
- Student mental health and stress management: This is a university policy to urge students to seek referral for stress and mental health concerns.
- Sexual harassment: This is a university policy statement notifying students where they can relay concerns about harassment.
- Equity, diversity, equal opportunity, affirmative action: This is notifying students about the university's policy of inclusiveness and equal access.
- Email protocol: This is a reminder that students must communicate with faculty only via the official university email account.
Why so much on HSJMC writing expectations?
Our school has spent a great deal of time as part of the university's Writing-Enriched Curriculum program thinking about our writing expectations for our students. Those statements are a product of that process. In other words, this is truly what we value and what we expect students to understand about writing in our program.
The statements should be in every syllabus so students understand how seriously we view these expectations. We also want our instructors to use those expectations to teach and grade writing assignments.
Why the strict syllabus format?
Finally, you might wonder: What's the big deal with putting this in a format? Why can't I create a graphic novel depicting my class? Or just write a few sentences in haiku telling students the essence of what they'll learn.
The truth is that such approaches may indeed enlighten students about your class. However, the university has a syllabus policy. And we must follow it. For further information, you may read the policy here.
Whatever you do with your syllabus, be sure it's a clear contract with your students. And if you find you need to clarify something once the semester begins, don't worry about making additions or corrections, as long as you put it in writing and it doesn't disadvantage the students.
The point is to be transparent and fair.
If you have a question or a comment for ProActive Teaching, please post one below or email me at ggolden@umn.edu. I'll be back at you soon.
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