Records Retention:
Copies of syllabi for all classes should be submitted to the Associate Dean's Office electronically via email (white.1291@osu.edu or sanders.102@osu.edu). Our records retention policy requires us to keep syllabi for six years beyond the current year and these records are particularly valuable to former students who have transferred to other institutions. Part-Time faculty should submit their syllabi at the beginning of each quarter. Full-time faculty may submit their syllabi as part of the annual review process. Please submit a syllabus for each class you teach. If you are instructor for multiple sections of the same course, we need a syllabus for each section.
Syllabus Design:
A well-designed syllabus can eliminate many student misunderstandings about your expectations for performance in the course. Syllabi are required for every course, including independent studies. The following items should be included in your syllabus as appropriate to your learning environment (e.g., lecture, seminar, laboratory, clinic, studio, field, or independent study):
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Instructor information and resources including office address, phone number, office hours, research assistants, and tutoring availability
Any student suspected of engaging in academic misconduct as set forth in section 3335-23-02 of the Code of Student Conduct will be reported to the Committee on Academic Misconduct. Academic misconduct is defined in the code as “any activity that tends to compromise the academic integrity of the university, or subvert the educational process.” Examples include but are not limited to violation of course rules, submitting plagiarized work, knowingly providing or receiving information during exams or quizzes, and other such acts of academic dishonesty.
- Accommodation statement (Required):
If you need accommodations due to a disability, you must first register with the Office for Disability Services (ODS) at 226 Warner Center, ext. 441. After you receive your authorized accommodation from ODS, you should show me your access plan and discuss your needs with me. Ideally, we should meet within the first week of class.
Faculty may wish to add statements about available learning support services including the Learning Skills Specialist, Math Center, Tutoring Center and Writer's Studio. Following is a description of the services available from the Tutoring Center which you are encouraged to add to your syllabus:
Weekly one-on-one tutoring is available through the Tutoring Center, in the John L. and Christine Warner Library and Student Center, Room 211. Students work together to learn concepts, study for tests, plan projects, complete assignments and generally figure out how to make the most of the classroom experience. Students requesting tutors select which hours are most conveneint for them. Requests can be made for tutoring in any subject. Assignments are made on a first-come first-served basis according to tutor availability. Two hours a week are scheduled for each class. Online tutoring is also available 24/7. Tutoring is FREE to all students. For more information, please visit the Tutoring Center webpage at http://www.newark.osu.edu/studentlife/tutoring/Pages/index.aspx or call (740) 366-9168.
o components of the final grade
o weights of various grades
o any relationship of class participation and attendance to the final grade
o grading criteria
o other information relevant to the evaluation process
o Attendance (excused absences, late work, group work, requests for extensions, missed exams, make-up exams)
o Materials allowed during examinations
o Retention of materials submitted to meet course requirements
New Syllabus Requirements for GEC Courses
The ASC Committee on Curriculum and Instruction Sub-Committee on Assessment now requires that all syllabi for courses that have been approved for GEC status include the goals and objectives for the category or categories a particular course fulfills, and a brief statement as to how the course meets those objectives.
Links to the GEC-category learning goals and objectives articulated for purposes of assessment are provided below. Individual instructors may choose how best to present this information in their syllabi. For example, the objectives could be stated verbatim, or they could be incorporated within other course objectives. If the latter approach is used, the specific objectives for the GEC must be clearly identifiable to students.
If you are unsure about whether or not your department has additional requirements, please contact the chair of your department’s undergraduate studies committee to find out. For additional information please see the following:
Arts and Sciences Curriculum and Assessment Services: http://asccas.osu.edu/assessment/gec
Arts and Sciences Advising and Academic Services (Student Access to GEC requirements): http://ascadvising.osu.edu/gec
Additional information on development of a course syllabus may be obtained from the University Center for the Advancement of Teaching (UCAT): http://ucat.osu.edu/