[Insert Course Number] Syllabus

Option 1: If you decide to use this syllabus template, please follow these steps:

1. Download this syllabus page in Word format 
2. Update and Save the downloaded Word syllabus.
   
3. Use the Assignment Tool to add your graded/non-graded assignments with due dates. Your assignments will be displayed in the Course Summary section of this page, as well as on the Student Calendar and the To-Do List.
4. Copy and Paste your downloaded Word syllabus content in this page (use the Rich Content Editor).
   Note: this will result in losing the Page's formatting. If you wish to maintain the formatting of this Page, you can manually edit this page and/or copy and paste your content under each subsection. 
5. Upload and link your downloaded Word syllabus here: [Course Title] Syllabus to Preview/Download 
6. Select Update Syllabus.

 

Option 2: If you prefer to use your own syllabus, please follow these steps:

1. Open your own syllabus, Word version.
2. Copy/paste content from your syllabus onto this page.
   
3. Use the Assignment Tool to add your graded/non-graded assignments with Due Dates. Your assignments will be displayed in the Course Summary section of this page, as well as on the Student Calendar and on the To-Do-List.
   
4. Upload and link your own Word syllabus here: [Course Title] Syllabus to Preview/Download.
5. Select Update Syllabus.

[Note: If you upload your own syllabus, consider using some of our recommendations for integrating student feedback surveys and adding an expectations statement, and please look for many other student-centered suggestions.]

 

Course Information

• Course title, number, section
• Days, times, location
• Semester and year
• Instructor(s)

 

Course Description

Catalog Description: 

[Replace this text with your course's catalog description.]

Your Course Description:

[Replace this text with your own "informal" description of the course.]

Entry-level Requirements:

[Replace this text with any prerequisites applicable for your course.]

 

Required Materials

Required Textbook:

[Consider using free Open Educational Resources (Links to an external site.) (OER) as an alternative to textbooks.]

• [Title, Author, Year & Edition, ISBN, Link]

Other Required Materials (Ex. Software):

• [Title, Author, Year, Link]
• [Title, Author, Year, Link]

Recommended Materials (Optional):

• [Title, Author, Link]
• [Title, Author, Link]

 

Course Learning Outcomes

[Add your course learning outcomes. Course learning outcomes describe what your students will be able to do after completing the course.] 

• Learning Outcome 1  [Text]
• Learning Outcome 2  [Text]
• Learning Outcome 3  [Text]
• Learning Outcome 4  [Text]
• Learning Outcome 5  [Text]

Writing Good Learning Outcomes

 

Student Feedback

[Use these forms to gather feedback from your students. You can customize the weekly feedback and mid-semester feedback forms to your course needs and schedule.]

• Weekly Feedback Survey [see an example under Quizzes]
• Mid-Semester Feedback Survey
• Student Opinion Survey

 

Expectations

What you can expect from me, as your instructor:

• I will ensure the accuracy of the course content.
• I will provide clear guidelines on the course assignments.
• I will be available to answer your questions and provide meaningful feedback in a timely manner.
• I will do my best to create a worthwhile learning experience for all of my students.
• I will follow fair and clear evaluation guidelines for all the course assignments.
• I will do my best to prepare you for exams and assignments.

 

What I expect from you, as my student:

• You will attend all classes unless you have a valid reason to miss the class.
• You will spend an average of three (3) hours of studying and preparation for each week.
• You will complete all course readings and assignments in a timely manner.
• You will participate in in-class and after-class discussions in a respectful and thoughtful way. 
• You will follow the ODU honor pledge.
• You will do your best to succeed in this class.

 

Course Schedule

[Add Table/Chart showing week, class meeting days, dates, topics, assignments, and due dates. Providing a detailed course schedule allows your students to understand the course topics, time commitment, and deadlines for completing their assignments.]

This schedule is tentative, and it may change during the semester. The content is subject to change as well, depending on students' interests and progress.

Course Schedule

Week	Date	Topics	Assignments	Due Date
Week 1	Text	Text	Text	Text
Week 2	Text	Text	Text	Text
Week 3	Text	Text	Text	Text

 

Grading Criteria

[Edit as needed, or remove if using total points:]

Grading Criteria

In this course, I will calculate your final grade based on the following categories:
Criteria	Percentage
Attendance and Participation	25%
Homework (10)	25%
Exams (3)	25%
Special Projects (2)	25%

 

[Edit as needed to match your or your department's preferred scale:]

Grading Scale

Letter grades are based on the following percentage scale:
Percentage	Letter Grade
94-100 =	A
90-93 =	A-
88-89 =	B+
84-87 =	B
80-83 =	B-
78-79 =	C+
74-78 =	C
70-73 =	C-
68-69 =	D+
64-68 =	D
<64 =	F

Note: A grade of "I" indicates assigned work yet to be completed in each course or absence from the final examination. It is assigned only upon instructor approval of a student request.  The "I" grade can be given only in exceptional circumstances beyond the student's control, such as illness.  In these cases, the student is responsible for notifying the faculty member. The "I" grade becomes an "F" if not removed by the last day of classes of the following term (excluding the exam period) according to the following schedule: "I" grades from the fall semester become "F," if not removed by the last day of classes of the spring semester; "I" grades from the spring and summer sessions become "F" if not removed by the last day of classes of the fall semester.  An "I" grade may not be changed to a "W" under any circumstances.

 

Course Policies

Attendance and Participation:

Per university policy, students are expected to attend class. Students missing more than 15% of class meetings may be failed. Therefore, students who miss more than two class meetings are subject to automatic failure.

Late/Make-up Work Policy:

[Add your late/make-up work policy: conditions and criteria.]

Course Disclaimer:

The course schedule and activities are subject to change. Changes will be posted as Announcements in Canvas.

 

University Policies

 Standards of Classroom Behavior

The primary responsibility for managing the classroom environment rests with the faculty. Students who engage in any prohibited acts that result in disruption of a class may be directed by the faculty member to leave the class for the remainder of the class period. Longer separations from a class must be preceded by a conduct conference or hearing as outlined in Section V of the Code of Student Conduct.

A student dismissed from class may be required to meet with a Department Chair, Program Director, the faculty member or the Director of Student Conduct & Academic Integrity, or designee, before the student is permitted to return to the class from which the student was directed to leave. 

Cultural Diversity 

Old Dominion University fosters a campus community that values and supports the cultural identities of each of our members.  The University also fosters an inclusive environment and provides programs that cultivate a climate of awareness, understanding, and respect of diverse individuals and groups. [Source: Adapted from The Office of Intercultural Relations]

Academic Integrity

The Office of Student Conduct & Academic Integrity (OSCAI) oversees the administration of the student conduct system, as outlined in the Code of Student Conduct. Through their interactions with students, they attempt to foster a climate of personal and academic integrity that facilitates the success of all University community members. For more information, please visit the Honor Council online at The Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity. 

Honor Pledge

"I pledge to support the honor system of Old Dominion University. I will refrain from any form of academic dishonesty or deception, such as cheating or plagiarism. I am aware that as a member of the academic community, it is my responsibility to turn in all suspected violators of the honor system. I will report to Honor Council hearings if summoned." By attending Old Dominion University, you have accepted the responsibility to abide by this code. This is an institutional policy approved by the Board of Visitors.

Educational Accessibility and Accommodations

Old Dominion University is committed to ensuring equal access to all qualified students with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Office of Educational Accessibility (OEA) is the campus office that works with students who have disabilities to provide and/or arrange reasonable accommodations.

If you experience a disability that will impact your ability to access any aspect of my class, please present me with an accommodation letter from OEA so that we can work together to ensure that appropriate accommodations are available to you.

If you feel that you will experience barriers to your ability to learn or take tests in my class but do not have an accommodation letter, please consider scheduling an appointment with OEA to determine if academic accommodations are necessary.

The Office of Educational Accessibility is located at 1021 Student Success Center, and the phone number is 757-683-4655. Additional information is available on the OEA website: The Office of Educational Accessibility. 

University Email Policy

The Old Dominion University email system is the official electronic mail system for distributing course-related communications, policies, announcements, and other information. In addition, the University email user ID and password are necessary for authentication and access to numerous electronic resources (online courses, faculty webpages, etc.). For more information about student email, please visit Student Computing. 

Withdrawal

A syllabus constitutes an agreement between the student and the course instructor about course requirements. Participation in this course indicates your acceptance of its teaching focus, requirements, and policies. Please review the syllabus and the course requirements as soon as possible. If you believe that the nature of this course does not meet your interests, needs or expectations, if you are not prepared for the amount of work involved – or if you anticipate that the class meetings, assignment deadlines or abiding by the course policies will constitute an unacceptable hardship for you – you should drop the class by the drop/add deadline, which is listed in the ODU Schedule of Classes. For more information, please visit the Office of the University Registrar.

Privacy of Student Information

[If you plan to record and re-use student activities, you must notify your students in advance in the syllabus.]

• Privacy of Student Information

[The Course Summary shows assignments created in the Assignment tool. To list your assignments in chronological order, remember to add due dates to your assignments.]