Recommended Syllabus Components: What Do Higher Education Faculty Include in Their Syllabi?
Abstract
Syllabus use in higher education instruction is ubiquitous, yet what actually constitutes a syllabus remains unclear. The authors assessed the contents of 1000 syllabi, sampled from the Internet, based on 26 criteria determined from a literature review of recommended syllabus components. Syllabi contents were assessed according to four categories: professor information, course information, grading information, and policy information. In addition, each syllabus was categorized by content area domain and academic level. An analysis of the contents of the syllabi demonstrated that the most frequently included syllabus components were course name, course number, professor name, and course texts, and that the least frequently included syllabus components comprised almost entirely policies--specifically, honor code policy, disability policy, missed work policy, late work policy, and student support services. Analyses based on content area domain and academic level demonstrated little systematic variance. Overall, faculty tended to include more professor information, course information, and grading information, than policy information. These findings provide evidence for the need to include greater policy information--honor code, disability, technology, attendance, and student support policies--on syllabi to better inform students.
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