Syllabus Requirements and Guidance

Effective Date

ACC approved May 9, 2023

Syllabus Requirement for Curricular Review

One or more syllabi (PDF format preferred) are required with:

  • New course requests (including temporary course requests)
  • Any proposal for a course with an existing or newly requested GUR attribute
  • Course revisions when one or more of the following is present:
    • Change in credits
    • Change in modality
    • Significant change in content, regardless of what aspect of the Catalog listing is being changed (for example, a syllabus should be attached if a revised title, description, or schedule type is representative of a significant change in course content)

For ACC review, the syllabus must include:

  • Course number, course title, and number of credits
  • Number and length of weekly meetings (if applicable)
  • Course description
  • Course goals/learning objectives
  • A link to the "Syllabi Policies for Students" webpage (syllabi.wwu.edu). This link provides up-to-date information about legal obligations and university policy. Sample language is provided at the end of this document
  • A weekly agenda with important due dates, assignments, and field trips (may be subject to change, but should be of a similar level of detail to the final version). An agenda is defined as an estimate of material to be covered each week, including readings if known, as well as important due dates.
  • An account of work consistent with the credit hour definition of 3 hours total of work and class time per week per credit. For additional information and examples, please refer to the Credit Hour Policy and associated guidance. Particular attention to thorough accounting of substantive interaction is needed for online courses that to not have set meeting times.
  • In the case of hybrid modality courses, the syllabus should include information about which sessions are face-to-face and which sessions or content are planned for delivery in alternative modalities.
  • In the case of course revisions requiring a syllabus, a copy of both a new and the most recent past syllabus should be included. In the case of modality changes, a copy of the syllabus for each approved and requested modality should be attached.
  • The syllabus of any GUR course must cite the course’s GUR status and attribute and include the literacies rosette graphic with a brief explanation for students of how the course speaks to the selected knowledge and practice literacies.

Syllabus Guidance and Recommendations

The following elements are not required for ACC review but are recommended in the final version provided to students. ACC may comment on recommended elements, but their absence will not cause a proposal to be rejected. This and other syllabus guidance is also provided in the teaching handbook.

  • Current year and quarter
  • Instructor name, office location, office hours
  • Instructor contact information
  • Title and author(s) of textbook(s), other required materials
  • Departmental goals/learning objectives
  • Grading standards, including a definition of S/U, P/NP grading options
  • Description of other required activities (e.g. field trips, research projects)
  • Flexibility Statement such as "This syllabus is subject to change. Changes, if any, will be announced in class or online. Students will be held responsible for all changes."
  • A complete schedule of topics and readings.
  • A summary of consequences for violations of the WWU Academic Honesty Policy.

Sample Language for Syllabi

Important policies for students regarding Academic Honesty, Accommodations, Ethical Conduct with WWU Network and Computing Resources, Finals, Medical Excuse Policy, and Student Conduct Code are available at the Syllabi Policies for Students.