Use the course description to provide a brief introduction to the course and clarify the broad appeal of your course to students. Think about why your course might be broadly appealing or relevant to a student's future education, career, goals, or personal growth. Some instructors do this by beginning their course descriptions with major themes or big questions (Bain, 2004).

Learning goals are the intended purposes and desired achievements of a particular course, which generally identify the knowledge, skills, and capacities you hope a student will achieve. All Brown syllabi must identify goals that are in alignment with the in- and out-of-class learning activities required of the class.

All Brown syllabi must identify all work required or recommended of students in class (e.g., lecture, lab, discussion, studio work) and out-of-class (e.g., reading, problem sets, research project, papers, field trip, artistic or creative work), with a reasonable estimation of time needed to complete them. Time estimated to complete activities and assessments should total at least 180 hours over the term for a full-credit course.

Possible approaches to estimating this time include:

• Making a reasonable estimate yourself. Rice University's Center for Teaching Excellence has compiled a research-based estimator for reading- and writing-related assignments, which can serve as a useful starting point for some classes.
• Completing the task (e.g., reading a journal article) yourself and assuming that students will require 3-4 times as long to complete it (Carnegie Mellon's Eberly Center for Teaching and Learning).
• Gathering feedback from students on how long it takes them to complete various components of the course.

Fully Online courses must meet the following criteria, per the U.S. Department of Education’s guidelines for distance education issued in July 2021:

1. The syllabus should identify regular opportunities during the term for students to engage in two or more substantive interaction activities, initiated by instructors, drawn from this list:

• Direct instruction (e.g., synchronous Zoom lectures or discussions)
• Assessment with feedback that is provided by the course instructional team (e.g., papers, projects, tests, quizzes, or homework)
• Opportunities for students to ask questions (e.g., regularly scheduled office hours, invitation in a syllabus to email questions with noted response time)
• Group discussions (e.g., Canvas, synchronous)

[For examples, please see Professor Beth Taylor's syllabus for "The Thoughtful Generalist Online" (linked above). This class has 4 essays with required drafts (item 2), several required conferences (item 3), and several scheduled Canvas discussions (item 4).]

2. The syllabus should identify at least one way that instructors are attuned to student participation and performance, and support is offered when needed. Although possible demonstrations could go beyond this list, common examples include:

• Participation in synchronous class sessions is detailed, including how a student might get midway feedback about their performance
• Student activity on course websites or materials is noted (e.g., weekly discussion posts), including how a student might get periodic feedback about their performance
• Instructors evaluate and give feedback on assignments and assessments
• For fully asynchronous courses, the syllabus would note a schedule where an instructor would check in with a student to discuss progress in the course

[For examples, please see Professor Beth Taylor's syllabus for "The Thoughtful Generalist Online". The syllabus notes, “Regular attendance and active contribution to discussions and revision workshops are required, and will count significantly toward a satisfactory final grade.” The course has several required conferences to give feedback (item 2). The course has four essays with required drafts (item 3), and the course has several required conferences (item 4).]

Instructors may also wish to include additional content on syllabi to address emergent issues impacting the Brown classroom. These statements, which may vary term-to-term, can help set expectations for students. Inclusion of any of these statements is completely at the discretion of an individual instructor.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI)

This Sheridan Center newsletter includes sample syllabus statements to guide students in their use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT. For additional examples of non-Brown syllabus statements, please also see Classroom Policies for AI Generative Tools. Examples here include statements that restrict students' generative AI use (see, for example, Example 11 from Salem State University), those that allow use of these tools with clear guidelines (e.g., Example 54 from University of Maine), and those that require its use (e.g., Example 16 from Clemson University). 

Class Recording and Distribution of Materials

I would like to record our discussion because some students may be in different time zones, have poor internet connections, or have health issues. This means that we will record all classes to make them available to all students that are enrolled but cannot be present. If you have questions or concerns about this protocol, please contact me so that we can talk through those to also ensure your full participation in this course. Lectures and other course materials are copyrighted. Students are prohibited from reproducing, making copies, publicly displaying, selling, or otherwise distributing the recordings or transcripts of the materials. The only exception is that students with disabilities may have the right to record for their private use if that method is determined to be a reasonable accommodation by Student Accessibility Services. Disregard of the University's copyright policy and federal copyright law is a Student Code of Conduct violation.

Use of Technology to Support Student Learning in Your Course

This course will use the following technological platforms: [e.g., Google Drive, Canvas, Top Hat]. I am committed to ensuring access to online course resources by students. If you have any concerns or questions about access or the privacy of any of these platforms, please reach out to me. The IT Service Center provides many IT Services including remote assistance, phones, tickets, and chat.

In the Event of a Disruption to Class

In the event of a significant disruption,  I will provide instructions about how course elements might change to continue to support the class’s learning objectives. Necessary changes to ensure continuity might include, for instance, assessments, grading, modality of instruction, course personnel, online help, and office hours. In the case of these modifications, I will upload a new syllabus or announcement about the changes on Canvas. Please also check [email/Canvas/other course notification system] for timely notice about necessary changes to course elements. Be assured that these changes are being made to continue your learning as a priority.

All Brown syllabi should include the following statement, to enable all students' full participation in your class:

Accessibility and Accommodations Statement 

Brown University is committed to full inclusion of all students. Please inform me early in the term if you may require accommodations or modification of any of course procedures. You may speak with me after class, during office hours, or by appointment. If you need accommodations around online learning or in classroom accommodations, please be sure to reach out to Student Accessibility Services (SAS) for their assistance (sas@brown.edu, 401-863-9588). Undergraduates in need of short-term academic advice or support can contact an academic dean in the College by emailing college@brown.edu. Graduate students may contact one of the deans in the Graduate School by emailing graduate_school@brown.edu.

You may wish to list other Brown learning support resources, to support the diversity of student learners in your class. Student Support Services Deans can be a helpful resource to discuss personal, family or health-related concerns, as well as a potential academic and personal plan. They are available for same-day consult and/or scheduled appointment. 

Additional resources

Some instructors add diversity and inclusion statements to create an invitational tone, signal that difference in intellectual exchange is valued, or communicate awareness of current campus conversations surrounding diversity.

Syllabus Statement Examples

Instructors may also choose to include an optional statement specifically aimed at inclusion for International and Multilingual Students:

Multilingual Students

“Brown welcomes students from around the country and the world, and their unique perspectives enrich our learning community. To support students whose primary language is not English, an array of  English support services are available on campus including language and culture workshops and individual appointments. For more information, contact english-support@brown.edu or (401) 863-5672.”

• Syllabi must list the estimated cost of required learning resources (per the federal Higher Education Opportunity Act).
• For undergraduate course syllabi, optional language to address concerns about expenses is the following:

Books, Supplies and Materials

If your Brown undergraduate financial aid package includes the Book/Course Material Support Pilot Program (BCMS), concerns or questions about the cost of books and course materials for this or any other Brown course (including RISD courses via cross-registration) can be addressed to bcms@brown.edu. For all other concerns related to non-tuition course-related expenses, whether or not your Brown undergraduate financial aid package includes BCMS, please visit the Academic Emergency Fund in E-GAP (within the umbrella of "E-Gap Funds" in UFunds) to determine options for financing these costs, while ensuring your privacy.

Optional syllabus statements include the following:

Class Recording and Distribution of Course Materials

I would like to record our discussion because some students may be in different time zones, have poor internet connections, or have health issues. This means that we will record all classes to make them available to all students that are enrolled but cannot be present. If you have questions or concerns about this protocol, please contact me so that we can talk through those to also ensure your full participation in this course.

Lectures and other course materials are copyrighted. Students are prohibited from reproducing, making copies, publicly displaying, selling, or otherwise distributing the recordings or transcripts of the materials. The only exception is that students with disabilities may have the right to record for their private use if that method is determined to be a reasonable accommodation by Student Accessibility Services. Disregard of the University's copyright policy and federal copyright law is a Student Code of Conduct violation.

Use of Technology to Support Your Learning in This Course

This course will use the following technological platforms: [Google Drive, Canvas, Ed Discussions, etc.].
I am committed to ensuring access to online course resources by students. If you have any concerns or questions about access or the privacy of any of these platforms, please reach out to me.

The IT Service Center provides many IT Services including remote assistance, phones, tickets, and chat.