From: Amelia Rey-Shannon Subject: Operational: Course Syllabus Requirement Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2012 15:57:22 +0000 To: "GroupMail distribution: A99983FF1B7A281CDB": ; -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- M E M O R A N D U M TO: All Instructional Faculty FROM: Gretchen Ritter, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Faculty Governance DATE: August 3, 2012 SUBJECT: Requirement to Provide a Course Syllabus by First Meeting Day of All Classes In accordance with university policy and state law, all instructors of undergraduate courses are required to provide a syllabus to their students by the first day of class. The course syllabus must also be made available on the university's website. This memorandum specifies the University's policy on providing and posting course syllabi. The syllabus MUST contain the following items: The course number and title The instructor's name, office location, and office hours If there are teaching assistants for the class, their names, office locations, and office hours An overview of the class, including prerequisites, the subject matter of each lecture or discussion, as well as the academic/learning goals for the course and how they will be assessed Grading policy, including the means of evaluation and assignment of course grades, including whether plus and minus grades will be used for final course grades (please note that the university uses the plus minus grading scale for recording the final grades in all undergraduate classes, but instructors are permitted to make their own determination of whether to assign plus and minus final grades) A brief descriptive overview of all major course requirements and assignments, along with the dates of exams and assignments that count for 20 percent or more of the class grade A list of required and recommended materials, such as textbooks, image collections, audio and audiovisual materials, supplies, articles, chapters, and excerpts as appropriate, identified by author, title and publisher. Final exam date and time (when available) The class web site, if any A notice that students with disabilities may request appropriate academic accommodations from the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities, 512-471-6259, http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd/ * Listing of office locations and hours for TAs should NOT be included on the publicly posted version of the syllabus, since this may be a violation of FERPA. * Instructor's office location and hours is not required on the publicly posted version of the syllabus. Recommended Materials: In addition, we recommend that faculty include the following information on their course syllabi: A notice regarding academic dishonesty. UT Honor Code (or statement of ethics) and an explanation or example of what constitutes plagiarism (Link to University Honor Code: http://registrar.utexas.edu/catalogs/gi09-10/ch01/index.html) A notice regarding accommodations for religious holidays. (Sample statement -"By UT Austin policy, you must notify me of your pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, you will be given an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence.") The following recommendations regarding emergency evacuation from the Office of Campus Safety and Security, 512-471-5767, http://www.utexas.edu/safety/ : Occupants of buildings on The University of Texas at Austin campus are required to evacuate buildings when a fire alarm is activated. Alarm activation or announcement requires exiting and assembling outside. Familiarize yourself with all exit doors of each classroom and building you may occupy. Remember that the nearest exit door may not be the one you used when entering the building. Students requiring assistance in evacuation shall inform their instructor in writing during the first week of class. In the event of an evacuation, follow the instruction of faculty or class instructors. Do not re-enter a building unless given instructions by the following: Austin Fire Department, The University of Texas at Austin Police Department, or Fire Prevention Services office. Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL): 512-232-5050 Link to information regarding emergency evacuation routes and emergency procedures can be found at: www.utexas.edu/emergency For additional suggested templates and guidance on writing an effective syllabus, please see: http://ctl.utexas.edu/teaching-resources/design-your-course/create-your-syllabus/ Posting Syllabi Additionally, instructors need to provide a copy of their syllabus for each organized course (or section thereof) they teach to their home department or office (and any cross-listing departments or centers) by the first day of class. All class syllabi for undergraduate courses should be provided in electronic form in a PDF file format (created from a word processing package such as MS Word - the PDF should NOT be created from a scanned image or fax). These PDF syllabi will be posted to the respective class via the Registrar's Office Class Manager System or Information Management and Analysis' FaSET System by the seventh day after the first class day. Syllabi must be submitted not only for all undergraduate classroom courses but also for each section of multiple section courses. If you have any questions about this policy memorandum, please contact Amelia Rey-Shannon, 512-232-3312. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.1 (FreeBSD) iQCVAwUBUBv05JVDMk6jFuzBAQGGKQP/VvVLWrtx2LX1NIyA1gGV+7LdHxZ+/3D+ UjQQTjYU6r0NWfHSnVExJ/gBjOOmCIgOjhQJ4MSW1PNPMViXusD/a2bsgxc+ra5H pKPGItykX89vPoKbRa8gHmoYiNBenEs8hSLAmq4xZ5GxGv+9J2PVg0AIN5vm8KiH dUr4z1lPU0w= =w9Sn -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- To determine the authenticity of this message, please see .