Syllabi Guidelines

All Emerson College course syllabi should contain the following items:

Identifying Information

Include course and faculty member identification and location information: the course name and code number; the number of credits; the day(s), time(s) and location of when and where the course meets; faculty’s name, office location, office hours, office telephone number, and e-mail address.

Course Description

This brief description of the disciplinary nature of the course typically corresponds with the catalogue description.

Learning Objectives

Learning objectives (also referred to as outcomes) are statements regarding what students will know or be able to do upon completion of the course. List which departmental learning objectives the course addresses. Add learning objectives that are specific to the course.

Course Calendar

Include a calendar listing of the following: examination dates, assignment due dates, when presentations will be delivered, when topics will be introduced, etc. If calendar flexibility is desired, indicate that on the syllabus.

Course Requirements

Delineate exactly what work students are expected to complete and what will, and will not, count toward their final grade. Provide specific instructions regarding written work, projects, presentations, etc. that are required in the course.

Texts and Other Materials

List the required and recommended/supplementary texts and other materials for the course and where they may be obtained (e.g., the bookstore, library reserve, handouts in class, purchased course packs, etc.).

Grading Policy

Indicate how final grades will be determined. Important information includes the percentage of the final grade that is assigned to each requirement (exams, reports, term papers, homework, class participation, attendance, lab work, journals, etc.), as well as the basis on which these activities will be evaluated (e.g., cogency of presentation, relevance of arguments, writing style, grammar/punctuation/spelling, etc.).

Disability Statement

Include the following statement to alert students about accommodations for disabilities that may impact their performance in the course.

“Emerson College is committed to providing equal access to its academic programs and social activities for all qualified students with disabilities. While upholding this commitment, we require all Emerson students to meet the high standards of achievement that are essential to the College’s programs and services. To advance these dual aims, the College will provide reasonable accommodations to disabled students who request accommodations through the College’s Disability Services Office (DSO), if the DSO determines that accommodations are both medically necessary and reasonable. Please note that a requested accommodation will only be approved as ‘reasonable’ if it does not compromise any essential requirements of a course. Students who wish to request a disability accommodation must submit their request to the DSO, and not to faculty, since only the DSO is authorized to approve or deny any requests for accommodations. Students with disabilities who are seeking consideration for services or accommodations should contact the Associate Director for Disability Services: 617-824-8592, dso@emerson.edu, or Disability Services Office, Emerson College, 120 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116."

Plagiarism Statement

Include the following statement to alert students to Emerson College’s policy on plagiarism:

“It is the responsibility of all Emerson students to know and adhere to the College's policy on plagiarism. If you have any question concerning the Emerson plagiarism policy or about documentation of sources in work you produce in this course, speak to your instructor.”