Syllabus

The two links below are provided by Academic Affairs.  The inclusive syllabus template and syllabus design checklist are updated periodically; the college policies and syllabus resources are updated toward the end of each quarter, in preparation for use the following quarter.

Highline College inclusive syllabus template

Highline College syllabus design checklist

Culturally responsive syllabus considerations

Why spend several hours writing a syllabus designed to make the course easy to navigate, and additional time convincing students of the importance of reading it, but then as the student begins looking through it, continually give them reasons not to read it?

The verbiage commonly used in course syllabi may inadvertently perpetuate historical power structures that exist in a college classrooms, or the vocabulary may reflect historical language of privileged academics. Or, the setup for a class may not give students an opportunity to see themselves reflected in the course.  Following are some strategies for creating an inclusive syllabus that promotes welcomeness to engage.

Warming up the syllabus

1. Check for simplicity of language. Evacuation signage on a ferry that tells nervous passengers to “proceed to the nearest disembarkation area” is not helpful for someone for whom English is not their first language. Count the number of four- and five-syllable words. Can a simpler word reflect the same intent? Think “change” instead of “modification”; try “helpful” instead of “advantageous”. You could run your syllabus through MS Word’s readability score checker. Aim for a Flesch reading ease score of 60 or 70.
2. Consider whenever possible using language that is warm, friendly, and approachable. A syllabus that reads like a contract may convey to students that you believe they are apt to disregard your course rules and policies and not comply with your wishes.
   1. Consider adding some humor, compassion, and enthusiasm to your language. This can help be seen as approachable, and can invite the students to engage (Harnish et al., 2011).
3. Frame course policies around what your are able to do for a student, not what you are unable to do. Examples:
   1. Instead of:  Students who do not endeavor to complete each graded item will receive a failing grade.
   2. Try:  To receive a passing grade, each of the graded items must be attempted.
   3. Instead of:  Makeup quizzes will not be allowed if advance warning of absence is not disclosed.
   4. Try: If you let me know you will be absent on quiz day, I will give you a chance to make up the quiz when you return.
4. Normalize help-seeking. Look for opportunities throughout the syllabus to let students know that you are there for them. Point out different ways that they can contact your for help or to get questions answered.

Highline faculty tips

We, Not ‘I’ in Syllabi (From Sue Frantz – Psychology faculty- Dec. 2016)

I’ve been thinking about syllabi as we get ready to slide out of fall and into winter – perhaps even literally given the weather here in the Greater Puget Sound area.

At this past summer’s Stanford Psych One Conference, cultural psychologist Alana Conner spoke of how many students lean more collectivist (students who are working class, for example). In short, students who are more collectivist do better in an environment that uses collectivist language (e.g., “we” instead of “you”); students who lean more individualistic do fine either way.

Read Frantz’s full explanation, including links to two relevant articles.

Followup from Allison Green (English) and the Culturally Responsive Campus team:

• Read Sue’s article and look at the rubric for evaluating syllabi on p. 162 of the article “Assessing Learner-Centeredness Through Course Syllabi”.
• Ask a colleague (maybe outside your discipline) to swap syllabi from fall quarter and review them against the rubric.
• Revise accordingly for the next time you teach the course.
• Write up your experience/reflection for your next teaching evaluation.

Follow-up from Wendy Swyt (English) (Winter 2017)

Shortly after [Sue Frantz sent her study of the impact of a student-centered syllabus], Ruth Frickle (Psychology) gave me an article on redesigning syllabi that I like even better, “Creating the Foundation for a Warm Classroom Climate” (mainly because it is shorter with lots of clear examples at the end).

Very much like the study that Sue sent, this article suggests improving syllabi through tone, rationale (linking assignments to learning goals), self-disclosure, humor, compassion and enthusiasm.

Attached is a magazine style syllabus that Ruth sent me as well — it uses a lot of the concepts discussed in the article. Though I would not use the magazine style because it is has accessibility problems, I really like how they put into play the ideas from the article about a warm classroom climate that starts with the syllabus.

When I read my own syllabus, I am bored and put off — do I expect my students to have a different reaction? After looking at these two resources, I significantly “warmed up” the syllabus for the classes I am teaching this quarter.

Professional development opportunities

There are no upcoming events at this time.

Books in LTC Collection

Additional Resources and Scholarship

• Empathetic Syllabi Review Exercise(Faculty Focus)
• Syllabus(Faculty Focus)
• A Learner-Centered Syllabus Helps Set the Tone for Learning(Faculty Focus)
• Creating the Foundation for a Warm Classroom Climate(Association for Psychological Science)
• Effect of syllabus tone: Student perceptions of instructor and course(Harnish & Bridges, 2011)
• A Learner Centered Syllabus(Rochester Institute of Technology)
• Syllabus Construction(Vanderbilt Univ.)

Reference:

Harnish, R. J., O’Brien McElwee, R., Slattery, J. M., Frantz, S., Haney, M. R., Shore, C. M., & Penley, J. (2011). Creating the foundation for a warm classroom climate. Observer, 24 (1).