The semester calendar schedule templates below can be copied and pasted into your syllabus.
Fall 2024 Course Schedule Templates
Student Problems Referral and ReportingCheating? Disruptive Behavior?
Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity Report
Discrimination, Harassment, or Sexual Misconduct?
Office of Civil Rights & Title IX - Equal Opportunity Programs Report
Needs an Accommodations Letter?
Student Disability Resource Center Referral
Inadequate Access to Basic Needs (Food? Housing? Clothing? )
Student Affairs and Academic Support
Student Care and Outreach Team
Don’t Know Who or What to Ask?
Student Success Center
sassc@mailbox.sc.edu
803-777-1000
Thomas Cooper Library, Mezzanine
Emergency?
Call 911
Below are syllabus sections (with instructions and sample statements) consistent with pedagogical best practices that you should include in your syllabus. Please use the list below, the templates above, the Syllabus Best Practices Check List [pdf], and the Quality Standards for Online Courses to ensure that your syllabus meets standards!
∗ Required (by USC Policy)
Sample Syllabus Statement
Distributed Learning Course Statement
Provide the following information:
Enter the course description exactly how it appears in the Undergraduate Academic Bulletin or the Graduate Academic Bulletin.
Sample Language for a Syllabus
Instruction in strategies for critically reading and analyzing literature and non-literary texts; structured, sustained practice in composing expository and analytical essays.
Full Course DescriptionEnter an extended description of the course content. This description may include additional details about:
Sample Language for a Syllabus
English 101 prepares students for future academic work through structured and sustained practice in critical reading, textual analysis, and expository writing. Students will learn to analyze texts critically and creatively while discussing issues of global importance and while reflecting on the relationship between writing and literacy. Students will strengthen their abilities to inquire, interpret, and write within the academic sphere through close readings of various media and genres — including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, photography, and film. Writing assignments and peer review will train students to engage ethically and respectfully with perspectives outside of their own. Through active participation and inquiry, students will enhance their ability to comprehend texts and communicate ideas.
* Prerequisite(s)Enter any prerequisites for the course.
Sample Language for a Syllabus
There are no prerequisites for this course.
* Course Learning OutcomesEnter all learning outcomes for the course.
Learning outcomes describe the measurable skills, abilities, knowledge or values that students should be able to demonstrate as a result of completing a course.
Sample Language for a Syllabus
After successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
For Distributed Learning Courses
Include a statement in this section verifying that “The learning outcomes are equivalent to those of a face-to-face (F2F) version of the course.”
* Instructional MethodsDescribe what students should expect in regard to your instructional methods. The description may include your lecture format, group work, presentation, the use of instructional technology and the use of the Blackboard Learning Management system.
Sample Language for a Syllabus
The course will be taught using multiple instructional methods. These methods will include lecture, group projects and oral presentations with an associated critical discussion. Typically, course topics will be introduced via a 2-3 lecture format incorporating interpretive discussions. Directly following the lecture presentation, you will receive an article from the primary literature that either illustrates current research on the topic or explores a related or relevant additional concept. Literature discussions will utilize small group discussions followed by classroom presentation and discussion.
For Distributed Learning Courses
Describe what students should expect from the course format. The description may include expectations of an online course versus a face-to-face course, the structure of weekly modules, and an overview of expected learning activities.
Sample Language for a Syllabus
This is a fully online course. Online classes are not easier than face-to-face lecture classes. To succeed in an online class, you must be extremely motivated and well-organized. You must purchase the required textbook listed above by the first day of the course. Other course materials are available via Blackboard (“Bb”). Regular Internet access is essential for successful completion of the course.
The typical class structure will consist of learning modules, which include:
This is an entirely Web-based course. We have no face-to-face class meetings, and you will complete your work asynchronously – which simply means that you will be working on it at different times than your colleagues. It is important to understand that this is not a self-paced class or an independent study. You will have assigned deadlines, and work must be submitted on time. You may not save up your assignments to complete in the last weeks or days of the semester. One critical part of this class is regular interaction with other students and with me, your instructor. Each assignment sequence must be completed on schedule – you can't work ahead or get behind and be successful.
* Course Communication and FeedbackDescribe the method and turnaround time of course communications and feedback.
Sample Language for a Syllabus
I will communicate with you regarding grades and assignments. If you need to contact me, the best method is via email. Generally, I will reply to emails within 24 hours and will provide feedback on assignments within 72 hours. You may also post questions pertaining to the course on the Blackboard Discussion Board. These questions will be answered within 24 hours. If you are having trouble with this course or its material, you should contact me via email to discuss the issues.
Announcements will be posted to this course whenever necessary. If there is any other information that I think is important, then I will send it to your email address listed in Blackboard. It is your responsibility to ensure that your email account works properly in order to receive email.
Below is how you check your email address in Blackboard:
Your email address in Blackboard coincides with your preferred university email. If you are unsure of your preferred email, check your account (myaccount.sc.edu). For more information on setting your preferred university email, please see the How To Change Your Primary University Email Address Knowledge Base article.
List and cite any required texts and course materials. Include links when applicable.
Sample Language for a Syllabus
Lunsford, Andrea A. (2017). The Everyday Writer. 6th edition. Bedford/St. Martin’s, ISBN-10: 1319083439
McKenzie, J.F. & Pinger, R.R. (2017). An Introduction to Community & Public Health (9th Edition). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. ISBN: 1284108414
All course materials comply with copyright/fair use policies.
You can purchase the hardcover or e-book version of this textbook directly from the publisher. The e-book version is cheaper than the hardcover text. You can also purchase used versions of this textbook online.
In addition, I have put 3 copies of the course textbook on reserve at the Thomas Cooper Library. You may check out these textbooks on a first-come, first-served basis at the Check-Out Desk on the Main Level of Thomas Cooper Library. You must have a valid CarolinaCard. For more details, please see the Check Out Policy.
Technology RequirementsProvide any necessary information about technology requirements.
Sample Language for a Syllabus
The PowerPoint lecture pres entations, assignments, quizzes, and rubrics and links to articles are located on the Blackboard site for the course. To participate in learning activities and complete assignments, you will need daily access to:
Microsoft Office 365 is available for free to all students. Students have access to the latest versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and much more. You can install Office 365 on up to five compatible devices, including five tablet devices. All work can be saved online in OneDrive so it can be accessed no matter which device is being used. You can use this Office 365 subscription for as long as you are a student at the University of South Carolina. Download Office 365.
All computers that connect to a university network must have current, up-to-date antivirus software. Antivirus software is included with Microsoft Windows; however, it is not included on Macs. If your computer does not have antivirus software, the Carolina Tech Zone can assist you.
If you have further questions or need help with the software, then please contact the Division of Information Technology’s Service Desk (see details below).
Note for Distributed Learning Courses
Provide any additional information specific to the technology needs of your distributed learning course.
Sample Language for a Syllabus
Online lectures will be provided through Panopto. Therefore, you must have access to the Internet to view/hear lectures. No special software is required. The computer should have a current operating system with updates installed, plus speakers or headphones to hear lecture presentations (transcripts provided).
Minimal Student Technical Requirements/SkillsProvide any necessary information about minimum technical skills required for your course.
Sample Language for a Syllabus
Minimum technical skills are needed in this course. All work in this course must be completed and submitted online through Blackboard. Therefore, you must have consistent and reliable access to a computer and the Internet. The minimum technical skills required include the ability to:
Provide any necessary information about technology support from USC or third-party vendors.
Sample Language for a Syllabus
If you have questions or problems related to your computer, software, or need technical support (including Blackboard support), please:
If you have computer issues/problems, there is a computer lab available at the Thomas Cooper Library and in certain campus classroom buildings. If you are not located in the Columbia, SC area, then most regional campuses and public libraries have computers for public use.
List and briefly describe all course assignment, projects, quizzes, and/or exams. This should include:
Sample Language for a Syllabus
General Assignment Information
Formatting
All written assignments must be submitted using Microsoft Word. There are no exceptions to this rule. Documents should be proofread to avoid spelling and grammatical mistakes. Written assignments will be evaluated based on “quality” and not simply “quantity.” In addition, all written assignments should adhere to the following guidelines:
Quizzes
Be prepared frequently during the semester to respond briefly in writing to short-answer questions on the assigned material. If you keep up with the required readings, then quizzes will be an excellent way for you to bolster your course grade. Familiarize yourself thoroughly with the titles of the selected readings, the authors, the main characters, and the major turning points in the plot. Be sure to look up the definitions for words that you do not understand.
Response Paper
An important goal of education in the Humanities is to develop the capacity for independent, analytical, interpretive thought, especially in response to complex readings that involve a purposeful manipulation of language. Your Response Paper enables you to build these important skills as you confront the author’s narrative artistry in one of our selected readings. Submit a brief paper (2-3 pages) in Blackboard that responds in some way to one of our novels, stories, histories, or autobiographies. In it, you should reflect on some particular aspect of the work that stands out in your mind as especially memorable, striking, or exceptionally well-written. Try to analyze the literal and symbolic wording of the passage and to work through the individual elements of the scene that make you feel the way you do: the setting, the events that form the plot, the age and appearance of the characters, the dialog, the imagery, or the narrative stance – just to name a few.
Graduate Student Assignment
Additional graduate student assignment: Graduate students will analyze the current literature and develop a 3 to 5-page literature review on a topic provided by the instructor. This literature review must be word processed in 12-point Arial font and have appropriate APA style formatting. Additional instructions and a complete rubric are provided in Blackboard.
Final Exam
The final exam will consist of True/False, Multiple-Choice and Short Answer questions. The final exam is comprehensive. Exam questions are from substantial test banks.
* Final ExamNote to Instructors from the Faculty Manual : Each semester, faculty members shall give final examinations, including laboratory examinations, in accordance with the published schedule and shall not deviate from it without prior approval from their dean. All deviations shall be reported to the registrar by the dean.
In any course or laboratory that meets weekly, no quiz, test, or examination shall be given during the last class session before the regular examination period. In any course or laboratory that meets two or three times a week, no quiz, test, or examination shall be given during the last two class sessions before the regular examination period. In any course or laboratory that meets more than three times a week, no quiz, test, or examination shall be given during the last three sessions before the regular examination period.
Sample Language for a Syllabus
The final exam will consist of True/False, Multiple-Choice and Short Answer questions. The final exam is comprehensive. Exam questions are from substantial test banks. The date/time of the final exam is set by the University Registrar and is listed in the course schedule.
Note for Distributed Learning Courses
Note from the Faculty Manual : Each semester, faculty members shall give final examinations, including laboratory examinations, in accordance with the published schedule and shall not deviate from it without prior approval from their dean. All deviations shall be reported to the registrar by the dean.
If you teach an online course but do not have a required Final Exam date and time specified on the Office of the Registrar’s website, then, as with a face-to-face course, you must specify within your syllabus when the final exam will be administered (if you choose to give one). You must administer it during the specified exam period. You can select the date(s) and time for the exam. For online course management, consider scheduling this final assessment before the last day of the final exam period.
You may open the exam at 12:01 AM of the first day of the final exam week and allow students to complete it by 11:59 PM of the last day of the week. The testing window (the time when students can take the exam) does not need to be open during the entire week. As students may be in different time zones and have face-to-face exams, you must provide students with an ample testing window (e.g., the exam may be available for days but be set to be completed within a specific timeframe).
Sample Language for a Syllabus
The final exam will consist of True/False, Multiple-Choice and Short Answer questions. The final exam is comprehensive. Exam questions/answers are randomly displayed and drawn from substantial test banks. The exam is secured in Blackboard.
The exam will be available starting at 12:01 AM of the first day of the final exam week. You will be allowed to complete it by 11:59 PM of the last day of the week. However, the testing window (the time when you can take the exam) will be three hours. This will give you an ample testing window (e.g., the exam is available for days but, once started, must be completed within a three-hour window).
* Grading PolicyProvide a grading policy that clearly states and includes:
Required only for 500-600 level courses: Courses at the Mixed/Advanced Undergraduate/Entry Level Graduate Courses (500/600-level) must include separate grading schemes for undergraduate and graduate credit and one or more assignments for graduate credit that are clearly differentiated from undergraduate assignments. Please provide a separate evaluation and grading scale for graduate students if both 500/600-level courses.
Note that, in some cases, students may select the Pass-Fail grading option for a course. If students select this option, performance in the course does not affect their grade point average. If Pass-Fail is an option for your course, then your syllabus must indicate the minimum grade (points, percentage) required for a “pass”.
Sample Language for a Syllabus
Sample Language 1
All grades will be posted on Blackboard. You are strongly encouraged to check your scores in Blackboard regularly. A final letter grade will be assigned based on percentages.
Assignment Weights
Percent
