In the MCCCD, when a course is developed and offered for credit, an
official course description, course
competencies and a course outline are created. When you are assigned
to teach a course in the District, you will be given this information to
guide you in planning your course.
The official course description is published in the college catalogs
and in many course schedules, and your
students have probably selected the course based on that description.
The course competencies
are the skills and desired outcomes that your students will have after
completing your
course. It is important that you design your instruction to enable your
students to
perform these,
particularly in courses in which they will be carrying skills forward into
a follow-up
course, e.g.
Woodworking I to Woodworking II and English 101 to English 102.
The course outline
is a suggested sequence of topics and instruction which addresses the
competencies
for the course. The textbook that is designated for your course may not
match the
outline in organization
or content. In this case, you will need to use your best judgment as to
how
best to approach
the subject matter. In most cases, it is not a requirement that you follow
the
suggested outline,
but what is required is that the students receive the information necessary
to
perform the
competencies for the course.
In some subject
areas, the scope and sequence of instruction and the chapters covered in
the
textbook are
very tightly structured because the course is part of a group of courses
that are closely
interrelated.
It is very important that you discuss the content of your course with the
department
chair of the
discipline in which you are teaching to be sure that you are including
material that has
been agreed
upon for your course.
THE COURSE SYLLABUS
Prior to your first class meeting, you will prepare a syllabus for your
course. Because your syllabus is actually a
legal contract between you and your students, this is one of the most
important documents for your course.
"Today, courts
recognize that when a student pays tuition for a college education, a legal
contract
comes into being.
The student has contracted for an education as advertised by the institution
in its
catalog and
by its representatives...
...a teacher's
acts can form the basis for liability of the institution. For example,
if a teacher of
history refuses
to follow the syllabus for a history course and insists on teaching more
writing skills
than history
in the course, a dissatisfied student may sue the institution as well as
the teacher for
breach of contract
of enrollment.
Faculty members
should provide students with a syllabus at the outset of a course, and
follow it within
reason. Students
should be told at the beginning of a course just what the policy is regarding
such
things as absences
and tardiness. Faculty members also have an obligation to be well informed
about
the subject
matter of the course, to be reasonably up to date...to grade objectively
and fairly, and to
be reasonable
in accommodating the emergencies in students' lives...Faculty should inform
students at
the outset of
a course about how grades will be calculated, i.e. what tests, papers,
or other
requirements
will be used..."
From: A Practical Guide to Legal Issues Affecting College Teachers
By: Patricia A. Hollander, Parker Young and Donald D. Gehring
Your course syllabus, then, should be developed with great care and
thoughtful preparation. A good syllabus
contains twelve important items of information:
1. Course Number, Title and Section Number
This information
will be provided to you when you are hired to teach a class and should
be accurately
presented on
the syllabus.
e.g. ENG101 Freshman English Section #4439
2. When the Class Meets
The meeting days,
times and dates that your course will meet during the semester should be
clearly
stated.
e.g. Monday 6:00 - 10:00pm 9/7 through 12/12
3. Where the class meets
The location of the class meetings, including the building and room number if applicable.
e.g. Paradise Valley Community College Building B Room 105
4. Your name and how students can reach you
Include your
name and a telephone number at which students can contact you outside of
class. It is not
necessary to
give students your home telephone number, but you should give them at least
one number at
which they can
reach you or leave a message. It is advisable to indicate the hours during
which you will be
available at
each telephone number. Add office hours and location if appropriate.
e.g. John March Home - 443-9256 (7-10pm)
Work - 226-7219 (8am-5pm)
5. The description of the course
The description
that you put on your syllabus must be the official course description -
not a paraphrasing
or interpretation.
If you wish to elaborate on the description you are welcome to do so in
an additional
paragraph.
6. Textbooks required for your course
You should list
all textbooks, study guides and other required materials that students
must purchase for
your class.
By providing clear identification of these materials, you will enable your
students to purchase
the correct
materials for your class the first time they go to the bookstore.
7. The goals and objectives for your course
Describe, for
the students, what they will be able to do after completing your course.
These
should include
all the official competencies for the course as well as others that you
may feel
are appropriate.
HOW TO WRITE INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES
by
Marti McCorkindale, M.A.
The assignments for Lesson 5 (Course Syllabus) and Lesson 6 (Lesson Plan)
ask that you write
Objectives (also known as Competencies, Learning Outcomes, or Learning
Objectives).
There is nothing complicated or mysterious about writing good objectives
or competencies. The
key is to remember that objectives are "visible or measurable evidence"
that the learner has
learned.
Therefore, always start your list of objectives (about three per credit
hour) with the words
"Students will be able to." Then begin each objective statement with an
action verb describing a
BEHAVIOR. Since you can't observe or measure what goes on in a student's
head, avoid words
or phrases like "understand," "appreciate," or "know about."
Examples
Students will be able to:
The course outline
is a meeting-by-meeting blueprint for your course. It includes the date
of each class
meeting, the
topics to be addressed in each session, reading and other assignments that
the students are
to prepare for
each session, test dates and holidays on which there will be no class.
A thorough outline
enables your students to plan their study requirements and identify any
dates on which
they may have
a conflict and will be unable to attend class or turn in an assignment.
When you develop your
course outline,
you are determining the sequence of your instruction, the timing of exams,
and distribution
of work for
your students. It is helpful to refer to the suggested course outline when
planning your
course.
The amount of
material that you can cover in any one session depends on a number of things:
the length of
each of your
class meetings, the difficulty of the content being addressed, other activities
scheduled for
the session
(e.g. exams, field trips) and the time required to adequately teach the
topics.
It is very helpful,
when outlining your course, to contact your department chair or another
instructor who
has taught the
course in the past. These can be valuable resources for providing information
about where
students generally
have problems with the content, how much time to allow for specific topics,
etc... If
possible, you
should obtain a course syllabus from another instructor who has taught
the course.
9. Your policy regarding attendance
You must have
a clear attendance policy stated in your syllabus. It is very important
that you be
consistent and
communicate your attendance policy to your students. Your policy should
define "excused"
and "unexcused"
absences so that students will know the parameters and can make their decisions
accordingly.
Encourage your students to notify you if they will be absent. This allows
you to discuss their
absence with
them and make any arrangements to help them get the information they will
miss.
Students have
the right to observe major religious holidays without penalty. At least
one week prior to
the holiday,
the student should submit to you a written statement describing the date
of the holiday and
their reason
for not attending class on that date.
An example of an attendance policy is:
"Attendance in this class is important. Call me if you must be absent.
If I do not hear from you,
your absence will be "unexcused". If you accumulate more than three hours
of unexcused class
time (based on a 3-credit course), you may be withdrawn from the course."
10. How grades will be earned in your course
Clearly describe
your grading policy in your syllabus. Include a description of every type
of presentation,
project, outside
assignment or test that the students will be required to complete during
your course.
Also include
your written standards for determining grades. Every student enrolled in
a credit class
receives a grade
in the course based on the following letter codes:
| A | Excellent | N | Audit |
| B | Above Average | P | Pass |
| C | Average | Z | No Credit |
| D | Passing | I | Incomplete |
| F | Failure | W | Withdrawn/Passing |
| Y | Withdrawn/Failing |
The credit/no
credit (P/Z) option is a special grading option and should be discussed
with your
department
chair before you offer it to your students.
The following
is an example of a grading policy:
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The
final grade will be determined on the following scale:
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In addition
to the grading policy, you should make your policy regarding late or missing
assignments
very clear. You must have a precise, well-defined policy that either spells
out
exceptions
or does not allow for them. Be consistent in enforcing your policy.
e.g. "Your
assignments are due on time. Any assignment that is one class meeting late
will be
marked
down one letter grade. Any assignment turned in later than one class meeting
will not be
accepted
and will be recorded in my grade book as a zero."
Be sure
to explain each assignment thoroughly. List your expectations and explain
how they will
be graded.
This includes such things as format (typed, double-spaced vs. handwritten)
as well as
content.
11. Safety considerations for your class
The syllabus for any class using equipment, tools, machinery, etc... must include the following statement:
"Arizona Statute ARS 15-151 specifies that every student, teacher and visitor
in community
colleges must wear appropriate protective eye wear while participating
in or when observing
vocational, technical. industrial arts activities involving exposure to:
molten metals; molten
materials; cutting, shaping, and grinding of materials; heat treatment;
tempering or kiln firing of
any metal or other materials; welding fabrication processes; explosive
materials; caustic
solutions; and radioactive materials."
The safety of
your students is paramount, and placing this statement in your syllabus
reminds both you and
them of the
importance of safety in the classroom.
12. The disclaimer statement
The following statement must be included in your syllabus:
"Course content may vary from this outline to meet the needs of this particular group."
13. **DISABILITY STATEMENT
"The college
will make reasonable accommodations for persons with documented disabilities.
Students
should notify
Student Services and their instructors of any special needs.