Course Syllabi at UW–Madison

Institution Name: University of Wisconsin­­–Madison

Course Subject, Number and Title: Special topics title, if applicable.

Credits: Find course credits in Guide.

Course Designations and Attributes: Find course designations in Guide (e.g., honors, general education, graduate attribute, etc.), as approved through governance.

Course Description: Find course descriptions in Guide, as approved through governance.

Requisites: Find course requisites in Guide, as approved through governance.

Meeting Time and Location: Also include information on field trips or other special activities, if applicable.

Instructional Modality: In-person, online or hybrid. View the university’s mode of instruction course section descriptors.

Instructor Contact Info: Title, name, office hours and email.

Teaching Assistant Contact Info (if applicable): Name, office hours and email.

List course learning outcomes. Most courses have governance-approved course learning outcomes that can be found in Lumen Courses (accessed through the Lumen Tile in the MyUW portal) or in the Course Catalog data visualization, filterable by subject.

Communicate the amount and importance of expected coursework, including work both during and outside of class meetings. Instructors may choose to explain the importance of workload in relation to the credit hour in their own words or select from these recommendations. Review the UW–Madison Credit Hour Policy.

Instructors may provide additional information not covered in the approved course description noted above. Examples may include: outlining what previous learning experiences are expected of students, or that they may find useful; how students will benefit most from the course; how you welcome, inspire and excite students for course learning; and/or what types of interactions and work is valued in the course.

• Provide link to course website (if available).
• Provide information about the university’s learning management system, Canvas, and other university instructional tools or platforms (e.g., Zoom, MS Teams, WebEx Meetings, etc.) that will be used in the course.

Add information specific to discussion and/or lab sections, as appropriate, or attach a separate document.

• List any required materials such as textbooks, open educational resources and eTexts.
• List any required course fees including eText fees, if applicable.
• List any required software or tools, even if available at no additional cost as part of UW-Madison licensing. Include directions on how students can access the software or tools, such as through the Campus Software Library.

• Provide rules and expectations concerning
• Explain how assignments will be submitted (e.g., Canvas, Box, Google Drive, etc.)

• List the summary period and the expectations associated with it. View the Summary Period for Academic Semester Policy.
• Include relevant details such as dates, if the exam or quiz is cumulative, open-book or open-note, whether access to electronic devices is allowed, etc.
• Note if exams or quizzes will be proctored (see the “General Guidelines for Exam Proctoring” section below).
• Explain policies for make-up and/or late work.

Instructors should inform students in advance and include a statement in the course syllabus if proctoring (remote or in person) will be required. Instructors should also clearly state in the syllabus that failure to use the proctoring service assigned will result in specific consequences (e.g., zero on exams, quizzes, etc.). Once the decision to use the proctoring service is made by the instructor and the student has registered for the class, the use of proctoring is a condition of enrollment in the class. This should be stated explicitly in the syllabus. Additionally, it is within the instructor’s discretion to engage the use of a proctoring service, such as Honorlock, during the semester if circumstances result in exams or other testing moving from in-class to online or another virtual option.

Include a course calendar/schedule/grid that outlines the coursework and deadlines. This can help students plan their time accordingly and know what to expect. Demonstrate opportunities for instructor-student interaction where appropriate.

• Indicate how the course is graded and relative weights of assessments.
• Provide linkage between weights and letter scores, if possible.
• Indicate whether the final grades are curved.
• Indicate whether attendance and/or participation is part of the grading. Sample syllabi used for course proposals must indicate how students will be evaluated when more than 10% of the grade is tied to participation/attendance. View Course Proposal Sample Syllabus Requirements.
• Provide separate grading requirements for graduate students, if applicable. View Policy on Graduate Level Course Attributes.

• Academic Calendar & Religious Observances
• Academic Integrity Statement
• Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
• Course Evaluations
• Diversity & Inclusion Statement
• Mental Health and Well-Being Statement
• Privacy of Student Records & the Use of Audio Recorded Lectures Statement
• Students’ Rules, Rights & Responsibilities
• Teaching & Learning Data Transparency Statement