Syllabus Template
Brief guide to a course, including expectations for students, readings they will complete throughout the course, and a mission statement or course description.
About the Syllabus Template
A Syllabus is a brief description of your course that sets your students up for success. It lets your students know what to expect from the course, including required readings, policies and procedures, and a description or mission statement.
The syllabus is a north star and a contract. It guides your students so they can plan for the course they’re taking, but it also serves as an agreement between the students and the instructor. By codifying your class rules, policies, and procedures in a syllabus, you’re giving everyone a single source of truth they can refer to later, and you’re setting the expectation that both you and your students will adhere to the policies you lay out.
In some cases, students tend to overlook or skip over the syllabus because they find it confusing, they don’t think it’s useful, or they simply don’t want to read it. However, when students fail to read the syllabus, that can lead to confusion or grade disputes later on in the course. To ensure your students read the syllabus, it’s important for your syllabus to be clear and easy to follow.
Why use a Syllabus?
Whether you’re teaching a course for the first time or the hundredth time, a syllabus is an important introduction to you and your class.
Think of a syllabus as a contract between you and your students. The document lays the groundwork for what students can expect from the course, including policies and procedures they should adhere to, material they will learn, readings they are responsible for, and the overall goal of the course. At the same time, the syllabus also lays out what they can expect from you as an instructor, including communication style, grading policies, and your approach to the material.
Use a syllabus to make sure you and your students are on the same page about the course, and so they know what they need to do to succeed. Throughout the course, you and your students can refer back to the syllabus to answer any questions about readings, policies, or assignments.
When to use a Syllabus
Use a Syllabus any time you want to outline course policies, procedures, and guidelines to set your students up for success.
Create your own Syllabus
Start with a course description. It’s helpful for students to know what the course is about and what you will cover over the semester, term, or year. The course description should include a brief mission statement to orient your students around the course objectives. What can your students expect to get out of the course? What will they know at the end? Are there skills they will acquire?
List any prerequisites or corequisites for the course, including any knowledge your students should have as a baseline before signing up for the course.
List any required textbooks or other materials students should have on hand to complete the course. If possible, tell your students where they can go to find or purchase the materials they need.
Spell out any attendance requirements. If the course is graded, be specific about whether absence or tardiness will impact the student’s grade. If you require any documentation to excuse absences, let your students know in advance.
Describe how students’ performance will be evaluated in this course. Will they be graded? How so? What assignments will you give? How many points is each assignment worth? Is there a rubric? Be as explicit as possible to avoid confusion going forward. This also decreases the chance of experiencing a grade dispute when the course is finished.
Explain any course policies or procedures. How should students submit their assignments? What is your policy on late work? What is your academic integrity policy? Is there a plagiarism policy, and what does that look like?
Create a course calendar to give your students an idea of how they should plan for the semester. It’s okay if you don’t know everything that you’ll cover during the course. Don’t be afraid to build some flexibility into the calendar, adding in flex weeks or simply putting in “TBD” to account for schedule changes.
Include all relevant contact information: your office number, phone number, and email address. Be explicit about how you prefer your students to contact you. If you have office hours, then list the date and time.
Get started with this template right now.
Budget Planning Template
Works best for:
Planning
A budget template is a comprehensive yet flexible framework that allows you to monitor and control your finances. With user-friendly functions and numerous customization options, this tool helps you create a budget tailored to your specific needs and goals. Whether new to budgeting or an experienced financial planner, a budget template is an excellent tool to help you manage finances effectively.
OKR Board for Product, UX and Engineering Teams
The OKR Board for Product, UX, and Engineering Teams template aligns cross-functional teams around common objectives using Objectives and Key Results (OKRs). By setting ambitious goals, defining measurable outcomes, and tracking progress collaboratively, this template fosters alignment and focus. With sections for defining team OKRs, prioritizing initiatives, and monitoring performance, it enables teams to work cohesively towards shared goals. This template serves as a catalyst for driving product innovation and delivering exceptional user experiences.
Features Audit Template
Works best for:
Desk Research, Product Management, User Experience
Add new features or improve existing features—those are the two paths toward improving a product. But which should you take? A features audit will help you decide. This easy, powerful product management tool will give you a way to examine all of your features, then gather research and have detailed discussions about the ones that simply aren’t working. Then you can decide if you should increase those features’ visibility or the frequency with which it’s used—or if you should remove it altogether.
Cone Roadmap
Works best for:
Roadmap, Planning, Mapping
The Cone Roadmap template offers a visual representation of project timelines and dependencies, with a focus on narrowing scope over time. By starting with broad initiatives and gradually refining them into actionable tasks, teams can manage complexity and ensure alignment with strategic goals. This template promotes transparency and adaptability, empowering teams to respond effectively to changing priorities and market dynamics.
Communication Roadmap
Works best for:
Roadmap, Mapping, Planning
The Communication Roadmap template enables teams to plan and execute effective communication strategies. By outlining key messages, channels, and stakeholders, teams can ensure consistent and targeted communication throughout a project lifecycle. This template fosters alignment and transparency, enabling teams to engage stakeholders effectively and mitigate risks associated with miscommunication.
Fishbone Diagram for Process Improvement
Works best for:
Planning, Strategy
Process improvement is key to enhancing efficiency and productivity. The Fishbone Diagram for Process Improvement template helps you identify the root causes of process inefficiencies. Categorize potential causes into areas such as workflow, resources, technology, and personnel. This structured analysis enables your team to systematically explore and address issues, streamlining processes and boosting overall productivity.