Your syllabus gives students a first impression about what to expect from your course. It also fosters curiosity and interest. It can also be a tool to start building an inclusive learning environment.

A syllabus helps you to structure and articulate your course expectations to support student learning. A student-centered syllabus explains what content is most important, which teaching strategies you will use, what students will be asked to do to practice and demonstrate their learning, and how they will be assessed. It is an opportunity to establish the learning climate they will experience, clarify expectations, and share resources.

The Center for Inclusive Teaching and Learning has designed a syllabus template with a structure and sample language that you can make a copy of and modify for your own courses. This resource also contains recommendations for writing your syllabus as well as links to Bates guidelines, policies, and other information.

Working with the course syllabus template

The template document contains the main components that we recommend for a syllabus. For each component, you’ll also find guidance to consider, as well as sample text that you are welcome to adapt for use in your own syllabus.

1. Open the syllabus template in Google Drive. Make your own copy of the document by selecting File > Make a copy or by clicking the copy link in the text box of the document.
2. Remove the text box at top of document and remove or replace all italicized text before you give your syllabus to students. Italics indicate explanations and recommendations.
3. Select which sample language examples work for your course and/or rewrite the sample language passages in your own voice. Feel free to adapt the syllabus template to your course’s needs.