Syllabus Design
A syllabus is a contract between the faculty member/instructor and the student. Syllabi should provide students with the ability to gain a clear understanding of learning outcomes, student requirements, teaching methods, evaluation/assessment criteria, reading requirements, and specify alignment to specific degree program competencies.
Instructors are urged to describe course content, time and effort required and other aspects of the course that may be helpful to students. Because students are allowed to drop and add courses after registering for each period, some students who will subsequently enroll in the course may not be present for the first meeting of the class and introductory remarks may have to be repeated. Therefore, it is important to distribute basic information about the course in writing,
The Committee on Educational Policy (CEP) has adopted a syllabus template, which it encourages all course instructors to use in developing the syllabus for their courses. This template can be found on the CEP Course Management Processes and Action Steps page, under the “Proposing a New Course” section.
For assistance designing a new course, feel free to schedule a consult with our instructional design team. To request a consultation, please contact Sejal Vashi at vashi@hsph.harvard.edu. Please make requests as far in advance as possible to account for scheduling of the consult and the time to discuss and make improvements.
You can also schedule an appointment with Jennifer Betancourt, Director of Educational Policy, for a consult on the CEP course management policies and procedures and for faculty development teaching and learning resources.
Requesting Course Materials for Your Course
Please contact the Curriculum Center to learn more about the process for requesting materials for your course.