A clear syllabus helps students understand what the course is about, what is expected of them, and how to succeed. The Citadel provides an accessible syllabus template that includes the required course policies, so you can focus on the parts that are unique to your course.
Use the Citadel Syllabus Template
The accessible syllabus template is in every Canvas course shell, at the bottom of the Start Here module. It is unpublished, so students cannot see it.
To complete the template:
- Download the template from the Start Here module.
- Replace the italicized instructions and examples with your own course information.
- Look for text highlighted in yellow. These are the places you need to personalize or choose an option, such as your course modality and grading scale.
- Choose one generative AI statement for your course. See “Set Clear Expectations for Generative AI” below.
- Remove all highlighting and any leftover instructions before you share the syllabus with students.
The template is built to be accessible. As you add your own content, keep it that way: use the built-in heading styles, add alt text to any images, use descriptive link text, and don’t rely on color alone to share information. Learn more about Accessible Canvas Content.
Set Clear Expectations for Generative AI
Students take courses with very different AI expectations, so your syllabus needs to tell them exactly what applies in your course. Clear expectations help students use AI in ways that support their learning and avoid unintentional misuse.
Choose Your Statement
The template includes three generative AI statements. Choose the one that best fits your course and delete the other two:
- Red light: no generative AI use allowed
- Yellow light: generative AI use allowed for specific tasks, with limits
- Green light: generative AI use allowed, with acknowledgment
The Start Here module also includes a Generative AI Statement page. Personalize it so it matches the statement in your syllabus.
Connect It to Learning
Base your choice on your learning outcomes. Ask yourself:
- What skills must students build and show on their own?
- Where could AI support learning, such as brainstorming, practice, or feedback on a draft?
- Where would AI replace the thinking students need to do?
Your answers may differ by assignment. A course can allow AI for brainstorming but not for a final paper, or require it for one assignment and prohibit it on an exam.
Make It Specific
- Explain why. Tell students how your AI expectations connect to what you want them to learn.
- Be specific by assignment. Add AI expectations to each assignment’s directions in Canvas, not only to the syllabus.
- Give examples. Show what acceptable and unacceptable use looks like in your course.
- Explain how to acknowledge AI. If AI use is allowed, tell students how to note or cite it in their work.
- Talk about it in class. Review your AI expectations in the first week and revisit them before major assignments.
What the Template Includes
- Course information: instructor contact information, office hours, course description, course goals, prerequisites, and modality
- Course learning outcomes: four to six measurable and observable outcomes. See Writing Learning Outcomes with Bloom’s Taxonomy.
- How to succeed in the course: tips for students
- Required materials and technology requirements
- Communication expectations: how and when students should contact you, classroom etiquette, and Zoom expectations
- Assignment details: major graded work, late work, and attendance and participation requirements
- Course schedule
- Grading methods: grading components, weights, and grading scale
- Student resources: course-specific and campus resources
- Course policies: The Citadel’s required statements, including academic integrity, attendance, accessibility accommodations, continuity of instruction, generative AI, and accessibility and privacy statements for course technologies
Post Your Syllabus in Canvas
Upload your completed syllabus to the Syllabus page in your Canvas course. When you add the file, set the link to preview inline and select Expand Preview by Default. Students can then read the syllabus right on the page without downloading it.
For step-by-step directions, see these Canvas guides:
- How do I use the Syllabus as an instructor?
- How do I upload a document in the Rich Content Editor as an instructor?
Tips for a Learner-Centered Syllabus
- Invite students in. Use the course goals to explain why the course matters, how it fits into their program, and why you care about the subject.
- Write to students. Use “you” and a welcoming tone so the syllabus reads like a guide, not just a list of rules.
- Show them how to succeed. Give specific tips for each part of the course, such as how to prepare for class or study for exams.
- Set clear expectations. Tell students how quickly you respond to email and where to find course announcements.
- Connect the pieces. Make sure your assignments and grading match your learning outcomes. See Course Design and Alignment.
- Review it with students. Walk through the syllabus in the first week and point out where to find key information in Canvas.
- Check any AI-drafted text. If you use AI to help draft parts of your syllabus, review it for accuracy, make sure it matches Citadel policies, and check that it stays accessible.
Want feedback on your syllabus? Schedule a course design and teaching consultation.
Have a question? Contact CEITL by phone, email, or in person in Bond Hall, Room 363.