Syllabus Sample Language Repository

Your syllabus is the first impression that most students have of your class and of you as an instructor. Including explicit statements regarding classroom and college policies and procedures can elevate your syllabus' transparency and provide additional resources to learners.

As an instructor at Community Colleges of Spokane, the faculty collective bargaining agreement gives you a great deal of academic freedom in designing and delivering your course content (CCS Master Contract, 2020-2023 Links to an external site., Article 3, Section 1). This page is meant as a collection of syllabus language samples, and may be used and modified to suit your needs. You should also check with your Chair for any department-specific requirements.

Contact Caleb Hutchins, caleb.hutchins@ccs.spokane.edu to suggest any edits or additions!
Last updated Fall 2022.

Some of these syllabus statements have been designed to display contact information and links specific to SCC or SFCC. Click one of these buttons to customize the results to meet your needs!

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We suggest adding a "basic needs" resource list near the top of your syllabus rather than near the bottom. Make sure to toggle SCC or SFCC above!

Food, Housing, and Student Assistance

Food, childcare, housing and employment insecurity can make learning and succeeding in college difficult. has a variety of resources to help address concerns related to basic needs. 

 

Tailor this language to your preferences. What is your preferred mode of communication? How quickly should students expect a response? Do you want to be addressed in a specific way? Professor, Doctor, First name?

Communication Policy

I'll use the Announcements tool in our Canvas course for regular weekly announcements and updates. You may want to set up your Canvas Notifications to send you emails or text messages when announcements and grades are posted.

Instructions for setting up Canvas Notifications Links to an external site..

If you have any questions, comments, or need assistance for any reason in this class, please contact me right away. My preferred communication method is via email, you should expect a response from me within 24 hours on weekdays, and within 48 hours on the weekend. When communicating, please include the course name, number and section so that I can quickly answer any course-specific questions.

 

Per CCS Policy and Washington State Law Links to an external site., every syllabus should include a statement informing students that they have the right to request reasonable accommodations for religious holidays.

Faith and Conscience Absences

Community Colleges of Spokane will grant reasonable accommodation so that grades are not impacted for students who are absent for reasons of faith or conscience, or for an organized activity conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or religious organization. Such absences must be requested in writing on the Class Absence Request form within two weeks of course start. There are no additional fees associated with this request.

Class Absence Request Form for Religious Holidays Links to an external site.

 

All publicly funded higher ed institutions are bound by the accessibility and accommodation requirements of the ADA, and you are strongly encouraged to add an ADA statement to your syllabus.

Accessibility and Accommodations

If you have a health condition, disability, or accessibility need that may require accommodations in order to fully participate in this class, you have access to a variety of services as directed by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 

You're encouraged to contact Disability Access Services. DAS can help you identify appropriate accommodations, identify needed documentation of your need for accommodation (IEP/504 from high school, Veteran/DV, clinical documentation or evaluations), and submit accommodation requests for your courses. Information about disability accommodations will be regarded as confidential.

Canvas Accessibility Help Guide Links to an external site.

 

If you're using Canvas for course content delivery, you may want to include a Canvas Support statement with a link to the student Canvas training module. 

If you use Respondus, you may want to include a statement AND provide a non-graded practice quiz so that students can install and test out Responds ahead of time.

Canvas Training and Support

This course uses the Canvas learning management system for announcements, communication, course content, grades, and submitting assignments. It's your responsibility to log into Canvas at https://ccs.instructure.com/ and become familiar with it during the first week of class.

Self-paced Canvas Orientation . 

Respondus Lockdown+Monitor

This course uses Respondus Lockdown+Monitor to administer exams. Respondus is a separate application that you'll need to download and install on your computer before taking an exam. It prevents users from visiting external sites and programs during the exam, and uses your computer's camera to record a your environment and behavior during the exam. When you access a Respondus-enabled exam for the first time, you'll be prompted to download and install the application. You can install and practice using Respondus ahead of time by completing the non-graded practice quiz available in the Start Here module.

 

A diversity statement should be tailored to your own background and teaching philosophy, so we won't be providing a stock statement. We would love to help you craft your own!

Diversity & Inclusion Statement

A diversity statement is a paragraph or section in your course language that welcomes the range of human diversity including race, gender, religion, accessibility, and socioeconomic status. You can use a diversity statement to set expectations for civil discourse, encourage sharing opinions and viewpoints, and model standards of behavior. Your diversity statement should be personally crafted to reflect your own background and philosophy. Yale's Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning has an excellent page on crafting an effective diversity statement Links to an external site. , including multiple example statements and sample language.

 

You may want to take a moment to update your name and pronoun settings, using the instructions provided.

Names and Personal Pronouns

Everyone has the right to be addressed by the name and pronouns that correspond to their personal identity. 

You might go by a name other than the legal name listed in your CCS records, for many different reasons.

  • A nickname that you prefer to be called by
  • A shortened version of your legal name (Steve instead of Stephen, etc.)
  • A chosen name different from your legal name
  • A name you choose to use when interacting with a different culture

In ctcLink, you can change your display name which will automatically carry over into Canvas.
Here are instructions for setting your Preferred Name in ctcLink.

While you are not obligated to do so, you may indicate the pronouns you use so that I do not make assumptions based on your name and/or appearance/self-presentation. In Canvas you can set your pronouns, which will appear after your name in Discussions, Comments, Inbox, People, and your user profile page.
Here are instructions for setting your Pronouns in Canvas.

Names and pronouns are to be respected at all times in this classroom. Mistakes in addressing one another may happen, so I encourage an environment of openness to correction and learning. I will not, however, tolerate repeated comments that disrespect or antagonize students who have indicated pronouns or a preferred name. Personal pronouns and chosen names may evolve over time, so if at any point during the quarter you would like to be addressed differently, please let me know.

 

If you've taken Advocate training, be sure to identify your areas of advocacy like students of color, LGBTTQQIA+, first generation, disabled students, veterans, etc.

Safe Campus Advocates

Safe Campus Advocates program is an effort to create a safe space for all students. Advocates are trained to listen to, support, advocate for, and help students address concerns regarding bias, bias-motivated violence, discrimination, inequitable treatment, micro/macroaggressions, or prejudice. To identify advocates who are available look for the Safe Campus decals on office doors or email signatures or email katie.clemons@sfcc.spokane.edu for more information. Please note that all CCS employees are mandatory reporters and therefore cannot keep reports of abuse confidential. 

 

This is the official CCS land acknowledgement, developed in coordination with leaders from the Spokane Tribe and was approved by the Spokane Tribal Council and the CCS District Equity Council. 

Native Land Acknowledgement

We are honored to acknowledge that the Community Colleges of Spokane, and our main campuses for Spokane Falls and Spokane Community College, are located on the traditional and sacred homelands of the Spokane Tribe. We also provide services in a region that includes the traditional and sacred homelands of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and the Kalispel Tribe.

We pay our respect to tribal elders both past and present as well as to all indigenous people today. This land holds their cultural DNA and we are honored and grateful to be here on their traditional lands. We give thanks to the legacy of the original people and their descendants and pledge to honor their stewardship and values.

 

If you're teaching a hybrid course, flex course, or traditional face-to-face course that may be streamed or recorded, it's a good idea to include a statement like this one.

Meeting Recordings

This course is designated as one where instruction may be delivered, in part, face to face in a classroom on the campus. The course may also be made available to properly enrolled students who are not physically in the classroom. This may be accomplished via a synchronous live stream via Zoom to properly enrolled students who are not physically in the classroom and/or a time delayed recording made available to all properly enrolled students via Canvas. In addition to instructor content, remote delivery may include capture of all classroom audio and visual activity during designated class times, including that of students who may be part of the class, but who are not physically in the classroom. 

 

If you have personal or family experience, consider personalizing this statement.

Military Veterans

I value the experience, unique contributions, and challenges faced by veterans, military members, and their dependents in my class. Veterans, drilling Guard/Reserve members, and active duty military personnel with special circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill requirements, accommodation needs) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, and I'll do my best to accommodate you. I would also strongly encourage connecting with the Veterans Resource Center if you haven't already done so. 

 

Instructors have significant discretion when it comes to how cheating is dealt with in your classroom. You should clearly describe the penalties for academic misconduct in your course.

Academic Integrity

I expect and require all students to act with honesty and integrity, and respect the rights of others in carrying out all academic assignments. The Washington Administrative Code Links to an external site. has a full definition of academic dishonesty, and includes using unauthorized assistance when taking a test; accessing or distributing unauthorized test keys and question banks; and plagiarizing material used in an assignment. The consequences for academic dishonesty will depend on the circumstances, but may include having to redo an assignment or earning a failing grade on that assignment. Repeated instances of academic dishonesty may result in a failing grade in the class, with the possibility of further sanctions by the college.

 

Many students are unaware of the option for Incompletes, which leads them to re-register for courses, or to drop out entirely. Giving explicit guidance regarding Incompletes can help struggling students succeed in their college goals. 

Incomplete Grades

Unexpected life events, illnesses, or other justifiable circumstances sometimes get in the way of completing a course by the end of a quarter. For those situations, you may request a course grade of "Incomplete," and have additional time to complete your work and earn a final grade. An incomplete is a temporary grade, and may be assigned only in cases in which the you have completed the major portion of the course requirements in a satisfactory manner, and have met with me before the end of the class to set up a plan for completing the remaining work.

An incomplete must be made up before the official end of the next quarter,  (an incomplete earned in Spring have until the end of Fall Quarter to be completed) or the "I" will automatically be replaced with an "F" on your transcript.