Abstract:
Throughout the 10 year span of a longitudinal research study in colleges of agriculture, professors were asked to share their course syllabi with the research team. It became an increasing concern across the decade that professors lacked definition, clarity, and uniformity in developing syllabi for their courses. In fact, the extremes ranged from an eloquently detailed 12-page document to no syllabus at all.
Recently, in preparation for The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Evaluation (NCATE) formal review, a department chose to thoroughly examine, edit, and re-align all course syllabi with the current standards, and with each course in the department, to create a seamless articulation across levels and a uniform look across the department. This article highlights and offers examples of the standard components of an effective syllabus, so that professors across all disciplines have a guide for constructing course syllabi.
Key Words:
Syllabi, syllabus construction