As was said in the section on the first class meeting, you should hand out your syllabus in the first class. The syllabus should include your preferred contact information, a course description, your goals and learning objectives, the grading scheme, and a description of each week’s topic area, readings, and assignments. Framing these in the form of a question is often a very effective technique.
The AS&E Deans of Academic Advising and Undergraduate Studies have provided the following language for faculty to include on syllabi:
SYLLABUS STATEMENTS YOU CAN CUT AND PASTE
In-Person Classroom Health and Safety Policy. As you’re aware, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the academic experience will be different for all of us. When physically in person for this course, you’ll be responsible for wearing a mask that covers your mouth and nose, practicing physical distancing of 6 feet with other individuals, and keeping your desk and chair on the designated spots on the ground. You will also be responsible for wiping down your own desk, chair, and other frequently touched surfaces with alcohol wipes or other approved disinfectant upon arrival and departure from the classroom (or lab, studio, etc.). You are also responsible for following the one-way directional patterns indicated by the signs in the hallways in academic buildings. It is imperative that we work together as a community to uphold these standards to help mitigate the risk of spreading the virus. Failure to do so may result in a referral to the Dean of Student Affairs Office.
Academic Support at the StAAR Center. The StAAR Center (formerly the Academic Resource Center and Student Accessibility Services) offers a variety of resources to all students (both undergraduate and graduate) in the Schools of Arts and Sciences, and Engineering, the SMFA, and The Fletcher School; services are free to all enrolled students. Students may make an appointment to work on any writing-related project or assignment, attend subject tutoring in a variety of disciplines, or meet with an academic coach to hone fundamental academic skills like time management or overcoming procrastination. Students can learn more about any of these services by visiting go.tufts.edu/StAARCenter.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Tufts University values the diversity of our body of students, staff, and faculty and recognizes the important contribution each student makes to our unique community. Tufts is committed to providing equal access and support to all qualified students through the provision of reasonable accommodations so that each student may fully participate in the Tufts experience. If a student has a disability that requires reasonable accommodations, they should please contact the StAAR Center (formerly Student Accessibility Services) at StaarCenter@tufts.edu or 617-627-4539 to make an appointment with an accessibility representative to determine appropriate accommodations. Please be aware that accommodations cannot be enacted retroactively, making timeliness a critical aspect for their provision.
Academic Integrity. Tufts holds its students strictly accountable for adherence to academic integrity. The consequences for violations can be severe. It is critical that you understand the requirements of ethical behavior and academic work as described in Tufts’ Academic Integrity handbook. If you ever have a question about the expectations concerning a particular assignment or project in this course, be sure to ask me for clarification. The Faculty of the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering are required to report suspected cases of academic integrity violations to the Dean of Student Affairs Office. If I suspect that you have cheated or plagiarized in this class, I must report the situation to the dean.
A NOTE ABOUT ATTENDANCE
Please make sure your syllabus includes clear expectations about attendance and participation. Because ExCollege courses are intended to be interactive, you should indicate that attendance and class participation will be considered in the final grading. It is important to understand that your syllabus becomes a contract between you and your students.