I hesitate to say that this is the most useful session we will have, because I think they are all useful, but the syllabus is arguably the most important document you’ll create for your class. Sure, a final exam, or writing prompt will test what your students have learned, but the syllabus gives the guidelines for how they will get there.

There is a lot of thought that has to go into syllabus design before we can sit down and write it. This document will likely expose your pedagogical approach, it will set the tone for your class, and will provide the contract that everyone is agreeing to follow. Syllabi come in many different forms. Some are content-centered, and focus on what needs to be covered by the end of the semester, and this is fine for a graduate-level class or seminar.

Your undergrads will not be so independent, so I will be arguing for a student-centered syllabus, one which asks the question: by the end of the semester, what will students know/be able to do as a result of taking this course? And how will they best learn/learn how to do that?

This small shift in thinking will make a world of difference for two reasons. First, you have already considered what the best way to teach them will be. Second, your students might actually learn it. Third, if you take a student-centered rather than a content-centered approach, you will be setting yourself apart from what they could learn on the internet, without you. We are standing at the beginning of a new era in higher education, and it is not possible to simply lecture and expect students to repeat the answers back to us, that model was useful in the early 1800’s, but then came the printing press, and students can find that information on their own now. We need to teach them how to use that information. There will be less cheating with this model, and students will be far more responsive as a result of showing that you care.

Now, if that argument wasn’t enough, let me propose one based on self-interest. In terms of professional development, it is important to realize that your department will have 3 pictures of you as an instructor: your syllabus, your observation, and your reviews. You can only control one of these elements. Anyone can write a content-oriented syllabus… you can find that on the internet. It’s a very different thing to write a student-oriented syllabus, it requires putting some of yourself and your own creativity into it.