Required Syllabus Elements
Simpson requires that each syllabus for an undergraduate course include information about engaged learning hours, student learning outcomes, and policies. The specific expectations are identified on the tabs below. For graduate courses and post-baccalaureate certificates, consult the document at the bottom of the Post-Baccalaureate Curriculum Committee Webpage.
Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes
Every major and program at Simpson has a set of student learning outcomes (SLOs). These SLOs are listed in the program’s assessment plan. The curriculum map that is included in the assessment plan identifies which SLOs are associated with which courses. Syllabi should include the program-level SLOs associated with the course. Contact your department chair if you aren’t sure which SLOs are associated with a particular course. All the assessment documents for each program are on SC Connect at here.
Policies
Simpson requires two policies: The Academic Integrity Policy and the Course Continuity Plan. The faculty development office recommends you consider including the following information, even though it is not required:
- Accommodations for Students with Accessibility Needs
- Inclusive Excellence Statement
- Explanation of Plagiarism
- Sexual Misconduct and Title IX
- Recording Policy
Academic Integrity (Required)
The academic integrity policy should be included on all syllabi.
In all endeavors, Simpson College expects its students to adhere to the strictest standards of honesty and integrity. In keeping with the College’s mission to develop the student’s critical intellectual skills, while fostering personal integrity and moral responsibility, each student is expected to abide by the Simpson College rules for academic integrity. Academic dishonesty includes (but is not limited to) any form of cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, misreporting any absence as college-sponsored or college-sanctioned, submitting a paper written in whole or in part by someone else, or submitting a paper that was previously submitted in whole or in substantial part for another class without prior permission. If the student has any questions about whether any action would constitute academic dishonesty, it is imperative that he or she consult the instructor before taking the action. All cases of substantiated academic dishonesty must be reported to the student’s academic advisor and the Dean for Academic Affairs. For further guidance on these rules and their sanctions, please see the college catalog.
Course Continuity Plan (Required)
Should the normal instructional activity on the campus be shortened or interrupted by a campus-wide closing, students will receive information from the instructor or other representative of the college about when and if the course might be continued or completed remotely.
Accommodations for Students with Accessibility Needs (Recommended)
Although there is no requirement to include information about accommodations, it’s good practice to include this information in your syllabi. What follows is an example of how you might do this:
I want everyone in this class to be successful. If you have a physical, sensory, learning, or psychological disability that can interfere with your education, I want you to receive the accommodations to which you are entitled by law. In order for me to provide accommodations to someone, their disability must be documented with the Student Accessibility Office. I cannot assist a student with accommodations that I don’t know are needed, so if you need something, please make sure that you provide me with a copy of the letter from the Director of Student Accessibility describing your accommodations. If you have any further questions on the policies and services for students with disabilities, please refer to the academic catalog or go to SAS. Please note that Student Accessibility Services can also help if a temporary need for accommodations arises. If you suffer an injury or illness during the semester and would benefit from accommodations, contact Karen Lynch (karen.lynch@simpson.edu or 515-961-1515). To schedule an appointment go to https://simpson.mywconline.com/.
Inclusive Excellence Statement (Recommended)
The following statement is a blend of those created by the College of Education at the University of Iowa and California State University, CSU Chico .
In this class, we will work together to develop a learning community that is inclusive and respectful. Our diversity may be reflected by differences in race, gender identity, culture, age, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and myriad other social identities and life experiences. The goal of inclusiveness, in a diverse community, encourages and appreciates expressions of different ideas, opinions, and beliefs, so that conversations and interactions that could potentially be divisive turn instead into opportunities for intellectual and personal enrichment. A dedication to inclusiveness requires respecting what others say, their right to say it, and the thoughtful consideration of others’ communication. Both speaking up and listening are valuable tools for furthering thoughtful, enlightening dialogue. Respecting one another’s individual differences is critical in transforming a collection of diverse individuals into an inclusive, collaborative and excellent learning community.
It is my intent that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well-served by this course, that students’ learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength, and benefit. It is my intent to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, culture, perspective, and other background characteristics.
Your suggestions about how to improve the value of diversity in this course are encouraged and appreciated. Please let me know ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally or for other students or student groups. In addition, in scheduling exams, I have attempted to avoid conflicts with major religious holidays. If, however, I have inadvertently scheduled an exam or major deadline that creates a conflict with your religious observances, please let me know as soon as possible so that we can make other arrangements.
Names and Pronouns
The University of the Pacific recommends the following statement:
Knowing and applying the names and pronouns that students use is a crucial part of developing a productive learning environment that fosters safety, inclusion, personal dignity, and a sense of belonging across campus. Please let me know your preferred name and your pronouns anytime throughout the semester. I prefer to be called ________ and my pronouns are _______.
Explanation of Plagiarism (Recommended)
The academic integrity statement is a required element in all syllabi, but if you are going to ask your students to write papers, you may also want to include information about plagiarism. Here are a variety of sample plagiarism statements available online.
From the Yale University Center for Teaching and Learning
You must document all of your source material. If you take any text from somebody else, you must make it clear the text is being quoted and where the text comes from. You must also cite any sources from which you obtain numbers, ideas, or other material. If you have any questions about what does or does not constitute plagiarism, ask! Plagiarism is a serious offense and will not be treated lightly. Fortunately, it is also easy to avoid and if you are the least bit careful about giving credit where credit is due you should not run into any problems.
George Mason University provides the following information:
Plagiarism means using the exact words, opinion, or factual information from another person without giving that person credit. Writers give credit through the use of accepted documentation styles, such as parenthetical citation, footnotes, or end notes; a simple listing of books and articles is not sufficient. Plagiarism is the equivalent of intellectual robbery and cannot be tolerated in an academic setting.
Student writers are often confused as to what should be cited. Some think that only direct quotations need to be credited. While direct quotations do need citations, so do paraphrases and summaries of opinions or factual information formerly unknown to the writers or which the writers did not discover themselves. Exceptions to this include factual information which can be obtained from a variety of sources, the writer’s own insights or findings from their own field research, and what has been termed common knowledge. What constitutes common knowledge can sometimes be precarious, and what is common knowledge for one audience may be so for another. In such situations, it is helpful to keep the reader in mind and to think of citations as being reader friendly. In other words, writers provide a citation for any piece of information that they think their readers might want to investigate further. Not only is this attitude considerate of readers and establishes credibility, it will almost certainly ensure that writers will never be guilty of plagiarism.
You may also use or adapt the following:
According to the Excelsior OWL, “plagiarism means to take the words, ideas, or analysis that some other person has written and represent them as their own words, ideas, or analysis” (x). Plagiarism is determined by comparing your writing to the original source; whether you intended to plagiarize is not relevant. If you use the words written by someone else, you need to put quotation marks around those words as well as provide a citation. If you paraphrase someone else’s words, you are still using that person’s ideas. When paraphrasing, be sure to include a citation. In addition, be sure that your paraphrase is really in your words and uses your own sentence structure. Dropping a few words and replacing a few words with synonyms does not count as paraphrasing.
In this class, you should use APA style for your in-text citations and your reference section.
Disclosing Sexual Harassment/Assault (Recommended)
Simpson College and I are committed to providing a safe learning environment for all students that is free of all forms of discrimination and sexual harassment, including sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. If you (or someone you know) has experienced or experiences any of these incidents, know that you are not alone. Simpson has staff members trained to support you in navigating campus life, accessing health and counseling services, providing academic and housing accommodations, helping with legal protective orders, and more.
If you tell me that you have been sexually harassed in any way, I will listen and believe you. If you are experiencing sexual assault, domestic violence and/or stalking, I hope you will feel comfortable contacting me and letting me help you get connected to campus resources. Please be aware that I am required to disclose information about such misconduct to the Title IX Coordinator, Keyah Levy. Although I have to make that notification, you will control how your case will be handled, including whether or not you wish to pursue a formal complaint. Our goal is to make sure you are aware of the range of options available to you and have access to the resources you need.
Please know that there are people on campus that you can talk to confidentially.
- Counseling Services, 515-961- 1332
- Sexual Assault Response Advocates (SARA), 515-330-6392
- Campus Chaplain, 515-961-1684
Sexual Assault Response Advocates (SARA). SARA provides 24/7 advocacy services to anyone in need of support and/or assistance due to sexual assault. A SARA advocate is on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week when classes are in session. You can reach the on-call advocate at 515-330 -6392 by phone or text. When classes are not in session, the SARA line will direct you to contact Polk County Crisis and Advocacy Services at 515-286- 3600.
To learn more about Title IX and sexual misconduct, visit Title IX
Recording Policy (Recommended)
Class meetings may be recorded by the instructor for student use. To respect the class community, there shall be no other audio or video recording of class activities and no sharing or disseminating recordings or images (including screen shots) of class activities without the permission of the instructor and other members of the class.
