Course outline guide (syllabus)

This information must include:

• Course title, number, credits, semester, year.
• Class date, time and location (campus, building, room number).
• Name and title of the instructor, Faculty and Department.
• Access to the instructor: office location, campus phone number, email, website (if available), office hours, preferred means of contact.
• Similar access information for teaching assistants, where applicable.

This wording must exactly match the description in the Course Calendar.

• Calendar course description (must be identical to that in the calendar).
• Prerequisites.

Optional:
Expanded course description.

• Specific knowledge or skills students should have before beginning the course (e.g., computer skills).
• If appropriate, explain what the course is not about or what topics will not be covered.
• Territorial Acknowledgement.

Only prerequisites that appear in the Course Calendar may be listed in your course outline.

Clear statement of the knowledge, competencies or skills students are expected to achieve by the end of the course (e.g., synthesize information, make predictions, solve problems, etc.). 

Learning outcomes are statements about the knowledge, competencies and/or skills students are expected to achieve by the end of the course.

For more information on developing and writing course learning outcomes.

• Applying Bloom’s taxonomy to your learning outcomes
• Develop learning outcomes - Course Design
• Learning Objectives - CTE Resources, Boston College

This should include exam dates, assignment due dates, holidays and any other important dates in addition to a weekly schedule of topics.

Include the following information:

Schedule (may be subject to change)

• Assignment due dates.
• Exam dates.
• Legal holidays/No class dates.
• Special activities (e.g., group selection for project work, guest speaker, etc.).
• Provide a week-by-week schedule (recommended) or general schedule of the main topics to be addressed and questions that will be used to lead scheduled course activities (e.g. lecture themes, discussions, readings, problem sets, project topics, lab topics, assignments etc.).

Optional:

• The DNE/DISC withdrawal dates.
• Include plan for make-up classes.

This statement sets expecations for which students behave in the class setting, particularly in relation to communications.

Include the following statements:

All individuals participating in courses are expected to be professional and constructive throughout the course, including in their communications.

Concordia students are subject to the Code of Rights and Responsibilities which applies both when students are physically and virtually engaged in any University activity, including classes, seminars, meetings, etc. Students engaged in University activities must respect this Code when engaging with any members of the Concordia community, including faculty, staf, and students, whether such interactions are verbal or in writing, face to face or online/virtual. Failing to comply with the Code may result in charges and sanctions, as outlined in the Code.

This statement reminds students that instructors hold IP to course content and that copying or distributing without consent is not allowed.

Include the following statements:

Content belonging to instructors shared in online courses, including, but not limited to, online lectures, course notes, and video recordings of classes remain the intellectual property of the faculty member. It may not be distributed, published or broadcast, in whole or in part, without the express permission of the faculty member. Students are also forbidden to use their own means of recording any elements of an online class or lecture without express permission of the instructor. Any unauthorized sharing of course content may constitute a breach of the Academic Code of Conduct and/or the Code of Rights and Responsibilities. As specifed in the Policy on Intellectual Property, the University does not claim any ownership of or interest in any student IP. All university members retain copyright over their work.

This statement reminds students that they shall only use their Concordia Email Account for University related activities and are required to follow the Policy on Concordia email accounts for students and employees. 

Include the following statements:

Your Concordia email is the official channel for all university communications, as required by the university’s Policy on Concordia email accounts for students and employees. Please use your Concordia email for all communication related to this course and check it regularly so you don’t miss important information. Learn more about how to access your Concordia email.

As a student, you are expected to follow the email policy and to use your Concordia email in a respectful and responsible manner. The policy helps ensure that communication across the university is secure, reliable, and consistent. 

This statement facilitates any unforeseen changes that nees to made to the delivery of the course in the the case of extraordinary circumstances.

Include the following statements:

For undergraduate courses & courses that are cross-listed with graduate courses:

In the event of extraordinary circumstances and pursuant to the Academic Regulations, the University may modify the delivery, content, structure, forum, location and/or evaluation scheme. In the event of such extraordinary circumstances, students will be informed of the changes.

For graduate courses:

In the event of extraordinary circumstances, the University may modify the delivery, content, structure, forum, location and/or evaluation scheme. In the event of such extraordinary circumstances, students will be informed of the changes.

Your course materials should include:

• Required textbook(s) for the course.
• Where book(s) can be borrowed or purchased.
• If additional readings are required, include the articles and indicate where they can be obtained.
• Indicate readings that have been placed on reserve in the libraries.
• Other required resources (e.g., lab equipment, software, art supplies, etc.); indicate where they can be found and, if applicable, how much they will cost.

Optional:

• Suggested reading.

Be sure to order your coursepack and textbooks from the bookstore and put any readings on reserve at the Library well in advance.

This should include information about the format and timing of assessments, due dates, and grading procedures. You must include the weight of each assessment and a grading scale of criterial.

• Provide explicit information about the format and timing of assignments and grading procedures (e.g., term papers, exams, quizzes, and grading procedures (e.g., term papers, participation).
• Provide a clear indication of the weight of each assignment on the f inal grade.
• Include the grading scale and the grading criteria.
• Indicate your expectations about respecting due dates and any sanctions if these expectations are not met.
• Inform students of their right to write in French.

Assessment instruction template for course design

Optional:

• Describe your Department’s policy on oral and written proficiency. The policy on evaluation states (item 16.3.1 in the calendar): The weight accorded to the various elements that make up the final grade is at the discretion of the instructor or instructors responsible for the course. At the beginning of a course, the instructor will provide students with the evaluation scheme in writing. Once the semester has started, the grading scale should not be changed without either unanimous consent of students or consent from the chair. (Reasonable efforts must have been made to contact all students.)

For Information, see the Undergraduate Calendar. 

An ethical behaviour statement clarifies the policies related to plagiarism and other violations of the Academic Code.

Include the following statement:

Plagiarism:

The most common ofense under the Academic Code of Conduct is plagiarism, which the Code defnes as “the presentation of the work of another person as one’s own or without proper acknowledgement.”

This includes material copied word for word from books, journals, Internet sites, professor’s course notes, etc. It refers to material that is paraphrased but closely resembles the original source. It also includes for example the work of a fellow student, an answer on a quiz, data for a lab report, a paper or assignment completed by another student. It might be a paper purchased from any source. Plagiarism does not refer to words alone –it can refer to copying images, graphs, tables and ideas. “Presentation” is not limited to written work. It includes oral presentations, computer assignments and artistic works. Finally, if you translate the work of another person into any other language and do not cite the source, this is also plagiarism.

In simple words:

Do not copy, paraphrase or translate anything from anywhere without saying where you obtained it.

(Source: Academic Integrity)

Optional:

• Indicate the kind of in-class behaviour that you expect and state what kind of behaviour you consider disruptive; you may wish to refer students to the Code of Rights and Responsibilities
• Ask students to advise you early in the term if they are taking religious holidays.
• Include an accessibility statement in your course outline: Instructor will strive to make learning experience as accessible and inclusive as possible. If you have accessibility needs that require academic accommodations, please meet with an advisor from the Access Centre for Students with Disabilities (ACSD) as soon as possible to set up an accommodation plan. I welcome meeting with all students to discuss their accessibility needs.
• Indicate to students the option to submit a Short-term absence form to request a medical accommodation without demonstration such as a medical note.
• Include a statement on Ethical Behaviour: Sexual violence, including sexual harassment and sexual assault, is not tolerated at Concordia. Please see Concordia’s policy on sexual violence for more information about awareness and prevention, support for survivors/victims, responding to disclosures and procedures for reports and complaints. You can also contact the Sexual Assault Resource Centre for information and support. More information and support are available at the Sexual Assault Resource Centre, by email sarc@concordia.ca or phone 514 848-2424 x 3353

An accessibility statement explains how you ensure the accessibility of your classroom to all students.

You may include the following statement:

Instructor will strive to make learning experience as accessible and inclusive as possible. If you have accessibility needs that require academic accommodations, please meet with an advisor from the Access Centre for Students with Disabilities (ACSD) as soon as possible to set up an accommodation plan. I welcome meeting with all students to discuss their accessibility needs.

• If you do not plan to engage students in deeper critical discourse about it's relevance in class, kindly refrain from including the Territorial Land Acknowledgement in your syllabus.
• If you decide to include a Territorial Land Acknowledgement in your syllabus, consider the following: 
  • Express it authentically or create it with purpose and intention
  • Align your actions in support of Indigenous peoples' land and water right struggles

Learn more at the Indigenous Decolonization Hub

An ethical behaviour statement about Sexual violence, including sexual harassment and sexual assault, reminds students that is not tolerated by the instrucotr or the university.

You may include the following statement:

Sexual violence, including sexual harassment and sexual assault, is not tolerated at Concordia. Please see Concordia’s policy on sexual violence for more information about awareness and prevention, support for survivors/ victims, responding to disclosures and procedures for reports and complaints. You can also contact the Sexual Assault Resource Centre for information and support, either by email sarc@concordia.ca or phone 514 848-2424 x 3353.

Other policies commonly found in course outlines include:

• Use of technology.
• Requests for grade changes
• Equity statement
• Name & pronoun statement
• Communications

Seek advice from colleagues about the policies you might establish for your course.

A clear syllabus statement is crucial for setting consistent standards, mitigating misuse, and fostering the ethical adoption of GenAI. Refer to the CTL’s GenAI Guidelines for adopting a policy specific to your context.

If you just use Moodle and YuJa, you do not need to include such a statement; however, if you use any other third-party software including cloud-based technology and webs sites that collect student information (i.e. name, student number, email address, etc.), you must include one.

You can use or adapt the Standard wording for inclusions in course outlines (see Appendix A). For more information on what tools are officially supported by the university, refer to the IITS Teaching & Learning Service Catalogue or the CTL page Tools for teaching with technology.

Sharing a list of resources to assist students with both personal and academic issues will help students who might not have known where to go for support.

You may include this list:

List of student services

• Access Centre for Students with Disabilities
• Student Success Centre, see also Resources for success (Moodle)
• Counselling and Psychological Services
• Concordia Library Citation and Style Guides
• Health Services
• Financial Aid and Awards
• Academic Integrity
• Office of Student Life and Engagement
• International Students Office
• Student Hub
• Sexual Assault Resource Centre
• Otsenhákta Student Centre
• Birks Student Service Centre
• NouLa Black Student Centre
• Espace Franco
• As a Concordia student, you are a member of the Concordia Student Union and have many resources available to you including:
  • HOJO (Off Campus Housing and Job Bank)
  • CSU Advocacy Centre

A class schedule provides a list of the topics by week/class session. It is typically presented in a table format by week indicating the topic (and in-class activities, where appropriate), and required readings and assignments for each week.