Using Another Instructor’s Syllabus
Hi
Using another instructor’s syllabus is an easy way to get out of doing your own. It relieves the burden of trying to figure out if our syllabus will be accepted or rejected by the Department Chair who usually has the responsibility of reviewing our syllabuses before they are distributed. After all they approved the original didn’t they?
The problem is that there is no guarantee that the coursework covered is adequate or complete. My suggestion is that when using someone else’s syllabus is to just use it as a template as to how to format it. Most schools publish learning objectives for each class which are usually to access. Use those guidelines as your base and build from there. Also this gives you the opportunity to be creative and make up your own guidelines for assessment and not someone else’s. Which by the way, after it is distributed you have to live with. Any other suggestions?
Bill Becker
William,
You are correct. Most schools do publish learning objectives for each and every course that is offered and we as instructors need to make sure that we are meeting each objective.
Shelly Crider
Hello William,
It can either be used as a template or some departments use standing course syllabi that only require update of the term, the instructor name and email etc. This is another tricky discussion especially when you add into the conversation academic freedom in terms of the owner of the content and the rights of the college/university and the faculty.
Zakevia
