Indian Valley Campus Kentfield Campus

Syllabus Guidelines

• Department Introduction Page
• English Department Faculty
• Course Descriptions(687k PDF)
• Course Schedule  
• Distance Learning Courses
• The Writing Center (LC 110)
• The Online Writing Center
• Cyber Cafe: an  Online Meeting Center
•  Faculty Guide
• Writing  Links

Recommendations for the course syllabus:

• Title and number of the course 
• Instructor’s name and contact information (email, voice mail, and office  hours and location) 
• Required course materials 
• Department plagiarism policy
• Attendance policy (note: California law prohibits grading of students solely on attendance.)
• Evaluation and/or grading policy 
• Calendar or course schedule 
• General course objectives (See the Course Outlines of Record) 
• Contact information for the Writing Center
• The prerequisites for the course
• Provide numbers to important campus student resources
• Provide clear statements regarding make-up dates, attendance, and grading standards

 

The following list contains suggestions for developing a more effective syllabus.

• Discuss where this course will lead intellectually and practically.  The clearer the picture your students have of what you expect them to achieve by the end of the course, the more effective the course will be.  This will help students understand their role and the criteria that will be used to determine success or failure. 
• Improve your students’ efficiency by including detailed descriptions of major assignments.  This can help students prepare for their work and improve their time management skills. 
• The more students know about the instructional priorities, the more effective and efficient they can be in their studying.  Therefore, provide students with sample questions illustrating how they will be evaluated.  This has a positive impact on learning and reduces test anxiety. 
• Discuss whether this course will be primarily lecture, discussion, or group work. 
• Clearly state course objectives and a day by day schedule identifying specific reading assignments and due dates.  You may even want to provide a checklist of all deadlines. 
• Because your syllabus will be used by students, it should be written to students, using “you” whenever possible. 
• With more and more faculty using computer-generated technology in their pedagogy, it is crucial that you include in your syllabus all relevant information about your expectations for computer use. 
• Provide instructions on special facilities—the Writing Center, library, museums, and so on—detailing where they are and how to use them.

* These files require Adobe Acrobat Reader which you may download for free from Adobe's web site.

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English Department webpage
Technical Contact: Ingrid Schreck, Instructor of English – Tel: 415-485-7611
Content Responsible: Ingrid Schreck – Tel: 415-485-7611

 

College of Marin is fully accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. College of Marin serves approximately 9000 credit and noncredit students each spring and fall semester.

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For any member of the community seeking accommodations for the disabled, please contact (415) 485-9340. College of Marin students seeking academic adjustments should contact (415) 485-9406.