What’s in a Syllabus?

Your course syllabus can be organized and formatted however you wish.  Some guidelines endorsed by the QC Academic Senate (back in 2009) are provided by the Office of the Provost at Suggestions for an Effective Syllabus

Download and customize our syllabus template to get started.

Course Information

A well designed syllabus should include the following elements. Review our rubric for detailed guidelines.

Course Information

Course title, department and number, number of credits and number of hours

Catalog Description

You can to find this in the Undergraduate Bulletin/Catalog and Graduate Bulletin/Catalog

Pre-requisites and requirements

Include any pre-requisites for the course and requirements the course fulfills. If your course meets the Pathways requirements, include a statement to that effect and list the discipline-specific learning outcomes.  Student Learning Outcomes Templates can be downloaded from the Academic Senate Documents and Links page.  If you are unsure about any of this information, ask your chair or look up the course in the College Bulletin.

Learning Outcomes
Learning outcomes for the course and how these outcomes map onto assignments or activities.
Texts and Materials

Include information about required and recommended texts and materials and how students can acquire or access them. Include any online resources students will need to access and with what frequency, as well as information about how to access these resources (e.g. how to set up an account, a link for login). 

Mode of Instruction

The CUNY-wide definitions of mode of instruction are below. For more details, visit our Mode of Instruction page.

  • In-Person: All required class meetings occur on campus, during scheduled class meeting times. Material that is provided online, via a learning management system or website, does not displace any of the required contact hours that would normally occur in a scheduled In-Person class.
  • Hybrid (blended): Online contact hours displaces some portion of the required contact hours that would normally take place in a scheduled in-person (face-to-face) class.
  • Fully online: All required contact hours are online. All the classwork, examinations, quizzes, writing assignments, lab work, etc. are fully online.
    • * Synchronous: Synchronous classes meetings resemble traditional on-campus In-Person classes in that students must be (virtually) present at the same time. 
    • *Asynchronous: Asynchronous class meetings do not require the instructor or students to log in to the virtual classroom at a specified time. 
Schedule

A tentative schedule with information about assignment due dates and in-class exam dates. Make it very clear when your class meets in person and what is expected of students for any sessions during which you will not meet. Include a statement that the schedule is subject to change and that the instructor will notify students in writing of any changes. 

Assessment
Include a description of how student grades will be determined, including all components that contribute to the final grade and their relative weight.

Course Policies

Sample text is provided for the elements below. If you will be using both an electronic and a paper syllabus, remember to spell out the URLs in parentheses.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities needing academic accommodations should use the CUNY Accommodate application.

For information about the services available to Queens College students, contact the Office of Special Services by phone at 718-997-5870 or visit the Office of Special Services (SPSV) website.

CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity
The CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity, as adopted by the CUNY Board of Trustees, is available to all students. Academic dishonesty is prohibited in the City University of New York and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension, and expulsion. Academic Integrity Policy. 
Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Syllabus statements often require students to acknowledge any use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the composing of their assignments. You can see examples of policy statements on the use of AI at Generative AI Resources.

The resource page also includes suggestions for incorporating AI into your teaching and strategies for detecting the use of AI in student assignment submissions.

Statement on Student Wellness
As a student, you may experience a range of challenges that can interfere with learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, substance use, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may diminish your academic performance and/or reduce your ability to participate in daily activities. QC services are available free of charge. You can learn more about confidential mental health services available on campus at: Counseling Services Department
Use of Student Work

All programs in New York State undergo periodic reviews by accreditation agencies. For these purposes, samples of student work are occasionally made available to those professionals conducting the review. Anonymity is assured under these circumstances. If you do not wish to have your work made available for these purposes, please let the professor know before the start of the second class. Thank you for your cooperation. 

Course Evaluations

During the final four weeks of the semester, you will be asked to complete an evaluation for this course by filling out an online questionnaire. Please remember to participate in these course evaluations. Your comments are highly valued, and these evaluations are an important service to fellow students and to the institution since your responses will be pooled with those of other students. Please also note that all responses are completely anonymous; identifying information is erased once the evaluation has been submitted. 

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Queens College Academic and Grading policies

A complete guide to the Queens College’s grading conventions is available at Academic and Grading Policies. 

Tutoring or Other Support Services

If your students need tutoring, direct them to QC Learning Commons. The Writing Center is a multilingual academic and intellectual support space where Queens College students work in collaboration with peer tutors to improve their writing. 

Technical Support

Students who need help with their Queens College accounts (email, CUNY portal, Brightspace, and CUNYfirst) can call the ITS help desk at 718-997-4444 Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm or email Support@qc.cuny.edu. For more information, visit https://www.qc.cuny.edu/its/about/

Queens College users have access to desktop computers in the library, as well as loaner laptops: Computers & Printing – Queens College Library)