Quick Arts & Science Course Syllabus Checklist & Essential Rules
Syllabus Must Have:
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Course code, name of course, meeting section and lecture meeting times
Brief course description
Information on Practical and/or Tutorial sections
Instructor contact information
Instructor office hours
Blackboard Information (if using) including expectations for students to check
Itemized marking scheme that includes:
o assessments (assignments or term tests) to be marked and included in final course
grade,
o their weight in the final course grade,
o their due date or timing, and
o whether there is a final exam in the Final Examination period.
Assignment submission method (electronically, in person, at Departmental office – give address)
o If turnitin.com is the preferred method of receiving written assignments, see reverse of
sheet for required protocol
Best Practice for Syllabus to Have:
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Course objectives - learning outcomes
Late penalty policy if intend to accept and apply penalties to late assignments
Missed test policy - should outline:
o what forms of documentation is required,
o timeline and method for contact
o if reason for missing test is deemed acceptable, the mode of the make-up
Re-marking policy – timeline and protocol
Accessibility accommodations, i.e. willingness to accommodate as directed by AccServ
Online communication policy (email protocol, expected response times, etc.)
Academic integrity message
Required texts and materials, weekly reading schedules
Availability of additional help/aid centre and hours (if applicable)
Important sessional dates (e.g. course drop deadline, university closure date, “make-up
Monday” class if applicable)
[See over for Essential Faculty Rules]
Essential Faculty of Arts & Science Rules
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Using turnitin.com
If you are using turnitin.com you must indicate in your syllabus the fact that students may opt
out of submitting this way. You should specify the method or range of methods you will accept
as alternative means of verifying originality for those who opt out. And you must include this
message on your syllabus (Note: this a non-negotiable UofT requirement) :
“Normally, students will be required to submit their course essays to Turnitin.com for review of
textual similarity and detection of possible plagiarism. In doing so, students will allow their essays to
be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database, where they will be used
solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. The terms that apply to the University’s use of the
Turnitin.com service are described on the Turnitin.com web site”.
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Term Work
No single piece of term work may have a weight of more than 80% of the course grade. The
exception is where it is necessary to re-weight term work for an individual student to
accommodate assignments or tests missed for illness or other unavoidable reasons.
Reweighting to such a degree is a last resort.
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Returning Marked Work
By regulation, you must return at least one piece of marked term work by the course Drop Date.
For Y courses this work must be worth at least 20% of the course grade; for H courses, at least
10%. Such marked assignments should be indicative of a student’s progress in the course.
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Term Work Due Dates
Term work should be due during term. Instructors have the authority to give informal
extensions up the end of the Final Exam Period, but not beyond. After that point, a student
must petition for an extension through their College Registrar’s Office.
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Term Tests
No test worth more than 25% of the course grade may be scheduled in the final two weeks of
classes. This includes take home tests where the questions are revealed and the answers due
within the last two weeks of classes.
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Final Examinations
All final examinations are scheduled and run by the Office of the Faculty Registrar (OFR) in the
Final Exam Period, including June. No test may occur in the Final Exam Period that is not
scheduled by the OFR. Students who miss a final exam must petition to the Faculty through
their College Registrar’s Office for an opportunity to write a deferred exam.
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Advising
Note that you should feel free to refer students who need advising on any subject to their
College Registrar’s Office.