Course Syllabus

Purpose

The course syllabus serves as an outline of specific course expectations and is the instructor’s contract with his/her students.

Procedure for Instructor Course Syllabus Development and Review

The department chair and/or program director provides each faculty member with a copy of the master course syllabus for each course taught. The master course syllabus is a guide for the development of an individual instructor’s course syllabus. Conformity with the master syllabus by each faculty member is checked by the department chair and/or program director.

A common syllabus template is used across the curriculum to ensure consistency in the presentation of course information. Standard deadlines for syllabi submission are September 14th for Spring, February 14th for Summer, and April 14th  for Fall. Department chairs and/or program directors use the syllabus dashboard to review all departmental syllabi before sending to the Office of Academic Affairs for final approval and publishing. NFC uses Simple Syllabus. 

The course syllabus should include the following elements:

  1. The title and number of the course
  2. The text(s) and related materials
  3. The name of the faculty member and other information helpful to students such as office hours or telephone numbers where the students may contact the faculty member
  4. Requirements or assignments by days, weeks, or units
  5. A course outline if not included as part of the information on assignments
  6. A list of any references, materials and/or equipment students are required to use
  7. Factors considered in evaluating and grading students with grading scale clearly explained 
  8. Individual instructor class attendance policies. Instructor policies may not be more rigorous or punitive than general College policy relative to class attendance
  9. Objectives and detailed learning outcomes as established for the course in the master syllabus
  10. Any other information unique to the faculty member's plans for the course
  11. Library and learning resources information
  12. Students with disabilities information

The Office of Academic Affairs archives all course syllabi on the NFC Simple Syllabus platform.