Syllabus
At Penn State, the syllabus acts as a course contract between the professor and the students and provides vital information and details about the class. You should read through the syllabus thoroughly during the first week of class and refer back to it often. It provides information on the following:
Elements you will find on a Syllabus...
Instructor Information
You will find the professor's name and contact information, their preferred method of communicating, and office hours.
Course Goals/Description
The goals and learning objectives of the course will be listed in the syllabus. Read them carefully to understand the scope and objectives of the course.
Class Expectations
The syllabus will provide details of the professor's expectations for how students should participate in the class and will include items like:
- late policy
- communication expectations
- discussions
- citation expectations
- course schedule
Assignments/Exams/Grading
A description of the various exams and assignments that will be used to assign your final grade are usually laid out in the syllabus, including a description of the relative weight of each type of assignment for your final grade.
The syllabus should explain the overall grading scale for final grades and the policy for late and missed assignments.
Policies
The syllabus will include many course-specific and University-level policies ranging from late policy, attendance, inclement weather, academic integrity, disability services, etc.
Here is a link to an example course syllabus Download link to an example course syllabus. Please note that every syllabus is different, so it is essential that you read each one in its entirety.