Handbook of Operating Procedures > Series 300 Faculty and Academic Policies > 3.4.7 Course Syllabi

3.4.7 Course Syllabi

A. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines for course syllabi. 

B. Persons Affected

All faculty.

C. Definitions

A syllabus is a statement of intent by the course instructor that should clearly explain what a student must do and when they must do it to successfully complete the course and earn a grade.

D. Policy 

At least one week prior to the beginning of each semester syllabi containing the information delineated in section F shall be posted for all courses on the department’s website. 

E. Responsibilities

Faculty, chairpersons, and deans.

F. Procedures

UT Tyler teaching faculty are required to distribute a course syllabus to their students on the first class meeting day and to place the syllabus in the Learning Management System. One purpose of a syllabus is to protect students from arbitrary or untimely changes in course requirements and due dates. A syllabus must also provide information about departmental and University policies governing conduct of the course.

Syllabi for concurrently taught undergraduate/graduate courses (ex: CENG 4314/5314) must clearly describe the additional expectations of graduate students that are substantively and progressively more advanced than those of the undergraduates. This can be done in a separate graduate syllabus or a combined syllabus.

Guidelines for the expected content and structure of a syllabus are available at https://www.uttyler.edu/academic-affairs/files/syllabus_information_2021.pdf.

The information contained in the course syllabus, other than the grading criteria and absence and make-up policies, may be subject to change with reasonable advance notice as long as the change is without prejudice to the students.  

Final Examinations must be consistent with expectations presented in the University of Texas at Tyler catalog. All final examinations are to be administered as scheduled. If an unusual circumstance requires that special arrangements be made for an individual student or class, the dean of the appropriate college may authorize an exception to the schedule after consultation with the faculty member involved.

Faculty members are required to maintain student final examination papers for a minimum of three months following the examination date.

G. Review

The divisional head for this policy is the Provost. This policy shall be reviewed every five years or sooner if necessary by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs in consultation with the Faculty Senate.