Law

A syllabus is often a student’s first impression of a course and its instructor. This collection highlights examples of syllabi that establish a tone of care, inclusion, and concern for student wellbeing from the outset. It also includes a blog post exploring the impact of syllabus language and a template designed to help instructors get started creating their own student-centered syllabus.

The introductory video to this collection highlights the purposes behind developing transparent assignments, including increases to educational equity. The remaining resources help you get started and offer you concrete ways to continue to improve the transparency of your assignments.

There is much value in the traditional essay, but it’s not always the only, or even the best way to accomplish our teaching goals. Instructors have experimented with a wide range of alternatives to the take-home essay, a process that the advent of generative AI has only accelerated.

Can a syllabus do more than convey policies and schedules? This collection includes our favorite examples of syllabi that embrace creative, fun, or otherwise unconventional interpretations of the syllabus genre while still fulfilling the basic roles of syllabi. It ends with advice and commentary about adding visual (and other) elements to your syllabus.