Infuse Equity and Belonging into your Syllabus

The syllabus is both a contract between the instructor and their students and a marketing tool - some students may determine whether they want to take or stay in a class based on the syllabus. For these reasons, it's important to reflect on what your syllabus is saying about your course or the types of students your course is open to. 

There are two main points to consider when revising your syllabus for equity and inclusion: 

1. The words used. Does the language use include jargon that someone new to the field may not understand? Is there a part in the syllabus that tell your students that you truly care about them and their learning? 
2. The policies set. Believe it or not, students have a whole life outside of taking courses. This life may sometimes make it difficult for them to meet every deadline. Having some flexibility built into the policies outlined in your syllabus lets your students know that you respect their time, and their ability to balance life and work. This also prevents the inevitable emails begging for extended deadlines and second chances. 

The following contains examples of changes made to an upper-division science course: 

Academic Integrity Statement Before: 
All coursework must be the student's original work. Plagiarism will not be tolerated.

Academic Integrity Statement After: 
I very much want you to be successful in this course, and I will provide many opportunities for assistance. Receiving grades that do not represent your work is not a measure of success. Many things in our lives contribute to poor decision-making, including stress, lack of sleep, demands outside of being a student, and waiting until the last minute to complete an assignment. If you find yourself tempted to cross the line, I encourage you to meet with me so we can strategize and discuss ways to find your learning strategies, and make you a successful student.

Late Work Policy Before: 
Participating in the course and completing assignments on time is vital to the learning process. In general, late work cannot be made up. If you anticipate being unable to complete an assignment, please let us know as soon as possible and we can discuss your options.

Late Work Policy After: 
To keep everyone learning the same content together, course activities (including quizzes and the final exam) should ideally be submitted by the due dates outlined in this syllabus and posted on D2L.

I understand that unexpected events in life may come up that prevent you from submitting your work on time, and therefore I offer 3 late work “tokens” that you can trade in at any time during the course, no questions asked. These tokens can be used for quizzes, collaborative readings, and module assignments, but can not be used for the final project rough draft or the final project submission. They also can not be used for discussion posts because the goal of these is to have a conversation with your fellow students at roughly the same time. By turning in a token you are granted an extension of 5 days on the assignment. You must contact me to use a token by a week before the last day of the course. 

Review and revise your syllabus’ language and policies set. Here are some examples of what to look for: 

Adapted from: Effect of syllabus tone: students' perceptions of instructor and course, Harnish and Bridges, 2011.

Other things to note:

• Note how the language shifted from impersonal nouns (students, instructors), to personal pronouns (you, I, we). 
• Changing your course policies may feel unsettling; it requires that you trust your students to not take advantage. If you create a strong relationship with your students, they are more likely to be open and honest with you. 

Potential Limitations

The University still has requirements for what is included in the syllabus. These cannot be changed.