Websites of Interest
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www.sc.edu/fye
(National Resource Center for First Year Experience and Students in Transition)
The Syllabus and How to Interpret its Information
Most college courses come with a syllabus distributed by the professor on the first day of class. That syllabus is a contract between the student taking the class and the professor teaching the class, and there is no doubt that it can be intimidating at first glance. So, we are dissecting a sample syllabus here, breaking it down into simple terms:
Course title: self explanatory
Course number: consists of 3 letters and 4 digits to identify the course such as PSY 1012
Call number: 5 digit number used to enroll in or drop the course
Term: fall, spring or summer
Course format: lecture, discussion or lab
Day/Date/Time course meets each week: self explanatory
Professor’s office location and office hours: location usually consists of building and room number
Professor’s telephone number (if given): self explanatory
Professor's website and/or email address: use the professor’s preferred method of contact for best success in professor responding
Blackboard website (if one is used for the course): website to post assignments, emails, and grades
Course description: list of assignments with corresponding due dates, course grading system with points earned through examinations, class participation, and assignments
Course objectives: description of what material will be covered in the class, and what students are expected to learn from taking the class
Textbook: required for the class is listed in the syllabus, along with supplemental recommended reads, and bibliography
Class by Class outline: description of material to be covered on a class-by-class basis, subject to change at the professor’s discretion
Student behavior: section that describes expectations of acceptable student behavior, and consequences of unacceptable behavior
Additional university-wise policies and regulations are listed in the FAU catalog at /registrar/universitycatalog/welcome.php
