The terms Student Information Sheet and Syllabus may be used differently in divisions and departments across the college.
Using the Course Outline (found in Socrates), faculty should prepare a Student Information Sheet or Syllabus for each course they teach.
The Student Information Sheet is a brief overview of key information (ex., requirements, rules, exam dates) about a course. Every instructor is required to give a copy of the Student Information Sheet to each student in his/her class and to the dean. These may be hard copies or electronic copies.
The Syllabus is a more detailed “roadmap” for the instructional activities that are part of a course. Faculty are not required to give out a Student Information Sheet in addition to a syllabus if the latter already includes all necessary information (see Required Information).
Purpose
The Student Information Sheet or Syllabus:
- is one of the most important documents that faculty can create because it clearly states course policies and requirements
- is considered a contract between the faculty and the students
- should be as clear and comprehensive as possible in case the grading standards or course content are questioned later in the semester.
Required Information
When creating the Student Information Sheet or Syllabus, faculty must include the following
information:
- About the course:
- Course name, number, and code
- Meeting day and time
- Meeting location
- Semester and year
- Instructor’s name and contact information:
- Phone number, voice mail, or other such as cell phone
- Los Rios e-mail address
- Office location
- Office hours
- Student learning outcomes from the current official course outline in Socrates
- Required and recommended textbooks and supplies
- Grading policies, scales, and evaluation criteria
Note: Faculty are not required to include rubrics for specific assignments in their syllabus, but providing that information to students at the time the assignment is given is a good practice.
Recommended Information
Faculty should include the following information for their own protection since this
document is considered a contract between the faculty and the student:
- Approved course description from Socrates or, at minimum, a reference to the course
description in the college catalog - Course prerequisites, corequisites, and advisories from the official course outline in Socrates
- Course objectives
- Instructional methods of choice from the official course outline in Socrates
- Weekly course outline and/or calendar including specific assignments, due dates, and examination dates
- Behavioral standards for the classroom, including the use of electronic devices – cell phones,
pagers, games (see examples of general statements below)- Even though there are college standards for absences and code of conduct, it is strongly recommended that faculty include information specific to their course in their Student Information Sheet or Syllabus rather than refer to students to other sources such as the Student Guide.
- Plagiarism/Cheating policy
- Tardiness and attendance policy
- Make-up policy (at instructor’s discretion)
- Extra credit policy (at instructor’s discretion)
- Accommodations for students with documented disabilities through Disability Services and Programs for Students (DSPS)
- Field Trips, if applicable to the course
Optional Information and Materials
- instructor’s teaching philosophy
- copies of articles for class reading
- study guides
- vocabulary lists
- course schedule
- detailed descriptions of assignments
- homework assignments
Behavior Statement
Below are sample statements addressing appropriate behavior and student conduct in the classroom:
"All students shall adhere to the SCC Student Standard of Conduct. Inappropriate behavior in the
classroom may result in a referral to the Student Discipline Officer for disciplinary due process."
Or
"Attend class ONLY if you wish to learn and contribute to this class and your own educational
goals. If you cannot arrive on time, stay the full meeting and conduct yourself in a way that is
respectful of others’ desire to discuss and learn, please do not attend. If you do not attend, for this
or any other reason, you may be dropped for non-attendance."
Or
"Standard of Student Conduct: obstruction or disruption of teaching and learning or any college
activity shall not be tolerated. A copy of the SCC Student Standard of Conduct is attached for your
reference.'
Or
"All students shall comply with the SCC Student Standard of Conduct. If a student disrupts the
learning environment in any way s/he will be asked to leave class for the remainder of the class and
the next class meeting and may be subject to further disciplinary action.”
Or faculty can create their own.
Additional Samples
Below are additional samples of other statements faculty may wish to include in their information sheets:
Academic honesty (cheating/plagiarism)
Academic honesty is expected. Students are required to do their own work. If cheating of any sort (plagiarism, letting other students copy your work, etc.) occurs, a grade of zero will be assigned for the assignment, quiz, exam, etc. The matter will be referred to the Division Dean and the Campus Discipline Officer for appropriate action which could include, but may not be limited to, failing the class or even being expelled from school, depending on the severity and/or number of times an issue of academic dishonesty has arisen during a student’s coursework.
Accommodations
If you are a student with a learning disability, or other special needs, please let me know as soon as possible if you need special accommodations. These discussions are best handled by a scheduling a special appointment with me. All needs that have been verified through the Disability Resource Center on campus will be accommodated.
Excessive absences
Students may be dropped for non-attendance in accordance with the Sacramento City College
campus policy: “Students are expected to attend all sessions of classes in which they are enrolled. A student having excessive absences may be dropped from any course by the instructor any time during the semester. Excessive absences are defined as 6% of the total hours of class time.” (See the catalog for additional information.)
Online classes
Attendance is very important in an online class. Completing assignments is
the only way to document your attendance. You cannot be passive in an online course; you are
required to be active in this class. You are expected to attend class each week. I will use the
following to document your attendance: completion of tests and quizzes, submission/completion
of assignments (through the digital dropbox or discussion forums), or communication with the
instructor. One week of non-participation (6% of the class) or two weeks with less than full
participation will be grounds for being dropped from the class.
Instructor tardiness and/or attendance policy
- Students may leave if the instructor is more than 15 minutes late.
- If the instructor is late for class, the student must wait near the classroom until the scheduled class time is finished. If the student departs, the instructor will note that the student was absent.
When the Student Information Sheet is complete, faculty should duplicate enough copies to distribute to their students at the start of the course or ensure students can access electronically. A current copy should be on file in the division office by the end of the first week of the session in progress. Some divisions will require the Student Information Sheet to be submitted electronically.
When they are included in packets of course materials over 25 pages in length, syllabi will be sold to students through the College Store. In those cases, it is required that those printed materials be used for at least two semesters. See more information at Duplicating Services.