Syllabus and Handout Materials

What should be in a syllabus?

Syllabi should include information pertinent to your course that is not available in a standard textbook.

A course syllabus should not be a set of formal lecture notes, but should give lecture outlines and learning objectives.

General Guidelines for Syllabi

All syllabi should include:

• Title page
• Name of course
  • Course number
  • Course director name and contact information
  • Course administrator/secretary name and contact information
• Academic year and dates of course
• Indication that this is a course at the University of Rochester School of Medicine
• Table of contents
• Page numbers on all pages
• List of faculty members and contact information for them
• Course overview
• Course goals and macro-learning objectives
• Statement on grading (criteria for assessment); assessment methods and feedback plans for the course: Number of exams, types of exams, a discussion of formative and summary assessment in the course. For PBL, small groups, and clinical courses include sample forms that will be used by tutor or preceptor to evaluate students.
• Course schedule with dates, times, topics, faculty names, and locations of sessions
• Faculty responsible for each instructional session will outline at least three learning objectives for the syllabus. For
• PBLs this is to be handed out to all students at the last session for each PBL.
• Introduction section of all PBL cases
• Information on parking at other sites if sessions are not being conducted at UR SMD
• Listing of breakout groups for each section of course

How do I get graphs or graphics scanned so they can be inserted into syllabi or put onto my TopClass webpage?

Bring your graphics to the OER. OER staff will work with the Graphics Department to scan these items. It will then be converted into a computerized format that can be inserted into your document or on your webpage. When dropping these off, please be sure to let the OER staff know what computer platform you are using (e.g., Macintosh or PC) and how you plan to use the item. File types are often dictated by use. In some cases, a faculty member may need to meet with a representative in graphics to review files created for quality.

Do syllabi have to be bound or can they be binders with dividers?

Syllabi can be either bound or made using binders with dividers. Binders with dividers offer more flexibility for courses with many PBL sessions since materials are distributed throughout the course. Note that binders and dividers can cost up to twice as much as binding. In addition, note that the binders will need to be assembled by the course support staff. If you are interested in using binders, please be sure to contact the OER regarding purchasing these at least two months before your course starts. In addition, if you need assistance assembling the binders, staff from the Curricular Affairs Office and the OER may be available if contacted at least 2 weeks in advance of assembly date.

How do I pay for copying my syllabus or other handout materials?

Copying of syllabi and handouts is covered directly by the OER. All materials copied by OER for courses are automatically double-sided copied and three-hole punched on white paper unless otherwise requested.

For a syllabus:

All materials with the appropriate copyright information (unless this is already on file with the OER; for additional information see Copyright Permissions) should be delivered to the Office of Educational Resources or Copy Center after you have obtained your course copy card number from OER.

OER or Copy Cenetr staff will need to know the following information about your materials:

• Single or double-sided
• Three-hole punched or bound (if bound, cover color)
• Paper color (if bound, section dividers needed? Section divider color?)
• Number of pages in job

For other handouts:

• If you require the copying of additional handouts, you can either take them to the OER or directly to the Copy Center. Please note that 24 hours turn-around time is required for all copying jobs.
• If you have less than 24 hours, you can ask the Copy Center if they can fit the job in. However, this is not always possible. If this is the case, your staff can make the copies in the Copy Center on the OER account. In this case, they will be required to sign a logbook to verify that the copying being done is for a course. This should only be done in emergencies.
• Please note that copying done by the Copy Center on their high volume machine costs $0.02. Copying on the walk-up machines is $0.04.

When do I need to get my syllabus to the Copy Center for copying?

Your course syllabus should be delivered for copying at least 1 month prior to the start of your course. This will enable Copy Center management to arrange for the copying of your syllabus in a timely fashion.

When the Copy Center must pay staff overtime to copy handouts, this cost is transferred directly to the OER. Therefore, failure to meet the required deadline will result in the overtime charges being forwarded to the course director' s department.

Can I have copies of my syllabus made for the faculty teaching in my course?

Yes; if you inform the OER in advance of how many copies you will require for your faculty members, these can be ordered at the same time. There is a limit of 135 copies.