This article provides an overview of syllabus language & policies to consider, especially for Fall 2024. This post is the first part of the Civil Discourse in Classrooms series and playlist.
As discussed in our inclusive pedagogy overview series, inclusive syllabi are a place to set clear and transparent expectations while also welcoming diverse students.
When setting syllabus policies, the steps below reflect the process to composing any syllabus policy. We provide example policies in subsepquent articles.
- Reflect: Consider what your values as an educator are and what values you have for your educational context. Do those values and policies include or exclude certain populations of learners? If so, can exclusions be minimized?
- Frame: Give students the rationale and background for the policy you are about to present. Try to frame the policy away from punitive and unwelcoming tones and instead, frame it through collaborative and supportive language.
- Set Expectations: After you have framed the information with the rationale, try to clearly set the expectation for what behavior you want to see from students. Whenever possible, model that behavior in your own comportment.
- Communicate Outcomes: Finally, end a policy with what the outcomes or consequences are for straying from the policy.
Continue to read more about in the next article, “Syllabus Policy Examples: Discourse,” or return to the Civil Discourse in the Classroom playlist.