Content Comparison

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• Course number and title;
• Instructor’s name, office location, and office hours (note: office location is optional for the public version);
• Names, office locations, and office hours of any teaching assistants (note: do not include in the public version);
• Overview of the class including prerequisites, subject matter of each lecture or discussion, and learning outcomes for the course and how they will be assessed;
• Grading policy, including the means of evaluation and assignment of class grades, including whether plus and minus grades will be used for the final class grade and whether and, if so, how attendance will be used in determining the course grade;
• A brief descriptive overview of all major course requirements and assignments, along with the dates of exams and assignments that count for 20 percent or more of the class grade;
• A list of required and recommended course materials, such as textbooks, image collections, audio and audiovisual materials, supplies, articles, chapters, and excerpts as appropriate identified by author, title, and publisher;
• Final exam date and time (when available);
• The class Canvas site or website, if any; and
• A notice that students with disabilities may request appropriate academic accommodations from the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement (DDCE), Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at http://ddce.utexas.edu/disability. (Suggested wording available here.)
  • Note that instructors should not use the syllabus to limit in any way a student’s right to receive or deliver an accommodation letter or to request accommodation. Concerns about a particular student’s situation may be discussed with the director of SSD.

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The following syllabus disclosures are not part of the GIC requirement. But they are often included in syllabi and are considered important for students as they engage with and navigate your course and the university. You are strongly encouraged to provide the following in your syllabus.

• Other Recommended Disclosures

  • Required Devices – Any devices, especially computers or other electronic devices, that are needed to succeed in the course;
  • Asking for Help – How best to access or ask questions of the instructor (and teaching assistants) outside of class time;
  • Making Up Missed Work – Policies and procedures around makeup assignments;
  • Names and Personal Pronouns – Pronouns used by the instructor and teaching assistants, as well as encouragement to indicate their own names and pronouns.
• Other temporary syllabus additions that may be requested from time to time by the Provost’s Office (e.g., those related to COVID)

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“It is my intent that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well served by this course, that students’ learning needs be addressed, and that the diversity that students bring to this class can be comfortably expressed and be viewed as a resource, strength and benefit to all students. Please come to me at any time with any concerns.”

• • Title IX Disclosure regarding availability of support and state law reporting requirements, as provided here;

    
    

• Getting Help with Technology

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• • • Class attendance – Your expectations for attendance, with the rationale and the consequences for not attending if there are any. (Note that attendance that is included in grading is a required disclosure, above.)

    • Class participation – Your expectations for participation, with the rationale and how they can succeed. (Note that participation that is included in grading is a required disclosure, above.)

      
      

    • Behavior expectations – Guidelines and ground rules for appropriate behavior.  You can reference a class-specific code of conduct (some instructors ask students to write this during the first week of class) or, more formally and officially, Section 11-400 of the Institutional Rules in the GIC .
    • Professional standards – The professional standards that may apply to the subject being studied in your course.

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    Content Warning
    To let students know that a course contains materials or subjects that are potentially inflammatory or disturbing, an instructor may wish to include wording similar to the following:
    
    “Our classroom provides an open space for the critical and civil exchange of ideas. Some readings and other content in this course will include topics that some students may find offensive and/or traumatizing. I’ll aim to forewarn students about potentially disturbing content and I ask all students to help to create an atmosphere of mutual respect and sensitivity.” Source
    
    Further helpful discussion of content warnings can be found at this page.

• University Resources for Students

  
  

• • Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD). This is a required inclusion, above. It is repeated here to contribute to completeness of this list.
  • Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC).  For example:
    “All of us benefit from support during times of struggle. Know you are not alone. If you or anyone you know is experiencing symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, academic concerns, loneliness, difficulty sleeping, or any other concern impacting your wellbeing – you are strongly encouraged to connect with CMHC. The Counseling and Mental Health Center provides a wide variety of mental health services to all UT students including crisis services, counseling services with immediate support and well-being resources. Additionally, CARE Counselors are located within the academic schools and colleges. These counselors get to know the concerns that are unique to their college’s students. For more information on CMHC, visit cmhc.utexas.edu or call 512-471-3515.”
  • University Health Services (UHS). For example:

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“Students in this class should be aware of the following university policies:

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    Individuals who hold a license to carry are eligible to carry a concealed handgun on campus, including in most outdoor areas, buildings and spaces that are accessible to the public, and in classrooms.

  • It is the responsibility of concealed-carry license holders to carry their handguns on or about their person at all times while on campus. Open carry is NOT permitted, meaning that a license holder may not carry a partially or wholly visible handgun on campus premises or on any university driveway, street, sidewalk or walkway, parking lot, parking garage, or other parking area.
  • Students in this class who hold a license to carry are asked to review the university policy regarding campus carry.
  • Depending on the instructor’s choice, they might also include:
  • Per my right, I prohibit carrying of handguns in my personal office. Note that this information will also be conveyed to all students verbally during the first week of class. This written notice is intended to reinforce the verbal notification, and is not a “legally effective” means of notification in its own right.

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