General Compliance Questions


Which components are required for compliance, and which are optional?

The base syllabus template, before anybody adds content, is designed to show faculty which components are required, and which are merely recommended. Instructors won’t even be able to submit their syllabus if they do not fill out the required components, and that’s how we are making it easier for them to know what is required and what is optional. The required components are:
  • Instructor Information
  • Brief Description of Assignments/Exams
  • Grading Scale
  • Engagement Plan *
  • Required Text or Materials *

*Note that the Engagement Plan is filled out already and just requires instructors to finish up some of the highlighted sections. Also, Required Text or Materials is set to optional only because the component type doesn’t fit all situations. Even though it is optional, that is one of the main key requirements, and we’ve tried to indicate that in the help text.

Besides those, there are plenty of components that are required, but also automatically populated, such as Course Description and Course Student Learning Outcomes. Faculty do not have the ability to remove these components, but they also do not have to do anything to fill them out.

We also highly recommend adding information to Additional Policies, since that will help round out all of the key requirements set by the legislature.

These requirements are:
  • Required or recommended reading assignments
  • General description of subject matter of each unit of study
  • A brief description of each major course requirement, including each major assignment and examination
Do you have any more information about specifically how each of these requirements need to be met?

In general you have a lot of flexibility to use your own judgement to fulfill the key requirements as well as fill out the required components listed above. It is very likely that most or all of the content in the syllabus you created before we adopted Simple Syllabus is comprehensive and compliant.

However, we have two different sample syllabi and one generalized template that can show you some examples of compliant and non-compliant components.

Why is my syllabus due on December 4th?

December 4th has been chosen because it is before faculty are contractually finished for the semester, before finals week begins, and allows you some time to work on your syllabus before support staff are out of office for the holiday break.

Should I have a compliance syllabus in Simple Syllabus and a “real syllabus” in my Canvas course?

No, we recommend having a single syllabus.  Separate versions of a syllabus create points of confusion for students and additional work for faculty.  You should create a single syllabus for your course.

Does eLearning have upcoming trainings on how to use Simple Syllabus?

Yes, we offer a number of educational technology trainings throughout the semester, including some for Simple Syllabus.  For a complete collection of our eLearning offerings, please visit our website for more information.

Which components are private and which components are open to the public?

The two components that are private are:
  • Instructor Information (required)
  • Course Section Information (optional)
Every other component is automatically set to be viewed publicly. Any optional components, such as Additional Policies, Additional Materials, Keys for Success, will not display in the final syllabus if they are left blank.

Do I need to apply specific positions for the “visible” or “invisible” toggle switches for my Simple Syllabus components to meet compliance requirements in the public syllabus library?

No, in the public syllabus library two components will be automatically invisible and private (Contact Information and Course Section Information).  All other components will be public and visible to meet our HB 261 compliance requirements.

The visible or invisible toggle switch is for instructors who want to work on a component in their syllabus, but do not want it visible to their students until it is finished. Note that required components do not have the option to toggle between visible and invisible.

Master Syllabus Questions


How do you get access to a Master Syllabus?

The same as you would get access to things in Canvas. Someone from the department, like an AD or admin assistant, reaches out to elearningsupport@slcc.edu and requests it.

How long does someone keep access to the Master Syllabus?

Once you are assigned a Master Syllabus, you will have access to it throughout the rest of the semester. We keep a running list of people who work on them, so when a new semester is open, the same folks will have access to the new list of Master Syllabi.

Can I make a Master Syllabus for different term types, like 8 week and 12 week? What about for different modalities?

There is only one Master Syllabus for every course. So, even if a course is taught both online and in-person, or has an 8 week, 12 week, and 16 week version, you still can only create one Master Syllabus. In those sorts of instances you should keep the information in the Master Syllabus more generalized for all modalities and term types, or ask your faculty to make small changes based on the term type and modality for their sections.

Is it possible to break the connection between a regular syllabus and a Master Syllabus?

Yes, it is possible. When a Master Syllabus populates a regular section syllabus, there is a connection between all of the components. This allows you to update a component in the Master Syllabus and automatically "push" that change to the live syllabus.

That connection is broken when an instructor edits the component. For example, if the Master Syllabus has content in the Additional Policies and Grading Scale components, and an instructor swaps in a different grading scale in the live syllabus, the Master Syllabus Grading Scale component is no longer connected no matter what changes are made. But, the Additional Policies will continue to be connected to the Master Syllabus. You can lock a component to stop that from happening.

How do I get help?


Additional help can be found by visiting the following guides: