Syllabus Requirements & Inserts

• Course information to include the department, course number, course title, and semester, catalog description, and core course or GT Pathways designation.

• Instructor information to include name, office hours, phone numbers, email address, etc.

• Course prerequisites: this must be consistent with the UC Denver Catalog description.

• Required and optional course materials including texts, workbooks, outlines etc.

• Detailed grading policies: weighting, scale, late penalties, specific attendance/participation requirements if any, whether you use +/- grading or not, tentative schedule of topics, and fixed exam dates (these cannot change unless campus is closed.)

• Course Schedule: The schedule should include the tentative sequence of course topics, the preparations or readings, and the assignments due.

• Goals and objectives of the course: must be consistent with department and campus assessment policies.

• Students with Disabilities: Include information regarding academic accommodations for students with disabilities. (See Disability Accommodations below.)

• Student Code of Conduct: Include a reference to the Student Code of Conduct.

• Academic ethics policies: define plagiarism for your course, state your policies regarding penalties, further sanctions you will seek. Outline the consequences.

• Drop deadlines: must coincide with Official Academic calendar and syllabus policies distributed each term by CLAS Dean’s Office

• Expected effort of the student: what you think the time commitment will be and what students should expect in the way of time for the course.

• Student success: Provide suggestions or strategies students might use to be successful in the course.

• CLAS Incomplete policy (see below).

• Class pedagogies: delivery format, electronic support, etc.

• Classroom policies: cell phones, computers, eating, discussion protocols, behavior expectations, penalties for violating classroom policies.

Faculty in the University of Colorado system have both a legal and moral obligation to provide reasonable accommodations to students who must be absent from classes because of religious holidays. Faculty are expected to develop course-consistent accommodations for students who miss class or graded assignments in order to observe religious holidays. Faculty are encouraged to:

1. Avoid examinations during major religious holidays;

2. Ask students to privately identify all course conflicts at the beginning of the semester.

The faculty at the University of Colorado system have both a legal and moral obligation to provide reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities. To be eligible for accommodations, students must be registered with the UC Denver Office of Disability Resources and Services (DRS) – Student Commons 2116; 303-315-3510). The DRS staff has experience to assist faculty in determining reasonable accommodations and to coordinate these accommodations. If a student is given accommodations, they must be made available to the student.

When a student has special circumstances that make it impossible to complete course assignments, faculty members may choose to award an incomplete grade. All incomplete courses are assigned a grade of Incomplete (“I”). Incomplete grades are not awarded for poor academic performance or as a way of extending assignment deadlines. A CLAS course completion agreement form documenting assignments to be completed as well as the agreed upon due dates is required when faculty and student agree on an incomplete grade. Both parties should keep copies of this agreement and a copy should be retained in the department office or with a designated party such as the department’s Director of Undergraduate Studies. Faculty are not required to award an Incomplete.

To be eligible for an incomplete grade, students must:

• Have participated in the class for a significant proportion of the term
• Have successfully completed a significant proportion of the course assignments
• Have special circumstances (verification may be required) that preclude the student from attending class and/or completing graded assignments
• Make arrangements to complete missing assignments with the original instructor by a mutually agreed upon date but within one calendar year. These, as well as assignments and grades completed up to the point that the incomplete is awarded, should be documented on the course completion agreement.

After the agreed upon date or maximum of a calendar year, the “I” reverts to an “F” grade on the student’s transcript if the instructor fails to submit a change of grade. Any request to allow a grade change after the one-year period must be petitioned to the CLAS Academic Standards Committee.

In order to be on the graduation lists, a student must resolve all incompletes before the last day of classes in the semester in which he or she intends to graduate.

Students should not re-enroll in a course in which they have an incomplete. Re-enrollment in a course in which a student has an “I” could result in a loss of tuition and an F in the original course. A student with an “I” does not need to be enrolled in any course or earning any credits to complete the incomplete work. Completing an “I” does not require any additional tuition payment.

CLAS Incomplete Grade Policy and Course Completion Agreement