A syllabus is many things: a contract between you and your students, a conceptual map of your course, and an artifact documenting your teaching practice. Your syllabus provides an opportunity for you to communicate to your students course and University-level policies, set your expectations for the semester, and remind students of the resources available to them. Below, the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning offers a précis of some important university policies and sample text that you may use or adapt for your own syllabus. You can find additional examples by browsing our Canvas Syllabus Library. We also offer information on curating a syllabus on the Teaching at Princeton pages on our website. If you have questions about particular policy matters, please contact the Office of the Dean of the College at 609-258-3040. Sample Syllabus Policies: Academic Accommodations The Office of Disability Services (ODS) offers a range of services to ensure that students with disabilities have equal access to Princeton's academic and extracurricular opportunities. The office facilitates reasonable academic accommodations for qualified students who have submitted documentation verifying a disability. You may wish to use your syllabus to make students aware of these services and to emphasize their responsibility for requesting accommodations through ODS. Sample Syllabus Language Disability Services and Academic Accommodations Students must register with the Office of Disability Services ([email protected]; 258-8840) for disability verification and determination of eligibility for reasonable academic accommodations. Requests for academic accommodations for this course should be made at the beginning of the semester or as soon as possible for newly approved students. I encourage students with approved accommodations to contact me at the beginning of the semester and again before major course assessments. Please note that no accommodations for a disability will be made without authorization from ODS or without advance notice. Students with Disabilities or Learning Differences (NEU201/ PSY258 - Lisa Boulanger) Princeton welcomes students with disabilities and values their diverse experiences and perspectives. If you anticipate or experience a barrier to learning in the classroom or in completing assignments or exams, please know there is support for you. Students who wish to request classroom accommodations can do so through the Office of Disability Services (ODS). If you have been approved for accommodations through the ODS, please contact me via email as soon as possible so we can develop an implementation plan together. Academic Integrity All Princeton students pledge to adhere to the Honor Code in the conduct of all written examinations, tests, and quizzes administered in class. On each examination, undergraduates must write out and sign the following statement: “I pledge my honor that I have not violated the Honor Code during this examination.” Jurisdiction over violations of the honor system rests with the Undergraduate Honor Committee. You will find more information on the Honor System on their webpage. A faculty member who suspects a student has violated the Honor Code must notify the Honor Committee. Academic work completed outside class (papers, problem sets, lab reports) is governed by the University’s Academic Regulations. At the end of an essay, laboratory report, or any other requirement, undergraduates must write the following sentence and sign their name: "This paper represents my own work in accordance with University regulations." Violation of these regulations falls under the jurisdiction of the Faculty-Student Committee on Discipline. A faculty member who suspects a student has violated these academic regulations must alert the Faculty-Student Committee on Discipline. You may use your syllabus to reiterate the Honor Code and the University’s Academic Regulations and to emphasize the importance of academic integrity more broadly. You may also want to be explicit about your collaboration policy and your policy regarding AI/Chat GPT (specific guidance on these follows below). Sample Syllabus Language Academic Integrity and the Honor Code Intellectual honesty is vital to an academic community and for my fair evaluation of your work. For these reasons, all students in this course are expected to abide by the Honor Code on examinations and to complete their written work in accordance with University regulations. On each written examination, test, or quiz administered in class, please write out and sign the following statement: “I pledge my honor that I have not violated the Honor Code during this examination.” At the end of any written work completed outside of class for a grade, please type or write out and sign the following statement: "This paper represents my own work in accordance with University regulations." For electronic submissions, you may type your name preceded by the notation /s/, which stands for “signature.” Please be aware that I will refer any suspected infractions of the honor code or the University’s academic regulations to the Honor Committee or the Faculty-Student Committee on Discipline. If you are found to have plagiarized or copied the work of another scholar or student on any portion of an assignment or exam, you will receive an automatic “0,” which may result in a failing grade for the course. Academic Integrity and AI As with standards for collaboration, standards for the use of AI may vary from course to course. You might decide that using AI/ChatGPT is appropriate for students to use in certain cases. Whatever you decide, we encourage you to be explicit about your policy in your syllabus. For more information, please see our Generative AI Guidance. Sample Syllabus Language Academic Integrity and AI Intellectual honesty is vital to an academic community and for my fair evaluation of your work. All work submitted in this course must be your own, completed in accordance with the University’s academic regulations. You may not make use of ChatGPT or other AI composition software. Students must obtain permission from me before using AI composition software (like ChatGPT) for any assignments in this course. Using these tools without my permission puts your academic integrity at risk. On ChatGPT and other AI tools (SPI353 / MAE353 - Alexander Glaser) It’s okay to use ChatGPT to support the work on your policy memo or mini paper. Proceed with caution, however, as we are all still learning how to use these new tools. In fact, we may include a related assignment in a problem set. If you decide to use ChatGPT, you must include an acknowledgment to that effect and, as part of your submission, briefly explain how you leveraged the tool. We will make available further guidance and a paper/memo rubric in due course. Note that you won’t be able to use any AI-assistants during the closed-book written exams. Academic Integrity and Collaboration The standard for permissible collaboration varies from course to course, depending on its specific learning goals. Some faculty members permit students to do problem sets together and even to turn in an assignment together; others allow students to discuss the problems but require them to write up their own answers; still others prohibit any collaboration at all on homework. Given the proliferation of technologies that enable students to share information quickly and easily, it is especially important that you set forth your expectations in writing as to what constitutes permissible collaboration on academic work in your course. The Canvas site for every course includes the following Collaboration Policy, which you may edit and tailor to your course needs: The standard for permissible collaboration varies from course to course, depending on the specific learning goals of each course. Consulting resources that have the potential to influence your work in this course – including collaboration with other students or accessing other electronic resources – may or may not be permissible depending on the kind of resource and the nature of the coursework. If you are unsure as to whether or not a particular form of assistance is permitted in this course, including the use of external online resources, it is your responsibility to ask your instructor. For more information on how to edit this policy, see the Canvas Field Guide. Sample Syllabus Language Freshman Seminar Collaborative learning—that is, working together on assignments with one or more classmates or other students—can often be a very effective technique for mastering material. It can also get you into a lot of trouble (collaborating on an assignment that you are required to do by yourself is called “cheating,” and it can put you in front of a disciplinary committee). Rules differ from assignment to assignment and course to course. When in doubt, ask. Here are some rules and guidelines applicable to this course: Reading assignments. You can always gather with classmates to discuss readings in advance of class. Doing so is a great way to learn the material. Keep in mind, however, that reading itself is a solitary act—you need to read cases on your own before you begin discussing them with others. If you rely on other people to tell you what they say, you will understand them less well. And studies suggest that when students read the material in groups, they actually learn it less well—reading gives way to talking. Individually authored papers. You may ask classmates (or other students) to read a draft of your paper, to identify flawed or unpersuasive arguments, and to mark grammatical errors or awkwardly written sentences. You may NOT, however, have the classmates (or other students) revise or edit the paper for you. Nor may you allow them to suggest new or better arguments that you did not come up with yourself. In other words, you are responsible for generating both the content of the paper and its style or presentation, and you cannot allow anyone else to take these responsibilities from you. Joint projects. On these projects, I encourage you to collaborate fully with the other students assigned to your topic. You can edit one another’s drafts of the background memo, for example. You can also rehearse your oral presentations, and you can accept suggestions from your partner about how to improve your arguments. (These rules apply, however, only to collaborations with other students assigned to your team; the rules of individually authored papers apply with regard to other students in the class and with regard to anyone not in the class.) Language Course A word on academic integrity as it relates to homework assignments and tests in this course: As Rights, Rules, and Responsibilities (as well as common sense) makes clear, you are not allowed to submit someone else’s work for a grade as if it were your own. In any University course, this means that you are not allowed to take someone else’s work and present it as if it were your own. But in a language class such as this, it means additionally that the common practice of asking someone to look over your own work in order to check it for typos, grammar mistakes, and word choice before you hand it in – a practice actively encouraged in some courses – is strictly verboten. It is precisely spelling, grammar, and word choice (among other things) that form the basis of evaluation in this course, and any graded assignment, written or oral, is assumed to represent your own language competence. For graded assignments, we allow you to use dictionaries (including online lexicons such as Beolingus, LEO or dict.cc) but not online translation tools, German spell-check or other such writing aids, and you are not allowed to consult German speakers (including classmates) for help. Evidence of violating these guidelines will result in the submission of the case to the Committee on Discipline. No one, your instructors included, wants that to happen. It is therefore your responsibility if you are unsure of what is and what is not allowed, to discuss the assignment with your instructor and then to adhere to the instructor’s guidelines rigorously. Econometrics Course You may work with other students on the problem sets, but the answers you submit must represent your own understanding of the solutions. Direct copying is not permitted and will be treated as cheating. In any event, it is not in your own interest to rely heavily on others in doing the problems. As with mathematical or analytical subjects, econometrics can be understood only by working problems. If you do not do most of the problems yourself, understanding of the course will suffer, and as a result, so will your grade. Engineering Course You are encouraged to work together on the homework assignments. You should, however, be certain that you understand and can reproduce any work that you turn in. Students working in groups of 2-3 can submit a single homework assignment. All students will receive the same grade. When submitting a group assignment, the following statement must be written and signed by all students: “We agree that we have contributed equally to the preparation of this assignment.” Computer Science Course Programming is an individual creative process much like composition. You must reach your own understanding of the problem and discover a path to its solution. During this time, discussions with other people are permitted and encouraged. However, when the time comes to write code that solves the problem, such discussions (except with course staff members) are no longer appropriate: the code must be your own work. If you have a question about how to use some feature of Java, the operating system, or some other relevant application, you can certainly ask your friends or the teaching assistants, but specific questions about code you have written must be treated more carefully. For each assignment, you must specifically describe in your readme.txt file, whatever help (if any) that you received from others, and tell us the names of any individuals with whom you collaborated. This includes help from friends, classmates, lab TAs, and course staff members. Do not, under any circumstances, copy another person's code. Incorporating someone else's code into your program in any form is a violation of academic regulations. This includes adapting solutions or partial solutions to assignments from any offering of this course or any other course. Abetting plagiarism or unauthorized collaboration by “sharing” your code is also prohibited. Sharing code in digital form is an especially egregious violation: do not e-mail your code or make your source files available to anyone. There is one exception to the code-sharing rule: You may adapt code from the COS 126 course materials provided that you explain what code you use and cite its source in your comments. An example citation appears in StdGaussian.java. Novices often have the misconception that copying and mechanically transforming a program (by rearranging independent code, renaming variables, or similar operations) makes it something different. Actually, identifying plagiarized source code is easier than you might think. Not only does plagiarized code quickly identify itself as part of the grading process, but also we can turn to software packages (such as Alex Aiken's renowned MOSS software) for automatic help. This policy supplements the University's academic regulations, making explicit what constitutes a violation for this course. Princeton Rights, Rules, Responsibilities handbook asserts: The only adequate defense for a student accused of an academic violation is that the work in question does not, in fact, constitute a violation. Neither the defense that the student was ignorant of the regulations concerning academic violations nor the defense that the student was under pressure at the time the violation was committed is considered an adequate defense. If you have any questions about these matters, please consult a course staff member. Violators will be referred to the Committee on Discipline for review; if found guilty, you will receive an F as a course grade plus whatever disciplinary action the Committee imposes. Physics Course Since we are not grading on a curve, you are not in competition with your classmates. Collaboration is therefore encouraged. Research shows that when one student helps another student both will benefit. The benefits to the recipient are clear. The person offering the help also benefits since the mere act of explaining something helps solidify one’s knowledge. There are, of course, obvious limits. Collaboration on quizzes and exams is clearly forbidden. For the Expert TA and Learning Guide problems, you can ask your friends for help, but it is important that you be the one entering (and understanding!) the solutions. Collaboration policies for the lab are similar. You can work closely with your partner(s) on gathering the data and on developing strategies to analyze it. The online lab reports that you will be asked to submit should, however, be your own work. As a general rule, if you find yourself blindly copying work from another student, you have probably gone too far. Academic Resources Princeton offers extensive academic support to undergraduates. The Office of the Dean of the College encourages students experiencing academic difficulty to contact their residential college dean or assistant dean for studies, who can guide them in choosing the right source (or sources) of help. You may wish to acknowledge the range of academic support services available to students on your syllabus and to explain that all students will need to ask for help at some point in their academic career. Some of these resources appear in the Collaboration Policy and Learning Support tool associated with the Canvas site for your course. You may edit the resource and tailor them to your course needs. For more information on how to do so, see the Canvas Field Guide. Sample Syllabus Language Academic Resources Princeton offers extensive academic support to undergraduates. I encourage you to take advantage of the following resources: The Writing Center - The Writing Center offers student writers free one-on-one conferences with experienced fellow writers trained to consult on assignments in any discipline. The McGraw Center - The McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning offers one-on-one learning consultations that can be particularly useful for developing active reading strategies, project management skills, and note-taking tactics. You can make an appointment for an individual consultation by visiting their website. The McGraw Center also supports group study hall and peer tutoring. Princeton Undergraduate Research Calendar - Princeton's Undergraduate Research Calendar (PURC) helps you navigate the many programming opportunities and resources available to support your research at Princeton. Use their one-stop website to learn about upcoming events and plan ahead for important funding, internship, and fellowship deadlines. Princeton Correspondents on Undergraduate Research - Drawn from across class years and divisions, the Correspondents promote a culture of research and scholarship amongst undergraduates, support students through all stages of research and independent work, demystify the research process, and empower more students to get involved in research opportunities that enable them to make well-informed decisions about their course of study and career. The PCUR blog helps demystify the steps of the research process, highlights different kinds of research opportunities, and offers insight into what it’s like to do research and independent work in different disciplines. Reference Librarians - Reference librarians can help students make a research plan, find sources (electronic and print), and provide guidance through the research and citation process. Getting help (MAT 100 - Tatiana Howard) Unlike in high school, the pace of University courses requires even the strongest students to do most of their learning outside of class. Students who achieve the best results typically take full advantage of all the resources available: Course Web Page: Check this website regularly for announcements, updates, review materials including sample exams, video lectures, homework solutions, and lecture outlines. Instructor Office Hours: No appointment is needed. Vague questions based on the problems you are trying to do or something you did not understand from class or the textbook are welcome! Problem Sessions: There will be regular (optional) drop-in problem sessions. Please check Canvas for more details. Math Exam Archive Website: A website archiving previous MAT100 exam problems and solutions. Please use your Princeton net id to login. Attendance A liberal arts education requires full and consistent classroom engagement. Students should attend all scheduled course meetings, be present promptly at the start of each session, and be prepared to participate fully. Faculty are urged to make expectations regarding attendance clear in the course syllabus and other communication with students at the start of the term. On occasion, students may have a compelling reason to miss a course meeting; for example, to observe a religious holiday, to participate in a required varsity athletic competition, or because of illness. Personal travel, job interviews, or extracurricular commitments, including team practices or events, are not compelling reasons to miss class. Excessive absences from classes negatively affect the totality of a student’s educational experience and may lead to poor academic performance. You may set your own attendance policy for your course, but more than two weeks of cumulative absences, regardless of the reason a student misses a class, may represent grounds for a failing grade in a course. If you note a pattern of persistent absences, please contact the student’s residential college dean or assistant dean for studies, who can advise the student about the best way forward. Sample Syllabus Language Attendance Policy Students are expected to attend class regularly and complete all assigned readings in advance of our course meetings. If you have a compelling reason to miss a class – for example, you are ill, are observing a religious holiday, or are participating in a varsity athletic competition – please contact me. For other absences, I will lower the participation portion of your grade by one-third of a letter grade, e.g from an A to an A-, and so on. A late arrival of more than ten minutes will count as an absence. Attendance and Participation This seminar requires your full participation. Complete all assigned readings before class and come to class on time, prepared with comments and questions. Class participation will be evaluated by the overall quality of your contributions, which includes attendance and listening as well as speaking. You are expected to contribute to a classroom atmosphere of mutual respect and productivity. Each unexplained absence will result in a one-letter reduction in your participation grade. Participation (HUM 340 - Stacy Wolf/Betsy Armstrong) I expect that you’ll attend every class meeting, and of course, you’ll get the most out of the class if you’re 100% present 100% of the time. That said, you may miss no more than two class meetings. Religious Holidays (ANT 311 - Hanna Garth) Students who miss work for religious observance are permitted to make up this work. Students should submit in writing to me by the end of the second week of classes their religious holiday schedule for the semester. Classroom Conduct and Etiquette Princeton is committed to creating and maintaining an educational, working, and living environment free from discrimination and harassment. You may use your syllabus to set forth a code of conduct consistent with University policies. Sample Syllabus Language: Code of Conduct (Physics Department) The Princeton Physics Department strives to ensure that all members are supported as individuals and as scientists, regardless of their age, race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, and disability status. To do so, the department has adopted the Code of Conduct. It applies to all faculty, staff, researchers, and students as representatives of the department both on and off campus. The following are its central tenets: Respect and Support Colleagues: Be courteous in your interactions with others. Refrain from personally critical commentary. Give others a chance to voice their thoughts. Do not make judgments based on stereotypes. Take Initiative: Speak up if others are disrespectful of a group or class of people. Commit to Openness: Be receptive to discussing ways to improve the work environment. Do not engage in any overt or perceived retaliation against others. The Physics Department strongly encourages its members to report suspected violations of the Code of Conduct and/or University policy to any of the resources in the above chart. Code of conduct (ECO 312 - Mikkel Plagborg-Moller) All course activities, including class meetings and homework assignments, are subject to the university’s academic code and code of conduct as detailed in the “Rights, Rules, Responsibilities” publication. Etiquette (ANT 311 - Hanna Garth) I consider this classroom to be a place where we all need to be treated with respect, and I welcome individuals of all ages, backgrounds, beliefs, ethnicities, genders, gender identities, gender expressions, national origins, religious affiliations, sexual orientations, ability – and other visible and non-visible differences. All members of this class are expected to contribute to a respectful, welcoming, and inclusive environment for every other member of the class. This also includes not chatting with others in class or creating distractions with technology. Communication Policy You may use your syllabus to indicate how you prefer to communicate with students outside class and to set expectations for the timeliness of your response to email. Sample Syllabus Language: Communication Policy I am delighted to communicate with students about the class and academic work more generally. I reply to emails, usually within 24 hours, but often office hours are a better forum for discussion, especially of substantive issues. Please note that I do not regularly check email over the weekend. Content Notes/Warnings Content Notes or Warnings (sometimes called trigger warnings) are spoken or written alerts about content that may cause an emotional reaction in a reader, listener, or viewer. Their purpose is to allow a student to prepare for engaging the content. These warnings have been the subject of much debate, and there is evidence that they do not help. On the other hand, providing notes on content might allow students to better navigate course material. You might include a general statement about the course’s content on your syllabus or on your Canvas page, or you might flag specific topics as they come up week by week in your syllabus, on Canvas, or in emails to the class. Alternatively, you could provide a separate list of content notes or warnings only to those students who request them. Sample Syllabus Language: Content Advisory (ENG 275 - Bill Gleason) The episodes we will be watching this semester are drawn from a range of genres and providers, including broadcast television, cable, premium cable, and streaming services, and range equally widely in their approach to thematic content. If you have concerns about viewing a particular series or episode listed on the syllabus, please speak with the instructor. The IMDb pages for individual series can be useful in providing pre-viewing information. See IMDb.com. Inclusive teaching policies (CBE 440 / GHP 450 / MOL 440 - Celeste Nelson) We’ll be discussing diseases that will touch each of us over the course of our lives. As such, it is challenging to separate the personal from the academic in this course – indeed, we hope that you’ll take the information that you learn and apply it to your lives. Nonetheless, if there is a specific topic that you’d prefer to avoid (or that you’d like us to cover), I encourage you to let us know, either in person or through the anonymous survey link above. We will do our best to be sensitive to everyone’s experiences and perspectives. Content Advisory (GSS 201 - Catherine Clune-Taylor) This course presumes your willingness and commitment to responsibly engage the ideas raised by material addressing challenging topics – including forms of interpersonal and institutional violence – as they occur within a broad range of cultural, historical, and ideological contexts and perspectives. Contributors should be alert to the fact that this course examines materials that include content, imagery, language, and/or situations that might be challenging and/or disturbing to some. By remaining in this course, you are obligating yourself (1) to reading, viewing, and discussing such works and/or (2) to communicating proactively with the instructional staff regarding any particular content-related obstacles you might encounter, or might anticipate encountering, as you endeavor to complete course requirements. Additionally, by remaining in this course, you are affirming your good faith commitment to engaging course materials, your classmates, and the instructional staff with courtesy, respect, and maturity, in accordance with Princeton’s statements on both “Freedom of Expression” (1.1.3) and “Diversity and Community”(1.1.4). General Course Policies (SOC 302 - John Robinson III) In this class, we will discuss topics that can be sensitive and provoke heated discussion. Some conversations may discomfit or upset some of your previously held beliefs. While I do not promise that you will be comfortable or agree with all of the points raised (either in the material or by your classmates), we must maintain a respectful atmosphere towards each other and be careful to disagree without being disagreeable. Course Content Some of the medieval stories have harmful epithets and/ views; we will not use those epithets in class discussion, and we will discuss how we can best address and disempower the harms of the past. Trigger warnings are given for material read during Week 6. Coursebooks Students can access Princeton’s designated eCampus bookstore and purchase books and course materials easily and securely through a single sign-on process. To do so, please log in with your Princeton NetID and password.Book adoptions will occur through eCampus’s Faculty Administration Support Tool (FAST). Faculty and staff can access the course material adoption portal easily and securely through a single sign-on process. To do so, log into the eCampus adoption tool with your Princeton NetID and password. Once logged in, you can view, select, and adopt purchasing options that best fit your needs. This ensures compliance with the 2008 Federal Higher Education Opportunity Act, which requires colleges and universities to publish the cost of required course materials for students. Faculty are encouraged to consider the cost of required materials when establishing course reading lists and to set aside physical and electronic reserve copies through Firestone Library when possible. Extra copies of Pequod readers may also be placed on reserve at Firestone. Sample Syllabus Language:Coursebooks The following books are required and are available for purchase through Princeton's online bookstore. Copies of each required text are also available on reserve at Firestone Library. Diversity and Inclusion in the Classroom Princeton’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is an essential part of its mission. You may wish to describe your expectations for the classroom environment, drawing on the policy set forth in the Rules and Procedures of the Faculty. Sample Syllabus Language Welcoming and Diverse Classroom (CBE 250 - Emily Davidson) We strive to create a respectful and welcoming environment for all students, and expect the same from both the instructional team and members of the course. Our course and dialogue are enhanced by the diversity of perspectives, backgrounds, and lived experiences among all who are a part of this course. Diversity in Science (MOL214 / EEB214) “Learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion is a lifelong learning process.” We acknowledge that racism and sexism have resulted in unequal opportunities for people to succeed in the sciences by creating barriers for people who are underrepresented in science. Racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination still exist in the sciences today and the scientific community needs to remain vigilant about addressing these problems. The diversity that students bring to this class is viewed as a resource, a strength, and a benefit. Science is stronger when there are diverse ideas and thoughts, and we will strive to create an environment in which students from all backgrounds and with different perspectives feel included, valued, and respected. We strive to create a learning environment for students that supports a diversity of thoughts, perspectives, and experiences. To help accomplish this goal, please let a professor know if anything occurs or is said in the classroom by an instructor or student that is troubling or is offensive. Inclusion It is my aim to create an inclusive learning space where no one feels isolated, excluded, or diminished. You have a right to respect and to freely express your ideas, while expecting privacy and confidentiality, and to be assessed and graded fairly. Please help me to create this inclusive learning environment. Be respectful of others and speak up if you see someone being excluded. Hold yourself responsible for being a part of creating this inclusive learning environment, including coming to me if I have done something to harm that. I will always want to know if I have said or done something offensive and no harm will come to you for speaking up. I have changed my teaching many times over the years according to student feedback and I have only ever been grateful to those who took the time to let me know their concerns. Commitment to Diversity (EU 201/ PSY 258 - Lisa Boulanger) It is essential we build our class community into a place where everyone feels comfortable participating. I expect all students to be respectful of the varied experiences and backgrounds represented by the classroom members as a group. Disrespect or discrimination on any basis will not be tolerated. Electronic Devices in the Classroom Faculty members set the policy for the use of electronics in the classroom. You may choose to restrict the use of laptops and cellphones, but keep in mind that some students with documented disabilities may have an accommodation that permits them to use devices. You may also use your syllabus to explicitly address whether you permit the recording of class sessions. Sample Syllabus Language Electronic Devices and Recording (CBE MOL 438 - Jonathan Conway) Electronic devices may be used in class so long as they do not become a distraction to those around you. If you plan to take notes on a laptop or other electronic device please be considerate of your classmates so that your electronic device does distract others sitting behind or around you. Students who become a distraction with their use of an electronic device may be asked to move seats or discontinue the use of their electronic device. You may make audio recordings of class but they are for personal use only. Any other use of recordings from class is prohibited Technology Policy The use of electronic devices during class is distracting to you and your colleagues (see Sana, Weston, & Cepeda, 2013). Often students who use laptops spend considerable time on non-course-related tasks (see Fried, 2008). Studies show that taking notes by hand, rather than on a laptop, encourages students to process information more deeply (see Mueller & Oppenheimer, 2014). In light of this research, I will not permit the use of electronic devices in class. Please turn off and put away your phone before class begins. You should purchase a notebook dedicated to this class and use it to take notes on the readings and on our class discussions. Good note-taking will be especially important for the three in-class open notes tests you will take this semester. Please see me if you have ODS accommodations that include using a laptop for note-taking. Policy on Electronic Devices (ANT 344/GSS 419 - Onür Gunay) Please do not use laptops and cellphones in class. Studies now conclusively show that they detract from learning -- for you and those around you. See, for instance, "Students are better off without a laptop in the classroom." If you have an academic accommodation that requires the use of an electronic device, please be in touch with me. Technology (CBE 250 - Emily Davidson) Given that all problem sets and exams will be submitted electronically, we recommend (but do NOT require) having a tablet for this course. Our experience has been that submitting (on the student side) and grading (on the instructor side) handwritten documents created with a tablet has been clearer and more straightforward than scanned documents on paper. Recording Policy (GSS 201 - Catherine Clune-Taylor) Unauthorized photographic, video and/or audio recording of class activities (lectures, workshops, precepts, exercises) is prohibited. Students eligible for approved accommodations through the Office of Disability Resources due to religious observance or other reasons approved by the Office of the Dean of the College are strongly encouraged to alert the professor as soon as possible so that appropriate arrangements can be made. On occasion, the instructor may grant permission for individual students to record particular course activities; in such instances, the professor will make every effort to notify all course contributors in advance that class activities will be recorded. Such recordings are only to be used to directly support active participation in the work of the course during the term of enrollment by the student receiving the accommodation. Further, such recordings are not to be shared, distributed, or retained beyond the semester’s end. Disregard for the specific terms of accommodation allowing the recording of course activities will be considered a violation of academic integrity. Grade Breakdown Your syllabus should indicate the requirements and assignments that will comprise students’ grades. If you are using an alternative approach to grading, you should use the syllabus to describe the approach and set forth your expectations for student work. Sample Syllabus Language Grading Rubric (PSY 252 - Rebecca Carey) 10% Precept Attendance 10% Class Attendance 10% Weekly Journal Entries 15% Midterm 40% Research Collaboration Project 15% Final Exam Grading and Assignments (PSY 385 - Shirley Wang) For this class, we’re going to use a collaborative grading approach. An in-depth description of each assignment and the mastery of skills you are expected to achieve is listed on the separate Grading and Projects sheet. The course grade will be based on several components: Class participation, SMART goals, critical evaluation papers, facilitating a small-group discussion, and a final project and presentation. Each must be completed to mastery to “pass” and contribute to your grade. We will collaboratively discuss and agree on your grade at the end of the term. Requirements/Evaluation (ART329/ARC318 - Basile Baudez) Class participants are encouraged to explore as much as possible and to keep their minds open about what may constitute achievement. In that spirit, you and your professor will collaborate on the assessment of your work, not only to identify a final grade for your transcript but, equally important, to find ways to support your intellectual and creative growth in the seminar and beyond. What is graded is your engagement in the course and your effort in acquiring academic skills. Assessment will be based on the following: Self-evaluation and monitoring of your academic plans Discussions with classmates (in pairs and small groups) Feedback from your professor and from the community partners A final conference with your professor to agree on your final grade Assignment Bundles and Specs Grading (AMS 365/ENG 365 - Stacy Wolf) For our class, we’re going to use a variation on “specs” or specifications grading. This is a method that was developed to enable students to have more control over their grades and to focus on progress and growth more than simply on earning a grade. I believe that specs grading will offer all of us a positive, curious, and growthful mindset. The basic idea is that you’ll decide which “bundles” of projects you want to (or able to) complete for a specific grade in the course. Each of the bundles is a great option and signals full engagement in the class. All projects must “pass” in order to count towards your chosen bundle (that is, each project must meet the project’s goal of quality, as outlined below). You’ll be able to revise a project (within a specific timeframe) if it doesn’t pass. Grading Standards Your syllabus should also articulate a framework for grading student work that aligns with your department’s grading standards. The university’s standards for letter grades can be found in the Undergraduate Announcement here. Please note that the Canvas Gradebook defaults to the following grading schema, which also corresponds to the final grades that the Registrar’s Office records:A+ 100% to 97%A < 97% to 94%A- < 94% to 90%B+ < 90% to 87%B < 87% to 84%B- < 84% to 80%C+ < 80% to 77%C < 77% to 74%C- < 74% to 70%D < 70% to 60%F < 60% to 0%Instructions for changing the grade schema in Canvas can be found in the Canvas Field Guide.We encourage you to use the syllabus to describe how completing an assignment will contribute to the student’s intellectual growth in the course or academic field. The McGraw Center provides guidance on developing grading rubrics for different types of assignments, which we suggest you share with students. Sample Syllabus LanguageRequirements/Grading (ANT 390 - Julia Elyachar & Onur Günay)The success of this course depends on your commitment to complete all required readings for each class meeting, to critically reflect on the readings, to participate actively in class discussions, and to creatively integrate these insights into the midterm paper and final project.The reading selections for each week are relatively short – between 50 and 100 pages. Some of them are dense, some are an easy read. In all cases, please plan ahead and give yourself enough time during the week to read and reflect on the texts, and please come to class prepared to engage actively in analysis, debate, and creative speculation. Full attendance and active participation in class discussions are expected. Grading (ARC 206 - Erin Besler)It is a requirement of this course that all work be completed and presented eloquently, precisely, and thoughtfully. Drawings are to be constructed with great care and printed with consideration as to framing, line-weights, and legibility. The graded components of the course are outlined below: Exercise 1: 20% of final grade Exercise 2: 20% of final grade Exercise 3: 20% of final grade Reading Responses / Project Statements: 20% of final grade Section Participation: 20% of final grade In addition to the requirements described above, each of the exercises asks you to demonstrate an understanding and proficiency with representational concepts and techniques. Work will be evaluated based on these standards as well as the degree to which each student is able to articulate a clear and concise project statement based on a conceptual point of departure and execute an exemplary project as a reflection of that.> Land Acknowledgement Some faculty choose to offer a land acknowledgment—a statement about the history, present reality, and future relationship of the institution, Indigenous Peoples/Nations, and the land—on their syllabi. For more information on land acknowledgments at Princeton, see Inclusive Princeton’s guide. Sample Syllabus Language Land Acknowledgement (GSS 201 - Catherine Clune-Taylor) This course will be facilitated from Princeton, New Jersey – or the unceded, ancestral land of the Lenni-Lanape. As we gather, we honor the ongoing history and living culture of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape people, other Indigenous caretakers of these lands and waters, the elders who lived here before, the Indigenous people living today both in and beyond this space and the generations yet to come. For information about the histories of Indigenous stewardship of the land on which you reside, consult Native Land Digital. Late Work and Extensions Faculty are encouraged to make clear policies regarding late work at the start of the term. Faculty now have the discretion to grant an extension of up to 24 hours for a “dean’s date” assignment. Students may not carry incomplete courses into a subsequent term. While postponing final examinations to the following semester may be permitted under exceptional circumstances, only students who take a leave of absence from that semester for medical reasons can request further postponements. Sample Syllabus Language Late Work and Extensions: Unless otherwise stated, all deadlines in this course syllabus are firm. Work that is not submitted on time will be subject to a 1/3 letter grade penalty for each day it is late, unless you have contacted me for an extension prior to the deadline. General Course Policies (SOC 302 - John N. Robinson III) As mentioned above, late papers will be penalized, and extensions will be granted only in the case of a serious and unforeseeable problem, the definition of which is subject to my discretion. (Printing problems, untimely computer crashes, and heavier-than-normal workloads are examples of problems that do not warrant an extension.) Thus, it is best simply to submit assignments on time. Extensions (SML 301 - Daisy Huang) I understand that there might be family emergencies, personal sickness, conferences, interviews, or things that come up unexpectedly, etc. To reduce stress related to the deadlines, you are given 2 late passes for the problem set and projects (no late pass for the final project). A late pass allows you to turn in an assignment up to 24 hours late without a penalty. You cannot use more than one late pass toward an assignment. A late pass cannot be used for the final project. Each time you are late for submitting an assignment, a late pass will automatically be applied until you have used up all the late passes. Therefore, please try to save the late passes for the later assignments. Note: It is important that you do not email any of the instructors to just let them know that you are using a late pass. Extreme Cases For severe illness or hospitalization, if after using your late pass you still cannot meet the deadline, please make your extension request through your college dean or assistant dean for studies –in this case, you must also inform your college dean or assistant dean for studies that you have already received a 24-hour extension. All extension requests must be received before the deadline. Learning Goals Many faculty members’ syllabi include learning goals that identify what students will learn or achieve by taking the course. Setting learning goals puts the emphasis on how you want students to engage course content, as well as the content itself. For more information on the importance of learning goals, see McGraw’s Teaching at Princeton pages. Sample Syllabus Language Learning Goals for a Physics Course (Physics Department) An understanding of mechanics is a prerequisite to many other fields of study. The acquisition of “subject knowledge” is therefore an important goal. Skill in problem-solving is also of general importance in science and engineering, and indeed in life in general. In this course, we will learn systematic approaches that will find a wide range of applicability. It is hard to overstate the satisfaction that can come from the successful solution of a real-world problem and we want every student who completes this course to be well prepared for that experience. Closely related to problem-solving is the ability to build a mathematical model. Like problem-solving, this skill is widely applicable in science, engineering, and business. Although calculus was initially developed along with mechanics, it now finds applications in many other fields—for example, statistics, reaction theory, and economics. Newtonian mechanics provides an excellent opportunity to develop a deeper and more intuitive understanding of this beautiful subject. Mastery of facts and figures is perhaps the least important of the learning goals for this course. There are, however, a few such items that are so frequently employed that it is worthwhile to learn them by heart. Learning Goals for a Comparative Literature Course Students will gain knowledge of: The medieval African writing tradition, including its manuscript cultures and scripts African literatures in Gəˁəz and Arabic about the Virgin Mary Students will gain skills in two different areas. First, students will develop their communication skills in close reading and unpacking complex texts; offering cogent and succinct oral presentations on texts and concepts; and writing original essays analyzing texts. Second, they will learn how to structure data in the humanities and understand data literacy (understanding terms, programs, and concepts) project and data management (setting and tracking goals) data design (creating ways of thinking about data that enable end users to grasp it easily) data curation (data cleanup, analysis, and visualization) data visualization (creating visual text analysis) Learning Goals for an Engineering Course (CBE 341 - Celeste Nelson) Formulate and solve mass, momentum, and energy balances for macroscopic control volumes; Formulate and solve mass, momentum, and energy balances for one-dimensional differential control volumes; Employ dimensional analysis to interpret experimental data; Develop a basic understanding of the physical phenomena that drive transport processes; Formulate and solve transport problems by simplifying the general balances in the form of partial differential equations; Employ dimensional analysis to assess the importance of competing processes; Appreciate intuitively and mathematically the parallel forms of the three transport modes (mass, momentum, and energy); Formulate and solve interphase heat and mass transfer problems to design processes. Mental Health Resources + To ensure equity and consistency, a faculty member should not independently make a change or an exception to course requirements because of a person, mental health, or medical issue. Instead, please contact the student’s residential college dean if a student requests a change to your course requirements. (Students with chronic or ongoing conditions or disabilities may be approved for academic accommodations from the Office of Disability Services who will notify you directly about students with accommodations.) The University offers an extensive array of personal counseling and support services. All counseling services are confidential. On your syllabus, you may choose to indicate ways your students can access mental health and other support resources on campus. Sample Syllabus Language Mental Health Resources Princeton University offers a variety of resources to support your mental health and wellbeing. If you or someone you know needs support or is looking to access specific services, consider reaching out to these university and student-led resources: Your residential college advising team is always a good first resource for advice and counsel. The assistant deans for student life (DSLs), whose offices are located in each residential college, serve as case managers in crisis situations. They are also available to talk with you about well-being concerns and can refer you to appropriate campus resources. If you are feeling distressed or need support, please contact Counseling & Psychological Services (CPS) at 609-258-3141 for immediate support or to schedule an appointment with a counselor. CPS is a confidential resource. The Sexual Harassment/Assault Advising, Resources and Education (SHARE) office is a survivor-centered, trauma-informed, confidential resource on campus. SHARE provides crisis response, support, counseling, advocacy, education, and referral services to students experiencing unhealthy relationships and abuse, including harassment, sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, and stalking. The Princeton Peer Nightline is a student-run anonymous peer listening service. It is not affiliated with CPS or the University administration. They offer anonymous chat/call peer support. “CRISIS” Policy (GSS 201 - Catherine Clune-Taylor) It remains your responsibility to balance your personal commitments so that you can also meet your curricular obligations in this class. However, if a personal situation arises during the semester that threatens to affect your performance in the course, you are strongly encouraged to speak with the professor and your residential college dean or assistant dean for student life about your circumstances immediately. Do not wait until the situation has begun to damage your grade/s in the course. It remains your responsibility to communicate with relevant Princeton personnel sooner rather than later so that an appropriate accommodation, strategy or resolution can be devised. Office Hours You should plan to hold regular weekly office hours in which students may consult with you outside of class time to discuss course material and other related matters. An online scheduling system is available to assist you in setting aside blocks of time for students to schedule appointments in advance. You should be willing to arrange alternative appointments for students with course conflicts or required athletic practices during the faculty member’s regularly scheduled office hours. For a more detailed discussion of the importance of office hours, see McGraw’s Teaching at Princeton pages. Sample Syllabus Language Office Hours I encourage you to sign up online and attend my Office Hours to discuss any questions you have about the readings, assignments, or course policies. I am happy to meet with you on Zoom or in person. If you cannot make it to my scheduled Office Hours, email me for an alternative appointment time. This will help me to get to know you, and it will help you get more out of the class. Coffee Hour (NEU201/ PSY258 - Lisa Boulanger) This is a big class, and I want to meet as many of you as possible. If you would like to meet over coffee or a snack in the Genomics Café (Icahn), I will be available some Fridays 2 – 3 pm (please email me to confirm). Office Hours (Physics Department) Each instructor will have weekly office hours (the times will be announced early in the course). Instructors look forward to the chance to interact with students one-on-one or in small groups, so you should definitely not feel like you are imposing. The course director is also available to meet with you as needed. Contacting the Instructor If you want to discuss any aspect of the course, please feel free to make an appointment to see me using Calendly. Any times available there are open to you; you are not required to ask me first. I am happy to answer short questions by email; if the question requires a long answer, I will ask you to make an office appointment. Participation If participation is part of your course grade, we encourage you to outline your expectations for it on your syllabus. The McGraw Center provides guidance on developing grading rubrics for participation, which we encourage you to share with students. You may want to ask students to check in with you about their participation grades at midterm. Sample Syllabus Language Participation (PSY 255 - Jordan Taylor) The success and energy of the class depends on you! You should always feel free to ask questions, discuss something related that you know about, state an opinion, etc. You are not supposed to know or understand everything — this is the point of taking the course! We think you will find that questions/ideas start popping into your head and that your shyness will fade as you participate more and more. We expect such discussions to happen organically, but to emphasize the importance of this aspect of the course you will receive a grade for participation in every precept, ranging from maximum credit for frequent contributions demonstrating thoughtful reading of the papers, to no credit for staying quiet and providing no evidence that you read the papers. Active Participation (DAN 317 - Rebecca Lazier) Your learning and success in this course is most tied to your own commitment to active, curious participation. That means: Being fully present both physically and mentally in all class activities. Adding your voice to our discussions and bringing your “yes” attitude to our physical inquiries. Contribute to creating a workspace of encouragement and affirmation. Thoughtfully engage with course media to offer your own insights back to our group through your written assignments and class discussions. Use specific elements of the assigned readings, viewings, and studio sessions, to advance our conversations in every session. This is a device-free class, and students are asked to not check their phones during class, even during a water break. If you wear a smart watch, please silence notifications. Pronouns You may choose to include a statement about pronoun use on your syllabus, sharing yours and encouraging students to share theirs with you. For additional resources, visit Princeton Gender + Sexuality Resource Center. Sample Syllabus Language A note about names/pronouns (Physics Department) Instructors are provided with class rosters with potentially out-of-date preferred names; information about students’ pronouns is also not readily available to us. We encourage any corrections and look forward to learning your pronouns. Pronouns I will gladly honor your request to address you by a name that is different from what appears on the official roster and by the gender pronouns you use (she/he/they/ze, etc.). You can let me know by email or in class. A Note on Pronouns (ASA 320/GSS 377 - Rishi Guné) Pronouns are a very important, yet often overlooked, aspect of daily social interactions. In this class, all people’s pronouns will be respected and used according to each individual’s wishes. Please be conscious of your peers’ pronouns and use them accordingly.