Syllabus Language Database

Syllabus Language Database

This database curates real course policies from UO faculty who've volunteered to share their syllabi with others. We thank them for their generosity! The policies reflect a variety of ways to align with UO's reason-neutral requirement. These samples reflect the policy as the instructor used it during the listed term. The policies may have evolved since then to better fit the needs of the instructor, their course, and their students.

These buttons will jump to a policy you are interested in. For each policy, example language is organized by course type, described below. General language for these policies and sample language for many other syllabus items are available in our syllabus guide.

Course Type Descriptions

Our database divides courses into six types organized by the broader structure of the course. As the database attempts to extend across campus, you or your discipline might define course types differently than we have. Examples in the database are listed with discipline and course number so that you can more easily find sample policies that are relevant to your course even when your definition of course type differs from ours.

  • Small & Medium Courses: prototypical courses with student learning being led by an instructor. Often policies designed for a large lecture courses (below) can be also used directly in smaller courses.
  • Large Lecture Courses: Similar to small & medium courses, but with 90 or more students. Despite "lecturing" being in its name, students often engaged in activities rather than exclusively listen to the instructor present content.
  • Discussions, Labs, & Lessons: These courses often have a corequisite lecture course. In these courses, students meet in smaller sessions (smaller than their associated lecture) to discuss material or readings, do hands-on experiments, practice techniques from the lecture, or receive additional specialized training from an instructor.
  • Practicums and Internships: These are courses where students earn credit while working in-the-field or in professional environments.
  • Seminars: A small group of students studying a subject with a faculty member. Although practices vary, students may do original research and exchange results through informal lectures, reports, and discussions. (This is the seminar definition from UO’s catalogue).
  • Studios: these are courses where student learning is focused on developing specific skills rather than content mastery. Similar to labs, but studios are not typically linked to a larger course.

Don’t see an example from your discipline or your course context?

We are always aiming to expand and improve the database. Reach out to us and share one of your policies!

Absence Policies

When writing an absence policy, be sure to keep in mind UO's reason-neutral attendance and engagement policy. The University-wide exceptions to this policy are are already highlighted in the student guide for University policies, but they can be helpful to reiterate for your students in a syllabus.

Courses are organized by course type (see our type descriptions) and listed with discipline and course number. Large lecture courses include student seat count.

Small & Medium CoursesLarge Lecture Courses
Discussions, Labs, & LessonsPracticums and InternshipsSeminarsStudios
We still need sample absence policies for this course type. Please reach out to us if you have some to share!

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Policies from Small & Medium Courses

Sample Language from english 386

Sample from Elizabeth Wheeler's course in Fall 2024, Bodies in Comics.

Attendance
Attendance counts as 7% of your grade. In addition, five Reading Reponses written during class sessions count as 15% of your grade. I appreciate your steady, well-read presence, especially if it’s an effort for you. Discussion is a key method of learning in this class. Getting to know you is one of my favorite parts of teaching. I also like knowing whether or not you’re okay. For all these reasons, I’m not a fan of mysterious disappearances.

Zoom Attendance
Please come to class in person if you can. However, you have the option of attending on Zoom for all sessions or some sessions due to disability, immune status, or caregiving responsibilities. For Zoom attendance to count, you must have your screen on except for bathroom breaks and participate in all class activities, via Chat or conversation. Find the Zoom Link in Canvas Modules. 

Making Up An Absence
If you are unable to attend class due to anxiety, illness, or emergency, you can make up that day’s attendance grade by doing the following:

Email or call in before class, or in the event of emergency, within 24 hours after class. Read the lesson plan on Canvas and the assigned course materials for that day, and watch the class recording if there is one. Email me a four-sentence response to the materials within one week of the absence.

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Policies from Large Lecture Courses

Sample Language from Astronomy 123

Sample from Andrea Goering's course in Winter 2025 with seats for 218 students.

Attendance is important because we will develop our knowledge through in-class activities and peer interactions during class. If you miss class, you may submit a file demonstrating your engagement, ideally within 1 week of the missed class. I recommend a 1-page summary documenting how you engaged with the day’s ideas, but other formats are welcome! Note that I expect everyone to miss class occasionally. If you are sick, please don’t come to class! Stay home to heal and avoid infecting others.

Sample Language from Human Physiology 323

Sample from Jon Runyeon's course in Winter 2025 with seats for 320 students.

Class attendance: This is a face-to-face course. Attendance is important because we will develop our knowledge through in-class activities that require your active engagement. We’ll have discussions, small-group activities, and do other work during class that will be richer for your presence, and that you won’t be able to benefit from if you are not there. Excessive absences make it impossible to learn well and succeed in the course. While there is not an automatic grade deduction for missing classes, it is unlikely that students who miss 4 or more classes will be able pass this course.

There is no point penalty for not attending class, just missed learning opportunities. For students that do attend and who have accumulated at least 80% of the total possible clicker points or in-class participation points, will have their final course score rounded up to the next whole number AND one percentage point (+1%) will be added to their final course score, before letter grades are assigned (i.e., 88.1% will now become 90.0%, or an A-!). You can miss (not attend class and not answer) 20% of the in-class participation and still earn the participation grade round up (about four class sessions). 

Sample Language from Philosophy 335

Sample from Camisha Russell's course in Fall 2023 with seats for 95 students. 

This class is designed to facilitate discussion and reflection on course materials and themes. I believe consistent attendance offers important benefits to students. That said, I understand that, especially during our turbulent times, circumstances beyond a student’s control can make attendance difficult. Any absence can be made up by participating in a pre-set Canvas discussion. The pre-set Canvas discussion makeups also accommodate absences to observe religious holidays. There is no need to contact anyone about such an absence.

Sample Language from Psychology 308

Sample from Christina Karns's course in Spring 2024 with seats for 153 students.

You must engage in the course material in-class, demonstrated through in-class activities. These may include multiple-choice polls within the Acadly app and other assignments to be turned in during class or shortly thereafter. Your best 15 participation days of the term will count toward your grade. Please use the additional days if you are ill or have an emergency. I do not need to know the reason for your absence, but some students choose to share the reason to seek advice, resources, or support, which I will do my best to provide.

Sample Language from Sociology 280

Sample from Stephanie Wiley's course in Fall 2024 with seats for 165 students.

This course is built around these reason neutral policies & Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to balance practical matters & flexibility for late/missing work in several ways:

  • Lecture Participation (Attendance):
    • Four classes are dropped, so you can miss a few classes without impacting your grade.
    • Went to the bathroom & missed a poll? No worries, you can miss one poll activity for the day & still receive credit.
    • No need to tell us if you’re absent but feel free to check in if we can help catch you up on what you missed!
Sample Language from Sociology 304

Sample from Nathalia Hernández Vidal's course in Winter 2025 with seats for 110 students.

Attendance is not required but is highly encouraged and needed to pass the course. Graded assignments will always include in-class content, so doing the readings alone or getting notes from your classmates won’t replace your own active engagement with the class. Your success is genuinely important to me. If challenges come up for you this term around attendance, please contact me as soon as you can. Together we can identify what resources or strategies might be available to support you and your learning.

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Policies from Discussions, Labs, & Lessons

Sample Language from Biology 221

Sample from Nicola Barber's course in Winter 2025. This language is for the required lab corequisite for Principles of Biology I: Cells.

If you miss lab, you need to notify the BI 211 teaching team either prior to lab (if the absence is planned) or within 24 hours of your missed lab. Email your instructor ([address]) AND your GE in the same email thread (see Contacts page on Canvas for all email addresses). In cases of an absence, submitting the normal in-person lab will not be accepted, so you will need to reach out to your teaching team to inquire about the make-up lab and due date for the make-up. There is a limit of 2 make-ups that you will be allowed for the term. Lab make-up work is intended for students who are sick or experience an unforeseen emergency, and should not be considered as a suitable alternative to lab for avoidable absences. Additionally to allow for some flexibility we drop your lowest lab grade, including zeros received for an absence.

You should also email your group mates (in a separate email thread) to keep in contact about labs and graded group problems sets. Even if you are home sick, you will still be expected to contribute to the graded group problem sets that are due each week. 

Sample Language from Music Performance x65

Sample from Steve Vacchi's course in Fall 2024. This language is for a one-on-one bassoon lesson portion of a studio course.

For both lessons and studio class: show up.  If this is not going to happen, contact me as soon as possible by phone [number] (voice/text until 11pm is fine) or by email [address]. Illness and emergencies are real and sometimes sudden. Given our shared workspaces and close contact, please exercise your best judgement regarding health. I would rather reschedule a lesson than risk “sharing” an illness. With some notice (i.e., not the day of absence), we can reschedule a lesson. Barring real illness or some other emergency, if you cancel your lesson the day of, I won't reschedule it. Otherwise, lessons will be rescheduled. Unexcused absences are unprofessional. Unless it is an emergency, your two-thirds grade (see above) will be lowered by one full letter grade. I both ask for and expect flexibility with lessons- the nature of my work as a performer and administrator will at times require that I reschedule lessons. In general, weekly lessons will occur at regular times. According to SOMD policy*, students are entitled to at least NINE lessons during each ten-week term; I expect to be able to honor ten lessons per term. Lessons during Week of Welcome or otherwise outside of regular instruction weeks for each term will count toward the minimum for that term.

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Policies from Practicums & Internships

We don’t yet have sample absence policies for this course context. Check back soon or share some of your own course language from practicums or internships you lead.

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Policies from Seminars

Sample Language from Music 684

Sample from Holly Roberts's course in Spring 2025.

Class attendance is paramount to your personal success as well as the collective success of class members. Students may miss one class this term (10% of our meetings), regardless of the reason. This means we do not have “excused” or “unexcused” absences except—as is the case for all UO classes—in the cases of religious observances, specific AEC accommodations, military deployment, and University-sponsored events with signed documentation presented as early in the term as possible but at least a week ahead of the planned absence or need for accommodation.

Sample Language from Undergraduate Studies 112

Sample from Sarah Ebert's course in Fall 2024. This was a weekly seminar course for students in the Thrive Academic Residential Community.

Attendance

  • is required. Most in-class activities include community building and cannot be made Attendance up; thus, attendance is critical and mandatory.
  • Students are expected to arrive on time and stay for the whole class period.
  • Students may miss one class without consequence.
  • 2-4 absences will lower your final grade one whole letter grade (i.e. an A would become a B).
  • More than 5 absences will result in an F/NP.

The course attendance policy is meant to cover ordinary, day-to-day absences. I understand that some students may experience an extraordinary circumstance. In the event of an such a circumstance, I will work with you to consider how we might make adjustments to course requirements where possible. Please let me know as soon as you are able if you experience an extraordinary event.  

There is no need to explain or offer personal information about the nature of your emergency — I will trust you only to activate this policy in an emergency situation.

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Policies from Studios

Sample Language from Journalism and Communication 203

Sample from Courtney Munther's course in Spring 2025.

Attendance + Engagement: We will develop our knowledge through in-class activities that require your active engagement. For this reason, my expectation is that you attend class as often as possible. Here are some important things to know about attendance:

  • Five absences = automatic fail. The #1 most common reason students fail this class is having too many absences! You may be absent four times in this class. After your fourth absence, I will give you a warning, either verbally or via email, that you have reached the threshold. If you are absent a fifth time, I will ask you to withdraw or assign you grade of “NP” for the class.
  • No “excused” or “unexcused” absences: Per UO policy, there are no “excused” or “unexcused” absences. However, I understand that your personal and academic lives are not mutually exclusive, and that there may be times when you must miss class. That’s fine. You do not need to alert me when you will be absent, but do keep the absence policy in mind and be thoughtful about your attendance.
  • Extenuating circumstances attendance clause: If you experience prolonged illness or a disruptive personal situation that impacts your ability to attend class, please reach out to me so we can find a reasonable accommodation.
  • Illness: Do not come to class if you are sick; please stay home, rest and recover.
  • In-class work: If you are not in class, you cannot make up in-class work. Keep in mind that you must submit 70% of the work in “Attendance, Engagement + Other Assignments” category to pass.
  • Your success isgenuinely important to me. If challenges come up for you this term around attendance, please contact me as soon as you can. Together we can identify what resources or strategies might be available to support you.
Sample Language from Journalism and Communication 331

Sample from Lori Shontz's course in Spring 2025.

  • You can miss three classes this term – for any reason – without penalty. Beginning with your fourth absence, your overall grade will drop by 1/3 of letter grade for every miss. For example, if you’ve missed four classes, your grade would drop from an A to an A minus.
  • If you are late to class four times this term, that counts as one absence.
  • Extraordinary circumstances: This course attendance policy is meant to cover ordinary, day-to-day absences. If you experience an extraordinary circumstance, let me know as soon as possible, and I will work with you to consider how we might adjust course requirements.

Attendance exceptions: See the link on Canvas or this link from the office of the Provost with details on missing class for illness, religious observances, accessible education, military service, university-sponsored events (including athletics) and pregnancy and parenting.

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Make-up Work Policies

The Course Attendance and Engagement policy states that “Faculty have discretion to determine which, if any, assignments can be turned in late or made up, and what the consequences are as pedagogically appropriate for the course.” While not explicitly stated in the policy, the intent of the policy is to have make-up policies be reason-neutral also. 

Courses are organized by course type (see our type descriptions) and listed with discipline and course number. Large lecture courses include student seat count.

Small & Medium CoursesLarge Lecture Courses
Discussions, Labs & LessonsPracticums & InternshipsSeminarsStudios
We still need sample make-up work policies for this course type. Please reach out to us if you have some to share!

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Policies from Small & Medium Courses

Sample Language from Journalism and Communication 330

Sample from Lori Shontz's course in Winter 2025.

Make deadline: Every assignment has a deadline, and there’s a good reason for them. In a professional school, we are preparing you for what the industry expects.

  • Late Assignment policy:
    • I allow a 24-hour grace period three times with no penalty. You can turn in an assignment late three times during the term, not including the final analysis/reflection. You do not need to ask for permission. Just submit.
    • Feedback is not always possible for late assignments: If you turn in your assignment more than 72 hours after the deadline, you will not receive detailed feedback. You will receive a grade.
    • If you need more than 24 extra hours or find yourself needing more than three automatic extensions: Email me, and we’ll talk about solutions. 

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Policies from Large Lecture Courses

Sample Language from Astronomy 123

Sample from Andrea Goering's course in Winter 2025 with seats for 218 students.

Activities never close but falling behind is risky. Late Homework and Quizzes will not be accepted (except for the exceptions listed below) but there are retake opportunities for each. Late projects will be accepted up to 2 weeks late (the normal window for revision), but late projects may lose the opportunity to revise and resubmit.

Sample Language from Business Administration 101

Sample from JD Van Alstyne's course in Fall 2025 with seats for up to 280 students.

Everything that needs to be completed in this course is contained in a course module on Canvas.  Each of those course modules has a due date in the module header.  These due dates are strictly enforced.  If you miss a class, you are still responsible for completing the class work required by the due dates. For each class period, there is a “missed lecture” that you should watch that will help you to complete the homework assignments related to the missed class. 

Any late work beyond the due dates will not be accepted unless it meets specific limited legitimate and verifiable reasons identified under university policy, which are most commonly related to religious accommodations, accessible education, or university-sponsored events. Please contact me immediately if any university-specified reasons apply to make the appropriate accommodations. 

Dropped Scores

Due dates are firm, but the dropped scores provide accommodation for unexpected circumstances. Additional extensions are available only for university-recognized reasons (religious observances, documented disabilities, university-sponsored events). Contact me immediately if these situations apply.

AssessmentDropped Score Policy
In-Class Attendance & Participation Lowest 2 scores dropped 
Homework – Connect online reading/video  Lowest 4 scores dropped 
Homework – MikesBikes online business simulation Lowest 2 tutorial video scores dropped 
Sample Language from Comparative Literature 232

Sample from Monique R. Balbuena's course in Fall 2024 with seats for 120 students.

Assignments on Canvas (discussion, annotation) are always due before class, since they help prepare for class. Larger projects have their own due dates, and they are firm. For the very important, regular-work deadlines, I have built flexibility into the course:

  • All students have up to two “late passes”—opportunities to turn in an assignment up to one week late for any reason, no questions asked (except for the assignments due on 10/24 and 11/7, and final projects due in finals week). 

I hope both the regular deadline and some built-in flexibility supports your work in the course.  

Sample Language from Economics 201

Sample from Benjamin Hansen's course in Fall 2024 with seats for 520 students.

Homework: There will be several homework assignments given out throughout the duration of the course. Please allow a couple of hours to complete these. These will be on Mindtap through Cengage. They are due on the Friday at 11:59 pm the week they are due. There is a 72 hour grace period where late HWs will be accepted with no penalty. The lowest TWO homework assignments are dropped.

Final: The final will be cumulative in nature. If you miss either (or both) midterms, I will increase the weight on the final.

Sample Language from Journalism & Communication 301

Sample from Dayna Chatman's course in Fall 2024 with seats for 300 students.

All assignments should be submitted by their due dates; however, there is a 48-hour grace period for all assignments except the final exam.

If circumstances prevent you from submitting an assignment beyond 48 hours, you must seek approval before the deadline, and your assignment will incur a 10% late penalty. Students with flexible accommodations for assignments via AEC must contact me to make arrangements before the final deadline.

Sample Language from Linguistics 144

Sample from Keli Yerian's course in Fall 2024 with seats for 113 students.

Late work policyAll assignments are due on their due date. Late assignments will be accepted but will have an automatic late penalty of one half grade down per day late. This provides you with some flexibility for the occasional situation when you might need more time to complete an assignment (it can happen to anyone), without a strong penalty. For this reason we prefer that you do not ask for extensions for work that is slightly late. Again, let us know if you are having chronic challenges with completing coursework so we can understand and try to support you.

Sample Language from Math 241

Sample from Mike Price's course in Fall 2024 with seats for 518 students.

We have designed the course with multiple late and makeup opportunities. These include:

  • iClickers will be graded with the lowest two scores dropped (this won't be implemented in the gradebook until after week 3, once there have been several class sessions).
  • Reflective writing and project check-in assignments are available for one week after the due date.
  • WeBWorK assignments can be completed for 75% credit until the reduced scoring period ends (typically the Tuesday prior to the next individual knowledge check).
  • Knowledge Checks have one makeup allowed per term (one for a group KC and one for an individual KC), with a 5% grade penalty; this must take place during one of your instructor's or discussion leader's office hours prior to Wednesday of the subsequent week. You do not need to provide a reason for the makeup.
    • Individual Knowledge Check scores can also be improved by taking (P)rework quizzes through WeBWorK. You can earn up to 1/3 of missed points back on IKCs.
  • All work submitted in Canvas (reflective writing and project submission) has a 5% per day reduction in credit until the late-submission deadline ends.
Sample Language from Philosophy 335

Sample from Camisha Russell's course in Fall 2023 with seats for 95 students.

In-Class Activities: Each class meeting will involve collaborative learning activities designed to help you engage with course themes and materials. Therefore, class meetings are mandatory and an important part of your learning. Each Monday and Wednesday activity during Weeks 2-9 is worth two points for a possible total of 32 points. However, only 28 points are required for full credit. Thus, you may miss two activities without making them up without penalty. You may make-up any missed class by completing the designated makeup assignment online within one week of the missed session. You are not required to give the reason for your absence and there is no limit on how many classes you can make up for credit. (You may earn more than 100% on this part of your grade by completing or making up all 16 activities. You may NOT do makeup assignments for classes you attended for extra credit.) 

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Policies from Discussions, Labs & Lessons

Sample Language from Music 4/578  

Sample from Jon Bellona's course in Fall 2024. This course has split lecture and lab portions with labs spending "more hands-on time covering a variety of activities."

Unless the assignment specifically states a different sliding scale or deadline, the following is the default late policy. I will accept a late assignment with a grade commensurate with lateness. -10% if 24 hours late, with another -5% off if 48 hours late. After this, there is a slow decline of 1-2% points per day until the hard deadline (when the assignment closes). In this course, it's better to turn in late assignments than not at all.

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Policies from Practicums & Internships

We don’t yet have sample make-up work policies for this course context. Check back soon or share some of your own course language from practicums or internships you lead.

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Policies from Seminars

Sample Language from Undergraduate Studies 112

Sample from Rachel Weissler's course in Winter 2025. This was a seminar course for students in the Umoja Academic Residential Community.

I expect that you will turn your work in on time, and I also recognize that we’re all adults with multiple life demands. If you cannot make a due date as written on the syllabus, submit an Extension Request Form detailing 1) which assignment you’re not going to be able to complete on time and 2) the date by which you plan to complete the assignment. You do not need to give a reason for your needing an extension, as I am not the moral arbiter of your personal lives. My goal is to help you cultivate habits as communicative adults who can have flexibility in due dates pending that you reach out in advance i.e. before the assignment is due. I will not be able to work with you without advanced notice. Importantly as well, I do not grant extensions on top of extensions; once you pick your own personal due date, that’s the due date that you must stick with, so be mindful of that when choosing when you want to turn something in. The Extension Request Form will be checked on Fridays

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Policies from Studios

Sample Language from Journalism and Communication 203

Sample from Courtney Munther's course in Spring 2025.

LATE SUBMISSION POLICY: Journalism, advertising and public relations are all deadline-driven industries. To be successful in these fields, it is critical that you be able to operate under pressure and deliver quality work on deadline.

That said, we all sometimes experience unforeseen circumstances that impact our ability to meet deadlines. For this reason, this course offers a flexible late submission period for the core writing assignments. This flexibility is designed to give you control over your schedule, so please use it thoughtfully.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Grace period: For core writing assignments, students will be granted a three-day grace period. Assignments submitted within this timeframe will receive feedback as usual with no penalty. Work submitted after the grace period will not be eligible for feedback unless you are experiencing an extenuating circumstance.
  2. How to use the grace period: No need to ask for permission; simply submit your work to Canvas within the three-day window, and I will gladly give you feedback.
  3. Please note: This policy applies to the core writing assignments only, not to group projects, in-class work or other assignments. Additionally, this policy does NOT apply to the final portfolio. Your final portfolio must be submitted by deadline or you will not pass this class.
Sample Language from Journalism and Communication 331 

Sample from Lori Shontz's course in Spring 2025.

The journalism industry runs on deadlines. We’ll start getting you ready for that now.

Late Assignment policy:

  • I allow a 24-hour grace period two times with no penalty for the 10 major assignments, which are due every Thursday at 11:59 p.m. You do not need to ask for permission or explain why you are late. Just submit.
  • After the two-assignment grace period, your assignment grade drops one letter for each 24 hours you are late. For instance, an assignment turned in 28 hours late that would have received a B will earn a C. I do not accept major assignments after 11:59 p.m. Sunday.
  • You cannot make up in-class work.
  • If you are facing extraordinary circumstances that impact your ability to make deadline, email me with details, and I will work with you to consider how we might adjust this requirement.

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Student Participation Language

Language on student participation is not a required separate section of syllabi at UO, but may fall within required sections on Classroom Community Expectations or Course Attendance and Engagement. The sample languages might describe what students need to do to earn participation credit in a course, or just clearly describe what students will do during a class.

Courses are organized by course type (see our type descriptions) and listed with discipline and course number. Large lecture courses include student seat count.

Small & Medium CoursesLarge Lecture Courses
Discussions, Labs & LessonsPracticums & InternshipsSeminarsStudios
We still need sample student participation language for this course type. Please reach out to us if you have some to share!We still need sample student participation language for this course type. Please reach out to us if you have some to share!

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Language from Small & Medium Courses

Sample Language from Journalism and Communication 330

Sample from Lori Shontz's course in Winter 2025.

Participate, and be respectful: There are lots of ways to participate, well beyond just raising your hand to talk in front of the entire class. You can show up prepared for your structured reading group. Engage in our in your small group in-class activities. Visit my office hours. Send me interesting links.

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Language from Large Lecture Courses

Sample Language from Astronomy 123

Sample from Andrea Goering's course in Winter 2025 with seats for 218 students.

Our class is highly interactive, to harness the power of learning together. All students are expected to contribute by sharing ideas (even when they might be wrong!), inviting others to share, and actively listening. I recognize that some students may be less comfortable with frequent interaction (for instance, students who are shy, anxious, neurodivergent, learning English, or just having a bad day). I encourage you to find ways to participate that are comfortable for you, but also to take risks, build your skills and confidence, and expand your comfort zone! I understand that our class can spark exciting conversations; however, for the sake of maintaining a quality learning environment for others, please stop your conversations at my signal.

Sample Language from Chemistry 222

Sample from Zach Walbrun's course in Winter 2025 with seats for 100 students.

This course has been developed to encourage active learning and engagement throughout the lectures. We will be using iClickers and doing group work throughout the term for student participation and fostering collaborative learning. Working through these problems together is a key aspect to learning and success in the class.

Clicker Questions:

  • You will need to add the course on iClicker cloud. If this is your first time with iClickers, please follow [these instructions to set up iClicker cloud].
  • iClicker grades are automatically synced to Canvas. If you do not see a grade (or see a grade of 0), please contact the instructor as soon as possible to resolve the issue.
  • iClicker questions will be given during every lecture (except for exam and review days).
  • The five lowest iClicker scores will be dropped.
  • Questions are graded for completion (80%) and correctness (20%).
  • If you forget your iClicker, please write all the questions, answers, and work shown on a piece of paper with your name and hand it in at the end of class.

Weekly Worksheets

  • Weekly worksheets are due every Monday (not including Week 1) at 3 pm on Canvas as a single pdf. The lowest score is dropped.
  • The first half of the worksheet will be worked on during the second half of class on Thursday and the remainder of the worksheet will be completed outside of class. 

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Language from Discussions, Labs & Lessons

Sample Language from Human Physiology 323

Sample from Jon Runyeon's course in Winter 2025. This language is for the required lab corequisite for Human Anatomy II.

Laboratory Attendance, Participation & Conduct: (2% deduction, after one freebie)

Coming prepared and participating is expected. We hope to make our time in the lab as effective as possible; it is such a fantastic opportunity to learn the human body…PLEASE, make the most of your time in the lab. 

For each lab (beyond one freebie) that you are absent, or non-participatory, leave early, or clearly not prepared, 2% will be deducted from your final course grade. Please sign in at the beginning of each lab session, as directed by your lab instructor. Lab instructors will make a note on the sign-in sheet if you leave before being excused, come poorly prepared, and/or do not engage in the learning process. If you need to miss lab(s) beyond one freebie and you have contacted your lab instructor prior to your absence from lab, no deductions will be assessed. Please be safe, we want you to stay healthy and to take care of each other. Stay home if you have any doubt about your health!

Sample Language from Math 241

Sample from Kristen Henderson's course in Winter 2025. This language is for the required discussion corequisite for Calculus for Business and Social Science I.

Discussion Sections:
Discussions are held each week in-person on Thursday afternoons or Friday mornings and are led by graduate employees (GEs). Note: You must attend the discussion sections that you are registered for.

Typical Discussion on a Non-Exam Week:

  • 35 minutes working individually or in small groups to begin the discussion worksheet for the week
  • 15 minutes additional individual or group work (e.g. continuing to work on the discussion worksheet, asking discussion leader about Webwork questions)

Typical Discussion on an Exam Week:

  • The entire class period is dedicated to taking the exam in discussion

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Language from Practicums & Internships

We don’t yet have sample student participation language for this course context. Check back soon or share some of your own course language from practicums or internships you lead.

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Language from Seminars

We don’t yet have sample student participation language for this course context. Check back soon or share some of your own course language from seminars you teach.

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Language from Studios

Sample Language from Journalism and Communication 331

Sample from Lori Shontz's course in Spring 2025.

 We are going to work together to create guidelines for how we treat each other. This basic principle will be the foundation of everything we do this term. We will learn together—and I include myself in that “we.” Journalism is in disruption, so we’re all learning all the time.

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