Over the years, I’ve often heard faculty bemoan the lack of student interest in their syllabi. Students seem to ignore or easily forget key information presented in the syllabus, and many faculty feel obligated to treat the document like a contract, which only exacerbates the lack of student engagement. While many instructors have offered up helpful tips and examples online, it can be daunting to take on a syllabus makeover in isolation.
To help faculty diagnose and treat syllabus ailments quickly and painlessly, DePaul’s teaching-support staff are teaming up to provide two walk-in syllabus clinics this August. Staff from the library, Faculty Instructional Technology Services, the University Center for Writing-based Learning, and the Office of Teaching Learning and Assessment will be on hand to provide one-on-one consultations and prescriptions for happy, healthy syllabi. Appointments are not required. Faculty who are not able to attend in person will have the option to connect with staff via online chat and video conferencing by clicking a chat link on the Loop event page or the Lincoln Park event page.
The first clinic will take place on August 22nd on the Loop campus in the DePaul Center concourse, room C101 from 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The second offering will be on August 24th in Lincoln Park in the Richardson Library Scholar’s Lab (Room 103) from 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Faculty are welcome to drop in at any time for insights on a variety of topics, including:
- Outlining your syllabus
- Assignment design
- Drafting learning outcomes
- Creating an effective online syllabus and utilizing instructional technology tools
- Making the most of resources available through the library and University Center for Writing-based Learning
If you have any questions about the event, feel free to reach out to the Office of Teaching, Learning, and Assessment at tla@depaul.edu.