SDCCD Sample Syllabus

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Course Description/What is this course about?  

Use wording from college catalog to complete this Course Description section. 

The following is a sample of a course syllabus for online classes. There are unique items for online learning including the Assessment Methods, Netiquette Guidelines, Camera Guidelines, Grading, Course Policies, Accessibility of Course Material, Technical Requirements, and Canvas Orientation Material. Inclusion of these items may help to orient students and help clarify expectations when taking their first online class. 

Title of Course, Course Prefix and Number 

  • Course Title: (For example: Business Communications, BUSE 119; Semester/Year, Course ID Number)

  • Course Number & Section:

  • Semester/Year:

  • Class Format: (Online/Hybrid/In-person)

  • Class Meeting Days/Times:

  • Zoom Office Hours Link or Zoom Lecture Class Link:

Course Prerequisites/Advisories (if any)/What classes do I need to complete before taking this course?  

Use wording from the college catalog to complete this section. 

Course Outcomes & Learning Objectives/What am I supposed to learn? 

Course outcomes are the big-picture goals of what you’ll be able to know and do by the end of this course. They represent the key knowledge, skills, and attitudes you’ll take with you beyond the classroom.

To help you reach these outcomes, you’ll see learning objectives listed throughout the course. Think of these as clear, specific steps—like stepping stones—that guide your progress. These objectives are tied to each module or unit and are designed to keep you on track.

Every activity you complete is connected to a learning goal, so nothing is just “busy work.” Everything you do is meant to help you succeed in this course and beyond.

The table below shows how the course outcomes connect to each module’s learning objectives and the activities you’ll complete—like quizzes, readings, and videos—to help you reach those goals.

Feel free to adapt this section! You may organize your course by modules (where each module is equivalent to a week's worth of work) or by units. NOTE to FACULTY: See Clarity of Objectives for additional guidance on writing effective module learning objectives (specifically Bloom's Taxonomy Verbs.) 

Course Outcomes that Define the Module Learning Objectives & Learning Activities
Module #/Week # Course Outcomes Module Learning Objectives Learning Activities
Module 1/Week 1
Module 2/Week 2
Module 3/Week 3
Module 4/Week 4
Module 5/Week 5
Module 6/Week 6
Module 7/Week 7
Module 8/Week 8
Module 9/Week 9
Module 10/Week 10
Module 11/Week 11
Module 12/Week 12
Module 13/Week 13
Module 14/Week 14
Module 15/Week 15
Module 16/Week 16

Contact Me/Instructor Information/How do you contact me? 

  • Name: (preference for how you want students to address you)
  • College, Office Bldg & room number:
  • Online Office Hours:
  • SDCCD Email Address:
  • Office Phone Number: 
  • Preferred Contact Method: Indicate if you have an email preference for student contact).
    For example:
    Please use Canvas Inbox to contact me throughout the semester.

Turnaround Time for Inbox Messages & Grading/How long will it take for me to respond to your messages & graded assignments? 

When should students expect to a response to Canvas Inbox messages or when you've graded an assignment? 

Example: If you write to me using Canvas, I will respond to you within 48 hours.

Describe if you work and will respond 24/7, observe weekends, or will respond 9AM-5PM Monday through Fridays. What is the turnaround response time for your students when they Canvas Inbox message you, or try to contact you? 

Required Texts & Instructional Materials/What materials do I need in the course? 

Required Textbook: (enter title, ISBN)  

Access Code:  

Where to Purchase & Cost

  • A
  • B
  • C

Additional Materials & Software:

  • A
  • B
  • C

Technology and Software Requirements 

Please review the technical hardware and software requirements Links to an external site. for online classes.

Add any technology or software requirements for this course.

I'm New to Canvas. How Do I Learn More About Canvas? 

You are expected to know how to use the Canvas system. Orientation materials can be found in your Canvas course shell after logging in. For additional training material please visit the Online Learning Pathways Student Prep & Online Training (SPOT). Links to an external site.

You can also call or chat Links to an external site. with the 24/7 Canvas Support at 1-844-612-7421 with any technical issue that you experience in Canvas. 

Assessment Methods/How are you assessing what I've learned? 

This course will use various methods to assess your learning of the course objectives.

You will read the textbook, take short quizzes, and submit written assignments. You will participate in discussion board topics with your classmates, applying what we learn in the readings to our outside world. Some group work may be assigned. Since this is an online course, all assessments (quizzes, assignments, and discussions) will be done online, using the learning management system and the additional materials and software listed above. 

Grading/How am I graded?

Each activity in the course is assigned a specific number of points. Specific instructions and grading rubrics for each of these activities will be given on Canvas. Student grades are in the “My Grades” tool in Canvas. (Indicate the expected turnaround time for grading and rules for extra credit work or late work.) 

  • Discussions:
    • (15 postings x 10 pts. each) 
    • Due Date: 
  • Quizzes:
  • Written Assignments:

Total Points: 

Grading Scheme

Your final letter grades are based on the total points that you earn in the course. 

Please see How do I enable a grading scheme for a course? Links to an external site. to determine your grading scheme prior to teaching your course. 

  • A = 100% to 94%
  • A- = < 94% to 90%
  • B = 
  • C =
  • D =
  • F = 

Online Attendance

You are expected to login and begin the coursework assigned to you on the first day of the course. This is a [Fully Online/Partially Online/HyFlex] course with XX required on-campus meetings.

Even though we won’t be meeting each other on campus, you must login to Canvas several times a week to stay informed and meet deadlines. I recommend logging into the course daily. You must show continuous progress throughout the course or you may be dropped. Continuous progress is measured by attending class online, participating in the class discussions, and submitting assignments. 

Participation - Keeping Your Enrollment

First Week Participation - 

In order to keep your enrollment, you must complete the following brief assignments: 

  • Post a video response to our first welcome ice breaker discussion (faculty, please add a descriptive hyperlink to the assignment) to help us get to know each other.
  • Write an Inbox message to me letting me know why you are taking this course, and how it will help your educational career. 

On-going Course Participation 

Participation occurs in different assignments such as discussion boards, quizzes, assessments, and projects. You will have several opportunities to participate in the course. Follow the directions given on assignments carefully to receive full credit. 

If I don’t hear from you within five business days, you may be at risk of being dropped from the course. Please stay in touch to maintain your enrollment.

Classroom Policies

Please review SDCCD's DE Handbook for additional guidance on classroom policies, and add accordingly.

Late/Missed Assignments 

Assignments submitted after the due date will receive partial credit. If you have accommodations through DSPS, please provide your authorized academic accommodation letter in advance of the accommodation being requested.  

Missed Quizzes

If you will not be available to take an online quiz in this class, please notify the instructor if you need to take the exam early due to schedule conflicts. If you have testing accommodations through DSPS, please provide your authorized academic accommodation letter in a timely manner to allow for the accommodation to be implemented.  

Cheating

Students are expected to uphold honest academic conduct for all distance education courses and should adhere to the SDCCD AP 3100.3 which defines cheating, plagiarism, and possible academic and administrative sanctions for any breaches of student academic integrity.

Attendance 

Acceptable evidence of attendance includes regularly participating in:

  • student submission of an academic assignment
  • student completion of an assessment or exam
  • student completion of a quiz
  • student participation in an interactive discussion
  • student participation in an interactive tutorial, live streaming meeting, or other interactive computer-assisted instruction
  • student participation in a study group, group project, or online discussion that is assigned by the institution
  • student interaction with the instructor about academic matters
  • communication from the student or other documentation showing that the student-initiated contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course

Excused Absences

Write your policy on excused absences.

Plagiarism/Academic Integrity

Students must adhere to the policies and procedures of the San Diego Community College District, as well as all federal, state, and local laws.

Students are subject to charges of misconduct concerning, but not limited to, the following acts as described in Policy 3100 Links to an external site.(the taking of and passing off as one’s own work or ideas of another; plagiarism and academic cheating.)

Please refer to the District Student Code of Conduct Links to an external site.. Your assignments may be scanned by an AI/Plagiarism Checker such as Turnitin. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools 

Option 1: (Allowed) 

Students can use advanced automated tools (artificial intelligence or machine learning tools such as ChatGPT or Dall-E) when noted for assignments in this course if it is properly documented and credited. For example, text generated using ChatGPT should include a citation such as: “Chat-GPT. (YYYY, Month DD of query). “Text of your query.” Generated using OpenAI. https://chat.openai.com/ Links to an external site.” Material generated using other tools should follow a similar citation convention. 

Critical Evaluation: Be aware that the information derived from these AI tools is often inaccurate or incomplete. Students must critically evaluate the output of AI tools, considering potential biases and limitations, and corroborate information obtained from AI tools with other credible sources. 

Option 2: (Conditional)  

Students are allowed to use generative AI such as ChatGPT, Dall-E 2, CoPilot) on assignments in this course if instructor permission is obtained in advance. Unless given permission to use those tools, each student is expected to complete each assignment without substantive assistance from others, including automated tools. 

Option 3: (Not Allowed) 

Use of an AI Generator such as ChatGPT, MidJourney, DALL-E, etc. is explicitly prohibited unless otherwise noted by the instructor.  Additionally, be aware that the information derived from these tools is often inaccurate or incomplete. It’s imperative that all work submitted should be your own. Any assignment that is found to have been plagiarized or to have used unauthorized AI tools may receive a zero and/or be reported for academic misconduct. 

Option: Additional Examples  

This Syllabi Policies for gAI Tools Links to an external site. resource is a crowd-sourced public document from other educators who have offered to share their policies. This resource contains discipline-specific examples that can be sorted by course and discipline. 

Accessibility of Course Materials 

Ensuring the accessibility of this course to students with disabilities is important to me. I have made every effort to make this course accessible; however, if you encounter a problem accessing anything in the course, please contact me immediately. Students who have academic accommodation letters should send them to me as soon as possible so that I am able to provide the accommodation in a timely manner. Students with disabilities who are requesting accommodation for the first time should email me and should contact the college’s Disability Support Programs and Services (DSPS) office to initiate the accommodation request process:  

Zoom Camera Guidelines 

This class has online meetings using Zoom. Class meetings are recorded.

I will share the video recordings only with students in this class. When you attend the online class meetings, you give me permission to record your image and/or voice in the recording. If you do not want your image and/or voice in the recording, you can change your public name, and/or turn off your camera.

If you do not wish to show your video, I can enableFocus Mode Links to an external site. that allows only me to see students and you may choose to blur your background Links to an external site. or use a Zoom background Links to an external site.. 

Also, you are not required to attend the online class meetings. You can watch the recordings at a later time. 

Netiquette Guidelines

Respectful behavior is expected of you in our online learning environment. Please read the SDCCD Netiquette Guidelines Links to an external site.. 

Course Summary:

Date Details Due