As we wrap up the spring semester and look ahead to planning for the fall, you may want to give your syllabus another look. Have you considered the messages you’re sending with the policies articulated in your syllabus? Do your attendance and late work policies, among others, communicate your trust in and respect for your students as human beings? Read on to learn more about how your syllabus can actively communicate a supportive partnership between yourself and your students.
Every instructor goes about creating a syllabus in a different way. Is yours 20 pages long and full of details? Or a pared-down document that consists mainly of a course schedule? Perhaps you’ve found a way to thread the needle and create a syllabus that both introduces students to your course and what they will be learning while being rather concise? No matter where you land, the syllabus features prominently in the first week of class for many of us, serving as a primary tool for communicating about our courses. But did you know that the syllabus can also say a great deal about us as an instructor as well?
If you want your syllabus to help establish a supportive learning environment from the beginning, the notion of a Cruelty-Free Syllabus, popularized by Matthew Cheney from Plymouth State University, may be useful to you. The cruelty-free syllabus is based on the assumptions that (1) students are central to our courses, (2) we want students to succeed, (3) we respect our students as human beings, and (4) we trust our students. Given that we agree with those assumptions, where then might the so-called “cruelty” show up in our syllabi?
The first place is simply in the tone of the syllabus. Does it include positive invitations or negative commands? Will students assume that you trust or distrust them as learners? The Cruelty-Free Syllabus presentation has some great examples of how to move from a negative tone to a more positive one. It’s amazing what even subtle shifts in our language can do for the messages we intend to send. Interestingly, Christopher Richmann from Baylor University and his colleagues wrote a report where they found that “instructors’ syllabus language often does not convey their perceptions of themselves as teachers”. It’s therefore worth re-examining the tone of the syllabus to ensure that it communicates the care and concern you have for your students.
The second place we should look for “cruelty” is in the policies of our course, especially those around attendance and late work. Your syllabus might already include flexible policies in these areas (especially after COVID) which communicate your trust in students’ actions. Depending on your policies, it may still be worth asking yourself: (1) Why is it important for students to attend your class? (2) Why is it important for them to turn in work by the deadlines you set? The key is then to communicate to students WHY these policies are in place and the ways in which you’re willing to work with students who might be struggling. According to Matthew Cheney: “Attendance and late work policies should acknowledge the barriers students may face, while also emphasizing the positive value of attendance & turning work in on time for both the individual student and the class as a whole. Seek to make policies that create conversation when things go wrong.”
As you prepare your syllabus for the coming semester, how will you share your thinking and motivation with your students? Can you develop course policies that build upon the trust and respect you have for your learners? And can you use your syllabus to start building a positive and supportive relationship with your students that encourages them to share their challenges as they work together with you? By reflecting on your course design and making these changes, you’ll both create a better learning environment for the students and help them know that you care about their success. Should you want help thinking through how these ideas apply within your course or discipline, the CTL is here to help! Please contact the CTL for help.
References
- Toward Cruelty-Free Syllabi by Matthew Cheney – slides from the developer of the Cruelty-Free syllabus idea
- Teaching in Higher Ed podcast interview with Matthew Cheney
- Sara Goldrick Rab – lots of information about the kinds of barriers students might be facing
- Richmann, Christopher; Kurinec, Courtney; and Millsap, Matthew (2020) “Syllabus Language, Teaching Style, and Instructor Self-Perception: Toward Congruence,” International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Vol. 14: No. 2, Article 4. Available at: https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2020.140204
Written by: Dr. Megan Frary
Coordinator for Graduate TA Support, Boise State Center for Teaching and Learning
Associate Professor, Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering