Syllabus and Final Exams

Scheduling Your Final Exam

There is no final exam block schedule. Give your final exam during your regularly scheduled class time, and state the exam date or dates and the exam format in your syllabus.

• You may divide the exam across more than one class meeting.
• If your class meets both in person and remotely, schedule the final exam on an in-person day.
• If you are teaching a second eight-week course, you must teach through finals week. Give the final exam at the last class meeting, and you may divide it across two days.
• Confirm your own exam dates with your division chair before you publish your syllabus.

What Your Syllabus Must Include

Best practice is to give students your syllabus on the first day of class, and to provide a hard copy to any student who asks for one. If this is your first syllabus at GCC, ask your division chair or administrative assistant for samples and for any topics your division requires.

Include all of the following:

1. Course details
   • Course title and number
   • Ticket number
   • Location
   • The days and hours the course meets
2. Your contact information
   • Your name
   • Your email address
   • Your office hours
3. Rationale
   • State why the course is offered. If in doubt, check the official course outline.
4. Prerequisite(s)
   • Copy the prerequisites from the catalog and the official course outline.
5. Course Objectives and Student Learning Outcomes
   • State what the course aims to teach and the learning outcomes students are expected to meet.
6. Attendance/Absence/Tardiness Policy
   • Define what counts as an emergency (for example: serious illness or death of a close family member, the student’s illness corroborated by a physician, jury duty, earthquake, flood, or fire).
   • Tell students exactly what happens if they accumulate too many unexcused absences or tardies.
7. Grading Method
   • Tell students how you arrive at grades.
8. Exam Makeup Policy
   • Tell students how many exams can be made up, if any, and how and where to make them up.
9. Academic Honesty Policy
   • Tell students that Glendale College has an academic honesty policy, and tell them where to find it: Academic Honesty Policy.
   • Report incidents of academic dishonesty to the Vice President, Instructional Services, and copy your division chair. See Academic Honesty for the full procedure.
10. Students with Disabilities
    • This statement is required on every course syllabus. You may add to it, but do not change it.

      All students with disabilities requiring accommodations are responsible for making arrangements in a timely manner through the Center for Students with Disabilities.

    • The Center for Students with Disabilities is one of the areas within Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS).
11. Course Materials
    • List the textbooks and other materials, and say whether each one is required or recommended.
12. Important dates for the course
13. The final exam date or dates, and the exam format
14. The drop deadline for a grade of “W”, which is the end of the 12th week in a 16-week course
15. Class Requirements and Instructor Expectations
    • State your expectations for the class and any special requirements, such as labs, excursions, or outside projects.
16. Office Hours and Telephone Number (phone # is for full-time only)
    • If you are full-time, list your office location, office hours, and office telephone number.
    • If you are adjunct, tell students when and where you hold office hours. See Office Hours for where you can hold them and how to report them.
17. Schedule of Assignments
    • Cover everything in the formal course outline, and give a tentative schedule of topics and assignments so students know what to expect.
18. Electronic Device Policy
    • Consider including your electronic device policy on your syllabus.

If you change your grading policy, put the change in writing and give it to your students and your division.

If you have questions about any of this, contact your division. Contact information is in the Academic Divisions & Departments directory.

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