April 2024
In this edition:
- No More Student Complaints? A Professor's Dream
- Putting Students In Charge of Student Success
- Knockin’ on The University of Tulsa’s Door
- Extra, Extra...The Syllabus Sentinel Catalog is Live!
No More Student Complaints? A Professor's Dream.
![Blue t-shirt that says "it's on the syllabus" with the Concourse logo](/syllabus-sentinel/tshirtcropsquare.jpeg "Blue t-shirt that says "it's on the syllabus" with the Concourse logo")
Photo credit: Concourse Syllabus
Receiving complaints from students may seem inevitable to college instructors. While it may be impossible to eliminate them, it’s always worth working to try to minimize them. With this in mind, Dr. Jennie Young, an associate dean at the University of Wisconsin, recently shared her top 10 ways to avoid student complaints. Her #3 recommendation stood out to us for obvious reasons: “Stop saying, ‘It’s in the syllabus.’” While it’s a variation on our favorite phrase, we have to agree. Instead, create syllabi that are accessible, have clear expectations, and provide concise but clear expectations so you don’t have to say it! We can help with that. You can read all ten of her thoughtful tips below.
P.S.: Have you seen our “it’s on the syllabus” t-shirts? Just in case you find yourself repeating that phrase over and over again, let the t-shirt do the talking. Ask us how to get one!
Putting Students In Charge of Student Success
Photo credit: MyLA, from The University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is leveraging a new tool to encourage students and improve success rates. My Learning Analytics (MyLA) is a dashboard that integrates into Canvas and provides students with data to help them choose resources, prioritize assignments, and compare their progress to that of their peers. The University of Michigan decided to implement the tool after learning in March that “59 percent of college students measure their success in college by their grade point average,” and realizing data that was normally only available to instructors could help motivate students to continue working towards their goals. You can learn more about the MyLA and UM’s use below.
Knockin’ on The University of Tulsa’s Door
Knockin’ on The University of Tulsa’s Door
Photo credit: The University of Tulsa
We’ve heard a lot about popular artists like Taylor Swift being included in college classes and even having courses dedicated to their lives and music. The University of Tulsa has gone a step further and created an institute for courses and scholarship focused on Bob Dylan. The University describes it as “a broadly interdisciplinary research initiative dedicated to exploring the work, life, and legacy of the Nobel-winning artist and the greater American singer-songwriter tradition.” Among other resources, they provide sample syllabi for Dylan-centric courses as inspiration for instructors who might want to create their own. They hope that this initiative encourages students (and others) to dive into the archives and rediscover his music. You can check out the syllabi and other resources below.
Extra, Extra...The Syllabus Sentinel Catalog is Live!
Photo credit: Getty Images
Are you new to The Syllabus Sentinel? Since July of 2023, we’ve released monthly editions that contain relevant and timely news about higher education.If you’re looking to read an edition you may have missed, we have it covered. We’ve made our entire catalog of past editions available online! You can find our full catalog below.
