Establishing a Contract via the Syllabus 

The syllabus is often a document that outlines the rules of a particular class. To this end, it should be clearly communicated what the responsibilities of the student and instructor are and the consequences of breaking that contract.
 

It's important to establish the potential repercussions of a student violating course policies. While not an exhaustive list, here are some questions you should ask yourself regarding each policy:

• If a student violates this policy, does it affect their grade?
  • If so, is the effect comparable to the offense?
    • For example, if you have an attendance policy, it’s unreasonable to fail a student for missing a single day of class.
  • If not, what are the consequences of breaking this policy?
    • For example, students talking when you are explaining something to the class may not influence their grade, but still need to be addressed.
• If a student violates this policy, does it affect their academic status?
  • For example, violence in the classroom certainly shouldn’t be tolerated and needs to have clearly defined consequences.
  • Academic dishonesty is typically a topic that has consequences outlined by the institution. These may cause students to face suspension, and thus, those consequences should be outlined.
• What happens after repeat offenses?
  • Are the consequences the same, or do they get more severe?
  • Can a student “come back” from breaking a particular policy multiple times?  
• How does one use the consequences of breaking a policy to help students improve?
  • Do you have meetings with the student(s) to address concerns?
  • Is the institution involved? In what way?
  • How much control do you have over the situation?
     

The syllabus outlines rules for the class beyond course policies. Make sure to detail what happens for students who miss due dates or who aren’t spending enough time outside of class. Briefly discuss why you have these rules in place and what happens to those who do not fulfil these expectations.

Additionally, what outcomes occur when the instructor does not follow their end of the “contract?” Here are some examples to consider:

• What happens when an exam is coming up, but a student hasn’t gotten back any graded homework?
  • How can they be expected to improve?
  • What steps can they take to grow?
• Do students understand their current grade/standing in the class ahead of the end of the semester?
• How will the instructor rectify being behind?
  • Communicate why it happened.
  • When a student can expect it to be fixed.
  • How will that affect the class?

Having the syllabus be used as a contract between instructor and student communicates to students that the teacher takes the class seriously and is willing to make promises. That hopefully will cause students to be more receptive to suggestions. The purpose is not to try to accentuate perfection, but to explain the cause/effect relationship of the course policies/rules and help students navigate college life and numerous courses.