Syllabi FAQ

The University Faculty Council (UFC) has established these recommended elements:

1. Course Title/Course Number/Section Number
2. Course Description (as it appears in the course catalog)
3. Meeting dates (e.g., Monday/Wednesday, 9:30 am to 10:45 am)
4. Course delivery method (e.g., In-person, online, hybrid, etc.)
5. Course Learning Objectives/Outcomes
6. Due dates for assignments/exams (may note that dates are subject to change with adequate notification)
7. Grading weights/scales

There are no specific formatting requirements as long as the UFC recommended elements are clearly present in your syllabus. However, we encourage using headers and structured formatting for accessibility and improved usability for all students. Schools and departments can continue using their own syllabus templates as long as they include all recommended elements.

Yes. CTL consultants can provide guidance on accessibility best practices, such as using headers and structured formatting in the Canvas Syllabus page. These practices support upcoming accessibility mandates and improve usability for all students. Contact the CTL for consultation on making your syllabus more accessible.

Include the grading scale that you actually use for your course. The requirement is to clearly communicate your grading criteria to students, regardless of whether it's a traditional letter grade system, points-based system, or alternative approach.

While not part of the University Faculty Council (UFC) recommended elements, including required texts and course prerequisites can be helpful for students and prospective students viewing your syllabus through CourseLeaf. Prerequisites are particularly useful since they help students determine if they're prepared for the course.

Yes. The UFC elements are the minimum expectations. You're encouraged to include additional sections that will be helpful to your students, such as course policies, required texts, attendance expectations, or other relevant information. Just remember that everything in the Canvas Syllabus section will be publicly visible through CourseLeaf. Additional information can also be posted in another section of your Canvas course (such as Homepage, Modules, or Pages) and reference its location in the syllabus.

To protect privacy and security, do not include:

• Zoom, Teams, or other video conferencing links
• Personal contact information (home addresses, personal phone numbers, personal email addresses)
• Any information, including unpublished research or intellectual property, you wouldn’t want shared publicly.

Embed video conferencing links in a different section of your Canvas course (such as Homepage, Modules, Pages, or Announcements) and reference their location in the syllabus. For example, you might write: "Virtual meeting links can be found in the Course Information module."

Office hours and contact information are not part of the University Faculty Council (UFC) recommended elements, so you have flexibility in where to include them. You can post this information in another section of your Canvas course (such as Homepage, Modules, or Pages) and reference its location in the syllabus.

IU sends a link of the Syllabus section of each SIS-generated Canvas course and CourseLeaf displays them. Only the content in the Canvas Syllabus section will be publicly viewable through CourseLeaf. All other course content, materials, and student information remain private within Canvas. Links embedded in your Canvas Syllabus section should remain functional through CourseLeaf, including links to external websites, OneDrive folders with open permissions, or other publicly accessible resources.

Yes. Since CourseLeaf only accesses the Canvas Syllabus section, all recommended syllabus elements must be consolidated into that specific section. For step-by-step instructions on publishing your syllabus in Canvas, see Publish your Course Syllabus in Canvas: IU Knowledge Base.

Yes. You can update your Canvas Syllabus section as needed throughout the semester. Any changes will be reflected in the CourseLeaf display. It's good practice to note in your syllabus when key dates or assignments are "subject to change with adequate notification."

1. Syllabus Creation in Canvas:
   Instructors are required to ensure that a course syllabus exists in the syllabus section of the Canvas site provisioned for each course. These Canvas sites are automatically created each term by UITS. Instructions for setting up your syllabus in Canvas can be found here: Publish your course syllabus in Canvas - Indiana University Knowledge Base
2. Syllabi visible via the CourseLeaf platform
   • Course syllabi in Canvas will be viewable via a link from CourseLeaf – this is a direct link to the syllabus section of each Canvas course. Only the syllabus section of Canvas will be accessible via a link from CourseLeaf into the Canvas syllabus section. No other Canvas navigation will be possible through this mechanism. 
3. To upload/create your syllabus in Canvas:
   • Navigate to your course in Canvas.
   • Click on the Syllabus tab in the left-hand menu.
   • Use the Edit button to upload your document or paste/enter your syllabus content directly.
   • “Make sure to “Publish” your Canvas course at least one week prior to the first day of class. 
     If you need assistance, IU Knowledge Base offers step-by-step instructions.

No. CourseLeaf will house a link to the syllabus section of each Canvas course site. Faculty/instructors do not need to post anything in CourseLeaf.

Yes. All faculty must comply with the syllabus publishing requirement by including a syllabus in the Canvas site and publishing their Canvas course.

Faculty/instructors need to ensure that they “publish” their Canvas course, with the syllabus section complete.

To upload/create your syllabus in Canvas:

1. Navigate to your course in Canvas.
2. Click on the Syllabus tab in the left-hand menu.
3. Use the Edit button to upload your document or paste/enter your syllabus content directly.
4. “Make sure to “Publish” your Canvas course at least one week prior to the first day of class.    
   If you need assistance, IU Knowledge Base offers step-by-step instructions.

The following statement will be posted in the CourseLeaf platform: “COPYRIGHT NOTICE:  The posted syllabi are copyrighted by the faculty.  All right to such material is reserved by them.  You may not copy, sell, distribute or otherwise use such material except as permitted by copyright law.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, all commercial use of the material is strictly prohibited.” 

It is also recommended that faculty include a standard copyright statement within their syllabi to put third parties on notice that the material is copyrighted. A copyright statement can be in the following format: “© [Year of first publication] [Copyright holder’s name]. All rights reserved.”  For example, faculty may include a copyright statement such as “© 2025 Jane Doe. All rights reserved.” on the first and last page of their syllabi.

Yes. Faculty/instructors need to "publish" their Canvas course themselves. Here is information from Canvas on how to Publish a course.

The CourseLeaf tool will go live the week of August 18. It will be available via One.IU.

The law mandates public access to syllabi but lacks specific content requirements. Faculty should follow updated University policy and post syllabi at least one week before classes begin.

Campus or academic unit leaders are responsible for monitoring compliance and reporting to leadership.

Training materials are available via IU Knowledge Base – offering step-by-step instructions. Additionally, faculty can contact their campus center for teaching and learning.

When sections are cross-listed in Canvas, CourseLeaf will display the syllabus from the primary course site for all sections. Only one syllabus needs to be maintained. Newly created cross-listings may take up to a day before they appear.

Yes. You’re encouraged to include more detail that will help your students—such as course policies, required texts, attendance expectations, or other guidance. Providing this information can also be useful for students as they make enrollment decisions.

The Course Summary is an optional Canvas feature that automatically displays assignment due dates and course events in your syllabus. If you have Course Summary enabled, it will be visible through CourseLeaf along with your syllabus content, but the links will not be clickable for public viewers. The Course Summary satisfies the UFC recommended element for due dates for assignments/exams.

You have the option to turn Course Summary on or off based on your preference and department/school guidance. If you choose to turn off Course Summary, you will need to manually include assignment/exams due dates in your syllabus text to meet the UFC recommended elements. For instructions publishing your course syllabus in Canvas and managing Course Summary settings, see Publish your Course Syllabus in Canvas: IU Knowledge Base.

CourseLeaf can only access syllabi from published Canvas courses where the Syllabus page is visible in the course navigation. Both the course and the syllabus page must be published. If your course remains unpublished or if the Syllabus page is hidden from navigation, your syllabus will not appear in CourseLeaf, even if you have content in the Syllabus section.

Yes. You can upload Word documents to the Canvas Syllabus section or create your syllabus directly in the Canvas Rich Content Editor. Whichever option you choose, we encourage using structured formatting with headers for accessibility and improved usability for all students. These practices support upcoming accessibility mandates.

Yes. If there is an SIS-generated Canvas course, it should have a syllabus regardless of the course type. This includes PhD thesis courses, independent research courses, and special topics courses.

The official course description can be found in the university course catalog. This is the description that must be included in your syllabus exactly as it appears in the catalog.

Search for your class in iGPS and it will have the description.

1. Select IU Indianapolis as the Campus
2. Select "Fall 2025" as the Term
3. Select your Department, if needed
4. Search for your class, if needed
5. Click the dropdown arrow on the right and scroll down to Course Description
6. You can select and copy the Course Description from here

Yes. W131 syllabus demonstrates compliance with the University Faculty Council (UFC) requirements.

Contact the Center for Teaching and Learning for support with developing course learning objectives, structuring your syllabus, or other pedagogical questions related to syllabus development.

New Indiana state law requires every public higher education institution to make course syllabi publicly accessible. In addition, students have made requests to review course syllabi to make enrollment decisions for many years.

The state legislation mandates that all course syllabi be publicly accessible through an online platform. Universities must ensure that syllabi contain sufficient detail for the public to understand course content, objectives, and requirements. IU is transitioning to CourseLeaf, a course curriculum and course management platform, to publish syllabi publicly.

Instructors are required to ensure that a course syllabus exists on the Syllabus page of the Canvas site provisioned for each course and each section. The University Faculty Council (UFC) endorsed this requirement in 2017. IU Policy ACA:85 Syllabus requires that a syllabus be posted no later than seven days before the first day of any course. This policy predates the new CourseLeaf implementation but now serves the additional purpose of meeting state requirements.

For all SIS-generated courses, the syllabus will be automatically, publicly published through CourseLeaf when the instructor changes the course state to Published. There is no additional action needed. IU sends the syllabus links and CourseLeaf displays them.

The initial CourseLeaf implementation begins with Fall 2025. All course sections offered starting Fall 2025 will need to have compliant syllabi accessible through CourseLeaf. Per existing IU Policy ACA:85 Syllabus, syllabi must be posted in Canvas no later than seven days before the first day of any course.

No. CourseLeaf is not replacing Canvas. CourseLeaf is being adopted to support a range of student and institutional needs, including:

• Creation and sharing bulletins
• Course and curriculum approvals
• The course catalog
• Syllabi posting and review
• Degree and catalog management
• Additionally, CourseLeaf will eventually replace legacy systems such as CARMIN and APPEAR
• To foster informed student choice making in course selection, and alignment with new legislation, course Syllabi will be made viewable when IU sends a link of the syllabus section of each SIS-generated Canvas course and CourseLeaf displays them.