Each instructor must have and provide to every student a syllabus for each course taught. For your convenience, generic syllabi providing course information and assignments are available for your use. These syllabi may be most helpful in getting you started with your first semester of teaching. The Director of Rhetoric will provide the appropriate generic syllabus to you prior to the semester beginning.

Here are some important points to keep in mind regarding these generic syllabi:

• You may change these generic syllabi as you desire for your own class(es), but any changes that diverge too much should be discussed John Gooch. This should be done early, well before the start of the semester, not the day before classes begin.

Regardless of any changes you make to the generic syllabus, or whether you create your own, the syllabus you use for your class(es) must contain the following information:

• Course Objectives
  Provide clear, concise statements that define the specific learning goals and objectives that you wish to accomplish by the end of the semester.
  
• Textbooks and Supporting Materials
  All texts for Rhetoric 1302 are predetermined. You may include additional texts along with the required course text if you desire. For all texts used, include the title, author, publisher, and edition and/or date. Indicate whether the text is required for the course, or recommended for supplementary reading. If students are required to use materials placed on reserve (by you) in the University Library, this information should be noted.
  
• General Instructor Information
  Provide your name, contact information (telephone, email, etc), and office location. You should also provide information regarding how and when students can visit you in your office for consultation, submitting or picking up assignments, etc.
  
• Class Meeting Times
  Provide the room number, days of the week the class meets, and the starting and ending time for each class.
  
• Grading Scale
  The Rhetoric 1302 Grading Criteria is predetermined and you are expected to utilize it in assessing your students' final grades. Provide information about this grading scale in your syllabus. If you plan to use any additional assessment scales or instruments in your class, information about each, including any weighting that will be applied to any instrument, should be included in your syllabus.
  
• Grading Expectations
  Provide clear, detailed information regarding your expectations associated with each grade. The Rhetoric 1302 Grading Policy provides much of this information already, but if you wish to add any additional considerations they should be included in your syllabus.
  
• Dates and Times for Assignments, Projects, etc.
  Provide all details regarding when assignments, projects, and other course components are due. Also provide information about your policies regarding late work, etc.
  
• General Course Outline
  Provide a detailed outline of the subject matter to be covered each week during the semester. Be sure to indicate that the syllabus is subject to change during the semester.

Once you have produced your syllabus there are several requirements regarding its distribution:

• You must provide a copy of your syllabus to each student in your class(es) on the first day of class. You can make copies in the Arts and Humanities Mail Room. You will be provided an access code for the copy machine. NOTE: the use of this copy machine is monitored and will be shut off when use becomes excessive. Use this machine ONLY for materials for the class(es) you teach, not for the classes you are taking or other projects.
  
• You must provide one (1) copy of your syllabus to Jerri Lipple in the Arts and Humanities office.
  
• You must provide one (1) copy of your syllabus to John Gooch.
  
• You must provide one (1) copy of your syllabus online. You can upload your syllabus file to the Web yourself, and inform John Gooch of the link address. You should provide this online copy of your syllabus AS SOON AS POSSIBLE after the beginning of each semester.

John C. Gooch, Ph.D.
john.gooch@utdallas.edu
972-883-2038