Sample Policy Statements
Policy statements are the first exposure that students have to a class. When creating a policy statement, it is a good idea to be thorough and specific; include enough information so that students know what to expect from you and from the course.
Policy statements for E238 often include:
- A thorough course description
- An overview of course goals (which, in the case of E238, should be tied to CDHE requirements and gtPathways guidelines)
- A list of the readings that will be covered throughout the semester
- A notice of any additional materials that will be required to complete the course
- A list and brief description of major assignments
- Attendance policies
- Tardiness policies
- An introduction to technology used in the course
- The instructor's expectations of the student (reading expectations, academic expectations, frequency of quizzes, participation requirements, ethics, behavioral expectations, etc.)
- Student accommodations (policies for accommodating learning differences or disabilities)
- Grading polices (breakdown of grading proportions, explanation of how grades will be calculated, etc.)
- Campus resources (writing labs, The Writing Center, the Morgan Library)
- Information on plagiarism: how it is defined, penalties for committing acts of plagiarism, etc.
- Contact information (instructor email address, office location and hours, etc)
- Calendar of assignments and exams (Students will often look to this portion of the policy statement to gage the amount of work due throughout the course, as well as to gain a general idea of major due dates of papers and projects. In this section it might be a good idea to include a statement suggesting that the syllabus is subject to change and modification—This will prevent students from treating the calendar presented on the first day as a hard and fast contract.)
Please refer to these sample policy statements for additional ideas, strategies, and styles:
