Introduction

The Syllabus Builder module in CIS allows instructors to build or upload their course syllabus and submit that to their department for review. The content within the Syllabus Builder module varies by division.

For an overview of what the Syllabus Builder is, see the Syllabus Builder infographic.

For additional information on creating a syllabus, please refer to the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation's guide on Developing a Course Syllabus.

Access the Syllabus Builder Module

1. On your My Courses home page, click on the Syllabus Builder tab.
2. Click the status link to the right of the desired course.

Alternatively, you can view this video for accessing the Syllabus Builder for your courses.

About the Syllabus Builder

The About the Syllabus Builder step provides you with details about the module and contains an example of a syllabus that can be generated with this tool. If you would like to reuse the information you entered in a previous Syllabus Builder submission, you can use the Import Details feature.

1. Click View Sample Syllabus to open a PDF of your division's sample syllabus document in another tab.
2. Click Build My Syllabus to move on to the next step.

Administrative Details

The Administrative Details step allows you to review and customize some of the details that students will require for identifying the course and related meeting activities.

1. Review and toggle the display of Academic Units, Course Titles, Subtitles, and Activity Information for your syllabus.
2. If available, you can select the secondary meeting activities (e.g., tutorials and practicals) to be displayed on the syllabus document.
3. If needed, include any other additional notes in the text box at the end of this step.
4. Click Save & Continue to save your data and move on to the next step.

Contact Information

The Contact Information step allows you to specify the contacts you would like students to reach out to regarding the course.

1. Click “Add a Contact” to select from contacts associated with this course or specify another contact type.
2. Review and change any pre-filled information as necessary.
3. In the Define Contact Label field, enter the role of this contact in relation to students.
4. If desired, you may provide a Title.
5. In the Email address field, enter the desired email address. It is recommended that U of T staff make use of their provided U of T email address.
6. Adjust the Name to be displayed on the syllabus as needed. Changes to your name here will only affect what is displayed on the syllabus document. If a change to this name is required across U of T’s applications, contact your Business Officer.
7. If needed, you may also provide your Phone Number.
8. Provide details about your Office Hours and the Location of your office is applicable.
9. Include a URL if there is a Course Website that students should be made aware of.
10. Optionally, additional notes can be included for each contact using the textbox at the end of each contact section.
11. The contacts can be reordered for the exported syllabus using the Move Up and Move Down controls.
12. Click Save & Continue to save your data and move on to the next step.

General Course Information

The General Course Information step allows you to review the expectations to the course and any requirements that students must meet to participate in the course.

1. Review the Course Description and specify additional notes if further details are required.
2. If desired, include and format the Course Learning Outcomes.
3. As needed, review and toggle the display of Prerequisites, Corequisites, Exclusions, Recommended Preparation and Credit Value.
4. If applicable, review and select a Course Experience Sub-Type that is most relevant for your course. Learn more about the Course Experience Tagging process here.
5. Click Save & Continue to save your data and move on to the next step.

Course Materials

The Course Materials step allows you to provide information about the books, digital tools, and other materials that students must acquire, as well as where to find them.

1. Complete and format the Course Materials according to what should appear in the syllabus document.
2. Click Save & Continue to save your data and move on to the next step.

Marking Scheme

The Marking Scheme step allows you to provide students with a breakdown of the assessments and due dates for the course.

1. Enter the name, percentage, due date(s), and type for each assessment in your course, including the final exam (if applicable). While you are completing this step, your faculty’s grading policies will be shown in the sidebar on the left and will dynamically update as data is entered.
2. The assessments can be reordered for the exported syllabus using the Move Up and Move Down controls.
3. To include additional assessments, click the Add Another Assessment link at the bottom of the assessment card.
4. Optionally, assessments can be duplicated by entering a value and clicking the OK button on an assessment card.
5. If needed, include additional notes about the assessments and your policy on late submissions in the text boxes at the bottom.
6. Click Save & Continue to save your data and move on to the next step.

Course Schedule & Outline

The Course Schedule & Outline step allows you to enter and format your course schedule for the syllabus document.

1. If you would like to include your course schedule, select the Yes option and fill in the details for your week-by-week outline. You can add or remove columns or paste in your own outline to the textbox as needed.
2. Click Save & Continue to save your data and move on to the next step.

Policies & Statements

The Policies & Statements step allows you to review, personalize, and select institutional and divisional policies to be included on your syllabus.

1. Click the box beside each statement you would like to include on your syllabus.
2. Click the Personalize link to create and save a statement based on an existing one.
   Note: If the Personalize link is not displayed, then the selected statement text must be used as-is without any modifications.
3. Click the View link to see any notes and the contents of a specific policy.
4. Optionally, click the Create New Statement button and include a Title and Description for the new statement. The personalized statement will be listed in a personalized statements section at the top of this step.
5. If available, click the View & Edit link beside your personalized policies to make changes as needed.
6. Review your selected policies and optionally reorder policies using the Move Up and Move Down controls.
7. Click Save & Continue to save your data and move on to the next step.

Additional Content

The Additional Content step allows you to include another section to the syllabus document if desired.

1. If using, select the Yes option and include the details and formatting for the additional content for the syllabus.
2. Click Save & Continue to save your data and move on to the next step.

Review & Submit

The Review & Submit step allows you to review the syllabus generated based on the data you have entered. From this step, you can either select to submit the generated document or an uploaded document to your department.

Some Divisions have set mandatory steps that must be completed before the form can be submitted. Any incomplete mandatory steps will not appear checked in the sidebar.

1. You can download the generated syllabus by clicking
2. If submitting the generated syllabus, select The syllabus I created in the Course Information System otherwise select the other option, The syllabus I created or edited elsewhere, to upload your own syllabus document.
3. If needed, include additional notes for your program administrator in the textbox that appears at the end of this form.
4. After finalizing your syllabus, click the Submit to Academic Unit button.

After submitting your syllabus, you can continue to make changes to steps that are not mandatory. After changes are made, the updated syllabus can be downloaded and provided to students. Any steps or fields that are reviewed by the Undergraduate Assessment Committee will be made inactive in the form.