Composition
- Four faculty, all of whom are actively involved in teaching courses, selected with representation from the various areas of the University in mind, and with at least three geographic regions (and Global) represented. Faculty will serve for three years and can renew for another three-year term (F). One undergraduate student with one-year terms (renewable). (U)
Representatives of particular committees or offices (one person may serve in multiple capacities):
- Two representatives from Catalog Sub-committee
- One representative from Academic Affairs Committee
- One representative from Graduate Studies Committee
- One representative from the Professional Health Committee
- One representative from the Office of Assessment of Teaching and Learning
- One representative from the University Common Requirements committee
- One representative from Information Technology
- One representative from Student Affairs; Vice Provost for Academic Engagement and Student Achievement, or designee (ex-officio)
Website
For more details, including required/recommended syllabus elements and syllabus language, please click this link: syllabus.wsu.edu
Purpose
The Syllabus Committee serves as the primary gateway for syllabus-related matters for Washington State University. The committee will work to increase the clarity and functionality of our syllabus system.
Function
- Develops, reviews, and appraises syllabus guidelines and policies of Washington State University.
- Makes recommendations to the Faculty Senate committees concerning syllabus guidelines and policies, including required and recommended elements.
- Receives, reviews, and acts upon policy recommendations of the Faculty Senate’s permanent subcommittees, serving as the syllabus guideline implementation committee for Academic Affairs, Graduate Studies, and Professional Health.
- Maintains a web-based resource for faculty that provides approved guidelines, templates, policies, and evidence-based best practices for syllabus creation and maintenance.
Workload
- The Syllabus Subcommittee meets 4 times/semester
Workload Committee Chair
- Schedules monthly meeting: 1 hour/semester
- Update/prepare meeting notes, agendas, minutes, etc.: 4 hours/semester
- Sub-committee meetings: 4 hours/semester
- Variable additional time for preparing/communicating regarding required or recommended syllabus statements or university syllabus statements: Variable
- Total: 9 to 10 hours/semester = ~0.5 to 0.6 hours/week
Workload Committee Member
- Review materials/agendas for meetings: 2 hours/semester
- Sub-committee meetings: 4 hours/semester
- Variable additional time for sub-committee tasks
- Total: ~6 hours/semester = ~0.3 to 0.4 hours/week
Additional notes
- The chair is elected by the committee and serves a three-year term. Chairs may have their position renewed for a second term.
- The vice-chair is elected by the committee and becomes the chair if the previous chair resigns before their term is done. Vice-chairs who rise to chair would finish out the term of the previous chair. Vice-chairs serve two-year terms.
- Permanent Subcommittees: Required & Recommended Elements, Best Practices, New Elements, Student Messaging, Learning Outcomes, and Assessment.
- Whenever possible, at least one non-ex officio member of the Syllabus Committee shall serve on each of the permanent subcommittees.
- Reports to: Faculty Senate, through the Faculty Steering Committee, and to the university president, through the provost.
- Annual Update: The committee will provide an annual update to Academic Affairs by May 15 of each academic year.
- Support: The committee will receive administrative support provided by the Faculty Senate Steering and webpage design and maintenance support provided by Information Technology.
| Name | Rank | Constituency | Location | Start Term | End Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Committee Chair, Krista Nishida (F) | Associate Professor | Chemistry, CAS | Pullman | 2020 | 2026 |
| Lisa Wannanenn-Jones (F) | Scholarly Associate Professor | Morrow College of Communication | Pullman | 2023 | 2026 |
| Elizabeth Siler (F) | Assistant Professor | English / ESL, CAS | Pullman | 2022 | 2028 |
| Ayesha Ahmed (F) | Associate Professor | Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences | Spokane | 2025 | 2028 |
| Student Representative | |||||
| Ex-Officio Non-Voting Members | |||||
| Allan Felsot | Professor | Viticulture & Enology, CAHNRS | Tri-Cities | Catalog Subcommittee Representative | Catalog Subcommittee Representative |
| Tammy Crawford | Associate Professor | Sports Management, CoE | Pullman | Catalog Subcommittee Representative | Catalog Subcommittee Representative |
| Heather Morgan | Registrar Secretary Designee | Office of the Registrar | Pullman | Academic Affairs Committee Representative | Academic Affairs Committee Representative |
| Ryan Thomas | Associate Professor | Edward R. Morrow College of Communication | Pullman | Graduate Studies Committee Representative | Graduate Studies Committee Representative |
| Pending Notification | PHC Representative | -- | Pullman | Professional Health Sciences Representative | Professional Health Sciences Representative |
| Pending Notification | Director | Smith Cntr. for Undergraduate Ed. | Pullman | Office of Assessment Representative | Office of Assessment Representative |
| Pending Notification | Associate Professor | -- | Pullman | UCORE Representative | UCORE Representative |
| Darren Yocum | Executive Director, ITS | Enterprise Systems Group | Pullman | IT Representative | IT Representative |
| Pending Notification | -- | Student Affairs | -- | Student Affairs Ex-Officio | Student Affairs Ex-Officio |
| Pending Notification | -- | Office of the Provost | -- | Vice Provost for Academic Engagement & Strategic Achievement Rep. | Vice Provost for Academic Engagement & Strategic Achievement Rep. |
| Matt Hudelson | Associate Professor | Mathematics & Statistics, CAS | Pullman | Faculty Senate Liaison | Faculty Senate Liaison |
| Pending Notification | -- | -- | -- | Global Campus Ex-Officio | Global Campus Ex-Officio |
| Holly Ashkannejhad | Director | Compliance & Risk Management | Pullman | CCR Ex-Officio | CCR Ex-Officio |
| Amy Sharp | Director | Women*s Center | Pullman | Women*s Center Ex-Officio | Women*s Center Ex-Officio |
| Tatiana Trowers-Norris | Undergraduate Student | ASWSU Undergraduate Representative | Pullman | Undergraduate Student Representative | Undergraduate Student Representative |