Composition
- Voting Members:
- Four faculty, all of whom are actively involved in teaching courses, selected with representation from the various areas of the University in mind.
- One undergraduate student, serving one-year renewable terms.
- Ex-officio Non-voting Members:
- Two representatives from the Catalog Subcommittee, chosen by that committee.
- One representative from the Academic Affairs Committee, chosen by that committee.
- One representative from the Graduate Studies Committee, chosen by that committee.
- One representative from the Professional Health Sciences Committee, chosen by that committee.
- One representative from the Office of Assessment for Curricular Effectiveness.
- One representative from the UCORE Committee, chosen by that committee.
- One representative from Information Technology.
- One representative from Student Affairs.
- Vice Provost for Academic Engagement and Student Achievement, or designee.
- Chancellor of Global Campus, or designee.
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 | College | Location | Start Term | End Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Committee Chair: TBD | |||||
| 2027 Rotation | |||||
| Ameera Fyaad | Clinical Assistant Professor | CoN | Tri-Cities | 2026 | 2027 |
| 2028 Rotation | |||||
| Ayesha Ahmed | Associate Professor | CoPPS | Spokane | 2025 | 2028 |
| Elizabeth Siler | Assistant Professor | CAS | Pullman | 2022 | 2028 |
| 2029 Rotation | |||||
| Lisa Wannanenn-Jones | Scholarly Associate Professor | MCC | Pullman | 2023 | 2029 |
| Ex-Officio Non-Voting Members | |||||
| Troy Bennefield | Representative #1, Catalog Subcommittee | ||||
| Dee Posey | Representative #2, Catalog Subcommittee | ||||
| TBD | Representative, Academic Affairs Committee | ||||
| TBD | Representative, Graduate Studies Committee | ||||
| Shannon Reynolds | Representative, Professional Health Sciences Committee | ||||
| Lindsey Brown | Representative, Office of Assessment for Curricular Effectiveness | ||||
| TBD | Representative, UCORE Committee | ||||
| TBD | Representative, Information Technology | ||||
| TBD | Representative, Student Affairs | ||||
| Bill Davis | Vice Provost for Academic Engagement and Student Acheivement | ||||
| Jenny Thigpen | Designee, Chancellor of Global Campus | ||||