General Syllabus Elements
Please use the updated ASC approved WGSS specific syllabus template for all syllabi design. This syllabus has all required, recommended, and optional elements included, and is formatted to meet Ohio State's digital accessibility standards.
Below is a list of syllabus elements that should be included in your WGSST course syllabi. Each element is noted mandatory, recommended, or optional. If you course is an approved General Education Course, please see required language below.
The Office of Undergraduate Education provides faculty resources pertaining to your syllabus and guidance on other areas of student support.
Mandatory Statements
Disability Statement: The Office of Disability Services is responsible for crafting the language of this policy. Please include the following language in your syllabus in a 16 point, sans-serif font:
The university strives to make all learning experiences as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience academic barriers based on your disability including mental health, chronic or temporary medical conditions, please let me know immediately so that we can privately discuss options. To establish reasonable accommodations, I may request that you register with Student Life Disability Services. After registration, make arrangements with me as soon as possible to discuss your accommodations so that they may be implemented in a timely fashion. SLDS contact information: slds@osu.edu; 614-292-3307; 098 Baker Hall, 113 W. 12th Avenue.
Academic integrity policy: It is the responsibility of every student to know the Student Code of Conduct. However, the academic misconduct policy should still be in your syllabus:
It is the responsibility of the Committee on Academic Misconduct to investigate or establish procedures for the investigation of all reported cases of student academic misconduct. The term “academic misconduct” includes all forms of student academic misconduct wherever committed; illustrated by, but not limited to, cases of plagiarism and dishonest practices in connection with examinations. Instructors shall report all instances of alleged academic misconduct to the committee (Faculty Rule 33355487). For additional information, see the Code of Student Conduct.
GE Learning Goals and Outcomes (GE courses only): All appropriate GE goals and learning outcomes should be included in your syllabus. If you are instructing a GE course, please see below or here to make sure you are using the appropriate GE goals and learning outcomes statement. Note: In Autumn 2023, OSU will be transitioning to the New GE. Updated language for syllabi is forthcoming.
Distance Learning Syllabus Elements (online courses only): Distance learning must include information on technology requirements for the course and privacy statements for technologies used beyond Ohio State’s approved digital tools. Please download the WGSS Syllabus Template above for an example.
Recommended Statements
Commitment to a diverse and inclusive learning environment: If you wish to add language on diversity, the university recommends using the following:
The Ohio State University affirms the importance and value of diversity in the student body. Our programs and curricula reflect our multicultural society and global economy and seek to provide opportunities for students to learn more about persons who are different from them. We are committed to maintaining a community that recognizes and values the inherent worth and dignity of every person; fosters sensitivity, understanding, and mutual respect among each member of our community; and encourages each individual to strive to reach his or her own potential. Discrimination against any individual based upon protected status, which is defined as age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status, is prohibited.
Statement on Title IX: The office of University Compliance and Integrity encourages all instructors to include the following statement about Title IX in their syllabi:
Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender are Civil Rights offenses subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories (e.g., race). If you or someone you know has been sexually harassed or assaulted, you may find the appropriate resources at http://titleix.osu.edu or by contacting the Ohio State Title IX Coordinator at titleix@osu.edu.
Student Services and Advising Statement: The Student Advocacy Center should be the first stop for a student who has experienced a hardship (ex., prolonged illness, death in the family, unexpected onset of physical or mental disability) during the semester and needs assistance filing petitions for potential extensions:
The Student Advocacy Center can assist students with appeals, petitions and other needs when experiencing hardship during a semester. Learn more at http://advocacy.osu.edu/.
University Student Services can be accessed through BuckeyeLink. More information is available here:
https://contactbuckeyelink.osu.edu/
FOR UNDERGRAD COURSES: Advising resources for students are available here: http://advising.osu.edu
FOR GRADUATE COURSES: Contact WGSS Graduate Program Coordinator, Rebekah Sims, for insight into how this how this course fits in with your MA, PhD, or Graduate Minor plan.
Mental Health Statement: Student wellness encourages you to include the following statement on mental health:
As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learn, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. No matter where you are engaged in distance learning, The Ohio State University’s Student Life Counseling and Consultation Service (CCS) is here to support you. If you find yourself feeling isolated, anxious or overwhelmed, on-demand resources are available at go.osu.edu/ccsondemand. You can reach an on-call counselor when CCS is closed at 614- 292-5766, and 24-hour emergency help is also available through the 24/7 National Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK or at suicidepreventionlifeline.org. The Ohio State Wellness app is also a great resource available at go.osu.edu/wellnessapp.
Land Acknowledgement: Recognizing the ongoing role of settler colonialism at our institution is vital to our continued unlearning. The following statement is recommended:
We would like to acknowledge the land that The Ohio State University occupies is the ancestral and contemporary territory of the Shawnee, Potawatomi, Delaware, Miami, Peoria, Seneca, Wyandotte, Ojibwe and Cherokee peoples. Specifically, the university resides on land ceded in the 1795 Treaty of Greeneville and the forced removal of tribes through the Indian Removal Act of 1830. I/We want to honor the resiliency of these tribal nations and recognize the historical contexts that has and continues to affect the Indigenous peoples of this land.
More information on OSU’s land acknowledgement can be found here: https://mcc.osu.edu/about-us/land-acknowledgement
Optional Statements
Mandatory Reporting Statement: All Ohio State University employees, including instructors, are mandatory reporters of sexual assault. Some instructors may wish to note on their syllabus that they are mandatory reports in case students choose to disclose personal stories of assault or trauma. This is not to discourage students from sharing, only to convey the responsibilities of the instructor to the student. Here is a sample mandatory reporter statement:
As an instructor, one of my responsibilities is to help create a safe learning environment on our campus. I also have a mandatory reporting responsibility related to my role as an instructor. It is my goal that you feel able to share information related to your life experiences in classroom discussions, in your written work, and in our one-on-one meetings. I will seek to keep information you share private to the greatest extent possible. However, I am required to share information regarding sexual misconduct or information about a crime that may have occurred on Ohio State’s campus with the University. Students may speak to someone confidentially by calling 1-866-294-9350 or through the Ohio State Anonymous Reporting Line.
Copyright Disclaimer: If you wish to include a copyright statement, the university recommends the following:
The materials used in connection with this course may be subject to copyright protection and are only for the use of students officially enrolled in the course for the educational purposes associated with the course. Copyright law must be considered before copying, retaining, or disseminating materials outside of the course.
Trigger Warning Statement: If you wish to include a trigger warning statement, here is a sample statement:
Some contents of this course may involve media that may be triggering to some students due to descriptions of and/or scenes depicting acts of violence, acts of war, or sexual violence and its aftermath. If needed, please take care of yourself while watching/reading this material (leaving classroom to take a water/bathroom break, debriefing with a friend, contacting Counseling and Consultation Services at 614-292-5766, and contacting the instructor if needed). Expectations are that we all will be respectful of our classmates while consuming this media and that we will create a safe space for each other. Failure to show respect to each other may result in dismissal from the class.
GE Syllabus Elements
Visit the revised General Education Information page for updates regarding the new GE and the legacy GE.