January 13, 2025
Spring syllabi resources and required statements
Submitted by Academic Affairs and Innovation, Office of the Provost
As we approach the start of the spring 2025 semester, we want to remind you of some helpful resources and information. Please know that in addition to your department heads, directors of graduate studies and dean's offices, the Teaching and Learning Center and the Office of Academic Affairs and Innovation team are here to support your work. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at 785-532-7828 or teachingandlearning@k-state.edu.
Course preparation:
- Accessible Canvas course template and syllabus template: The K-State Canvas Course Template and Syllabus Template, DOC, can help you begin the process of developing a course. For instructions on importing the course template, please follow the How Do I Import the K-State Course Template from the Canvas Commons into my Canvas Course? Guide, PDF. For more instructional design resources, please visit Instructional Design: Building a Successful Course.
- Syllabus statements: Remember to include the mandatory statements in your spring course syllabi, and please consider including suggested optional statements if they apply to your course.
a) All course syllabi must include the following statements:
b) New for spring 2025 — In collaboration with Faculty Senate leadership and Student Government Association leadership, the provost’s office is strongly encouraging that all syllabi contain a statement on the use of artificial intelligence. The Teaching and Learning Center has collected samples of syllabi statements addressing the use of artificial intelligence in assignments. Please use these models as you develop your communications of expectations for students this semester. To learn more about AI tools and how to incorporate them or detect them, please see the resources collected here by the Teaching and Learning Center.
- Prep week: Please adhere to the prep week rule — May 5-9. No examination — unit or final — may be scheduled seven calendar days before the first scheduled day of semester examinations, University Handbook F70.
- Final exam schedule: Make sure your final exam schedule is updated to reflect the spring 2025 exam schedule. All faculty, instructors and graduate teaching assistants should refer to University Handbook section F70-73 to make sure they are in compliance with the final exam policy.
Important dates:
First day of classes — Tuesday, Jan. 21
Last day to withdraw from course without "W" — Feb. 25
Spring break — March 16-23
Last day to withdraw from course — April 4
Manhattan campus only — Open House — April 12
Prep week — May 5-9
Final exams — May 12-16
Commencement — May 10 – Salina; May 16-17 – Manhattan
Grades due — May 20
Manhattan campus only — All-University Open House: The open house is scheduled for Saturday, April 12. As usual, classes will be canceled starting at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, April 11. If instances arise where rescheduling in specialized classrooms or laboratory environments is not feasible, or canceling sections of a multisection course would result in the loss of an entire class day, then instructor prerogative will determine whether classes will be canceled. In these cases, faculty members choosing to hold classes at or after 2:30 p.m. must notify Room Scheduling at 785-532-1712 at the start of the spring semester to ensure that their classrooms are available. This determination should be clearly noted on the course syllabus handed out at the beginning of the semester so that students are aware of this far in advance of open house.
Resources:
Teaching and Learning Center: The center has sample syllabi language, videos with syllabi preparation tips, and advice for course design and inclusive teaching.
Instructional design office hours: Starting Jan. 21, drop in to get individualized support from instructional designers, including our K-State accessibility expert, who is available every Tuesday. No appointment necessary. Join on Zoom from 1:30-2:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and 2-3 p.m. Wednesdays. If you need individualized support prior to Jan. 21, please email idteam@k-state.edu.
Online Course Design Institute: The Online Course Design Institute is accepting registrants for the spring session, which starts Feb 3. Click the link to learn more about this free, asynchronous, online training for K-State online teachers. If you have additional questions, please email idteam@k-state.edu.