Course Syllabi on YES

Vanderbilt Student Government is thrilled to announce a partnership with the University Registrar’s Office, Enrollment Management Systems and the Office of the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education to promote the availability of course syllabi online through YES. Professors are now able to upload syllabi for the current semester, and will shortly be able to add sample syllabi for Summer 2012 and Fall 2012 through the class roll tool. These syllabi will be a supplemental tool for students to use when considering which classes and courses to enroll in.

Want to help make this happen? Talk with faculty members and encourage them to participate in this program. CLICK HERE to download an email template for your professors to help remind them of what you discussed and show them how easy it is to upload syllabi!

Vanderbilt Student Government is currently leading an effort to encourage professors to post course syllabi on YES. As the system is implemented it is important for students to encourage their professors of this capability within the system. Syllabi can be uploaded for the current semester, past semesters, and of course, future semesters. It is important to get professors involved in the process as this collaborative effort is only as successful as the number of professors who upload the syllabi.

The picture below illustrates a student’s ability to historically review the offerings of a single session (PSCI 100 in this example).

The online course syllabi program was implemented to improve efficiency and to assist students in the registration process. It is important to note that this system is not intended to be a contract between the professor and the student in regards to coursework for the upcoming semester, but simply a guide as to what is generally expected in previous courses taught by that professor. Additionally, the system will keep a record of all syllabi uploaded so students will be able to search historical syllabi but it is important to note that this aspect of the program will require time to be fully functional. These Syllabi are for browsing, not republishing. They are for internal use only; anything beyond internal use would be a violation of the University’s codes of conduct.

Important Links

• PDF Instructions for Professors
• “How-To” Video for Professors
• Template for students to follow up with professors
• VSG Press Release: VSG Helps Bring Syllabi to YES