General Education Core Curriculum Courses:

Minimal Expectations for All Course and Section Syllabi

(Adopted by the General Education Council on October 23, 2000)

• Semester (i.e. Fall, Spring, Mini-Term, Summer I, or Summer II)
• Instructor’s name, office number, office telephone number and email address
• Names and email addresses of teaching assistants, laboratory assistants, graders or supplemental instructors as appropriate
• Office hours
• Course prefix/number and title
• Course description and objectives
• Required textbook(s) and materials (authors, title publication date and/or edition, etc.)
• Brief course outline and schedule for semester
• Any special requirements (especially those introducing students to the library as a resource for research or those which make use of computer applications
• Instructor’s grading policy
• Instructor’s attendance policy
• A statement describing Texas State’s academic honesty policy
• Date/time for final examination
• A statement for students with special needs that might read: “Student with special needs (as documented by the Office of Disability Services) should identify themselves at the beginning of the semester.”

Texas State University-San Marcos Endorses

Wingspread Journal’s Seven Principles of Good Practice

In Undergraduate Education 

1. Student-faculty contact
2. Cooperation among students
3. Active learning
4. Prompt feedback
5. Time on task
6. High expectations, and
7. Respect for diverse talents and ways of learning