Sample Syllabi

What does a Ways-certified course syllabus look like?

You will find a variety of syllabi for each of the Ways categories, from different disciplines and in different forms. These are examples of Ways-certified courses and syllabi which are accessible with Stanford web authorization, so please use your SUnet ID to view them. Ways does not have a template for a creating a syllabus, but you may want to check out CTL's Course Syllabus template.

Syllabi come in all shapes and sizes, some very comprehensive, some very brief, some are drafts, and some represent courses that have been taught for years. For Ways, it really makes no difference.   What is important is that the document demonstrates how students experience the "thinking" and "doing" of the Way.  Based on the Way, students should have a significant experience analyzing, inquiring, reasoning, expressing, or engaging in the Way, and in the context of your course.  These are "action" verbs and should describe how students are achieving these capacities. The Way is a major focus of the course, not a byproduct.  Your syllabus should reflect aspects of the Way—what are students expected to do with the ideas, concepts, and skills presented in class?

A syllabus should include a reading list, the methodology of how students demonstrate the way of "thinking" and "doing" such as in the reading list, detailed assignments, projects, presentations, and coursework.  The grading criteria also shows the rigor of the course.