Your Syllabus In CANVAS

Why Put Your Syllabus in Canvas?

Academic Senate Resolution 2020.12.16.6B -- Reporting of Syllabus Information to Canvas for Accreditation Purposes is the official CCSF faculty recommendation to the college that Canvas become the official repository for course syllabi for institutional-level access, including Chairs, Deans, and Visiting Teams like the accreditation teams. Please review that resolution to learn more about why the Academic Senate made this decision. There are many reasons including:

Easy Access for Your Students

Students have become accustomed to having easy digital access to a syllabus. Putting it in Canvas allows that easy access, and you can even make your syllabus public if you want to share it with prospective students.

On each tab below, you'll find step-by-step directions for creating and adding a syllabus to Canvas, and if you'd prefer to watch a video, you can view the recordings focused on adding a syllabus to a Canvas course.

Why the Syllabus and Student Learning Outcomes Are Important

Watch the following 6-minute video by Biology faculty and Accreditation Steering Committee Member Sheri Miraglia about the importance of storing the Syllabus in a central place.

How to Add a Syllabus to a Canvas Course

How to Import and Use the Syllabus Template

Note: If you have recently imported an entire course template or all of the Module X templates from a previous course or sandbox, you likely already have the syllabus module in your course. If not, you can import the Syllabus Module as a separate item from Canvas Commons.

Importing the Syllabus Template Module

Log into your Canvas account and click on the Commons button in the global navigation on the left.
Find the Syllabus Template Module.
- Search for CCSF Syllabus and use the Filter tab to filter by modules.
Import the Syllabus Template Module by clicking on the blue link that says Module X.2: Syllabus Template, and then click the blue Import/Download button.
Select the course you want to import the Module into, and then scroll down to click the blue Import into Course button.
Give it about 15 seconds, and when you return to your course, you'll find the Syllabus Template module at the bottom of your modules.

Syllabus Template Options

You'll find two syllabus templates in the Syllabus Module. One is a simplified template to share your syllabus as a Microsoft Document or PDF file. The second syllabus template is wonderfully interactive and compact. Still, it will take more work since you'll need to copy and paste information from your syllabus's Word or PDF version.

Using a Syllabus Template

Open and edit the syllabus template that you want to use. If you are using the Simplified Syllabus Template, upload your syllabus document into the template and delete the pink note for instructors.
After editing the syllabus template, you are ready to transfer it to the Syllabus tool. If you are not already in edit mode, click the Edit button for the Syllabus Template you have been editing.
Select everything in the editing window, copy it, and then Save the template.
Open the Syllabus Tool in the Course Navigation and click Edit.
Paste what you copied earlier from your template and click Save.
Don't forget to Publish your course. Publishing provides your students and your Department Dean or Chair access to review your syllabus.

What Needs to Go in the Syllabus

How Do I Allow Students, Department Chairs, and Deans to see the Syllabus in Canvas?

Why Put Your Syllabus in Canvas?

Easy Access for Your Students

Video - Face to Face Class Not Intending to Use Canvas

Face to Face or Remote Class Intending to Use Canvas for Web-Enhancement

Online Classes

Importing the Syllabus Template Module

Syllabus Template Options

Using a Syllabus Template

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Why Put Your Syllabus in Canvas?

Easy Access for Your Students

Video - Face to Face Class Not Intending to Use Canvas

Face to Face or Remote Class Intending to Use Canvas for Web-Enhancement

Online Classes

Importing the Syllabus Template Module

Syllabus Template Options

Using a Syllabus Template

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