Change intended to improve accessibility and transparency
Michigan Technological University has announced updates to its syllabus policies, aimed at improving transparency and accessibility for students. These changes, approved by the University Senate, will take effect in the fall 2025 semester.
One of the key revisions, introduced in Senate Proposal 3-25, ensures that student work products may be used to evaluate how well Michigan Tech students are achieving programmatic learning outcomes. However, this assessment will strictly be used to improve course quality and will not affect individual student grades or instructor evaluations.
“As part of the University’s commitment to curricular quality, student work products may be used to evaluate how well Michigan Tech students are achieving programmatic learning outcomes,” the updated policy states. “Findings are used to inform future course and curricular improvements to support student learning but are not used to evaluate specific students and individual instructors.”
Another major change comes with Senate Proposal 9-25, which requires instructors to make their course syllabi available to students on Canvas. This ensures that all students have a centralized, digital location to access course information.
To comply with this new requirement, instructors must provide syllabus information using one of the following methods: creating a dedicated syllabus page within Canvas, uploading an accessible syllabus document and linking it to Canvas, or providing a direct URL to the syllabus in Canvas. The syllabus must include the course description, overview, and learning objectives.
This change aims to make essential course details easily accessible for all students while supporting student learning goals and assessment of student learning. Instructors are encouraged to utilize syllabus templates provided by the Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), available in Microsoft Word and Google Docs formats, to ensure compliance with the new policy. “As you craft your own syllabus, think carefully about the class culture you wish to create, and how you will first present yourself to your students.” CTL staff said.
These syllabus updates reflect Michigan Tech’s ongoing efforts to enhance educational practice and provide students with a more structured and accessible learning environment. Faculty members seeking assistance can reach out to the CTL at ctl@mtu.edu for additional guidance.
