The following is a collection of materials and artifacts developed by CSM faculty. By sharing their work here, we hope to spread the impact of great ideas, and expand the perspective of what is possible. Feel free to use these samples as inspiration for your own courses. If you are interested in learning more about a particular material/artifact, please contact the corresponding faculty member. Contact information has been provided.

Note: We have gathered authorization from faculty members to share their materials in this platform.

A Visually Appealing Syllabus

Creator: Evan Kaiser, Associate Professor of English and ESL

Division: Language Arts

Evan reformatted the syllabus for one of his classes to make it more visually appealing and engaging for students. The visual design of the syllabus is coupled with student-centered language that conveys a tone of support and growth. The document was developed using Canva, a graphic design program with a free account option. An accessible version of the document is also provided to students.

Contact: kaisere@smccd.edu

See Evan's syllabus here

Access a template version of the syllabus. You can add it to your Canva dashboard and use it as a starting point to develop your own graphic syllabus.

New to Canva?

Here are some tutorials to get you started with Canva. For 1:1 support with Canva designs, reach out to your division's instructional designer.

Getting started with Canva
Editing text, fonts, colors and much more in Canva
How to download your Canva designs

A Liquid Syllabi in Math

Creator: Yvette Butterworth, Associate Professor of Mathematics

Division: Math & Science

Yvette's liquid syllabus offers a welcoming and humanized experience for students. The instructor greets students with inviting language, presenting herself as another human being that will guide them through the process of learning. The overall tone used in the syllabus sends an explicit message of support and transparency, emphasizing why and how success can be achieved. The syllabus is set up as a public Canvas page, accessible to all.

Contact: butterworthy@smccd.edu

See Yvette's liquid syllabus here

Ready to Get Started?

Guide for Equitizing Your Syllabus - The purpose of this guide is to help you reflect on your syllabus from an equitizing and decolonizing perspective. As you go through these questions and considerations, you may find that your syllabus excels in some areas but could be improved in others. We invite you to use this guide in a compassionate way, identifying a few aspects to work on at a time. As you continue to use this guide for reflective practice, you will identify new ways to equitize and decolonize your syllabi and course design.

Syllabus Map Template - This map walks you through updating your syllabus language by reviewing current language and updating it with guiding questions.

Click Next for Leveraging Student Engagement →