Concourse Syllabus for Faculty

Required Public Syllabus Components

Each undergraduate course syllabus must include:

  • The system updates:
    • Course prefix and number, 
    • Course title, 
    • Section number, 
    • Term,
  • The faculty will update:
    • Instructor name(s)
    • Instructor professional qualifications
    • Course calendar outlining topics and timing
    • Required or recommended readings
    • Religious accommodations statement (Policy 40.003)
What You Need to Know
  • Applies to undergraduate courses only. Graduate courses are not required, but may be recommended by departments
  • Includes all course sections, regardless of enrollment
  • Public syllabi must be available before the start of the semester
Useful Vocabulary Definitions:
  • Course Syllabus (Public-Facing): A document defined by Ohio Revised Code §3345.029 that includes required elements: the instructor’s name, professional qualifications, course calendar, required or recommended readings, and a religious accommodations statement. These components must be publicly available beginning Fall 2026.
  • Course Policies and Guidelines (Student-Facing): Additional course information provided directly to enrolled students, typically in Canvas. This may include grading policies, attendance expectations, learning outcomes, academic misconduct policies, disability accommodations, and other instructional details.
  • Concourse Syllabus Tool: The system used by Ohio University to create and publish the public-facing syllabus website. Content entered within the public section (Course Syllabus) populates the centralized public syllabus website and satisfies state requirements.
  • Canvas Syllabus: A feature within Canvas used to share course policies and guidelines with students. This is student-facing only and does not meet the public syllabus requirements.

Key Distinction: The Course Syllabus fulfills the public transparency requirement, while Course Policies and Guidelines provide the detailed information students need within the course.

Additional Guidance

Ohio University provides templates and guidance to support compliance while maintaining faculty flexibility and academic freedom. Faculty are encouraged to include standard language allowing for reasonable updates to course schedules or materials during the semester.

HOW TO: Access Course Syllabus (Concourse)
  1. Log in to Canvas using your Ohio University credentials.
  2. From your Dashboard, open the course where you need to update the public syllabus.
  3. In the left-hand Canvas course navigation, click Course Syllabus.
  • This link opens the Concourse Syllabus Tool
  • You may need to scroll down to near the bottom of the course navigation pane.
  • If the Course Syllabus Link is missing, you will need to enable the Course Syllabus (Concourse Syllabus) tool. (Refer to the section on “How to: Enable the Course Syllabus”)
HOW TO: Edit your Course Syllabus (Concourse Syllabus Tool) Public Syllabus Content

All information in the Course Syllabus must be completely consistent with other information provided to students.

  1. Upon accessing Course Syllabus, you will see your “Concourse” syllabus landing page. 
  2. In the syllabus landing page, click the Syllabus tab (top left of screen), select Edit. 
  3. Click the Pencil icon to the left of the course syllabus section to edit the required content.
  4. Within this single section, enter your content using the structure below. For additional guidance on what should be included in each field, refer to the Ohio University Syllabus Guidelines website. 

Instructor(s) 

  • Instructor name (Title, preferred First & Last Name) 

Professional Qualifications 

Assuming that the name of the course instructor(s) is known, each course syllabus must include the information through which the instructor(s) of record are qualified to teach the specific section of the course. Per University Policy 18.00, instructors of record may be qualified through academic credentials, equivalent experience, or tested experience.  

Academic Credentials. Instructors of record qualified through academic credentials must provide their degrees, areas of study, and institutions that establish instructor qualifications, consistent with the expectations of ODHE. As examples:  

  • Ph.D., Marketing, Ohio State University;   
  • M.F.A, Indiana University; or   
  • Ed.D, Ohio University.  

Equivalent or Tested Experience. Instructors of record qualified through equivalent or tested must provide their (a) degrees, areas of study, and institutions, and (b) equivalent or tested experience that establish instructor qualifications. As examples:  

  • M.B.A., Loyola University; Vice President of Marketing, Basketweaving Incorporated 
  • M.A., Marshall University; Journalist, Basketweaving Today 

Graduate Student Instructors. Supervised graduate teaching assistants may be minimally qualified if they are enrolled in a graduate program of study, assist the instructor of record, utilize a faculty-approved syllabus and subject to regular supervision and assessment by a minimally qualified faculty member. For example:  

  •  M.A., English, University of Cincinnati; Ph.D., English, Ohio University (student, degree in progress)  

Unsupervised graduate teaching assistant must be otherwise minimally qualified to teach at the undergraduate level through academic credentials or equivalent or tested experience. For example:  

  • M.A., English, University of Cincinnati 

Course Calendar Outline 

In this section, outline what materials and topics will be covered and when during the course they will be covered. You may choose to do this in terms of a detailed meeting-by-meeting schedule or an outline that shows the contents of weeks or modules. The materials should clearly refer to items identified in Required Readings or Recommended Readings.

The calendar may be produced using a bullet list or an ADA-accessible table. For example:

  • Module 1: Close Reading: Form and Content
  • Module 2: Key Concepts in Reading Poetry
    • Faculty-written terminology guide
    • Poems from The Making of a Poem
  • Module 3: Closed Poetic Forms
    • Faculty-written terminology guide
    • Poems from The Making of a Poem 
  • Module 4: Open Poetic Forms
    • Faculty-written terminology guide
    • Open form poems from The Making of a Poem
    • Poems from Black Spirits
    • Student-selected spoken word poems 
  • Module 5: Intro to Drama and Hamlet
    • Faculty-written terminology guide
    • Sparks, "From Elements of Style"
    • Hamlet
    • Video: Hamlet 
  • Module 6: The Importance of Being Ernest
    • Faculty-written terminology guide
    • The Importance of Being Ernest
  • Module 7: The American Play
    • Faculty-written terminology guide
    • The American Play 

When the calendar or the associated materials for the course cannot be known prior to the start of the semester, the syllabus should include an explanatory statement. This situation may arise when:

  • Readings and/or topics are current or emerging information from publications (e.g., newspapers, magazines)
  • Readings and/or topics for the course are developed with the students(s) after the first day of class (e.g., independent study)
  • Readings and/or topics for the course are developed based on guest speakers or project-based topics after the first day of class

You may also include language in the appropriate section(s) of the Course Syllabus stating that the course calendar and/or recommended and required readings may change based on contextual factors, such as student learning needs, student interests, newly published sources, and unforeseen course disruptions.

Required Readings 

  • Textbooks (author, title, edition, year, publisher, ISBN) 
  • Required articles, e-books, or online materials 

Recommended Readings 

  • Optional or supplemental materials 
  • Additional enrichment or support resources 

Religious Accommodations 

Every course syllabus must include language consistent with University Policy 40.003, affirming reasonable accommodations for sincerely held religious or spiritual beliefs and practices. The following recommended statement must be included in the Public Syllabus section: 

Per University Policy 40.003, Ohio University reasonably accommodates the sincerely held religious or spiritual beliefs and practices of students. You may be absent for up to three days each academic semester to take holidays for reasons of faith or religious or spiritual belief system or participate in organized activities conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or other religious or spiritual organization. You must request any accommodation in writing no later than 14 days after the first day of instruction.  

There will be no academic penalty as a result of you being absent for sincerely held religious or spiritual beliefs provided you made the request in writing within the first 14 calendar days of class. If you miss an assignment, quiz, or exam, you are expected to coordinate with the instructor to schedule an alternative. The alternative may be before or after the absence.  

If you have questions about this policy or any other religious accommodation, feel free to reach out to Civil Rights Compliance at www.ohio.edu/civil-rights. 

5. After ALL six elements are entered into the Public Syllabus section, click Save (at bottom of pop-up window). 

HOW TO: Add Optional Sections (Concourse Syllabus Tool)

The sections listed in the green navigation area are student-facing only, meaning they are not public and are visible only within Canvas. These sections are optional. While they are not required by the Ohio Revised Code, some of them may still be recommended/required by your program/department/college.

TIP: Be mindful of what you are entering where.

  1. To add an optional section, click within the green box for the section you want to use.
  2. Within the pop-up window complete the Notes field with general information related to section.

NOTE: The Comments box is only visible to the faculty member or TA. Students and the public will not see this information.

  1. Once you complete the Notes textbox, click Save.
  2. To edit general notes within an optional section, click on the yellow Pencil icon associated with the section wanting to use.
  3. Once you complete the Notes textbox, click Save.
  4. Click on the Green + to add an additional field within the main section, where you can enter more specific information.
  • Sections with Additional Fields available are:
  • Meeting Times
  • Contact Information
  • Basis for Grading
  • Course Guidelines
  • Course Policies
  • Schedule
  1. In the popup window that appears, complete the following text boxes:
  • Type
  • Details
  • Notes
  1. Click Save. 
HOW TO: Cross-Listing

If you cross list in Canvas, it does not combine your Course Syllabus Sections in Concourse. You MUST copy or complete a Course Syllabus for each course section in the Concourse Course Syllabus tool to be compliant.

If you cross listed your courses in Canvas and need to copy your Course Syllabus in Concourse to your other course sections, use the Concourse Copy tool.

HOW TO: Copy your Course Syllabus to Other Courses

To copy syllabus content using the Copy feature, two conditions must be met:

  1. You must be able to View the content item on the originating syllabus.
  2. You must be able to Edit the same content item on the destination syllabus.

Copying a syllabus overwrites already populated content but does not overwrite the system-generated Concourse header (course title, term, section, etc.).

You can copy a syllabus from:

  • A previous term
  • Another section of the same course
  • Another instructor’s syllabus (if permissions allow)

If you do not see a syllabus you expect to copy, contact your department or instructional design support team.

Access Concourse Through Canvas:

  1. Log in to Canvas using your institutional credentials.
  2. From your Dashboard, open the course.
  3. In the left-hand Canvas course navigation, click Course Syllabus.
  4. Concourse will open within Canvas.

Open the Syllabus Copy Tool

  1. In your syllabus, click on the Syllabus tab (top left of screen), select Copy.

You have three options when using the Copy Feature:

  • Option 1: Copy From (begin process in destination syllabus)
  • Option 2: Copy To One (begin process in originating syllabus)
  • Option 3: Copy To Many (begin process in originating syllabus)

Option 1: Copy From

  1. Click the Copy From (blue button at the bottom of the Copy From box.)
  2. In the Criteria box, search the course you would like to copy into your destination syllabus. The Registrations drop-down is defaulted to search My Courses. Therefore, if you are only searching your own courses, you can select Search without typing in any keywords, and all of your syllabi will populate in the Results Box. However, if you choose to type in keywords, click Search, and the syllabi fitting that criteria will populate in the Results box. In the Results Box, the course you are currently in will not have a Copy box as an option next to it.  
  3. Once you have found the desired syllabus, click on the Copy button next to the syllabus title.
  4. On the Select Items page, check all of the applicable item boxes you wish to copy into your destination syllabus and click Copy.
  5. A pop-up window will appear stating, “Copying items may overwrite existing data. Do you want to continue?” click OK or Cancel. Click OK to begin the copy process.


IMPORTANT NOTE: If you select an item for copying, and the item already exists on your destination syllabus, it will be permanently overwritten; this action is irreversible. Therefore, be extremely careful when copying items that will overwrite existing syllabus content.

Option 2: Copy To: One

  1. Click the Copy To One (blue button at the bottom of the Copy To: One box).
  2. In the Criteria box, search the course you would like to copy into your destination syllabus. The Registrations drop-down is defaulted to search My Courses. Therefore, if you are only searching your own courses, you can select Search without typing in any keywords, and all of your syllabi will populate in the Results Box. However, if you choose to type in keywords, click Search, and the syllabi fitting that criteria will populate in the Results box. In the Results Box, the course you are currently in will not have a Copy box as an option next to it.  
  3. Once you have found the desired syllabus, click on the Copy button next to the syllabus title.
  4. On the resulting Select Items page, check all of the applicable item boxes you wish to copy into your destination syllabus and click Copy.
  5. A pop-up window will appear stating, “Copying items may overwrite existing data. Do you want to continue?” click OK or Cancel. Click OK to begin the copy process. 
     

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you select an item for copying, and the item already exists on your destination syllabus, it will be permanently overwritten; this action is irreversible. Therefore, be extremely careful when copying items that will overwrite existing syllabus content.

Option 3: Copy To: Many

  1. Click the Copy To Many (blue button at the bottom of the Copy To: Many box).
  2. In the Criteria box, search the course you would like to copy into your destination syllabus. The Registrations drop-down is defaulted to search My Courses. Therefore, if you are only searching your own courses, you can select Search without typing in any keywords, and all of your syllabi will populate in the Results Box. However, if you choose to type in keywords, click Search, and the syllabi fitting that criteria will populate in the Results box. In the Results Box, the course you are currently in will not have a Copy box as an option next to it.  
    Note: If you are having a difficult time finding the desired syllabus you want to push into your destination syllabus, try using the Advanced options in the top-right corner to narrow your searches.
  3. Select all of the applicable syllabi you want items copied into by clicking the checkbox next to each syllabus then click Selected Results. If you need to copy items into all syllabi on the search page, you can bypass manually checking each box by clicking All Results.
  4. On the resulting Select Items page, check all of the applicable item boxes you wish to copy into your destination syllabus and click Copy.
  5. A pop-up window will appear stating, “Copying items may overwrite existing data. Do you want to continue?” click OK or Cancel. Click OK to trigger the copy process. 
     

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you selected the box for copying, and the item already existed on your destination syllabus, it will be permanently overwritten; this action is irreversible. Therefore, be extremely careful when copying items that will overwrite existing syllabus content.

  1. The Items Copied page will load telling you which items copied and how many syllabi the item successfully copied into.

Review and Update the Copied Syllabus

After the copy is complete:

  1. Review all sections of the syllabus carefully.
  2. Update time-sensitive information, including:
    1. Term and year references
    2. Course calendar dates
    3. Required and recommended readings
  3. Pay special attention to the Public Syllabus section to ensure it is accurate and compliant.
HOW TO: Embed Course Syllabus in Canvas Syllabus
  1. When logged into Canvas, on your course navigation, choose Course Syllabus.  
    • Note: Course Syllabus link may be located towards the bottom of the course navigation pane. 
  1. Click on the Info Tab at the top of the screen.  
  1. Copy the embed code on the right side of the screen.  
  1. Open your Canvas Syllabus by clicking Syllabus on the course navigation then click Edit.  
  1. Put your cursor where you would like the Concourse Syllabus to be added.  
  1. Click on the embed icon (cloud with <>) from the Rich Content Editor or select Insert from the editor and choose Embed. 
  1. Paste the embed code into the box provided, then click Submit. 
HOW TO: Enable/Disable Course Syllabus (Concourse Syllabus Tool) through Canvas

This section is for faculty who do not wish to use Concourse for all course information. The information in the Course Syllabus must be available verbatim to your students. However, you may want to provide the Course Syllabus in the same place as other course information in Canvas so that students don't become confused. In this case, you have two options: you can embed the Concourse text with the other course information, or you can copy it into Canvas and disable Course Syllabus access from within Canvas.

  1. Log in to Canvas using your Ohio University credentials.
  2. From your Dashboard, open the course where you need to update the syllabus.
  3. In the left-hand Canvas course navigation (at the bottom), click Settings.
  4. Click on the Navigation tab.
  5. Scroll, locate Course Syllabus.
  6. Click on the 3 dots to right of Course Syllabus, click Enable/Disable
  7. Click Save (bottom of page), now Course Syllabus is available/not available on Canvas course navigation. 

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