Undergraduate and Graduate Syllabus Template Updates

By Abbie Sorg
April 1, 2020
To: UA Faculty, Academic Advisors and Student Support Personnel
From: Neel Ghosh, Chair, Undergraduate Council Abbie Sorg, Senior Program Manager, Curricular Affairs
Subject: Undergraduate and Graduate Syllabus Template Updates
Date: Apr 01, 2020

In September 2019, the Faculty Senate proposed additional text pertaining to student resources and safety to be added to the Undergraduate and Graduate Syllabus templates. This new text was reviewed and approved by the Undergraduate Council and Graduate Council during the Fall 2019 semester. The updated text can be found on the Undergraduate Course Syllabus templates for General Education and non-General Education courses, and can be found in the Optional Syllabus Materials- Student Resources link for Graduate syllabi.

The new text is not required to be included on syllabi, but faculty are highly encouraged to include it to increase awareness of the important resources and safety information it describes. Below is the new recommended text:

Campus Pantry

Any student who has difficulty affording groceries or accessing sufficient food to eat every day, or who lacks a safe and stable place to live and believes this may affect their performance in the course, is urged to contact the Dean of Students for support. In addition, the University of Arizona Campus Pantry is open for students to receive supplemental groceries at no cost. Please see their website at campuspantry.arizona.edu for open times.

Furthermore, please notify me if you are comfortable in doing so. This will enable me to provide any resources that I may possess.

Title IX

The University of Arizona is committed to removing educational barriers created by sex discrimination and sexual harassment. Sex discrimination under Title IX can include acts of violence based on sex, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. If you (or someone you know) has experienced or experiences any of these incidents, you have options for help at the University. The University of Arizona has staff members trained to support you in navigating campus life, accessing health and counseling services, providing academic and housing accommodations, helping with legal protective orders, and more.

Please be aware that UA faculty and instructors who work with students are required to report allegations of sex discrimination to the Title IX Office. This means that if you tell me about a situation involving sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking that involves another student or employee, or that happens on campus or in a UA program, I must share that information with the Title IX Coordinator. Although I have to make that notification, you will have choices regarding whether or not you want to pursue a formal complaint against anyone on campus. Our goal is to make sure you are aware of the range of options available to you and have access to the resources you need.

If you wish to speak to someone privately, you can contact any of the following on-campus resources:

Preferred Gender Pronoun

This course affirms people of all gender expressions and gender identities. If you prefer to be called a different name than what is on the class roster, please let me know. Feel free to correct instructors on your preferred gender pronoun. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me directly in class or via email (instructor email). If you wish to change your preferred name or pronoun in the UAccess system, please use the following guidelines:

Preferred name: University of Arizona students may choose to identify themselves within the University community using a preferred first name that differs from their official/legal name. A student’s preferred name will appear instead of the person's official/legal first name in select University-related systems and documents, provided that the name is not being used for the purpose of misrepresentation. Students are able to update their preferred names in UAccess.

Pronouns: Students may designate pronouns they use to identify themselves. Instructors and staff are encouraged to use pronouns for people that they use for themselves as a sign of respect and inclusion. Students are able to update and edit their pronouns in UAccess.

More information on updating your preferred name and pronouns is available on the Office of the Registrar site at https://www.registrar.arizona.edu/.

Safety on Campus and in the Classroom (example)

Familiarize yourself with the (insert college building name here) Evacuation and Active Shooter plans specific to (insert classroom building name here):

https://cals.arizona.edu/fcs/sites/cals.arizona.edu.fcs/files/McClelland-Park-Evacuation-Plan.pdf (replace by instructor depending on location of classroom)

https://cals.arizona.edu/fcs/sites/cals.arizona.edu.fcs/files/McClelland-Park-Emergency-Action-Plan-2020-Active-Shooter.pdf (replace by instructor depending on location of classroom)

Also watch the video available at https://ua-saem-aiss.narrasys.com/#/story/university-of-arizona-cert/active-shooter

Justification/Rationale 

These optional additions are reflective of the growing needs of students in the areas of

  • food insecurity
  • need for council regarding Title IX-related harassment, assault, and violence
  • pronoun preference
  • threat of an active shooter on a university campus

While faculty are not required to include these types of statements, they should be strongly encouraged to provide this information to students who may not otherwise know how to access these resources.

Resources for the Media