Syllabus Information

This page contains university policies relevant to all courses at SJSU.

This page also contains information about university resources for students:

Syllabus Archive

Search the online archive of SJSU syllabi by department or course.

University Policies

General Expectations, Rights and Responsibilities of the Student

As members of the academic community, students accept both the rights and responsibilities incumbent upon all members of the institution. To learn about these rights and responsibilities,  please read the Student Rights & Responsibilities Policy S16-15 [pdf]: Students’ Rights and Responsibilities and SJSU’s current semester’s Policies and Procedures. These Policies and Procedures include links to relevant information should questions or concerns about a class arise. In general, it is recommended that students begin by seeking clarification or discussing concerns with their instructor.  If such conversation is not possible, or if it does not address the issue, it is recommended that the student contact the Department Chair as the next step. At any point, a student may contact the University Ombudsperson.

Academic Integrity

Your commitment as a student to learning is evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose State University.  The Academic Integrity Policy F15-7 [pdf] requires you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development. Visit the Student Conduct and Ethical Development website for more information.

Accommodation for Students’ Religious Holidays

The Religious Holidays Accommodation Policy S14-7 [pdf] states that San José State University shall provide accommodation on any graded classwork or activities for students observing religious holidays that require absence from class. It is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor, in writing, about such holidays before the add deadline at the start of each semester. If such holidays occur before the add deadline, the student must notify the instructor, in writing, at least three days before the absence. It is the responsibility of the instructor to make every reasonable effort to honor the request without penalty, and of the student to make up the work missed. 

Adding and Dropping Classes

Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drop.  Add/drop deadlines can be found on the current academic year calendars document on the Academic Calendars webpage.  Students should be aware of the current deadlines and penalties for dropping classes (Late Drop Information).

For more information on how to add/drop classes visit the Office of the Registrar's page on Registration Basics.

Attendance and Participation 

Attendance is the responsibility of the student. However, attendance itself may not be used as a criterion for grading. Students are expected to attend all meetings for their courses, as they are responsible for all material covered, and active participation is frequently essential to ensure maximum benefit to all class members. Participation may be used as a criterion for grading when the parameters and their evaluation are clearly defined in the course syllabus and the percentage of the overall grade is stated. The full policy language can be found in the Presence in Class Policy F15-3 [pdf].

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Presidential Directive 97-03 [pdf] requires that students with disabilities requesting accommodations register with the Accessible Education Center (AEC) to establish a record of their disability. AEC will contact the instructor with further details, if needed.

If special arrangements are needed in cases of emergency or if the building must be evacuated, please make arrangements with the instructor.

Consent for Recording of Class and Public Sharing of Instructor Material

The Recording & Sharing Class Material Policy S12-7 [pdf] requires students to obtain instructor’s permission to record the course. The following criteria define expectations relating to recording a course.

  • Course material developed by the instructor is the intellectual property of the instructor and cannot be shared publicly without approval. You may not publicly share or upload instructor generated material such as exam questions, lecture notes, or homework solutions without instructor consent. This prohibition includes sharing information with third parties and on websites.
  • You must obtain the instructor’s permission to make audio or video recordings in class. Such permission allows the recordings to be used for your private, study purposes only. The recordings are the intellectual property of the instructor; you have not been given any rights to reproduce or distribute the material.
  • Permission from the instructor, whether in writing or orally, may extend to either a single class or the entire semester.
  • In classes where active participation of students or guests may be on the recording, permission of those students or guests must be obtained as well.

Timely Feedback on Class Assignments

Per Timely Feedback on Assignments Policy S20-2 [pdf], all students have the right, within a reasonable time, to know their academic scores, to review their grade-dependent work, and to be provided with explanations for the determination of their course grades.

Workload and Credit Hour Requirements

Success in this course is based on the expectation that students will spend, for each unit of credit, a minimum of 45 hours over the length of the course (normally 3 hours per unit per week with 1 of the hours used for lecture) for instruction or preparation/studying or course-related activities including but not limited to internships, labs, and clinical practice. Other course structures will have equivalent workload expectations as described in the syllabus.

University Resources for Students

Counseling and Psychological Services

The SJSU Counseling and Psychological Services is located on the corner of 7th Street and San Carlos in the new Student Wellness Center, Room 300B.  Professional psychologists, social workers, and counselors are available to provide confidential consultations on issues of student mental health, campus climate, or psychological and academic issues on an individual, couple, or group basis.  We also offer numerous workshops for students every semester.  

To schedule an appointment or learn more information, visit the Counseling and Psychological Services website.

Peer Connections

Peer Connections is your campus-wide resource for mentoring (time management, note taking, learning strategies, adjusting to college, etc.) and tutoring (including over 200 different courses and undergraduate writing). In addition, Peer Connections provides classroom support through Supplemental Instruction Leaders, Learning Assistants, Peer Mentors, and Embedded Tutors. Your instructor will announce if a Peer Educator is in your class. Peer Connections also has a welcoming space for studying in the Student Services Center right near parking.  All services are FREE to SJSU students.  

Please visit the Peer Connections website for more information on services, hours, locations, or a list of current student success workshops.  To make appointments for mentoring or tutoring, you may visit Spartan Connect and log in using your SJSU student ID number and password.

SJSU Cares

Students experiencing challenges meeting their basic needs including, but not limited to, access to food, shelter, and a safe space are encouraged to contact SJSU Cares. Students who feel that their class performance may be affected by these challenges are encouraged to notify their professors, if comfortable doing so. Faculty members may be able to provide flexibility within the course for students working with a case manager. 

Student Technology Resources

Computer labs and other resources for student use are available in:

A wide variety of audio-visual equipment is available for student checkout from Instructional and Meeting Spaces’ (IMS) page about their Academic Technology Equipment Loaning service, located in the Instructional Resource Center (IRC). These items include

  • DV and HD digital camcorders;
  • digital still cameras;
  • video, slide and overhead projectors;
  • DVD, CD, and audiotape players;
  • sound systems,
  • wireless microphones,
  • projection screens,
  • …and more.

Printing services for the campus community are available at the Associated Students’ Print Shop, on the 2nd floor of the Student Union.

Writing Center

The SJSU Writing Center offers a variety of free resources to help students become better writers. The center offers writing resources, workshops, and one-on-one and small-group tutoring sessions. Services support writing for students in all disciplines and at all levels. Workshops and tutoring are also available online. Visit their website to make an appointment, or to use the many online resources available. You can also visit them on the 2nd floor of the MLK Library.

Content last updated 6/26/2024.