Getting Started: Writing and the First Day Syllabus Review

by Peggy Lindsey, WAC Faculty Consultant

As an undergraduate, I remember that one of the dullest classes in any course was often the first day. Quarter after quarter, faculty would essentially read the syllabus to the students and send us on our way. Many of my peers stopped attending the first day of classes. They felt it was a waste of their time if all that happened was a lecture on the syllabus.

Now that I’m on the other side of the desk, I know how much I want to be sure that students know what’s in my syllabus. There’s important stuff in there from due dates to policies that, if ignored, could have dire consequences. But how to engage the students?

Asking students to briefly write about their expectations for the course helps students express their understanding of what’s to come and allows faculty to see how closely that understanding aligns with instructor expectations. If you’re teaching a WI (writing intenstive) course, first day writing also shows students right away that writing is an integral part of the course. 

A short and simple way to do this is through an attention-focusing activity.

1. Before you begin explaining your syllabus on the first day of class, simply ask students to write for a few minutes about what they think the course is about, what they expect to gain from the course, and what questions they have about the nuts and bolts of the class and its policies (such as required texts or number of exams, for examples).
2. You can then collect the papers to review later or continue the activity by asking students to share some responses. Write three columns on the board to list responses for the three topics you asked students to write about — expected content, expected benefits, and questions.
3. Once you have a few points in each column, use them to focus your own discussion of the course. If you give students access to the syllabus in class (either in paper form or in a computer classroom) rather than only posting it online for out-of-class viewing, give them time to read the syllabus themselves to discover how well the information in it matches the list of expectations and offers answers to their questions.
4. Finish up by asking for additional questions.

The result? A first day that is less lecture on dry course policies and more interaction between faculty and student. Ideally, this also results in more engaged students because you’re addressing what they think is important in addition to what you want them to know. If you collect the writing, it also gives you a quick way to see what attitudes and basic writing skills students possess.

The grading? If you choose to give students points for completing this activity, an all-or-nothing grade works well. To encourage students to fully complete such activities, assign one-third of the points for each of the topics they are asked to write about (expected content, expected gains and questions).