CASG Syllabus Archives Initiative
CASG is currently engaging in conversations with departments and facilities across Carleton to try and get current and past course outlines posted online, so that students can readily access them. CASG firmly believes that when students have access to past course outlines, they are empowered to make choices that help support their academic success:
Less course registration changes will be required, as students can gain adequate insight into how a course will run and what a course will cover before they register
Students who are considering changing majors or minors can explore what courses would be available to them if they did so before they make the change
Taking all factors into consideration, CASG submits that having past course outlines archived and available on a departmental basis will help with both student recruitment and retention
Past course outlines will not be 100% accurate for how future versions of the course will run, but students from a wide breadth of programs across all faculties at Carleton have expressed a desire to have more information about a course prior to course registration. Furthermore, Queen’s, UBC, University of Calgary (some courses) and University of Toronto (some courses) already participate in posting past course syllabi.
If one does not know whether their department has a course outline archive, details on each department and how extensive the course outline archive is can be found at the Syllabus Archives - Departmental Summary button below.
Furthermore, to assist CASG’s conversations with faculty members and department chairs, CASG is seeking feedback from students! Would having an archive of course outlines assist you as a student? Let us know at the Student Feedback: Syllabus Archives Initiative below!
CASG is committed to engaging in conversation with all levels of the university on this matter in a way that both promotes the academic empowerment of students while also respecting the intellectual property of Carleton faculty and staff.