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7.2. Simple Syllabus
Simple Syllabus
TN eCampus has partnered with Simple Syllabus to drive an important student communication innovation. Simple Syllabus makes it possible to ensure consistent messaging around class schedules, office hours, textbooks to be used, policies, instructor bios, and even content sensitive to accreditation such as learning objectives and the course outline for the entire course catalog.
Key Changes
The process for managing and updating Simple Syllabi each semester is determined by roles:
- TN eCampus Admins -- manage the population of syllabi and information that is specific to the course that does not change frequently such as Course Title, Course Outcomes, and Pre & Co-Requisites, as well as Course Developer assignments for Master Courses
- Course Developers -- update key areas in their Simple Syllabus master every semester, including:
- Required textbooks and Additional Materials which have multiple sections to improve detail and clarity for students (pay close attention to the Help Text)
- Participation & Grades area is populated, and CDs must review and update if needed, and complete the proctoring statement
- Assessments and Projects information has space to provide detailed description for course assessments and projects
- Course Instructors -- only update their contact information in section copies (all other syllabus areas are locked)
Syllabus Migration
Migration to the new Simple Syllabus has been completed by the TN eCampus instructional designers. As a Course Developer, you will not need to update items such as Course Title, Course Outcomes, or Pre & Co-Requisites.
We do need you to update the content specifically to your role as Course Developer for the upcoming term. This includes updates to the following sections for your master course syllabus (if needed):
- Required Textbooks and Other Course Materials
- Participation, Assessments, and Grading
- Assessments and Projects
- Participation and Late Policy Requirements
Finally, Simple Master Syllabus auto-populates the related section Simple Syllabi every semester.
Logging in to Simple Syllabus as a Course Developer
In your D2L Master Course, you will see a submodule in your "Getting Started" module called “Course Syllabus” with the “Simple Syllabus” tool link, which is only for section instructors and students (and not for course developers). Please do not remove this submodule or move the new Simple Syllabus tool link from that submodule.
As the Course Developer, you will need to access and update and submit your Simple Master Syllabus by logging directly to the Simple website as explained below.
To update your master syllabus, you will NOT go into your D2L course. Instead, you must log into TBR Simple Syllabus website directly using your Simple credentials (you can click on “Forgot Password” if needed).
The dashboard/homepage will show you a To-Do list on the left and a Completed list on the right. Your course masters will be in the “Completed” list by default, since we copy the content from your previous master syllabus.
To list your course masters, click on the “Course Masters” tab on the top right, and make sure you select 2025 Spring from the term dropdown box. You will see all your 2025 Spring course masters under the “Completed” list (if you are the course developer for multiple courses, all masters will be listed).
Getting Started in Simple Syllabus
Click on the Edit button under the course title to begin reviewing and updating. Please notice the Help Text presented for each section. This will guide you through successfully completing each section of the Simple Syllabus and point out potential trouble spots. Several sections request you add “No ___ Required” if your course does not use a feature. This ensures there is nothing left blank accidentally, and it also clearly communicates that information to students.
Course Developers Updates
Please see the Help Text for instructions for Required Textbooks.
Help Text: Please include all required course textbooks in this section by clicking the pencil icon. Add the name of the textbook in the Title field and fill in the Author, Publisher, Year, and ISBN fields. If the textbook has multiple versions (e.g., print, eText, loose-leaf), put the details for those versions in the Additional Information box.
- *If there is no textbook required, please put "No textbook required" in the Title field.
- If you require a book, you can search Google for the details by typing the title, author, ISBN, or any other detail about the book you are looking for into the 'Book search' bar above the Title field. The Simple Syllabus software will retrieve all data on that book as well as a photo to include in the syllabus. Details for most published textbooks will populate automatically and can be edited as needed. You may also replace or remove the photo.
- To add additional textbooks to the list, click the pencil icon after each textbook is entered.
Add Other Course Materials in the textbox. If none are required, please enter, “No additional materials required.”
Add Hardware and Software Requirements as appropriate. If none are required, please enter, “None required.”
Check the Assigned Grade and Graded Items and update the last statement on proctoring.
Please note, that in your “Participation, Assessments, and Grading” as well as “Assessments & Projects” sections, you will see 4 different tabs if you maintain a course in multiple term lengths. The help text to the right explains which tab is for which term.
- Be sure to update the tab that corresponds to each term length your courses run in.
Add Assessments and Projects along with description information here.
Define Class Participation requirements for the class in the text field.
Define the Late Policy for the class in the text field.
Don't Forget to Submit!
Please make sure to click on “Submit” when you are done, otherwise, your syllabus will stay in draft mode, and instructors and students will get an error when they try to access Simple Syllabus in the semester sections.
Help Resources
If you have issues with updating your Course Master/s in Simple, email tnecampus@tbr.edu with your question/s and if possible, a related screenshot.