Simple Syllabus at FSU
Frequently Asked Questions
These FAQs were initially posted on October 31, 2025. Please check back periodically for new questions that may be added and for possible updates to answers. If you have questions not covered in this FAQ list, please send them to fda-faculty@fsu.edu.
Will faculty have to use Simple Syllabus to create a syllabus?
Yes, in most cases. If you teach a lab, lecture, discussion, or medical science (College of Medicine only) course at FSU, then you will need to use Simple Syllabus.
The platform was selected for its efficiency which we hope will save faculty time. It will also allow FSU faculty to meet requirements outlined in various BOG regulations. For example, it will become the tool used to complete the required attestation for course materials.
When will faculty have to start using Simple Syllabus?
It should be available for use in November for Spring 2026 courses. Early adopters can take advantage then. We anticipate that syllabi will need to be in Simple Syllabus at some point for Spring 2026. This answer will be updated when more information is available.
Will faculty be able to customize the syllabus created within Simple Syllabus?
Yes and no. A team has been working to build FSU’s template and is attending to input we’ve received from faculty and academic leaders. We are keeping the template streamlined. Yes, there will be text boxes that faculty directly edit to add content easily from their Canvas site or by typing or by cutting and pasting text from another document. The Simple Syllabus interface indicates where editing can or cannot be done based on the template we create for FSU. Faculty will not have the ability to modify some information that is read in from certain FSU data warehouses such as the course number and title and course description approved through the course approval system. However, we are currently working on a solution within the template for courses that are actively under review in the course approval system where the previously approved course description in Coursedog is not an accurate reflection of the revised course that will be delivered to students.
What if my course is being offered in Spring 2026 but in a revised form that is still under review in the course approval system when classes start?
We recognize that faculty in departments and colleges are reviewing courses on the university-wide graduation requirement list following the passage of revised BOG Regulation 6.017 in September 2025. Some revisions to courses offered in Spring 2026 have been submitted but will not have sufficient time to be fully reviewed and approved through all required Faculty Senate committees prior to the start of classes in January 2026. This will mean that the Coursedog data warehouse will have information that is not accurate. We are currently working on a solution within the Simple Syllabus template for courses that are actively under review in the course approval system and the approved course description in Coursedog is not an accurate reflection of the revised course that will be delivered to students. We recognize that this will likely continue to be an issue for some courses into Summer 2026 and even Fall 2026.
What if I need to post additional information not included in the Simple Syllabus template?
The FSU template for Simple Syllabus will be streamlined with a focus on information that would be common to syllabi across the campus (e.g., catalog course description, required textbook/readings, required syllabus language, etc.). Some faculty have included in their syllabus additional information about their teaching philosophy or perhaps a biographical statement. That information can be posted in Canvas rather than entered into Simple Syllabus.
Can I opt out of having my syllabus posted publicly in Simple Syllabus?
No, not if the revision to BOG Regulation 8.003 is passed at the November 5th/6th 2025 BOG meeting. If it passes, then syllabi for lecture, lab, discussion, and medical science (in the College of Medicine) courses at FSU will need to be posted publicly. Faculty will need to use the “publish” button in Simple Syllabus to post their syllabus publicly. We will await instructions from the BOG on implementation of the revised Regulation, should it pass. This answer will be updated when more information is available.
Are there courses for which faculty do not need to use Simple Syllabus?
Yes. Currently, thesis, dissertation, graduate seminar, directed individual study, and similar individual-specific courses that often do not require a syllabus. This doesn’t change with the university’s adoption of Simple Syllabus. If you teach one of those types of courses and do create a syllabus, then you may elect to use Simple Syllabus, but you are not required to do so.
What if I change or add some readings after I publish my syllabus in Simple Syllabus?
Faculty should make every effort to have their syllabus set prior to its public posting to ensure that students are consulting current information as they make timely enrollment decisions. However, if new readings emerge between the time a syllabus is initially published and the start of class or even within the semester, the syllabus can be modified and republished in Simple Syllabus. This is in accordance with FSU’s existing Syllabus Change Policy: “Except for changes that substantially affect implementation of the evaluation (grading) statement, this syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to change with advance notice.”
What if I update assignments that I have listed in my published syllabus in Simple Syllabus?
Faculty should make every effort to have their syllabus set prior to its public posting to ensure that students are consulting current information as they make timely enrollment decisions. However, if assignments have to be updated between the time a syllabus is initially posted and the start of class or even within the semester, the syllabus can be modified and republished in Simple Syllabus. This is in accordance with FSU’s existing Syllabus Change Policy: “Except for changes that substantially affect implementation of the evaluation (grading) statement, this syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to change with advance notice.”
Will the Simple Syllabus template require me to use a particular University grading scale?
No, the instructor for each course will determine the grading scale for their course and add it to their syllabus in Simple Syllabus.
If I am teaching a course with multiple sections, but using the same syllabus, does each instructor need to create a syllabus for their section in Simple Syllabus?
Yes, each instructor who is the instructor of record and maintains their own Canvas site for their section of a multi-section course would create a syllabus in Simple Syllabus. If all instructors have the same syllabus within Canvas, this should be an easy conversion. One of the advantages of Simple Syllabus is that it allows instructors to fulfill the required attestation on course materials, which needs to be completed by each instructor of record.
If I am teaching a course with multiple sections and I use the Canvas Cohort feature, does each section need a syllabus in Simple Syllabus?
Yes, if revised BOG Regulation 8.003 passes and requires the public posting of each syllabus for each section of a multi-section course, then the instructor would need a syllabus for each section. If all sections have the same syllabus, Simple Syllabus has the ability to easily copy over the same syllabus to multiple sections of a course.
When must I enter my Fall course into Simple Syllabus if I am not on contract in the summer?
If the revision to BOG Regulation 8.003 passes at the BOG Meeting on November 5th/6th and it includes a requirement to post course syllabi 45 days prior to the start of classes, then faculty who are not on Summer contract will need to use some of their Spring contracted effort for syllabus creation so that their syllabus is ready for Fall. This may require chairs and deans, in consultation with their faculty, to identify a small amount of effort for course preparation in the spring semester to account for that activity.
Is there any way to guard against others “taking” my syllabus from the public website for Simple Syllabus?
We are exploring all possible options for making clear at the Simple Syllabus site that syllabi are intended for FSU students. While a public website is widely accessible, we understand faculty concerns that the hard work they put into crafting their courses, including the curation of readings and assignments, may be “taken.”
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