Dear Carnegie Mellon Faculty:
As you are finalizing your preparations for your fall courses, I am writing to remind you of the importance of course syllabi and a related resolution adopted by the Faculty Senate in May 2017 that calls upon all faculty to have syllabi available to students by the first day of classes.
To assist you in finalizing your syllabus, the Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence & Educational Innovation has expanded the syllabus resource section of its website to offer faculty easy access to the core elements of the Senate resolution, example syllabi, as well as possible language for direct use or modification.
Below, please find suggested text for two requested syllabus elements for student well-being and access to accommodations, as indicated in the resolution. The sample language for each has been endorsed by Faculty Senate. Feel free to personalize this text or seek additional options at the Eberly Center’s website or from an Eberly teaching consultant.
Once your syllabus is ready to be published, visit our syllabus registry webpage to learn how to upload the syllabus (including instructors using Canvas), where CMU students, faculty and staff can access published syllabi, and view an FAQ page for additional assistance.
Thank you, in advance, for taking steps to assure all of our students have the information and resources necessary to optimize their success.
Sincerely,
Laurie R. Weingart
Interim Provost
Richard M. and Margaret S. Cyert Professor of Organizational Behavior and Theory
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:
If you have a disability and are registered with the Office of Disability Resources, I encourage you to use their online system to notify me of your accommodations and discuss your needs with me as early in the semester as possible. I will work with you to ensure that accommodations are provided as appropriate. If you suspect that you may have a disability and would benefit from accommodations but are not yet registered with the Office of Disability Resources, I encourage you to contact them at access@andrew.cmu.edu.
Statement of Support for Students’ Health & Well-being:
Take care of yourself. Do your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle this semester by eating well, exercising, avoiding drugs and alcohol, getting enough sleep and taking some time to relax. This will help you achieve your goals and cope with stress.
If you or anyone you know experiences any academic stress, difficult life events, or feelings like anxiety or depression, we strongly encourage you to seek support. Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) is here to help: call 412-268-2922 and visit http://www.cmu.edu/counseling/. Consider reaching out to a friend, faculty or family member you trust for help getting connected to the support that can help.
If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal or in danger of self-harm, call someone immediately, day or night:
CaPS: 412-268-2922
Re:solve Crisis Network: 888-796-8226
If the situation is life threatening, call the police
On campus: CMU Police: 412-268-2323
Off campus: 911
If you have questions about this or your coursework, please let me know. Thank you, and have a great semester.