Simple Syllabus - Getting Started for Instructors

Simple Syllabus is an online syllabus creation, management, and sharing tool that enables instructors to create syllabi for each of their courses quickly, building on a basic template with consistent University information and policies. Changes and updates are pushed out dynamically, so students always have access to the most current course information.

The Simple Syllabus Accessibility Checker can help instructors identify problems with text contrast, ordered lists, table formatting, alt-text, and more. The accessibility checker will produce a report listing accessibility challenges that are present in the syllabus, so instructors can address them before it goes live. This ensures improved readability for visually impaired students, and enhances content comprehension, resulting in a more equitable learning experience. Instructors must address the problems that are identified by the Accessibility Checker before publishing the syllabus.

How to Create & Share Your Syllabus

Access Simple Syllabus

To start working on your syllabus, you can log in via your Blackboard course, or use the Simple Syllabus website.

Blackboard

1. Log in to Blackboard and navigate to the desired course.
2. In the menu on the right, under Details & Actions > Books & Tools > click on the View course & institution tools link.
3. In the Tools menu, select Simple Syllabus -UND to begin editing your syllabus.

Simple Syllabus Website

1. Go to the Simple Syllabus-UND website.
2. Click the profile icon (visible on the top-right corner of the Simple Syllabus homepage), and from the drop-down menu, select LOGIN.
3. On the next page, click the button that says Click here to log in using your institutional credentials, then enter your NDUS.identifier (ex: jane.doe).
4. After you have signed in: On the Simple Syllabus website, locate the course syllabus that you would like to work on, then click on the Edit button to begin. 
    

Build & Publish a Course Syllabus using Simple Syllabus

Simple Syllabus allows instructors to create a syllabus and add content in two simple ways:

• Build a new syllabus from scratch by entering text, images, videos, and hyperlinks directly into the 'component' boxes using the Rich Content Editor.
  1. Simple Syllabus will automatically populate some sections, like UND's Policy section, with information.
  2. Instructors must fill in any sections outlined in orange — the non-outlined sections are optional. You may type or copy and paste from another document or enter information manually.
  3. Use the the 'Reorder' button (in the menu on the left) to re-arrange the sections, as needed.
  4. Use sliders at the top of each section to set:
     • Which sections are visible / will be used in this course.
     • Which sections are visible to students who are not yet enrolled in the course.
  5. Use the built-in accessibility checker, and make changes to ensure that the syllabus is accessible.
  6. After all of the required components have been completed, and any accessibility issues have been resolved, the 'Submit' button will become available; click on it to publish your syllabus to our centralized, public-facing repository.
• Copy from a past semester's syllabus, then update the content, as needed.
  1. When copying content, instructors have two options: re-use an entire syllabus, or copy specific sections:
     • Re-use an entire syllabus: At the top of the editor page, click on the banner that says 'Replace with a different syllabus?'. Then, use the term selection drop-down menu or the search box to find and select the desired course to copy from.
     • Re-use specific sections: On the editor page, in the menu on the left, click 'Import'. Select the desired course, then click on the 'Advanced' slider to access the menu where you can choose specific sections to copy. For each source section, you may select a destination section -or- select 'Do not import' to skip that section.
  2. Use the the 'Reorder' button (in the menu on the left) to re-arrange the sections, as needed. Or, use sliders at the top of each section to set:
     • Which sections are visible/used in this course.
     • Which sections are visible to students who are not yet enrolled in the course.
  3. Review and update the copied syllabus information and complete any missing sections. Components that are outlined in orange are required — the non-outlined sections are optional.
  4. Use the built-in accessibility checker to analyze the syllabus, and make changes to ensure that its content is accessible.
  5. After all required sections are completed and any accessibility issues have been resolved, the 'Submit' button will become available; click on it to publish your syllabus to our centralized, public-facing repository.
      

Editing Tips & Information

• While editing, required components will be outlined in orange, and a 'Required' warning will be visible at the bottom of that section. Content must be added to that component before the syllabus can be submitted.
• Components without any content will automatically be hidden when the syllabus is published.
• Instructors can edit the visibility and public/private settings for some of the components to ensure that students have the required access, but others are only able to view limited information. 
  • Visibility Setting: Use the slider to control which sections are visible to students:
    • 'Visible' - The section will be used in the syllabus; it will be visible in the published version that students see.
    • 'Invisible' - The section will not be used in the syllabus, and will not be visible in the published version that students see.
    • Blank sections will be hidden, by default.
  • Public Setting: Use the slider to control who can see each section:
    • 'Public' - The section will be visible to the public, such as un-enrolled students.
    • 'Private' - The section will be visible only to enrolled students.  
• Any changes that you make while editing your syllabus will be saved (but not published) automatically. The syllabus will not be live (accessible to students) until the publishing process has been initiated.
• To the right of each section, you will find a green bar with a white arrow. Click on this button to view the help text for that specific section, with information to assist you during the editing process to complete that specific component.
   

Frequently Asked Questions

• When I try to log in to view my syllabus, the page says "We cannot find a matching account to complete this request" or "Account not found”.
  • Your account information (email, ID number, etc.) may not be correct in Simple, or there may have been a problem with your enrollment during the file import. Please contact TTaDA, or reach out or our support team at support@simplesyllabus.com.
     
• I can’t submit my syllabus because the submit button is grayed out.
  • If the submit button is grayed out, that indicates that either:
    • Your syllabus is not complete.
    • Or the accessibility check has not been passed.
  • To fix that:
    • Review your syllabus and ensure all required fields have been completed. The required components will be outlined in orange, with a 'Required' message at the bottom.
    • Ensure that all accessibility errors have been corrected.
  • Then, try the 'Submit' button again.
     

Need Help?

• The Simple Syllabus knowledge base is a great resource for additional information.
  • NOTE: To access the articles and videos, you must create a login/account for that site. This is different from your UND login/credentials, and will only be used to access the Simple Syllabus knowledge base.
      
• For additional assistance:
  • On the Simple Syllabus page, click on the '?' (question mark) icon to message the product support team.
    
  • Or, email support@simplesyllabus.com for help.