Undergraduate teaching term information

Outline 

Beginning Spring 2022, we strongly encourage Arts instructors to begin using outline.uwaterloo.ca. This course outline software is being implemented across campus very successfully. It allows you to create and edit course outlines using pre-formatted layouts, quickly revise them for each term you’re teaching, and share with your students. Mandatory content is included in the template, and faculty-specific optional statements can be added easily.

Benefits of using this system:

1. Empowers students to view their course outlines at any point in their academic career.
2. Gives students a consistent information layout across all their courses.
3. Simplifies administrative and archival processes by keeping all our outlines in one place in a standard format.

Start with Getting started with outline.uwaterloo.

Syllabus template and required elements

Accessible syllabus template, August 2021 (docx) — includes University Senate-approved basic elements and required statements

Secretariat syllabus/course outline required elements

Recommended statements to include in course outlines (2024) (docx) - Revised for Winter 2024

• Territorial Acknowledgement
• Declaring absences 
• Accommodating religious and spiritual observances
• Mental health support
• Anti-racism statement
• Academic freedom at the University of Waterloo
• Intellectual property
• Pronouns and chosen or preferred first name

NEW - Generative AI Use

Instructors take a variety of positions on the use of GenAI for assignments. Some instructors have assignments that encourage students to explore GenAI as a tool for academic work, whereas others do not permit any use of GenAI. Given this variability in approaches, it is important that your course outline and assignment instructions explain as clearly as possible what uses of GenAI, if any, are permitted in your course. 

The Office of Academic Integrity provides some recommended course outline statements on GenAI use. These include statements for courses that allow general use of GenAI, courses that allow conditional use of GenAI, and courses that do not allow any use of GenAl. Instructors can select and adapt whichever of these statements best fits the approach in your course. We also recommend that instructors remind students that policies on GenAI use vary from course to course. 

The Writing and Communication Centre also provides guidelines on generative AI and the writing process, which instructors are encouraged to share with students. 

Refer to the Undergraduate Calendar links below for all information about assignments, tests and final exams:

• The Formal Lecture Period
• The Final Examination Period
• Scheduled Pauses in the Academic Term (e.g. Reading Week)
• Parameters for Scheduling Tests During the Formal Lecture Period
• Rules for Test Conduct
• Additional Rules for Final Examinations
• Accommodations
• Student Access to Final Examination Papers

Refer to Important Dates for specific Reading Weeks (scheduled pauses in the academic term). Reading Week normally begins on a Saturday and ends on the following Sunday. During this time, normal class schedules and academic requirements are suspended. Student services such as student advising support, Health Services, Counselling Services, the library, and residences continue to provide service.

Instructors are not permitted to administer, and students are not required to sit for examinations, tests, or lectures during Reading Week. There are to be no compulsory academic events (e.g., classes, labs, tutorials, seminars, exams). Deadlines for assignments are not permitted during Reading Week (see Scheduled Pauses in the Academic Term).

Instructors should consider including their availability in their course outline, if possible. When instructors are not available to assist students during Reading Week, alternate arrangements for students seeking help should be made.

• Refer to Resources for Instructors for more information about the teaching assessment process, including Student Course Perception (SCP) Surveys.
• Generally surveys will be opened near the end of each term, usually 2-4 weeks before the last day of courses.

• All instructors will be encouraged to provide time during class to complete the surveys, but you can also complete them on their own time. Survey timing will vary between faculties. You will be notified by email and in class that they are ready for your input.

• The evaluations can be completed using any computer, phone, or tablet device connected to the internet.

Refer to the Registrar Resources for Faculty and Staff website (login required) for Final Exam Management information:

• Exam cover page
• Final exam evacuation procedures
• Proctor Instructions
• UW closures during exam period
• Retention rule: exams and other course work should be kept for a period of one year.