Effective fall 2005, MSU instructors are required to distribute a course syllabus, either in print or online, to their students at the beginning of the semester. The Ombudsman at MSU has prepared a web page outlining university requirements of what must be in a a syllabus as well as other helpful suggestions of content and university policies and procedures to include.

The recently-revised Code of Teaching Responsibility minimally requires instructors to inform their students at the beginning of the semester of the following:

1. Course content and instructional objectives, which must be consistent with the university-approved course description found in the MSU Description of Courses catalog;
2. Instructor contact information and office hours, with a provision for arranged office hours to accommodate students whose schedules conflict with the regularly-scheduled office hours; office hours must comply with the minimum number of hours approved by each unit;
3. Grading criteria and method used to determine final course grade;
4. Date of final examination, scheduled according to the University final exam schedule, and tentative dates of required assignments, quizzes, and tests, if applicable;
5. Attendance policy, if different from the University attendance policy and especially when the attendance policy affects students' grades; and
6. Required and recommended course materials, including textbooks and supplies.

Instructors should consider including:

1. Course number and title, section number (if applicable) and scheduled class time;
2. Course Web site (if applicable);
3. Instructor's (and TA's, if applicable) name, office address, phone number and e-mail address, with recommendations on which method of contact the instructor prefers;
4. Tentative deadlines for required and recommended readings;
5. Tentative schedule of course topics;
6. Required field trips, rehearsals, etc., scheduled outside of regularly-scheduled class time, along with any accompanying fees and tickets;
7. Make-up policy for designated course work;
8. Tardy policy and its impact, if any, on grades;
9. Common test dates for all sections of a multi-section course, as approved by the unit;
10. Course prerequisites and restrictions, as they appear in the Description of Courses catalog;
11. Information about required learning-management software, such as ANGEL;
12. Any course procedures unique to the course that might cause students to reconsider their enrollment in the course, and
13. Policy for use of cell phones, calculators and other electronic equipment in the classroom.