Running head: HIGHER EDUCATION COURSE SYLLABI REVIEW

Case Study 2: Higher Education Course Syllabi Review

Nicole Gottleib
Loyola University Chicago

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Selecting course syllabi on a particular subject from various institutions proved harder
than I hoped. I found myself torn between wanting to review courses similar to what I know and
what I studied in my undergraduate program, and wanting to review courses that are more
closely related to what I am interested in as a student affairs professional which is not
necessarily classroom coursework. I eventually settled on courses focused on women in
leadership, which is both interesting in its ability to be applied to professional development and
outside the classroom learning, and for the fact it is such a broadly discussed course, found in a
multitude of departments across institutions.
The following sections of this paper will outline the five courses I found and the content
covered in each syllabus, followed by a breakdown of the themes discovered within in all five
syllabi and any differences and critiques/concerns. I will also incorporate content and critiques
from literature within my discussion of themes and trends. Additionally, in order to maintain a
sense of organization as I both review and then discuss themes and trends within the syllabi, I
will be bullet-pointing specific sections of each syllabus and noting if any of the syllabi are
missing certain sections or have included additional sections. These bullet points will very
roughly fit within some of Finks (2013) outline for designing courses for significant learning.
The goal is for this method to help highlight differences and similarities within my first section
of this paper, so that I can effective analyze those similarities and differences in the following
section.
Overview of Syllabi for Women in Leadership Courses
Penn State University: Womens Leadership Initiative
The first syllabus is from Penn State University and is a course titled Womens
Leadership Initiative: Leadership Concepts and Competencies, which is listed in the

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institutions College of Health and Human Development (Diehl, 2015). This course stands out as
unique initially because it is one-half of a year-long requirement for students who have been
selected to participate in the institutions Womens Leadership Initiative. Therefore, it is not
simply a course that students can join based on meeting prerequisite requirements, but one that
they are invited to join because of [their] potential to become an outstanding lifelong leader
(Diehl, 2015, p. 2). The syllabus is 13 pages, with final six pages consisting of a detailed class
schedule and assignment deadlines, which outlines the Date, Time, Place Attire, the topics, and
the readings and assignments due each class.

Basic components of syllabus include: This course outlines the instructor and department
information, the materials required, grading scale, breakdown of how grades will be
determined, grading criteria, attire for specific sessions of the course, and policies on

submitting assignments, attendance, and general university policies.

Learning goals: This course includes four learning goals that are very broad and brief
for example, Develop a deeper knowledge of herself and others and Develop

leadership skills (Diehl, 2015, p. 2).

Teaching/learning activities and feedback/assessment procedures: A few of the methods
used in the course are:
o Written reflections on leadership
o Service hour requirements and a related paper
o Communication skills through written communication with mentors, questions in
advance and thank you notes after for panelists/guest speakers, and required
attendance and summary/commentary paper on a speaker series event at the
institution
o Leadership assessments and exercises, consisting of an interest and skill survey,
assessment on the ethical leadership of a public presentation, and observing and
analyzing an out-group (Diehl, 2015, p. 5)

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o An exit-ticket exercise within each class that allows students to move on to the
next agenda item (Diehl, 2015, p. 5)
o And a written personal leadership philosophy statement that is worked on

throughout the length of the course.

Ability for students to evaluate course: There do not appear to be any formal methods for
students to evaluate the course listed on the syllabus.
Harvard University: Women and Leadership
The second syllabus is from Harvard University, from the John F. Kennedy School of

Government, and is a course titled Women and Leadership (Kellerman, 2014). This course is
designed to provide students with ideas, information, and insights that pertain to women and
leadership but specifically states it is not a course that aims to train women on how to become
leaders or to become better leaders (Kellerman, 2014, p. 2). The course description also goes
into some depth about the current state of women in leadership in the United States. The
syllabus is 13 pages, with the last seven pages consisting of a class-by-class overview that
includes the main topic, readings, and any assignments that are due.

Basic components of syllabus included: Course description, course format, course

requirements, grading overview and outline, a note about policies within the course (no
electronics, attendance policy, etc.), breakdown of course readings, and a date-by-date

breakdown of each class and assignments.

Learning goals: The instructor does not clearly articulate learning goals.
Teaching/learning activities and feedback/assessment procedures: Grades are only based
on oral participation and two required papers. The instructor mentions that the course will
be seminar style because she likes a lively classroom and that it will be a mix of
lectures, questions and answers, debates and discussions, presentations and problem
solving (Kellerman, 2014, p. 3).

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Ability for students to evaluate course: There do not appear to be any formal methods for
students to evaluate the course listed on the syllabus.
University of Wyoming: Women and Leadership
The third syllabus is from the University of Wyoming and is also titled Women and

Leadership, though this one is in the universitys Department of Women and Gender Studies
(Moran, 2012). This course provides an opportunity for students to examine women and
leadership and to develop personal insight and skills for exercising leadership (Moran, 2012, p.
1). The introduction to the course also makes sure to highlight the fact that there will be a
significant service-learning component to the course that allows students to work with
community organizations (Moran, 2012, p. 1). The syllabus is eight pages, with a two-and-a-half
page outline of the class schedule and two final pages of rubrics for the main assignments for the
course.

Basic components of syllabus included: This course outlines the instructor and
department information, required texts, overview of assignments and their related value
within the grading system, the grading rubric, and university policies such as the

disability statement and academic dishonesty.

Learning goals: The learning outcomes are listed as five bullet points that are each one
sentence, with one that seems to be based on university-wide goals rather than the course
goals. Some examples include students will understand the differences in leadership
styles, particularly regarding gender and students will explore the diversity of womens

leadership (Moran, 2012, p. 1).

Teaching/learning activities and feedback/assessment procedures: As previously
mentioned, the course incorporates service learning, which includes an added
requirement of reflection papers based on the service learning experience. The other two

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large assessment procedures are a research paper and an oral presentation of the research

topic. Additionally, there is an expectation of participation in class discussions.

Ability for students to evaluate course: There do not appear to be any formal methods for
students to evaluate the course listed on the syllabus.
Iowa State University: Women in Leadership and Public Service
The fourth syllabus is from Iowa State University and is titled Women in Leadership and

Public Service, and this course is cross-listed in Liberal Arts and Sciences Cross-Disciplinary
Studies and in Womens Studies (Bystrom, 2005). This course is described as a focus on
womens political leadership and public service in the United States (Bystrom, 2005, p. 1),
which is a bit more focused on leadership within one field than the other courses reviewed, but
still within the same realm. This syllabus is six pages and the last three pages consist of an
outline of the class schedule.

Basic components of syllabus included: And overview of the required texts and readings,
a breakdown of the requirements and related grading scale, and a few university policies,
such as academic dishonesty, accommodations for special needs, attendance, and

classroom conduct.
Learning goals: The closest item in the syllabus to learning goals are the objectives of the
course, which are included in the paragraph about the course description, and are
somewhat hard to decipher. The objectives align with learning activities more than goals,

as highlighted below.
Teaching/learning activities and feedback/assessment procedures: The learning activities
seem to include discussions on historical differences in the kinds of political leadership
and public service in which women have engaged (Bystrom, 2005, p. 1) as well as
theories and perceptions/expectations relating to womens leadership, and presentations
by women leaders. There is also an outline of the assignments, which include a paper

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and presentation following an interview with a woman leader and attendance at an

outside-class presentation along with a summary and analysis paper. Finally, the course

includes a final essay examine on course readings, discussions, and guest speakers.
Ability for students to evaluate course: There do not appear to be any formal methods for
students to evaluate the course listed on the syllabus.
Florida International University: Women and Leadership
The fifth and final syllabus is from Florida International University, from the institutions

Center for Womens and Gender Studies, and is yet again titled Women and Leadership (Eaton,
n.d.). According to this syllabus, the course will examine the personal, social, and structural
dynamics that differently affect women and men as leaders, particularly in terms of how they are
viewed, how their contributions are evaluated, and what kinds of opportunities are available to
them (Eaton, n.d., p. 1). The course description is thorough and outlines additional topics in
addition to highlighting how students will be able to explore their own leadership attributes and
develop an understanding of who they are as leaders (Eaton, n.d., p. 1). This syllabus is 11
pages, and includes about a one-page short course outline followed by a detailed course outline
over the final five pages.

Basic components of syllabus included: This syllabus includes the instructor details, an
outline of course materials, an overview of assignments and grades, as well as general

policies on being absent and/or late, conduct, and academic integrity.

Learning goals: The learning objects for the course are broken down into a primary and
secondary objective, both of which are outlines in detail and include a brief breakdown of
the methods that will be used to assessed the objectives. The primary objective is to
begin to uncover and understand the unique challenges, constraints, and opportunities
that face women today as they ascend to leadership positions (Eaton, n.d., p. 1). The

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second objective is to allow students to reflect on their own experiences and to think
about their own assumptions and to help them develop their own perspective and

leadership style (Eaton, n.d., p. 1).

Teaching/learning activities and feedback/assessment procedures: The in-class activities
are not clearly outlined, beyond readings and assignments therefore, it is not clear if the
class is a lecture, seminar, and/or another style. The assessment procedures, however, are
clearly outlined, including how they relate to the course objectives. The assessment
procedures for the primary objective are response papers, case study paper, and class
participation. The assessment procedures for the secondary objective are a personal

philosophy of leadership paper and class participation.

Ability for students to evaluate course: There do not appear to be any formal methods for
students to evaluate the course listed on the syllabus.

Themes and Trends Found within the Syllabi

There were many themes and trends and differences that I noticed throughout the five
syllabi. However, in relation to the literature that we read for this weeks Curriculum class, I
want to highlight two noticeable trends. The first I will outline is that of the general structure of
the syllabus, including the amount of detail used to explain the elements of the course and the
sections included within the syllabi. The second theme is that of the differences between the
inclusion (or lack thereof) of course goals and objectives, as well as the associated methods of
teaching and learning and related assessments, and what those indicate about the learning
experience. Ill then conclude this paper with a personal reflection on which courses stood out to
me as the ones I would be interested in taking, as well as potentially using as an example for a
similar course of my own design in the future.

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The initial difference that popped out at me when I pulled up five syllabi of courses on
women and leadership, including three that had the exact same title, was the variety in length of
syllabi. The longest were 13 pages and the shortest was less than half that length, at six pages.
My assumption was that the shorter syllabi would be the least outcomes-centered and would
indicate low levels of student engagement (Nilson, 2010, p. 18). However, that assumption was
inaccurate. One of the longest syllabi, also from the most prestigious institution out of the five
courses reviewed, was the least outcomes-centered of all. Additionally, the language used
throughout the syllabus from Harvard even gave the impression that the instructor viewed herself
as a sage on the stage (Wagner, 2012, p. 161), and that she had the most knowledge on the
subject to share (Kellerman, 2014). In comparison, the second shortest syllabus, only eight
pages long, included very specific learning outcomes and highlights the inclusion of service
learning, which meets Finks (2013) standards for active learning as it is outlined in the
syllabus as a direct experience that works to benefit the community and connects academic
content with real community issues (Moran, 2012, p. 1). Additionally, the syllabus also details
the assessment and reflection aspect of the service learning experience, which is the second
component of active learning (Fink, 2013). Therefore, although the length and detail included in
each syllabi was the first difference I noticed and made an assumption on, it ended being an
inaccurate assumption as I learned that short syllabi can be more outcomes-focused and show an
more integrated course design than longer syllabi (Nilson, 2010; Fink, 2013).
Related to the syllabi length and detail, I also saw a trend in the inclusion of clear course
outcomes and how they related to an emphasis on significant learning. As mentioned in the
previous section as well as the above paragraph, some syllabi included specific course outcomes
that were clearly designated as such on the syllabus. However, not all of the courses included

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this element on their syllabi. Three out of the five courses included specific outcomes, some that
seemed more specific and able to be met than others (Diehl, 2015; Moran, 2012; Eaton, n.d.).
However, two courses did not include learning/course outcomes, and both of these syllabi were
harder to follow and to feel confident in the experience and knowledge that would be gained by
students at the end of the course (Kellerman, 2014; Bystrom, 2005). Basically, the syllabi that
lacked clear goals or outcomes also seemed to be more focused on providing foundational
information on women in leadership, which is why it was much harder to determine if students
would be able to have significant learning experiences based on the information in the syllabi
(Fink, 2013).
Associated with the course goals and outcomes was the inclusion of learning techniques
and assessments in the syllabi. Two of the three courses that included specific outcomes also had
detailed teaching activities, with both incorporating service learning, as well as assessment
methods that involved reflection on learning experiences (Fink, 2013). The course at Florida
International University (Eaton, n.d.) only partially incorporated those components, as the
syllabus included a primary and secondary learning objective with assessment methods for each,
but did not outline the teaching activities in as much detail as the courses at Penn State and the
University of Wyoming (Diehl, 2015; Moran, 2012). The two remaining courses that did not
clearly outline objectives or outcomes that related to student learning experiences also
incorporated the most traditional methods of assessment. Both the Harvard and Iowa State
courses (Kellerman, 2014; Bystrom, 2005) fit more of an audit-tive assessment method,
though they are not as basic as two midterms and a final, (Fink, 2013, p. 93). They both have
limited requirements that must be submitted for a grade aka, a learning assessment and the
Iowa State course is the only one of the five to include a final exam.

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Although it may be clear at this point from both the breakdown of the course syllabi and
my analysis of two of the trends that stuck out within the five documents, there were two courses
that stood out to me as the most engaging, unique, and student-centered. These two courses are
the Womens Leadership Initiative: Leadership Concepts and Competencies from Penn State,
and Women and Leadership from the University of Wyoming. Both of these courses were the
closest to meeting both Finks (2013) and Nilsons (2010) requirements for outcomes-centered
and integrated course design. That is, these two courses seemed to include a high level of
student engagement with student-active teaching activities (Nilson, 2010, p. 18), and
integrated the elements of the learning goals, the processes for feedback and assessment, and the
teaching/learning activities (Fink, 2013, p. 71). And it turns out, those elements make for the
most appealing course on paper.

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References
Eaton, A. A. (n.d.). Women and leadership (Unpublished course syllabus). Florida International
University: Miami, FL. Retrieved from http://faculty.fiu.edu/~aeaton/wpcontent/uploads/2014/05/Women-and-Leadership-UNDERGRAD-Syllabus.pdf
Bystrom, D. (2005). Women in leadership and public service (Unpublished course syllabus).
Iowa State University: Ames, IA. Retrieved from
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~wsprogram/pdf/las333%20s05.pdf
Diehl, A. (2015). Womens leadership initiative: Leadership concepts and competencies
(Unpublished course syllabus). Pennsylvania State University: University Park, PA.
Retrieved from http://www.hhd.psu.edu/media/wli/files/WLI_Syllabus_SP15.pdf
Fink, D. L. (2013). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to
designing college courses. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Kellerman, B. (2014). Women and leadership (Unpublished course syllabus). Harvard
University: Cambridge, MA. Retrieved from http://www.hks.harvard.edu/syllabus/MLD324M.pdf
Moran, M. (2012). Women and leadership (Unpublished course syllabus). University of
Wyoming: Laramie, WY. Retrieved from
http://www.uwyo.edu/wmst/_files/syllabi/wmst1900-01_moran_201310.pdf
Nilson, L. B. (2010). Outcomes-centered course design. In Teaching at its best: A research-based
resource for college instructors (p. 17-31). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Wagner, T. (2012). Creating innovators: The making of young people who will change the world.
New York, NY: Scribner.

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