Functions of the syllabus
lCourse planning
lDescribes required materials
lDescribes schedule of events
lPoint of contact between instructor and students
lLays out logistics for contact
lSets tone for course
lContract between students and instructor
lEstablishes expectations
lEstablishes responsibilities
First, your syllabus is a tool for course planning – it’s what you, and your students will use to make sense of the information, figure out what’s happening, and what you all need to do.

In addition to course planning, a syllabus has another function: It serves as a point of contact between the instructor and student. This is what the student takes home, and what they will have to help them through the course. It lays out the logistics for contact. But more than that, it sets the tone for the course. A well designed, detailed syllabus puts your students at ease – they know you’ve thought through the course. They know what to expect. A poorly designed or inadequate syllabus puts your students on edge.

A syllabus can also be seen as a contract between instructor and student. It’s not set in stone, but students will hold you to your syllabus. And if you have expectations of your students, it’s hard to hold them to those expectations if you have not laid them out explicitly in your syllabus.