An inclusive syllabus shifts its emphasis from course content delivery to student learning. For example, it moves away from statements focused on “What the course will cover” toward language emphasizing “What you/we will do” to highlight students’ active role in the learning process.

An inclusive syllabus is built upon an understanding of students’ learning goals. It is framed as a “promise” that invites students with a sense of curiosity and high expectations by highlighting how the course will be meaningful and relevant to them.

An inclusive syllabus is built upon UDL principles to create a flexible learning environment that considers learner variability by providing students with multiple pathways for engagement, learning, and success through options and choices.

An inclusive syllabus uses a positive, respectful, and inviting tone. Language that emphasizes a collaborative spirit and an orientation toward learning, flexibility, and possibility—rather than performance and punishment—is encouraged to enhance student engagement.

Table 4.1.1 Examples of Punitive vs. Inclusive Syllabus Language

An inclusive syllabus reframes course policies in ways that communicate support and commitment to students’ success by clarifying important expectations, values, and available resources.

Resources: 

• Sample Inclusive Course Policies and Syllabus Statements (Center for Teaching & Learning, 2003, University of Massachusetts Amherst)
• Inclusive Syllabus Template (Center for Teaching & Learning, 2003, University of Massachusetts Amherst)

An inclusive syllabus is accessible, easy to read, and easy to navigate, ensuring that all students can effectively access and use the information.

Instructors should critically examine how their own identities, assumptions, and positions of privilege influence course design decisions. The syllabus should reflect awareness of how institutional and social contexts shape students’ learning experiences.

Questions to Consider: 

• Whose voices and perspectives are represented in my course materials, and whose are left out?
• How do my personal background, assumptions, and privileges shape the rules, expectations, and grading I set in this syllabus?
• Could my course policies, tone, or expectations unintentionally create barriers for students from diverse backgrounds? 

Rather than treating diversity as an additional topic or a separate module, diversity should be integrated throughout the course structure, objectives, materials, and learning activities.

Questions to Consider:

• Does my syllabus present one dominant perspective as the universal truth or standard?
• Are diverse scholars, perspectives, and examples woven into every unit, or are they isolated in a single week?

The syllabus introduction provides an opportunity to communicate belonging and signal that diverse perspectives are valued. A course description can establish an inclusive classroom climate from the beginning.

Questions to Consider:

• How can I rewrite it to welcome student contributions, highlight multiple perspectives, and focus on collaborative learning?
• Does my course description sound like a rigid list of topics (e.g., “This course examines…”)?

Students enter classrooms with multiple intersecting identities and experiences, such as culture, race, gender, socioeconomic background, ability, and other social locations.

Questions to Consider:

• Does my syllabus offer multiple, flexible ways for students to participate and engage?
• What assumptions am I making about what my students already know, own, or have experienced?

Learning outcomes should include not only disciplinary knowledge but also students’ abilities to critically examine perspectives, engage with difference, and understand social contexts.

Questions to Consider:

• Are there clear goals in my syllabus for ethical engagement and social responsibility?
• Do my learning outcomes stop at content memorization, or do they challenge students to think critically and take on different perspectives?

A syllabus statement can communicate the instructor’s commitment to respectful dialogue and inclusive learning when accompanied by meaningful pedagogical practices rather than functioning as symbolic gestures.

Questions to Consider:

• How does my syllabus actively show students how we will maintain a respectful, inclusive space?
• Is my diversity statement backed up by my actual teaching practices, or is it just a symbolic checklist item?

Reconsider whose voices and knowledge systems are centered in course materials, readings, examples, and assessment practices.

Questions to Consider:

• Whose voices are centered in my readings, and how can I bring in historically marginalized scholars?
• Do my assignments rely on rigid academic conventions that create unnecessary barriers?
• Am I offering diverse ways for students to show what they’ve learned?

Resource: 

• Inclusive Teaching/Land Acknowledgements in Teaching and Learning (UBC Wiki, n.d.)

Instructors should recognize that many students balance their education with caregiving responsibilities. A family-friendly syllabus explicitly welcomes student-parents and caregivers, helping them balance family needs with academic success.

Questions to Consider:

• Does my syllabus explicitly state that student-parents and caregivers are welcome, supported, and valued in this class?
• Do my policies offer clear, practical workarounds for students who experience unexpected disruptions in childcare or family emergencies?

Clear communication guidelines (or “netiquette”) help build a safe, respectful environment for dialogue. Setting these expectations early prevents misunderstandings and ensures that disagreements remain constructive.

Questions to Consider:

• Are my expectations for online and in-class communication spelled out clearly, or am I assuming students already know them?
• Does my syllabus guide students on how to disagree respectfully and engage with challenging topics constructively?