SYLLABUS GUIDELINES

Miyazaki International CollegeSchool of International Liberal Arts
Faculty Council Approved 7/2/2019

1. What is a Syllabus?

(1) Definition in the University Establishment Standards (Specification, etc. of grade assessment standards, etc.)
The University Establishment Standards define syllabi as follows.
Article 25 Universities shall specify to students beforehand the teaching methods, contents and the yearly scheduleof each course.
25.2 To ensure objectivity and strictness in the assessment of learning outcomes and approval of graduation,
universities shall notify students clearly of the standards for each and implement those standards appropriately.
Furthermore, the Central Council for Education calls for the enhancement of independent learning amongst students in its
report, “Toward Qualitative Change in University Education to Create a New Image of the Future”. With this in mind, thefollowing items must also be provided for in syllabi.
① Concrete instructions on the content and time required for preparatory studies (preparation and review)② Feedback on assignments (examinations and reports, etc.)③ Attainment targets and methods and standards of grade assessment in each course④ Policies concerning approval of graduation and conferral of diplomas and their relationship to each course⑤ Numbers and codes (numbering included) to express the positioning of each course in the educationalcurriculum）
Syllabi should, therefore, be provided to students prior to the beginning of the academic year as information concerning
courses (attainment targets, content, roadmap of instruction, assessment methods and standards, etc.) as reference toenable them to select courses. In addition, syllabi must be commensurate with the diploma and curriculum policies(concerning the conferral of degrees and the structure and implementation of the educational curriculum) of the College
and the School of International Liberal Arts.
As such, because syllabi play an extremely important role from the perspective of quality assurance in higher education,
the School of International Liberal Arts has created guidelines for the preparation of syllabi to ensure uniformity, consistency
and coherence as a School with the expectation of compliance and cooperation from all faculty. Please note that syllabi
will be reviewed by the by the Office of the Dean prior to posting them on the MIC homepage. Please comply with requests
for revision.

2. Creating a Syllabus
Refer to the attached syllabus example to prepare your syllabus. Details are below. Syllabus creation guidelines have been
established for some time by the School of International Liberal Arts, but far-reaching changes in educational policy
implemented in tandem with re-accreditation of the teacher certification curriculum in 2018 have required us to makeextensive revisions in Teacher Certification-related syllabi, particularly in general objectives and attainment objectives.
Based on the Syllabus Preparation Guidelines in effect at the time of application for re-accreditation, the School ofInternational Liberal Arts has applied the general objectives and attainment targets deemed necessary in “MEXT: TeacherCertification Syllabus (November 2017)” (Investigative Commission on the State of the Teacher Certification CoreCurriculum) in the development of revised Syllabus Preparation Guidelines for teacher certification courses. In addition, the1courses that are not subject to core curriculum constraints are also created using the same general concepts, so please be
sure to include general objectives and attainment targets in these courses as well.
I. Non-Teacher Certification Courses
Syllabi for Non-Teacher Certification courses shall be prepared in accordance with the Syllabus Checklist below.
Instructions for Syllabus Checklist
1) Please use this checklist to confirm that all required components have been included in your syllabus.
2) Syllabi for the next semester must be uploaded to the Database within two weeks of finalization of the next semester
course schedule.
3) Syllabi that do not conform to the standards in the checklist must be corrected and re-submitted. When in doubt,
consult with the Office of the Dean or with Academic Affairs before uploading your syllabus.
No.

Item

1

Semester and Academic Year

Done

Please write “Spring” or “Fall” and the academic year at the top of the syllabus.
2Course Code and Title
Please write the course code and title exactly as it appears in the Bulletin followed by the number ofcredits.
• The educational curriculum of the School of International Liberal Arts is comprised of General
Education courses, Specialized Education courses, Study Abroad courses, Language courses,
Career Education courses Senior Thesis and Optional courses. In the lower division students takegeneral education courses and proceed to specialized courses in accordance with their academicyear.
• Teaching practica are offered upon completion of the required courses.
• Students in the fourth and final year write a graduation theses, and in the fall semester of thefourth year take Practical Applications in the Teaching Profession.
• The abovementioned curriculum is systematized in accordance with prescribed rules and eachcourse is assigned a specific code and number.

3

Course Designation if TC-related• Refer to II below.

4Instructor Name(s)Instructors with practical experience in the area of their courses must write (Practical Experience) inparentheses next to their name(s). If you have practical experience, indicate as appropriate the detailsof your experience(s) and how they will be applied to the content of each class session.
• If you are the sole instructor for the course, write (Single instructor).
• If more than one faculty is assigned to teach a single class session, write (Team-taught).
• If a different teacher is assigned to teach each of the class sessions, write (Omnibus).
• If one of multiple sections of the same course, write (Multiple sections)5E-mail Address

6Office/Extension

7Office Hours
List at least three hours per week. (We can no longer write “Office Hours posted on office door”.)

8

Course Description
The course description must be identical to the description in the Bulletin. Add additional descriptions
at your discretion.
2

9

Course Goals/Objectives
List specific language, critical thinking and/or content goals that students can expect to practice and/orachieve in this class.

10

Course Schedule
Include a line in the schedule for each class session.

11

Description of Topics/Assignments for Each Class Session
For each class session, write the topic or theme and assignment/activity. For as many class sessions
as possible, indicate a specific Active Learning activity (think-pair-share, discussion, presentation, etc.)
and corresponding critical thinking/language objective(s) from your Course Goals above.

12

Final Examination
Indicate Final Exam in Week 16.

13

Required Materials

14

Course Policies

15

Class Preparation and Review
Provide specific directions concerning minimum amount of time recommended for preparation andreview for each credit hour of class time. Syllabi must explain that, according the UniversityEstablishment Standards, 15 hours of study outside the classroom is required for every credit hour ofstudy inside the classroom. Please calculate the amount of study required outside the classroom basedon the number of credits assigned to your course and make explicit notation of this in your syllabus.
For example, if you are teaching a 2-credit course, state that “at least 4 hours of preparation and review
per week are required in this course”.
Instructors should administer tests, assign reports, etc. to ensure that students are studying theappropriate amount of time outside the classroom.

16

Grades and Grading Standards
Provide a detailed description of method and criteria for grading. A final examination must be included
in week 16.

17

Attendance must not be listed as a grading standard.

18

Methods of Student Feedback
Include time it will take you to return assignments, whether you will give feedback through writtencomments, numerically, rubric, etc. For example, “In principle, graded work will be returned within one
week of submission with appropriate feedback, i.e., grade, comments, etc.”

19

Diploma Policy Standards Satisfied by Course Objectives
Clearly state the Diploma Policy objective(s) that this course addresses with a statement such as “Workcompleted in this course helps students achieve the following Diploma Policy objective(s): XXXX”, andthen copy-paste the appropriate objectives listed below (please indicate the number of each applicableDP).

20

RubricInclude the institutional rubric and/or your class-specific rubric(s).

21Notes (optional)

Diploma Policy Objectives (Please confirm the details of the curriculum tree. It is published on the College website:
https://www.miu.ac.jp/files/uploads/curriculumtree_e.pdf).
1. Advanced thinking skills (comparison, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) based on critical thinking (critical and analyticthought)
2. The ability to understand and accept different cultures developed through acquisition of a broad knowledge andcomparison of the cultures of Japan and other nations
3. The ability to identify and solve problems
4. Advanced communicative proficiency in both Japanese and English
5. Proficiency in the use of information technology
3II. Teacher Certification Courses
Syllabi for Teacher Certification courses should be prepared on the basis of the following guidelines.
(1) Course Title and Credits• Write the title of the course you will teach. Also, confirm the course credits required for each course with Academic Affairs
and include the credits in your syllabus.
(2) Instructor Name(s)• Write instructor name(s). Instructors with practical experience in the area of their courses must write (Practical Experience)in parentheses next to their name(s). If you have practical experience, indicate as appropriate the details of yourexperience(s) and how they will be applied to the content of each class session.
(3) Class format• If you are the sole instructor for the course, write (Single instructor).
• If more than one faculty is assigned to teach a single class session, write (Team-taught).
• If a different teacher is assigned to teach each of the class sessions, write (Omnibus).
• If one of multiple sections of the same course, write (Multiple sections)(4) Relationship to Teacher License or Certification• Indicate courses required for teacher licenses for junior and senior high school, elementary school, kindergarten andnursery school with a “○”. For the courses needed to acquire the Child Music Therapist license, indicate only the threerequired courses with a “○”. Refer to the Student Bulletin for information on the courses required for other certificatesand licenses.
(5) Teacher Certification Requirements• Some courses in the School of International Liberal Arts Teacher Certification Program are required, while some areelective. The required and elective courses for each program are regulated, so be sure to confirm and indicate with a “○”
as appropriate.
(6) Course Number and Year Offered• The educational curriculum of the School of International Liberal Arts is comprised of General Education courses,Specialized Education courses, Study Abroad courses, Language courses, Career Education courses Senior Thesis andOptional courses. In the lower division students take general education courses and proceed to specialized courses inaccordance with their academic year.
• Teaching practica are offered upon completion of the required courses.
• Students in the fourth and final year write a graduation theses, and in the fall semester of the fourth year take PracticalApplications in the Teaching Profession.
• The abovementioned curriculum is systematized in accordance with prescribed rules and each course is assigned aspecific code and number.
(7) Courses and Categories• The method of notation of course and categories in the teacher certification curriculum is regulated by the designateddivision of MEXT that is responsible for teacher certification programming. The Academic Affairs Office will complete thissection, so leave it blank.

4(8) General Objectives and Attainment Targets• The core curriculum has been introduced to the courses in the teacher certification curriculum as part of the reaccreditationof our teacher certification program. General objectives and attainment targets were provided for and concrete examples
of how they should be described were publicized.
• Careful deliberation on these concrete examples led the School of International Liberal Arts to the conclusion that theexamples should be adopted as-is in the syllabus. As such, Academic Affairs has inserted the relative general objectives
and attainment targets into each course that is designated for teacher certification, so please do not revise these sections.
(9) Course Description• The course description describes the content of the course you will teach. The courses that are designated for teacher
certification will maintain and continue the descriptions approved when application for re-accreditation was submitted,
therefore, changes to the course descriptions due to instructor discretion or assignment of new faculty to a course will
not be permitted.
• Also, refer to the table defining learning strategies at the end of these guidelines to indicate what kind of active learning
strategies are used in each course.
• Furthermore, if you have practical experience in the content of the course, indicate as appropriate the concrete detailsof your experience(s) and how they will be applied to the content of each class session.
(10) Relationship to Diploma Policy• As described in the curriculum tree and curriculum map provided for separately, indicate the position of the attainment
targets of your courses in relation to diploma policy. (Please confirm the details of the curriculum tree. It is published on
the College website: https://www.miu.ac.jp/files/uploads/curriculumtree_e.pdf .
(11) Course Schedule• In the course schedule, describe the plan for achieving the general objectives and attainment targets of your course. In
particular, for courses designated as satisfying the core curriculum, it has become imperative to describe clearly which of
the attainment objectives are being addressed in each class session, so be sure to indicate the relevant targets is anotation (T (2)-XX) at the end of the schedule description for each class session. And be certain to use phrases (from theinstructor perspective) such as, ”We will survey, examine, explain….”.
• In order to clarify for students enrolled in your classes that these attainment objectives are achievable, be sure to informstudents of what they are in the first class session.
(12) Grade Assessment• Student grade assessment shall be comprised of examinations (60%) and other assessments (reports, quizzes, etc.)(40%). Grade assessment is considered the most important form of judgement/verification of the degree to which a student
has achieved the prescribed attainment objectives. For this reason, the School of International Liberal Arts syllabi explainthat examinations and reports, etc. are used to perform grade assessment, the details of which are provided and publicizedin “Grade Assessment Guidelines”. Therefore, please ensure that grades are assessed strictly, fairly and in accordancewith the Grade Assessment Guidelines.
• In addition, be sure to carefully read the Guidelines for Storage of Examination Papers, Reports and Other Data
Concerning Grading and Evaluation and adhere to policy concerning the maintenance of records concerning examination
papers, reports, etc.
• In the event of petitions from students concern the assessment of their grades, please explain the procedure outlined in
the Grade Assessment Guidelines and respond promptly to the petition.
(13) Studies Outside the Classroom• Syllabi must explain that, according the University Establishment Standards, 15 hours of study outside the classroom isrequired for every credit hour of study inside the classroom. Please calculate the amount of study required outside the5classroom based on the number of credits assigned to your course and make explicit notation of this in your syllabus.
For example, if you are teaching a 2-credit course, state that “at least 4 hours of preparation and review per week arerequired in this course”.
• Instructors should administer tests, assign reports, etc. to ensure that students are studying the appropriate amount oftime outside the classroom.
(14) Texts• Be sure to designate or provide appropriate college-level texts to promote the deepening of student knowledge andunderstanding of the courses you teach.
(15) References and Reference Materials, Etc.
• Be sure to provide references and reference material that can help to facilitate preparation and review. Also, for courses
related to the discipline and teaching methods, be sure to assign the guidelines for course of study and use the guidelines
for course of study regularly in your classes.
(16) Notes from the Instructor• Be sure to include information about which students should be particularly aware.
(17) Office Hours• Be sure to write your office hours (days of the week, time period, location (office), etc.).
(18) Other• While it is not necessary to include your mail address on your syllabi, it will be necessary for you to provide contact
information to students in your first class so that they can contact you with questions, etc.
• Include links for Moodle, Google Drive, etc. if you use them in your courses.
(19) Numbering• Check the latest version of BULLETIN AND HANDBOOK OF STUDENT INFORMATION.
(20) Active Learning Strategies (Definition)
Active Learning in the School of International Liberal Arts includes (but is not limited to) the following
Confirming what was learned so as to apply it to the next stage, asking and answering
Reflection, Q&A from students
questions to confirm course content.
Quizzes to confirm what was learned in previous classes or at the end of a class so as toQuizzes, reports
apply knowledge to the next stage, reports to reinforce what was learned.
Student surveys, etc. conducted inside or outside class on issues or topics assigned bySurvey studies
instructors.
Group discussion, group work, Students working in small groups (pair work included) to solve problems assigned bygroup reports
instructors.
Collecting data via surveys and observation through fieldwork inside and outside theFieldwork
institution.
Deepening comprehension of a topic through discussion, including debates conducted inDiscussion
accordance with the designated rules employed on teacher employment exams.
Experiential learning by acting out assigned roles and circumstances in order toRole playunderstanding the way others think, as done in teacher employment examinations.
Creating presentations using PowerPoint or other tools, creating presentation materials, andPresentation
presenting in front of others.
Teaching
plan Creating one’s own teaching plan for courses on the discipline and teaching based on thedevelopment,
model guidelines for course of study, and running model classes in order to acquire practical teachingexperience.
classes6

PBL(Problem-BasedLearning)

Discovering and resolving issues on one’s own through various means to acquire experienceand knowledge.

7