Simple Syllabus

Status - Approved

Approved for use.

Tool Description

Simple Syllabus is a university-supported software tool that faculty members can use to create and share course syllabi. This tool simplifies syllabus creation, promotes accessibility, and ensures alignment with university and state policies. It is available for voluntary use starting this Fall 2025 as a pilot semester. For the Spring 2026 semester, all faculty will be required to use Simple Syllabus or to provide a fully accessible syllabus for all courses.

Getting Started with Simple Syllabus

Simple Syllabus has been enabled for everyone in the Fall 2025 Canvas course templates. If it is not visible on your course navigation pane on the left-hand side, you can enable it by following these steps:

Go to your Canvas course

Click on Settings

Select the Navigation tab

Locate Simple Syllabus in the list

Click the three dots next to it and choose Enable

Click Save

You should now see Simple Syllabus in your course navigation, and you can follow the same steps to disable it.

For instructions on how to use the tool, please refer to the Simple Syllabus Instructor Guide. You can also visit Simple Syllabus Instructor Experience, or watch Instructor Quick Start Guide and use the password: simple.

Additionally, a training video (Simple Syllabus Training for Faculty) is available for viewing as well.

Important Note for Fall 2025:

The Fall 2025 Canvas course templates were provisioned with the Syllabus button included under Student Resources on the course home page. In prior semesters, this button linked to a static page in Canvas that included a minimum syllabus requirements template that faculty could populate. With the upcoming move to Simple Syllabus and revised minimum syllabus requirements being finalized on 7/30/25, this page was deleted and the button maintained. The primary rationale is that because Fall Canvas courses must be provisioned by early June and changes to the minimum syllabus requirements were coming later, this was the best course of action to avoid outdated language, content, and links. Once courses are provisioned, there is no way to update page content.

Master blueprint icon for Fall 2025

You have multiple options regarding the Syllabus button in your course for the fall semester.

Use the Existing Syllabus Button without Simple Syllabus

If you choose not to use Simple Syllabus during Fall 2025, but want to keep the button, there are two recommended steps.

Course File Method
1. Create a syllabus file that meets the Faculty Senate Minimum Syllabus Requirements and passes digital accessibility standards.
2. Add the file to your course by:
  1. Clicking on Modules
  2. Selecting a module (Student Resources recommended)
  3. Clicking the + icon on the top right of the module
  4. Selecting File from the drop-down box at the top
  5. Clicking [Create File(s)] and then Choose Files to find your syllabus
  6. Clicking Add Item
3. Click on the newly added syllabus file and then copy the URL at the top of the page
4. Return to the home page, click Edit, and click on the Syllabus button.
  1. In the Rich Content Editor, click on the link icon and select External Link
  2. Paste the link, click Done, and then click Save
5. Disable Simple Syllabus in your course navigation pane
Course Page Method
1. Add a page in your Canvas course by following the same steps as the course file method above, except for choosing Page instead of File.
2. Once the page has been added, add your content and ensure that the page and module are published.
3. Return to the home page, click Edit, and click on the Syllabus button.
  1. In the Rich Content Editor, click the link icon and select Course Link
  2. Click on Pages and find the appropriate page name
  3. Click Save
4. Disable Simple Syllabus in your course navigation pane
External URL Method
1. You can use this method to link your Syllabus button to an external file, such as from Google Drive.
2. On the home page, click Edit, and click on the Syllabus button.
  1. In the Rich Content Editor, click on the link icon and select External Link
  2. Paste the link, click Done, and then click Save
3. Disable Simple Syllabus in your course navigation pane.

Use the Existing Syllabus Button to Link to Simple Syllabus

If you choose to use Simple Syllabus during Fall 2025 and want to link to the button, simply:

Ensure that Simple Syllabus is enabled in the course navigation pane

Click on Simple Syllabus and copy the URL at the top of the page

Navigate to the home page

Click edit and click on the Syllabus button

In the Rich Content Editor, click on the link icon and select External Link

Paste the link, click Done, and then click Save

Delete the Existing Syllabus Button

Please note that whether you use Simple Syllabus or not, you will still need to upload it into Howdy for the fall semester for undergraduate courses.

Support

For more information regarding this tool, please contact LMS Support.