Syllabus Information

This page contains university policies relevant to all courses at SJSU.

This page also contains information about university resources for students:

Syllabus Archive

Search the online archive of SJSU syllabi by department or course.

University Policies

General Expectations, Rights and Responsibilities of the Student

As members of the academic community, students accept both the rights and responsibilities incumbent upon all members of the institution. To learn about these rights and responsibilities,  please read the Student Rights & Responsibilities Policy S16-15 [pdf]: Students’ Rights and Responsibilities and SJSU’s current semester’s Policies and Procedures. These Policies and Procedures include links to relevant information should questions or concerns about a class arise. In general, it is recommended that students begin by seeking clarification or discussing concerns with their instructor.  If such conversation is not possible, or if it does not address the issue, it is recommended that the student contact the Department Chair as the next step. At any point, a student may contact the University Ombudsperson.

Academic Integrity

Your commitment as a student to learning is evidenced by your enrollment at San José State University.  The Academic Integrity Policy F15-7 [pdf] requires you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development. Visit the Student Conduct and Ethical Development website for more information.

Accommodation for Students’ Religious Holidays

The Religious Holidays Accommodation Policy S14-7 [pdf] states that San José State University shall provide accommodation on any graded classwork or activities for students observing religious holidays that require absence from class. It is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor, in writing, about such holidays before the add deadline at the start of each semester. If such holidays occur before the add deadline, the student must notify the instructor, in writing, at least three days before the absence. It is the responsibility of the instructor to make every reasonable effort to honor the request without penalty, and of the student to make up the work missed. 

Adding and Dropping Classes

Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drop.  Add/drop deadlines can be found on the current academic year calendars document on the Academic Calendars webpage.  Students should be aware of the current deadlines and penalties for dropping classes (Late Drop Information).

For more information on how to add/drop classes visit the Office of the Registrar's page on Registration Basics.

Attendance, Participation, and Excused Absences

Attendance is the responsibility of the student. However, attendance itself may not be used as a criterion for grading. Students are expected to attend all meetings for their courses, as they are responsible for all material covered, and active participation is frequently essential to ensure maximum benefit to all class members. Participation may be used as a criterion for grading when the parameters and their evaluation are clearly defined in the course syllabus and the percentage of the overall grade is stated. The full policy language can be found in the Presence in Class Policy F15-3 [pdf].

Students may have valid reasons to miss one or more classes, whether anticipated or unforeseen. Students are responsible for informing their instructor in writing about such absences as soon as possible. Refer to the Student Excused Absences Policy S22-2 [pdf] [pdf] for more information.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Presidential Directive 97-03 [pdf] requires that students with disabilities requesting accommodations register with the Accessible Education Center (AEC) to establish a record of their disability. AEC will contact the instructor with further details, if needed.

If special arrangements are needed in cases of emergency or if the building must be evacuated, please make arrangements with the instructor.

Consent for Recording of Class and Public Sharing of Instructor Material

The Recording & Sharing Class Material Policy S12-7 [pdf] requires students to obtain instructor’s permission to record the course. The following criteria define expectations relating to recording a course.

  • Course material developed by the instructor is the intellectual property of the instructor and cannot be shared publicly without approval. You may not publicly share or upload instructor generated material such as exam questions, lecture notes, or homework solutions without instructor consent. This prohibition includes sharing information with third parties and on websites.
  • You must obtain the instructor’s permission to make audio or video recordings in class. Such permission allows the recordings to be used for your private, study purposes only. The recordings are the intellectual property of the instructor; you have not been given any rights to reproduce or distribute the material.
  • Permission from the instructor, whether in writing or orally, may extend to either a single class or the entire semester.
  • In classes where active participation of students or guests may be on the recording, permission of those students or guests must be obtained as well.

Timely Feedback on Class Assignments

Per Timely Feedback on Assignments Policy S20-2 [pdf], all students have the right, within a reasonable time, to know their academic scores, to review their grade-dependent work, and to be provided with explanations for the determination of their course grades.

Workload and Credit Hour Requirements

Per the Course Syllabi Policy S16-9 [pdf] [pdf]: “Success in this course is based on the expectation that students will spend, for each unit of credit, a minimum of 45 hours over the length of the course (normally 3 hours per unit per week with 1 of the hours used for lecture) for instruction or preparation/studying or course-related activities including but not limited to internships, labs, and clinical practice. Other course structures will have equivalent workload expectations as described in the syllabus."

University Resources for Students

Counseling and Psychological Services

The SJSU Counseling and Psychological Services is located on the corner of 7th Street and San Carlos in the new Student Wellness Center, Room 300B.  Professional psychologists, social workers, and counselors are available to provide confidential consultations on issues of student mental health, campus climate, or psychological and academic issues on an individual, couple, or group basis.  We also offer numerous workshops for students every semester.  

To schedule an appointment or learn more information, visit the Counseling and Psychological Services website.

Peer Connections

Peer Connections is your campus-wide resource for mentoring (time management, note taking, learning strategies, adjusting to college, etc.) and tutoring (including over 200 different courses and undergraduate writing). In addition, Peer Connections provides classroom support through Supplemental Instruction Leaders, Learning Assistants, Peer Mentors, and Embedded Tutors. Your instructor will announce if a Peer Educator is in your class. Peer Connections also has a welcoming space for studying in the Student Services Center right near parking.  All services are FREE to SJSU students.  

Please visit the Peer Connections website for more information on services, hours, locations, or a list of current student success workshops.  To make appointments for mentoring or tutoring, you may visit Spartan Connect and log in using your SJSU student ID number and password.

SJSU Cares

Students experiencing challenges meeting their basic needs including, but not limited to, access to food, shelter, and a safe space are encouraged to contact SJSU Cares. Students who feel that their class performance may be affected by these challenges are encouraged to notify their professors, if comfortable doing so. Faculty members may be able to provide flexibility within the course for students working with a case manager. 

Student Technology Resources

Computer labs and other resources for student use are available in:

A wide variety of audio-visual equipment is available for student checkout from Instructional and Meeting Spaces’ (IMS) page about their Academic Technology Equipment Loaning service, located in the Instructional Resource Center (IRC). These items include

  • DV and HD digital camcorders;
  • digital still cameras;
  • video, slide and overhead projectors;
  • DVD, CD, and audiotape players;
  • sound systems,
  • wireless microphones,
  • projection screens,
  • …and more.

The IT Service Desk provides technology assistance.

Printing services for the campus community are available at the Associated Students’ Print Shop, on the 2nd floor of the Student Union.

Some resources may not be available for students in special sessions.

Writing Center

The SJSU Writing Center offers a variety of free resources to help students become better writers. The center offers writing resources, workshops, and one-on-one and small-group tutoring sessions. Services support writing for students in all disciplines and at all levels. Workshops and tutoring are also available online. Visit their website to make an appointment, or to use the many online resources available. You can also visit them on the 2nd floor of the MLK Library.

Calendars

The university has calendars to help you with deadlines, holidays, and final exams.

Learn Anywhere

The SJSU Learn Anywhere site provides information, tools, and resources to support online learning.

MLK Library

San José State University (SJSU) King Library brings people, ideas, and information together through its spaces, resources, and expertise to facilitate community building, innovation, and knowledge creation. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library provides students access to millions of books, journals, peer-reviewed articles, videos, and other resources for learning and research through the OneSearch catalog at library.sjsu.edu. Materials not owned by SJSU can be requested through CSU+ or Interlibrary Loan.

Connect with a librarian for research assistance at library.sjsu.edu/ask-librarian or make a one-on-one research consultation appointment with the subject librarian for your major. Online research guides for every discipline and select courses are available at libguides.sjsu.edu.

Students can borrow laptops, calculators, and other devices at Student Computing Services located on the library’s 4th floor. Help is available for software programs such as SPSS, Adobe Creative Suite, and Microsoft Office from the Student Technology Training Center.

The library also offers Late Night Tutoring for many GE math and science courses from 8pm - 12am Sunday through Wednesday. Drop-in at library.sjsu.edu/late-night-tutoring. 

Office of Title IX and Educational Opportunity

SJSU wants all students to feel safe and empowered to ask for help if they feel they are experiencing any form of discrimination or harassment. SJSU's Office of Title IX and Educational Opportunity provides resources and assistance for anyone who has experienced discrimination, harassment, or retaliation based on a protected status (including age, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and veteran or military status).

For information on training, resources or reporting an incident, please visit https://www.sjsu.edu/titleixeo/index.php.  

Well-Being @ SJSU

Well-being @ SJSU is a hub of resources and experiences to inspire and empower you to grow your well-being. Explore all aspects of your key health assets through this portal that connects all services on campus designed to support student well-being.

Student Wellness Center

SJSU offers a variety of health and wellness services which are funded through your Student Health Fee. Some pharmacy or specialty medical services may require an additional nominal fee.

The Student Wellness Center (SWC) is the place to go for everything related to your health and well-being at SJSU. SWC is conveniently located across from the Event Center and Spartan Recreation and Aquatic Center. Health Service helps you stay healthy with primary and specialty care visits, immunizations, physical therapy, pharmacy, laboratory, imaging services and counseling.

Counseling and Psychological Services

The SJSU Counseling and Psychological Services is located on the corner of 7th Street and San Carlos in the Student Wellness Center, Room 300B.  Professional psychologists, social workers, and counselors are available to provide confidential consultations on issues of student mental health, campus climate, or psychological and academic issues on an individual, couple, or group basis.  We also offer numerous workshops for students every semester as well as same-day appointment requests.  

To schedule an appointment or learn more information, visit the Counseling and Psychological Services website.

SJSU Cares

Students experiencing challenges meeting their basic needs including, but not limited to, access to food, shelter, and a safe space are encouraged to contact SJSU Cares. Students who feel that their class performance may be affected by these challenges are encouraged to notify their professors, if comfortable doing so. Faculty members may be able to provide flexibility within the course for students working with a case manager. 

YOU@SJSU

Use this free, digital tool to assess your well-being and find personalized resources for everything from your mental and physical health, to friendships and finding balance in your life during your college experience. 

Career Center

The Career Center provides undergraduate and graduate students, as well as alumni members, with the resources and tools for career success. The center provides educational tools to start career exploration, build your resumé, develop interviewing success, and learn strategies to connect with employers successfully. 

For information on individual services, see Career Counseling and Appointments.

Advocacy @ SJSU

At SJSU, we have a number of campus departments that support the advocacy of student needs and support individual student experiences on campus. As part of our advocacy efforts on campus, we have the following organizations that students can go to for support.

Associated Students of SJSU

Associated Students’ mission is to support and represent the students of San José State University by continuing the organization’s legacy of student advocacy and leadership; to enhance SJSU students’ education through high quality programs and services; and to prepare students as they move towards a thoughtful and purposeful life after graduation. Our vision is to strengthen the Spartan community through access to opportunities that inspire educational growth, personal development and innovation.

SJSU Votes

SJSU Votes is a nonpartisan voter registration, mobilization, registration, and civic engagement initiative managed by SJSU students and faculty. SJSU Votes works with the California Students Vote Project, the California Secretary of State’s Office, the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters’ Office, the SJSU Office of the President, and other SJSU organizations to implement nonpartisan voter and other civic engagement efforts such as ballot and candidate forums, voter workshops, and canvassing on campus and in the community. All SJSU students, faculty, and staff are welcome to participate in our efforts.

Advocacy Groups and Resource Centers

There are a coalition of student affairs practitioners and resource centers fostering student leadership through multiple identities while establishing a social justice foundation. SJSU encourages collaboration between multiple communities and advocates for institutional change. Other application-based programs are available to students, as well.

Content last updated 11/5/2025.