A couple of years ago, I came across a colleague’s syllabus that was radially different to any syllabus I had seen before. Using some basic design principles, she had created a graphically rich, exciting introduction to her course, something that tangibly captured her energy for her discipline and the excitement of the subject. I had to do something similar for my course, Anth 151, ‘Human Evolution and Diversity.’
My university has mandated uniform course outlines, asking all of us to remove any design elements or resources that are not part of their standard template. For this reason, the unit outline on this page is unofficial. For me, minimum standards are important, but the floor we set for quality shouldn’t also be the ceiling we set for our aspirations. As a frustrated amateur designer, this is one of the few ways that I can use my skills to communicate with students and help them to see that they are in for an experience like none other at the university.
Greg Downey 