Simplify decisions by adding syllabi

As of July 1, a new federal law known as HEOA mandates that when a student registers for class there must be a booklist presented at that time.

This will be enormously helpful for students. Now, let's see if Norwich can take that one step further and require that professors include the syllabi at the time of registration.

The problem is that sometimes when students sign up for a class they later realize it is not what they anticipated, or the course name is misleading.

 Many colleges post syllabi online for students to look at while making their course decisions. Norwich has brief descriptions, but it seems you have to search through various websites and books to find it.

Colleges are doing this to provide the correct information to their students and assist them in making the right decision on the classes they want to take.

It's difficult and unfair to the student to invest in a class, both buying books and attending classes, to find out it's not what you thought it was.

It can also happen that two professors teach the same course differently, and one professor may be able to reach out to a particular learning style better than the other.

The solution at hand is simple: Get a copy of the syllabus from the professors and scan it in or digitally attach a copy to a link provided. When registering, students can see exactly what the schedule is, course work required, what the projects and expectations are before committing themselves to a semester of work. Most professors have their sylabus prepared ahead of time; some have used the same ones for years.

 This is a task that could also provide students with work study hours, which is another positive that can come out of the situation.

Readers, if you feel there is another solution please send a letter to Guidon@norwich.edu and we will be sure to publish your response!