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A syllabus (; : syllabuses or syllabi
/ref>) or specification is a document that communicates information about an Academy or class and defines expectations and responsibilities. It is generally an overview or summary of the curriculum. A syllabus may be set out by an examination board or prepared by the tutor or instructor who teaches or controls the course. The syllabus is usually handed out and reviewed in the first class. It can also be available online or electronically transmitted as an e-syllabus.
The word is also used more generally for an abstract or programme of knowledge, and is best known in this sense as referring to two catalogues published by the Catholic Church in 1864 and 1907 condemning certain doctrinal positions. Chambers Dictionary, 1998, p. 1674.
Chambers Dictionary agrees that it derives from the Greek for a book label, but claims that the original Greek was a feminine noun, sittybā, σίττυβα, borrowed by Latin, the misreading coming from an accusative plural Latin sittybas. Chambers Dictionary, 1998, p. 1674.
In 2005, Slattery & Carlson describe the syllabus as a "contract between faculty members and their , designed to answer student's questions about a course, as well as inform them about what will happen should they fail to meet course expectations". They promote using action (identify, analyze, evaluate) as opposed to passive verbs (learn, recognize, understand) when creating course goals. Habanek stresses the importance of the syllabus as a "vehicle for expressing accountability and commitment."
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