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Northwestern University Syllabus Standards

The Northwestern University Syllabus Standards offer suggested language that faculty can use for including university policies on syllabi. The following list highlights policies that pertain to all Northwestern courses, even if not listed on a syllabus, though it is not an exhaustive list of university policies.

Instructors: you may choose to include a link to this page on your syllabi and/or to include any of the elements below. In addition to policy language, this page includes suggested language related to resources for students.

Students: familiarize yourself with these policies and resources, as well as all Northwestern policies and resources. Always read your syllabi closely for additional course-specific policies. If you have questions, ask your instructors

Suggested Policy Language to Add to Syllabi Below:

Academic Integrity

The University’s Academic Integrity Policy sets the terms for the pursuit of knowledge and academic achievement at Northwestern. You are responsible for following this policy in all courses. Read it and make sure that you understand it. Read any school-specific Academic Integrity guidance as well. Any form of cheating or plagiarism, including technology and improper use of content generated by artificial intelligence, constitutes a violation of the University’s Academic Integrity Policy. If you have questions about the permitted use of artificial intelligence in your class, bring those questions to your instructor.

Accessibility

Northwestern University is committed to providing the most accessible learning environment possible for students with disabilities. Should you anticipate or experience disability-related barriers in an academic setting, please contact AccessibleNU to move forward with the university’s established accommodation process (accessiblenu@northwestern.edu; 847-467-5530). If you already have established accommodations with AccessibleNU, please let me know as soon as possible, preferably within the first two weeks of the term, so we can work together to implement your disability accommodations. Disability information, including academic accommodations as part of a student’s educational record, is confidential under FERPA regulations.

Class and Academic Work Missed for Medical Reasons

Students in need of care for illness should visit NM Student Health Services (NM SHS) or a private provider. If a student is seen by NM SHS while symptomatic, and if symptoms warrant, NM SHS can confirm the need for short-term academic flexibility to the corresponding undergraduate dean's office. The full policy can be found here: Class and Academic Work Missed for Medical Reasons. Students are expected to understand their essential requirements, schedule, and course policies as explained in their syllabi. Course policies will determine how absences for legitimate reasons or requests for flexibility can be managed. Therefore, it is important that students contact instructors early and follow the guidance on the policy page linked above.

Students in The Graduate School who need to be absent from their lab or other PhD/Master’s degree-related endeavors should consult their program’s handbook and/or speak with their Director of Graduate Studies.

Course Details Subject to Change

In the case of unforeseen circumstances, course syllabi are subject to change. Your instructor will notify you of any changes, and you will be responsible for abiding them.

Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct

Northwestern University does not permit discrimination or harassment on the basis of protected characteristics. View Northwestern’s non-discrimination statement and Title IX statement. If students have concerns, they may submit a report or contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance (OCR) at ocr@northwestern.edu. All University employees (including student employees) and graduate students with teaching or supervisory authority are required to report all allegations of sexual misconduct (including sexual assault, sexual exploitation, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, and sexual harassment), discrimination based on a protected category, and harassment based on a protected category of which they become aware in the scope of their work for the University to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance unless they are identified as a confidential resource. Read more about the University's discrimination, harassment and sexual misconduct policies and resources on the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance website.

Exceptions to Class Modality

For courses noted as only occurring in-person, individual students will not be granted permission to attend remotely except as the result of an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation as determined by AccessibleNU.

Campus Arrival and Course Engagement

Undergraduate:

In-Person Arrival and Course Engagement Policy

The University on-time arrival policy states that undergraduate students are expected to be on campus and in attendance at the start of classes and must plan to remain until the end of the quarter.  Note in some cases, students must attend the first-class meeting to avoid being dropped. This will be clearly identified in CAESAR and the syllabus. Read the full policy: https://www.northwestern.edu/provost/policies-procedures/classwork-curricular-policies/in-person-arrival.html

Graduate:

Continuous Registration and Residency Policy

All active students in The Graduate School must be registered at Northwestern University in each of the fall, winter and spring quarters (and summer, if required) until all degree requirements have been completed. (See the master's and PhD sections of this catalog for information about degree completion.) Students who are primarily doing thesis/dissertation research must register for the appropriate TGS or departmental research registration. Students who are continuing to make degree progress over summer quarter should register for the appropriate course(s).

Graduate students with on-campus academic responsibilities (as determined by their program/department) are expected to be on campus and in attendance at the start of the academic quarter and must plan to remain until the end of the quarter. Those with on-campus responsibilities who are unable to arrive on campus and do not have University-approved accommodations for remote attendance should pursue a leave of absence as appropriate for their program. Students on an approved leave of absence are not subject to the continuous registration policy during the leave period. 

New (incoming) students who do not arrive by the end of the add period (the end of the fifth day of classes) may be administratively withdrawn from their graduate program unless they request and are approved to defer enrollment. Find the full policy here: https://catalogs.northwestern.edu/tgs/academic-policies-procedures/general-registration/

Pregnancy-Related Accommodations

Students who are pregnant can reach out to the Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance  (accommodations@northwestern.edu; phone: 847-467-6165) for assistance with pregnancy accommodation requests. Northwestern provides accommodation for pregnant students, faculty and staff during all stages – before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and postpartum (including lactation breaks and private, clean lactation spaces).

Prohibition of Recording by Students

Students may not record a class, advising session, office hour conversation, or other academic activity without permission from the instructor, classmates, and anyone else in the room. Unauthorized recording violates University policy and, in some cases, may violate state law. Unauthorized use of classroom recordings – including distributing or posting them – is also prohibited. Students who engage in unauthorized recording or unauthorized use of a recording will be referred to the appropriate University office for potential disciplinary action.

If you have an accommodation to use assistive technology that has been documented with AccessibleNU, be sure to request activation of that accommodation for a particular class through the ANU portal and discuss the accommodation with your instructor and/or ANU before recording.

Prohibition of Misusing and/or Distributing Instructional Materials

Under the University’s Copyright Policy, faculty own the copyright to instructional materials – including those resources created specifically for the purposes of instruction, such as syllabi, lectures, lecture notes, and presentations. Do not copy, reproduce, display, or distribute these materials without permission. Students who engage in misuse or unauthorized distribution of instructional materials will be referred to the appropriate University office for potential disciplinary action.

Religious Observance

Consistent with Northwestern’s commitment to creating an academic community that is respectful of and welcoming to persons of differing backgrounds, every reasonable effort should be made to accommodate members of the University community for their religious observance without jeopardizing the fulfillment of their academic obligations.  

If a class meeting, exam, or assignment deadline conflicts with a religious observance for you, consult with your instructor by the end of the second week of the term. If the conflicting exam is specifically a common midterm (i.e., a midterm scheduled outside of the regular class meeting time) or a final exam, submit an accommodation request using the Office of the Provost’s religious accommodation request form. 

For more information, see the full page on Northwestern’s Policy on Academic Accommodations for Religious Observance. 

 

Resources for Students

Resource Statements Below:

Support for Health & Wellness

Academic Support

Support for Health & Wellness

Northwestern University has multiple resources to support student wellness and mental health. Visit the NUhelp site to learn how to access Safe Rides and other safety resources, in person and virtual mental health care (including 24/7 on-demand support), crisis help, and more. NUhelp also has links to various academic resources. If you are feeling distressed or overwhelmed, please reach out for help.

Academic Support

There are many academic support services available, at no additional cost, to help you succeed in your courses.  For undergraduates, Academic Support and Learning Advancement (ASLA) offers peer tutoring and facilitated study groups for 30+ courses, as well as individual consultations, peer academic coaching and robust online resources. For support with written assignments of any kind, The Writing Place provides peer consultations for both undergraduate and graduate students. As supplements to class time and office hours, these resources can help to improve learning skills, conceptual understanding, and academic confidence.

 

Last Edited: 9/1/2026