The long-promised goal of an online course syllabi program from the Student Association is finally coming to fruition, with a preliminary program currently in place and the large-scale MyUB version scheduled to debut in January.
There are currently 40 to 50 syllabi available online through MyUB. When the program is fully implemented, course syllabi should be available months before the start of the semester, allowing students to prepare early for classes and judge what they are getting into when registering.
"This gives students the opportunity to know what they're getting into when they sign up for a class," said SA President Dela Yador. "It gives students the opportunity to get textbooks earlier and pay less, because the bookstore has some very expensive books."
Former SA President Anthony Burgio made the syllabi program a goal of his last fall and worked closely with Michael Ryan, vice provost and dean of undergraduate education, to promote the idea around campus.
This year, Yador is seeing the results.
According to Ryan, the idea to make course syllabi available online came from student suggestions and a UB survey. The most typical response from the survey was that students want to see course syllabi before signing up for that class.
Since the start of the effort to implement such a program, there has been an overwhelming amount of support from students, Ryan said.
"I believe this will be very helpful in selecting courses based on the syllabi," Ryan said.
When in full swing, the syllabi will be available through MyUB in the electronic course schedules, linked to the course description students can click on for an individual class.
The cost for implementing the program is negligible, Ryan said, though declined to produce hard numbers.
"This program really won't cost much, because we're not purchasing main frame computers or hiring professional staff to implement it," he said. "Instead, we're paying our existing staff to teach professors how to use it."
Both Ryan and Yador said they predict the online system will be a hit.
"I think this is another way to show we are more than shows and concerts and we care and do a lot more then the students know," Yador said. "Hopefully it will catch on at least in the SUNY system."
Though student response has been largely positive, many professors have expressed concern or doubt over the effectiveness of online syllabi.
"As a student I think it's a good thing, but as a teacher, what if you miss out on a professor, a really good professor, because you don't like the syllabus?" said Sandy Kisker, a mathematics professor.
Like any other system, this one will have its benefits and drawbacks, all of which should be taken into consideration, say both its organizers and the students who will benefit from it.
"I think that it is okay to post the syllabus," said Chris Foote, a freshman aerospace engineering major. "If a student wants to be up to date with the class and go and check it out then they should know what is expected of them so they have an idea of what they have gotten themselves into."
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
