Coming Soon: Simple Syllabus
Beginning Summer 2026, Ohio State will implement Simple Syllabus, a platform designed to streamline syllabus creation, improve accessibility, and support compliance with Ohio’s SB 1 requirements. Some important considerations of Simple Syllabus include:
Statewide Adoption: All Ohio public institutions have chosen to use Simple Syllabus.
Committee Goals: One of the specific charges of the Simple Syllabus Implementation Committee is to protect academic freedom during the transition.
Guidance Material: Guidance text for both public-facing and other fields is being built directly into Simple Syllabus. The Office of Faculty Affairs and the Teaching and Learning Resource Center provide valuable information on Simple Syllabus specifically as well as on general best practices for syllabus creation. Additionally, OTDI is offering informational sessions that walk instructors through the process of using Simple Syllabus—from April through August, 2026.
Simple Syllabus provides a centralized, template-driven experience that integrates directly with CarmenCanvas, helping instructors quickly build and publish syllabi in a consistent, accessible format.
Key benefits:
- Clear Visibility: Distinguishes between public-facing requirements, such as those required in accordance with SB 1, and private, student-only content.
- Efficiency: Includes pre-filled or linked standardized university-wide or departmental policies and "one-click" copying for future course iterations.
- Canvas Assignment Sync: Pulls assignments and dates directly from your published Canvas assignments and activities.
- Permission Sharing: Instructors can import their own content from a previous semester and also have the ability to give permission for another instructor to import their syllabus content.
- Graduate Course Requirements: Graduate courses have the option to use Simple Syllabus, but it is not required. Any graduate courses that use Simple Syllabus will not be available in public search.
- Independent Study Requirement: Undergraduate independent study courses (X19X, X99X) are explicitly required to post syllabi; departments are advised to create a generic version for these. The move to Simple Syllabus is part of a university-wide effort to improve the accessibility and transparency of course information while reducing faculty workload. The centralized system creates a more consistent student experience and ensures Ohio State meets state requirements for public syllabus access. During the testing phase of development, surveys are actively being developed for both students and instructors to evaluate the system. Monthly messaging regarding these updates is distributed through Faculty Affairs email newsletters.
Specific Legal & Reporting Requirements
- Duration of Posting: The syllabus must remain posted for no less than 2 years.
- Compliance Reporting: The institution must submit a written report regarding compliance to the Chancellor annually on June 30.
- Searchability: The system must specifically allow for searches by keywords and phrases.
Have questions or want to learn more about using Simple Syllabus? Use the request a consultation form to contact our office and plan for your instructional needs.