What is HB2504?
Texas House Bill 2504 requires all public universities to make all course syllabi available online for a period that extends up to the second anniversary the class was taught. For example, the syllabus for a class taught in Fall 2021 needs to be available online until Fall 2023 at which time it may be removed. Faculty CVs must also be available in the same fashion. Due to limited staffing, all faculty members—full time and adjuncts—are asked to assist the university's compliance efforts by uploading and managing these documents individually using the Sharepoint site linked below (Click on the green button below - Upload Syllabi or CV - and follow the naming directions and upload the documents).
Faculty Resources
Here is a recommended course syllabus template that includes all the information that students want to know about a course and the University policies that need to be followed.
If a faculty member has concerns about sharing all the course content requested in the templates above, faculty can choose to upload this minimal syllabus on this site and then share the full syllabus with students who attend class.
Course syllabi must be posted no later than 7 days after the session begins.
According to the HB 2504, all syllabi must include the following information:
- major learning objectives and course requirements including assignment and examinations
- required and recommended reading
- general description of the subject matter of each lecture or discussion
This information should be available for a period that extends up to the second anniversary the class was taught.
Curriculum vitae (CV) also need to be updated annually. Best practice would be to upload a new copy each Fall. A CV should reflect an instructor's educational background and training, relevant teaching experience, and academic scholarship/research/creative activity related to their discipline. Here is an available CV template that meets the state requirements, if needed.
Accessibility
The 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that U.S. programs and services be accessible to students with disabilities. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 says that electronic documents (like course syllabi posted on the web) should be web accessible.