Based on the default settings of most browsers, the file will likely be saved to your Downloads folder. You should be able to open the file from that folder or from the bottom of some browser windows.
Save the document with a meaningful and descriptive name before moving on. Be sure to save it with the .docx file extension.
If you would eventually like to save your syllabus as a PDF file, please be sure to use the steps in this document: Save Accessible Word Document as PDF
The template is set up with styles in a manner that will make the resulting document accessible to screen reading software. The styles include headings that result in the document having a hierarchical structure shown below. You can click View → Navigation Pane on the Word Ribbon to view this structure (you can click any of the headings in the Navigation Pane to be taken to that section in the document).
Course Prefix, Number, and Title
Credits
University Name
Academic Term/Year
Last date to Drop and receive 100% refund
Last date to Withdraw and earn a grade of “W”
Course Meeting Time and Location
Instruction Information
Name
Office
Phone Number(s)
Email Address
Office Hours
Approved Course Description
Catalog Description
Additional Course Information
Prerequisites
Course Prerequisite(s)
Technology Skills
Student Learning Outcomes
Course Materials
Required Textbook(s)
Required Supplementary Materials
Optional Materials
Course Delivery and Instructional Methods
Communication and Feedback
Preferred Email Contact Method
Email Response Time
Feedback on Assignments
Requirements for Course Interaction
Evaluation Procedures
Assessments
Final Examination
Performance Standards and Grading Policy
Tentative Course Outline and Schedule
Student Success Services and Supports
ADA Accommodations
DSU Knowledge Base
D2L Support for Students
Classroom Policies
Attendance and Make-up Policy
DSU Policies
Complaint Procedure
Grade Appeal Policy
Student Verification Statement and Proctoring Policy
South Dakota Board of Regents Policy Statements
Freedom in Learning Statement
ADA Statement
Academic Dishonesty and Misconduct
Acceptable Use of Technology
Emergency Alert Communication
Now you will be able to begin filling out the fields of the accessible syllabus. This is how it should initially appear:
When you enter a field (when it has the focus) it will appear highlighted like the field shown above. Simply begin typing to replace the placeholder text. When you begin typing the field will be replaced by text that uses either the Normal or IndentedParagraph style.
If you wish to have text appear immediately below the previous line and not in a new paragraph, you can do so by hitting Shift and Enter.
After you have typed the text you want to appear in the field, you can move to the next field by pressing the ↓ (down arrow) key. You can also click on the field with the mouse to select it and begin typing.
The last dates that students can Drop or Withdraw from a class can be found on DSU’s Academic Calendar.
For the Approved course description:, you can use the course description from the DSU Catalog.
If you do not use all of the “Optional” or “Additional” sections, I suggest replacing the placeholder text with None.
Links to the final exam schedule can be found on DSU’s Academic Calendar.
Keep the following points in mind when adding any content to the document:
If you insert or paste more text at the end of the document, apply the Heading1 and Heading2 styles as appropriate. Use these steps to do so:
Select the text that should be a heading.
On the Home tab, click the Heading1 style in the Styles group.
The text should now appear as a main heading.
Any images that are inserted or pasted into the document should have an Alt Text attribute. Use these steps to add the Alt Text attribute to an image:
Right click on the image and choose the View Alt Text… option (or select the image, click the Picture Format tab, and then click the Alt Text button):
Alt Text provides alternative, text-based representations of the information contained in tables, diagrams, images, and other objects. This information is useful for people with vision or cognitive impairments who may not be able to see or understand the object.
To ensure that the document is free of accessibility errors after it has been completed, click the Review tab and then the Check Accessibility button: The Accessibility pane should appear on the right side of the window. If the document is free of accessibility issues, the Accessibility Inspection Results will display the message shown below:
