Caveat for Change

ECU does not give course syllabi the weight of a legal contract, but it does support it being an agreement between the instructor and students in a course. Therefore, the instructor should include a caveat about when the syllabus may be changed (e.g. “The above schedule and procedures in the course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances.”  This caveat protects the instructor and department if changes in the syllabus need to be made once the course is underway. 

Example

“This syllabus represents a written contractual agreement between us.  Occasionally, it may be necessary to revise this syllabus to meet students’ or university needs.  I reserve the right to revise this syllabus if the need arises.  Advance notification will be provided to you.” (Slagter van Tryon, 2018)