The "syllabus" is a course outline that college or university professors typically distribute to their students the first day of class. Syllabi vary considerably in length and content. Some, for example, are a page long and merely list the course and instructor's name, readings and assignments. Others are elaborate documents that include everything from basic information about the instructor to detailed course goals and learning objectives.

Since the mid-1980s learning specialists have devoted increasing attention to syllabi. The last decade in particular has seen a growing number of publications, conference presentations, university initiatives, and websites devoted to course syllabi: what to include, and why. For many faculty members, the growing use of the Web has also changed the format and content of their syllabi. Researchers, academic groups and universities have consistently encouraged faculty to examine models of good syllabi, and to provide their students with more comprehensive syllabi. Moreover, they have encouraged them to do so in the context of a reflective overall teaching model. The learning-centred model is currently the most popular one.

Most faculty members in North America, however, have had very little exposure to this attention given to syllabi – let alone to thinking critically about different teaching models. Faculty teaching their first courses are particularly in need of guidance in this regard. For this reason, some academic societies have prepared websites containing examples of syllabi in their field to consult, with instructors to contact for help. In addition, instructional development offices in several universities have established workshops and websites to explore examples of "best practice."

This project was initiated, and continues to be invigorated, by the AAR Committee on Teaching and Learning, and by graduate students. It is supported by college and university teachers who choose to share their course syllabi with their colleagues. Driving this project is the AAR's commitment to promote and improve teaching.

The AAR Syllabus Project was created with the following goals in mind:

1. To offer faculty who are designing new syllabi or revising old ones access to other teachers' course syllabi, allowing them to appreciate how others have organized material, selected reading assignments, and used audio-visual aids;
2. To promote an exchange of ideas about pedagogical practices, such as how course requirements reinforce course goals, how pedagogical techniques enhance the learning process, and how courses develop student interest in the study of religion.

Syllabi on this site are in the public domain. As a way of modeling academic integrity and collegiality for our students we suggest that if major sections are adopted from this site they be acknowledged on any resulting syllabi. Contributors retain all publishing rights to their own syllabi.  The presence of a syllabus on this site does not imply endorsement of its content by the AAR.

The Committee on Teaching and Learning encourages teachers to share their most creative course syllabi with others on this site. Communicating innovative, varied models of good teaching through readily-accessible course syllabi is one way to contribute to the future formation of teacher-scholars in our field.