Syllabus Creation for Enrolled and Non-Enrolled Course Sections
As we continue to make improvements in the syllabus experience and reporting, we want to clarify how syllabi work for enrolled and non-enrolled sections of a course, such as lectures paired with labs. Prior to the Fall 2025 term, a syllabus was created for every section, regardless of whether the section was enrolled or non-enrolled, required or not. This led to confusion and inaccurate reporting, as instructors were unsure which syllabi were actually required. After discussions with leadership and key stakeholders, a decision was made to move forward with creating syllabi only for enrolled sections.
Syllabi are Attached to Enrolled Sections Only
Enrolled sections determine student placement for any associated non-enrolled sections. Enrolled sections also determine textbook adoptions. For these reasons, it was decided that syllabi would only be attached to enrolled sections. This is meant to streamline the syllabus creation process, prevent confusion on what sections need syllabi, and improve compliance reporting.
As an example, an instructor may teach a lecture section that is set up as a non-enrolled section paired with multiple enrolled lab sections. Since students enroll in the lab sections, the syllabus is attached to the lab rather than the non-enrolled lecture section.
How to Show the Syllabus in Canvas
In Canvas, the Course Syllabus link displays the syllabus associated with the section in which a student is enrolled. If an instructor is using a course shell associated with a non-enrolled section, then the enrolled section syllabus would not automatically populate in Canvas. If you are teaching from a non-enrolled lecture shell, there are two ways to ensure students can easily access the correct syllabus:
Link to the enrolled syllabus
You may add a direct link in your Canvas course to the syllabus attached to the enrolled section. This can be added in an announcement, page, or a link added to a module. Wherever you choose.Request a course merge
You can request that the enrolled and non-enrolled Canvas course shells be merged by submitting a help ticket (Click on the Canvas tile and then Canvas Course Stacking Request). Combining course shells allows you to manage content in one course shell while ensuring students still see the correct syllabus tied to their enrollment. This would allow students to see the correct syllabus in the Course Syllabus navigation link.
We are currently working on an enhancement that will automatically pull meeting times and locations from non-enrolled sections into the associated enrolled syllabi. This will help ensure all relevant scheduling information is visible to students in one place. This update should be completed soon.
If you have questions about your specific course setup or would like help choosing the best option, please reach out to us at syllabus@fscj.edu. We are happy to help!