Syllabus Agreement

And if it were a contract, I would tend to accept these criticisms, but this program is not a contract, it is a living document that reflects the experiences, emotions, philosophies and goals that I put into a particular course. At the beginning of my career, I was advised to make my course a « contract ». A description of essential elements of the curriculum would be beyond the scope of this article. However, best practices for the development of legally secure curricula include detailed clarification with regard to course requirements. As in preventive medicine, early attention to the content and format of a cure plan can prevent and mitigate subsequent complications. Faculty members embarking on the intellectual journey of curriculum development, particularly members of the Junior Faculty, can use the information provided in this article to evaluate and possibly improve their curricula. Some authors and academic websites explicitly state that a school program is a contract between the teacher and the students.9,41,44-46 Asserting that a curriculum is a contract could lead to a different legal outcome. While there is no harm in thinking that a course is a contract, there may be a legal risk of proclaiming it so.47 In none of the legal precedents has the faculty member characterized his or her curriculum as a contract. According to estoppel doctrine, faculty members who verbalize that their programs are contracts risk being treated as such. Estoppel is the principle that prevents a person from asserting what goes against what is involved in that person`s previous act or testimony or a previous court decision47 A course outline provides pharmacy students with a roadmap for achieving course learning objectives and developing lifelong learning skills.

For several decades, the literature has referred to higher education programmes as legal documents and/or contracts between students and professors. A review of legal precedents shows that school curricula are not considered contracts because the courts have so far refused to recognize abuse of education or breach of contract as a means of redress. However, curricula are a trigger for teaching and grade claims, may be mandatory for students on appeal, and are used in lawsuits. Members of the Faculty of Pharmacy should review their curricula and follow process improvement strategies in order to develop legally correct curricula that can both improve learning and minimize the risk of student complaints and objections. . . .