MyUI Descriptions

Every course scheduled on MyUI should have an MyUI description in addition to a Catalog description.

While the Catalog describes the attributes that every course with the same number and title have in common, the MyUI description conveys the particular details of the course that will be offered for the current semester. MyUI descriptions should thus be updated every semester and particularly when a new instructor teaches the course and generally lets students know about assignment, exams, or projects.

A good MyUI description helps students to understand the content and goals of a course and thus can help stabilize enrollments early in the semester since students who register understand the topic and purpose of the course.

MyUI descriptions might also develop the flavor and style of the course, helping students to become aware of the course's importance and relevancy.

A syllabus may now be added to MyUI, visible to students after they log in to their own MyUI portal and visit the course schedule. The syllabus is added using the MAUI offerings planner; talk to your departmental administrator about having your course syllabus added to MyUI.

Although MyUI descriptions will differ from course to course, the best MyUI descriptions are written for a student audience and answer questions about the course that any student might ask.

  • What is the topic of the course—its range and concerns?
  • What are the goals for student learning and why are these important? (GE courses are required to address these partly in terms of GE outcomes.)
  • How does the course enhance a student’s development of academic skills? How are these skills relevant to the student's life or goals?
  • How will students will be evaluated?
  • What is the instructor's approach to the material, both theoretically and pedagogically? How does this relate to the course's structure, content, and methods of evaluation?