University Archives Syllabus Collection

About the Collection

ºÚÁÏÍø has been collecting campus syllabi going back to the 1960's. While the early years of the syllabi collection are sparse, over time more syllabi were submitted to the University Archives. In 2004, with an update in 2011, the Academic Senate formed the policy statement (Academic Senate Policy Statement 11-07) that covers ºÚÁÏÍø syllabi. This policy impacts the creation of syllabi in departments, as well as the submission of syllabi to the University Archives. Please note that University Archives does not collect standard course outlines. 

Why do we collect campus syllabi?

The syllabi are one of the most frequently requested items that are housed in University Archives. Below are a few examples of what they are used for:

  • Students applying to new schools and programs use the syllabi to prove what material they have already learned so they don’t have to repeat a course. Universities review course equivalencies for transfers.  
  • Syllabi are used during the accreditation process.
  • Departments request old syllabi for course creation, review, or for new professors. 
  • Syllabi have been used to review and update the GE requirements for all students. 

Requests for Historical ºÚÁÏÍø Syllabi

If you need one or more syllabi from University Archives, please complete this . You will need the following information for each syllabus you are requesting:

Department, Course number, Year, Semester

For example: ENGL 100 1994 Spring

Keep in mind, historically we have not received every syllabus from every department, professor, or class. We will do our best to locate a syllabus from as close to your request as possible.

Information for ºÚÁÏÍø Departments and Programs

Syllabi can be turned in via a shared OneDrive link, or other digital means that has been discussed with University Archives. Please contact them to obtain the correct email address to send your OneDrive link to. We accept all semester syllabi: Spring, Summer, Winter, and Fall. 

Each Spring and Fall, syllabi are due by the University Census date which can always be found on the Key Dates and Deadlines page, under "Registration".

Syllabi must be submitted in Word or PDF format.

An example of the standard naming convention we use is ENGL_100-01_2024_SP_Professorlastname. Please try and name your files in a similar fashion. University Archives are responsible for over 9,000 syllabi a semester and we cannot rename all of them on our own. 

Any questions can be directed to LIB-Archives@csulb.edu or (562) 985-4087