The Value of a Syllabus

My wife is a professor, and I am not new to the art and science of higher education. I've witnessed and participated in the formation and interpretation of syllabi for over a decade. Every semester, we change hers for all her classes to be sure it accurately reflects the structure of the course, her expectations, the learning outcomes, and fully detailed descriptions of the assignments to be completed in that term. As a student, I expect the syllabus I receive from my professor to do the same things. There is a fundamental problem with the leadership of a class when expectations are vague, requirements are nebulous, and changes are made in the final hours which are to the detriment of the student. A syllabus should be the guide both student and professor can refer to when there is confusion or disagreement about assignments, readings, or requirements. It is the "way to the A" as my wife always tells her students. In LIS 2000, the syllabus was already corrected once to make the assignment/reading due dates clearer, due to general confusion on the part of the students. It appears that did little good. Mere days before one of our essays is due, heavily weighted in point value, the professor(s) inform us that the general statement in the syllabus of "outside sources" actually has a required number attached. This should have been included in the syllabus from the beginning and not on a blackboard post. Many people begin researching and preparing essays from the beginning of a course. They don't all wait until the week before it's due. To change the requirements, and I do consider this a change, is poor management. It is a change because the student can not plan their research process by divining the professor's true intentions. We can only proceed from the information provided. In particular, it is imperative that a professor be sure they are communicating fully and transparently their desires and intentions when they are teaching distance classes. These classes are already work intensive and this change adds more work to those of us who already began writing, or who finished their first draft. Finding and incorporating several more outside sources into a formed paper of no small length, and being sure to fit into the word limit for fear of losing points, is added stress and work in a program already rife with both. The only way I am going to keep up with the pace is to work on assignments long before they are due. This change is going to alter the schedule I was able to maintain thus far and instead of keeping pace, will I'm afraid put me where I least wanted to be, always rushing. If my wife pulled a stunt like this, I would be shocked at her disorganization, her lack of perspective, and the utter irresponsibility evident in her actions. Student and professor are linked in the educational process by a social contract. It is the student's responsibility to be prepared to learn, to turn in assignments on time and fully completed, to think deeply and share their thoughts. The professor must uphold their end of the bargain by being clear, communicating effectively, making themselves available to the students, and providing clear directives about the requirements and expectations of the course. I'm afraid this class and these professors have lost the trust of the students and in effect their ability to be influential.