By default, both the Simple Syllabus tab and the Syllabus tab (for the built-in Canvas syllabus tool) are enabled in the Course Navigation bar.
If you choose to keep the built-in Syllabus tool in the navigation, we recommend making it clear to your students why you have done this and where to find authoritative course information and policies.
Where can students find a summary of assignments?
Both syllabus tabs in CarmenCanvas may include an automatically generated list of assignments and calendar events populated from the course’s Assignments.
- On the Canvas Syllabus page, this is called the Course Summary feature. You can choose to hide the Course Summary on the Canvas Syllabus page.
- In Simple Syllabus, this is the component called Course Details - Canvas Assignment Schedule. You can hide it from students by toggling the visibility from Visible to Hidden.
Discussion Checkpoints, which feature two due dates (one for “Reply to Topic” and one for “Additional Replies Required”) do not currently display with due dates in Simple Syllabus.
- In the Canvas Syllabus tab, Discussion Checkpoints display as two due dates, each in chronological order amidst the other assignment due dates.
- In Simple Syllabus, Discussion Checkpoints display at the top of the Course Details - Canvas Assignment Schedule component without due dates.
As of April 2026, the Simple Syllabus vendor is working on adding Discussion Checkpoints as a feature request. In the meantime, instructors who utilize Discussion Checkpoints extensively in their courses may want to keep the built-in Syllabus tab viewable to students.
Information about Weighted Assignments
If your course uses weighted assignments, the list of assignment groups and weights will display on the right side of the Canvas Syllabus tab. If you hide the Canvas Syllabus tab, students can still see the list of assignment groups and weights on their Grades page. Instructors can see this on the Assignments page.
Simple Syllabus in Undergraduate Courses
Instructors in undergraduate courses may choose to only include components required by Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) in Simple Syllabus and to provide other course details to students in a different location, such as the Canvas Syllabus tab. In such cases, keeping the Canvas syllabus tab viewable to students would be necessary.
Simple Syllabus in Graduate Courses
Graduate courses (courses at the 6000-level and above) will have a Simple Syllabus tab in Carmen but are not required by SB 1 to use it. Instructors who teach these courses may use Simple Syllabus or may opt to remove the Simple Syllabus tab from the course navigation.