A Win for Syllabus Transparency

The University System of Georgia recently adopted a new policy promoting curricular transparency at all 26 of its public institutions. This is the latest in a series of reforms that have made USG institutions better places for student learning and more accountable to the public.

On May 15, 2025, the USG Board of Regents voted to require that “all institutions within the University System of Georgia shall post course syllabi on their public websites.” The new policy stipulates that required readings, key learning objectives, course descriptions, grading policies, attendance policies, and academic-integrity statements must be included on syllabi. In a letter to university presidents, USG chancellor Sonny Perdue wrote that the new policy “will ensure that students receive information about the course content, the requirements of the course, and the methods of evaluation employed.”

This is the latest in a series of reforms that have made Georgia institutions more accountable to the public. The Martin Center has promoted syllabus transparency since 2008, when Jay Schalin called on states to make syllabi public in his report, “Opening Up the Classroom: Greater Transparency through Better, More Accessible Course Information.” In that document, Schalin noted four important reasons for posting such material online: “to aid students as they register for courses, to expose a professor’s deviation from normal expectations or acceptable academic standards, to aid in pedagogical research and information sharing, and to make comparisons between classes at different universities easier for the determination of transfer credits.”

Georgia’s commitment to transparency will ensure that its institutions provide value. In adopting this reform, USG joins several other states and state systems. Texas, Florida, Indiana, and Ohio have all passed legislation mandating syllabus transparency, while the Utah System of Higher Education requires syllabi for all mandatory courses to be posted to a publicly searchable database.

In the past, USG regents have also adopted laudable policies on post-tenure review (2021) and academic freedom (2023).

Speaking specifically about the board’s 2023 adoption of a new academic-freedom policy, board chair Harold Reynolds told the Martin Center via email, “I think the lesson learned is governing bodies and academic leadership must be vigilant to safeguard basic principles of freedom of expression and the encouragement of differing viewpoints on the campuses of our colleges and universities.”

The board also adopted new equal-opportunity, civics-education, institutional-neutrality, and free-speech policies in 2024.

In a statement to Campus Reform, USG explained its recent policy reforms:

These proposed updates strengthen USG’s academic communities. They allow institutions to foster a campus environment where people have the freedom to share their thoughts and learn from one another through objective scholarship and inquiry. They reflect an unyielding obligation to protect freedom, provide quality higher education and promote student success.

USG’s recent commitments to transparency, excellence, equal opportunity, and academic freedom will ensure that its institutions provide value to Georgia students and citizens. More states and boards should follow USG’s lead.

Jenna A. Robinson is president of the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal.