The state law took effect July 1, 2025.
What’s happening
A new Indiana state law took effect July 1 of this year that requires every public institution of higher education to publicly publish all course syllabi via the institution’s website.
What the university is doing
Indiana University is adopting a new platform (called CourseLeaf) that will automatically publish the syllabus for each course as it is entered into the Syllabus component of the Canvas platform for that specific course. This automatic integration will eliminate the need for faculty to manually publish syllabi in multiple locations.
What this means for you
The Syllabus section of the Canvas site for each course you teach will be available for public view.
If you teach a credit-bearing course at Indiana University — whether in the School of Medicine or elsewhere — you must ensure that every course you teach has a syllabus uploaded as a PDF or typed into the Syllabus component of the Canvas site that is automatically established for that course by University Information Technology Services (UITS).
The syllabus requirement does not apply to non-credit-bearing educational experiences, such as resident and fellow rotations.
Important notes:
- The requirement to post your syllabus to Canvas is not new. The Indianapolis Faculty Council endorsed this requirement in 2017.
- The syllabus requirement does not apply to non-credit-bearing educational experiences, such as resident and fellow rotations.
- You may enter your syllabus as a text entry or an attachment in Canvas. As long as the syllabus appears in the Syllabus section, it will be made public, in compliance with the law.
- Need assistance? Check the Knowledge Base article, “Publish Your Course Syllabus in Canvas.”
- The only piece of the Canvas platform that will be published to CourseLeaf and made public will be the Syllabus portion of the course’s Canvas presence. No other course materials will be visible to the public.
When it takes effect
CourseLeaf implementation is happening now. The initial setup displays all course sections offered for the fall 2025 semester. Take time today to ensure the Syllabus section in each of your courses’ Canvas page is accurate and complete. Follow the guidelines below.
Guidelines: What you should include in the Syllabus section of Canvas
While the law does not specify what must be included in each publicly accessible syllabus, the University Faculty Council recommends including the following:
Course details
- Course title, course number and section number
- Mode of course delivery
- Course meeting dates
- Course description as it appears in the course catalog
- Course learning objectives/outcomes
Activity details
- Due dates for assignments and exams.*
- Grading weights/scales
* Be sure to note that dates are subject to change with adequate notification.
Important considerations
Because the Canvas syllabus will be publicly available to anyone via the internet:
- Do not share personal contact information, such as your personal phone number, email address or home address in the Syllabus section of Canvas.
- Do not publish Zoom, Teams or other virtual meeting links in the Syllabus section of Canvas. Include necessary links elsewhere in Canvas (e.g., on assignment pages), only referencing them in the Syllabus section if or as needed.
About CourseLeaf
CourseLeaf is a curriculum and course-management platform. It does not replace Canvas; rather, it will serve as the primary portal for current and prospective students to explore course options.
Additional student and institutional support — such as creating and sharing bulletins, approving courses and curricula, and managing degrees and course catalogs — will be available for faculty exploration at a later date.
Questions?
If you have questions about using Canvas or adding your syllabus, contact the UITS Learning Technologies team. For other questions, contact IU School of Medicine Faculty Affairs and Professional Development (FAPD) at fapd@iu.edu.
Thank you!
We recognize that recent changes at IU — driven by evolving state and federal legislation — have added new layers of complexity to your already demanding roles. The FAPD team deeply appreciates the time, care and dedication you bring to navigating these requirements. Your efforts not only help the university remain compliant, but also uphold the high standards of education we strive to provide for our future scientists and clinicians.
Thank you, sincerely, for all you do.