Simple syllabus is a third-party syllabus management system that integrates into Canvas. It is a centralized and template-driven to help instructors quickly create, personalize, and publish consistent digital course syllabi.  

Simple Syllabus supports the entire syllabus-creation and publishing process by providing a centralized platform that ensures syllabi are consistently produced, automatically posted on time, retained for the required direction, and accessible to students. 

Access to building and editing templates is restricted to UF Academic Affairs. The University of Florida developed a comprehensive template at the institutional level that mostly attends the needs of courses across different colleges. 

Please contact Simple-Syllabus@ufl.edu for specific requests at the college and department levels.  

University of Florida has provided several resources to support faculty in using Simple Syllabus. These include: 

Center for Teaching Excellence 

• Instructor Best Practices for Simple Syllabus 

• Teaching Sparks: Simple Syllabus Walk Through with Faculty 

UFIT Help Desk 

• Support for Canvas integration of the Simple Syllabus tool 

UF Human Resources 

• Getting started with Simple Syllabus Toolkit 

These materials are designed to help faculty understand the platform, meet state requirements, and efficiently create or transition their syllabi.  

Visit UF Simple Syllabus Library to locate a syllabus. This site serves as the central index for college and departmental syllabus pages across the university, in accordance with UF’s policy requiring publicly visible syllabi.  

When searching by course number, include a space between course letter code and number code (e.g. EME 6606). You may also search by instructor’s name. Please note that the search may return to syllabi where the instructor’s name appears in other contexts. All syllabi uploaded to UF Simple Syllabus Library are fully searchable by keywords. 

1. Check if you are logged in to Simple Syllabus.
2. If you still cannot see your syllabus, contact your college scheduler and make sure you are added as the instructor of the course in the SIS. 
3. If you are the assigned instructor of the course in the SIS, but still cannot see the syllabus, please send an e-mail to Simple-Syllabus@ufl.edu 

You must be logged in to edit your syllabi in Simple Syllabus. To log in to Simple Syllabus, go to UF Simple Syllabus Library. Select the My Profile icon at the top right of the screen and LOGIN in the drop-down menu. For more information refer to Create a Syllabus.

Please refer to Import a Published Simple Syllabus.docx 

The visibility button controls whether a syllabus component is visible or invisible. In some cases, this setting may be locked in the “ON”, which often means the component is required. When available, you can use this toggle to decide whether a component should be visible or kept hidden.  

This button toggles between two options that instructors can choose from to make their syllabus content visible only to students in their course, or to the public.  
 
If the section is locked, then the Public/Private option will not be available. 

Yes. Simple Syllabus allows instructors to make certain information private, meaning that only students can view. 

While syllabi must be publicly accessible to comply with state requirements, we understand faculty concerns about the significant time and intellectual effort involved in course design, including the development of assignments, readings, and instructional materials that faculty may not want reused without permission.  

To make a syllabus section private, toggle the section from "Public" to "Private." 

Please note, that any section that is locked at the administrative level will not have the Public/Private toggle enabled. 

Certain sections are required to remain public, and those sections are most likely locked. Any section that is unlocked can be adjusted to the professor's needs. 

Watch Visible/Invisible and Public/Private Toggles video.  

To enable Simple Syllabus in Canvas, follow the steps below: 

Open Your Course 

• Sign into Canvas and open the course where you want the syllabus. 

Go to Settings 

• Scroll to the bottom of the left-hand navigation. 
• Click Settings.

Open the Navigation Tab 

• Select Navigation at the top of the Settings page. 

Add Simple Syllabus to the Course Menu 

• Find Simple Syllabus in the hidden items section. 
• Drag it up to the visible navigation area or click the three-dot menu and choose Enable. 
• Scroll down and click Save. 

Note: On May 1st, 2026, Simple Syllabus will be visible in the course navigation by default. 

Yes, there is a preview option that displays the student-facing version of the syllabus as it appears in the Class Search. As you build your Simple Syllabus, you can click the Preview button to see how it will appear in the final version without having to publish it first. 

Visit the Simple Syllabus Toolkit on the UF HR website for more guidance. 

All fields marked as required must be completed. Your syllabus content cannot be submitted until all required sections are filled in with the relevant information. 

Certain sections in Simple Syllabus are locked because they are controlled at the university level. These fields are automatically populated from UF’s official systems and cannot be edited by instructors. 

Yes, you should be able to edit the components that are available for editing after submitting your syllabus. However, it is highly recommended that no changes are made after the first day of class.

Yes. After you submit your syllabus, Simple Syllabus automatically generates a print-ready, text-based PDF. While you can download or print this PDF, the online version remains the most accessible, so be sure to review the PDF for accessibility if you plan to share it.  

To print, go to the top of your course’s Simple Syllabus page and select the “Print” button. A new tab will open with the PDF version, which you can then download or print as needed. 

No. Grading schemes in Canvas do not link or transfer automatically to Simple Syllabus, they must be set up separately in each system.  

Yes. Simple Syllabus is fully compatible with mobile phones, tablets, and other portable devices, and is designed to remain accessible across a range of platforms. 

Simple Syllabus will most likely be available to faculty prior to Canvas shells. Canvas shells are available based on Schedule of Courses (SOC) timelines.

The university is working on including the course attestation process into Simple Syllabus and will provide additional information once the integration is completed.

For support staff to have edit access in Simple Syllabus, they would need their DSA to request the UF_N_SIMPLE_SYLLBS_SUPPORT role. The requester must include the details about the org/subject/course level access needed.

For Anyone to have reporting access in Simple Syllabus, they would need their DSA to request the UF_N_SIMPLE_SYLLBS_REPORTER role. The requester must include the college(s) they need access to.

The UF Simple Syllabus template was developed at the institutional level for consistency purposes. The template is comprehensive and highly customizable, as Simple Syllabus allows instructors and syllabi managers to add components, in addition to the existing ones.

Even if your college or department chose to have a template created at the college or department level, the editing access is still granted only at the institutional level (Academic Affairs).

Got to Simple Syllabus | Center for Teaching Excellence for more information on research-based strategies for building your Simple Syllabus.