Upload a Syllabus

Upload a Syllabus

Info
This article will be most useful for syllabus editors, instructors, and faculty trainers at institutions that use unstructured syllabi (uploaded files).

Overview

There are lots of different ways that institutions can configure Concourse. If your institution opted for the unstructured syllabus package, also called Concourse Starter, then instructors and other syllabus editors upload a file to courses rather than creating and editing syllabi within Concourse. Concourse can accept any file type, with the only limitation being a maximum file size of 100MB. 

Before You Begin

Before you begin uploading files, there are some important guidelines to keep in mind:
  1. Courses have to be created in Concourse before files can be uploaded. If users attempt to access a syllabus for a future course and receive an error message that the course does not yet exist, then it is not possible to upload a file until the course has been created by a System Administrator.
  2. Any user with edit permission can upload or replace a syllabus file. At your institution, this may be instructors, program chairs, instructional designers, or other roles. Your institution determines which users are able to upload syllabus files; if you have any questions about the user groups that can add files, contact your System Administrator. 
  3. A syllabus file should be complete before it is uploaded to Concourse. Once a file has been uploaded to Concourse, users can no longer edit the uploaded file. Any additional changes must be made in the external tool used to create the file, and then a new version of the file must be uploaded to Concourse (see Replace a Syllabus below).
  4. Although Concourse can accept any file type, only PDFs display directly to users. If another file type (.doc, .docx, .txt, etc.) is uploaded, users are presented with a link to download the file (see image below).

Upload a Syllabus

Uploading a syllabus to Concourse is a fast and easy process. With just a few clicks, you can add your PDF or other document type to your course in Concourse.
  1. Access the syllabus where the file is to be uploaded.
  2. Select the Syllabus dropdown menu and then Upload (see image below).

    The Syllabus dropdown is selected; View and Upload are highlighted in dark blue.

  3. Select File and then choose the file from your device’s file explorer (see image below).

    The block to upload a syllabus includes options to select the file, a status bar to identify the selected file, and an upload link.

  4. Select Upload.
  5. The uploaded document displays in the Concourse window if it is a PDF; if the document is another file type, users will find a link to download the document.

Replace a Syllabus

If you uploaded the incorrect document, it’s easy to replace the file. To replace the syllabus file:
  1. Access the syllabus where the file is to be uploaded.
  2. Select the Syllabus dropdown menu and then Upload, the same as when you add a syllabus file.
  3. On the following page, select Replace and then choose the file from your device’s file explorer (see image below). 

    The Edit Syllabus block shows statistics about the existing file, including its file size. At the bottom of the block, users can select to Replace the file and then Save or Back.

  4. Select Save.
  5. The new document displays in the Concourse window if it is a PDF; if the document is another file type, users will find a link to download the document.

Best Practices and Recommendations

When preparing a file to upload to Concourse, keep the following recommendations in mind:
  1. Many students access Concourse on mobile devices; as a result, downloading non-PDF files may be a bit more challenging for these users. Remember that PDFs display directly in the Concourse window without additional intervention. Although you can upload any file type, we recommend that you save your files as PDF because that format is easiest for all users to access, especially students on mobile devices,
  2. As a tool, Concourse is accessible to users with disabilities; however, if you upload a file that is not accessible, users with disabilities will not be able to perceive and/or engage with it. We strongly encourage you to follow your institution’s guidance about creating accessible syllabus documents.