Accessible Syllabus Template with Instructions

Office 2007 accessible syllabus template: AccessibleSyllabusTemplate.dotx*

* Use Firefox to open or save the .dotx file for best results. Internet Explorer 7 or Internet Explorer 8 will recognize and download the file with a .zip extension. Without extracting the .zip file, you can rename the file in Windows Explorer or My Computer so that it has a .dotx extension instead of .zip. It will then open and function as desired.

1. While viewing this page in Firefox, click on the AccessibleSyllabusTemplate.dotx link.
2. If you'd like to save the template for future use, save it to a location that is easy to remember and navigate to. Otherwise, choose the option to open the file in Microsoft Word.
3. Microsoft Word will open a new document based on the template.
4. Save the document with a meaningful and descriptive name before moving on. Word will prompt you to save it as a .docx file, which is the default document type for Word. Be sure to save it with the .docx file extension.
5. The template is set up with styles in a manner that will make the resulting document accessible to screen reading software. The styles include headings that result in the document having a hierarchal structure:
   
   
    
6. Now you will be able to begin filling out the fields of the accessible syllabus. This is how it should initially appear:
   
   
    
7. When you enter a field (when it has the focus) it will appear highlighted like the field shown above. Simply begin typing to replace the placeholder text. When you begin typing the field will be replaced by text that uses either the Normal or IndentedParagraph style.
8. If you wish to have text appear immediately below the previous line and not in a new paragraph, you can do so by hitting Shift and Enter.
9. If you wish to paste text into the fields from another program or document, see the section of this page that describes how to Match Destination Formatting when pasting content in Word 2007.
10. After you have typed the text you want to appear in the field, you can move to the next field by pressing the ↓ (down arrow) key. You can also click on the field with the mouse to select it and begin typing.
    
    
     
11. The last dates that students can Drop or Withdraw from a class can be found on DSU's Academic Calendar.
12. For the Approved course description:, you can use the Search for Sections option in WebAdvisor to find the course. Once the search results are shown, click the link of the class name to display information that includes a catalog description of the course.
13. If you do not use all of the "Optional" or "Additional" sections, I suggest replacing the placeholder text with None.
14. Links to the final exam schedule can be found on DSU's Academic Calendar.
15. Keep the following points in mind when adding any content to the document:
    • If you insert or paste more text at the end of the document, apply the Heading1 and Heading2 styles as appropriate. Use these steps to do so:
      1. Select the text that should be a heading.
         
         
          
      2. On the Home tab, click the Heading1 style in the Styles group.
         
         
          
      3. The text should now appear as a main heading.
         
         
          
    • Any images that are inserted or pasted into the document should have an Alt attribute. Use these steps to add the Alt attribute to an image:
      1. Right click on the image and choose Size...
      2. Choose the Alt tab near the top of the Size dialog.
         
         
          
      3. Replace the default text (usually the filename of the image) in the Alternative text: textbox. Use descriptive text so that screen reading software is able to describe the image. If the image is simply decorative, use a blank space for the Alt Text so that screen reading software will know to skip over the image.
    • If you insert or paste another/other table(s), the table should have table headers. The Tentative Course Outline and Schedule table included with the template has table headers. Use these steps to ensure that any additional tables have headers:
      1. Place the cursor anywhere inside the table and click the Table Tools Design tab on the Ribbon.
         
         
          
      2. In the Table Style Options group Make sure Header Row and First Column options are selected.
         
         
          
      3. Move the cursor up to the top header row and click the Table Tools Layout tab on the Ribbon.
         
         
          
      4. Select the Repeat Header Rows option in the Data group.
         
         
          
      5. With these options chosen, the table will have a heading row at the top even if it spans multiple pages.
         
         

Match Destination Formatting when Pasting Content in Word 2007

To configure Word 2007 to use the formatting styles of the document you paste content in, follow these steps:

1. Click the circular Office button found in the upper left corner of the Word window.
   
   
    
2. Select Word Options found in the lower right of the menu.
   
   
    
3. Select Advanced from the options in the left menu of the Word Options dialog.
   
   
    
4. If the settings in the Cut, copy, and paste section are still set to the default, it will have the paste settings set to Keep Source Formatting (Default).
   
   
    
5. To ensure that any content pasted into the accessible syllabus document uses the styles in the template, set the "Pasting" options to use the destination styles and click OK.