Demographic Factors and Student Preferences on the Syllabus in the Principles of Accounting Course (Report‪)‬

ABSTRACT At one time, the course syllabus was a one-page document. Today's typical college syllabus is a multiple-page document that addresses a number of issues and contingencies. This paper presents the results of a survey of 1,726 students from 31 universities in 19 states regarding the course syllabus. The survey instrument was administered during the spring 2002 term and contained 28 items that previous research indicates are likely to appear on a course syllabus. The primary purpose of this study is to assess the relative importance students in the Principles of Accounting course place on different items that frequently appear on a course syllabus. The results are analyzed by the following demographic characteristics: gender, age, years of college experience, and grade point average. The findings of the study indicate that students do not attach the same amount of importance to all syllabus components and that the level of perceived importance varies by the demographic factors. Faculty members may use the findings of this study to adjust their syllabi to improve communication to different types of students.