In addition to clarifying our course policies, the syllabus serves other important functions--it welcomes students to our course and sets the tone for the entire semester. It is often the first thing that students see from us, whether they are sitting in our classroom on the first day of instruction or poking around our online course before they begin work.

Much research about the impact course syllabi can make on students has been done. To summarize The Center for Urban Education's findings in "The Syllabus: A Tool that Shapes Students' Academic Experiences":

The language we choose to use makes an impression on students; they can see us as either welcoming or condescending depending on our tone.
Explicitly inviting students to come to us for help makes students more likely to do so, which alleviates students' anxiety.
When we use punitive language in our syllabi, students feel we expect them not to succeed.
Students of color are affected more by the language in our syllabi than other students.

In the document below, notice the difference between the welcoming and unwelcoming language.

syllabus review v10.pdf