SB1 Update: Resources for Syllabus Posting and Harassment Concerns

It has now been a year since the passage of SB 1, and its effects are being felt in many ways. Some SB 1 requirements are only now being implemented, like the requirement to publicly post course syllabi. We’re here to support you as you deal with these new challenges.

Autumn 2026 Syllabus-Posting & Simple Syllabus

Filling in the mandatory fields in Simple Syllabus, the tech platform that OSU has contracted with for the SB1 syllabus posting requirement, is easier than you might expect. You can find a basic instructional guide to Simple Syllabus, the platform that OSU has contracted with, here. If you want a walk through, OSU’s Office of Technology and Digital Innovation (OTDI) is offering a series of one-hour live workshops on Simple Syllabus. These are designed to help people understand how to use the platform and what is and is not required to be public. There are two upcoming sessions on August 17th and August 26th. To protect yourself, we recommend entering only the required fields in Simple Syllabus.

Reminder: What does SB 1 require, and not require?

Remember, SB 1 does not prohibit you from teaching so-called “controversial topics”! If you’re unclear about certain elements of SB1, know that that’s partly by design: the legislation fails to define its terms and is often ambiguous, which can be weaponized to chill free speech and incentivize over-compliance. For more information, check out our Resource Guide on Interpreting SB1.

In Anticipation of Harassment & Doxxing

We’ve heard from many instructors who are understandably anxious that bad faith actors from outside the university will troll through posted syllabi and harass people for teaching material they don’t approve of. We are here to support you if that happens. 

• Like all AAUP chapters, AAUP-OSU has a committee called Committee A on Academic Freedom and Responsibility that helps faculty who believe their academic freedom is threatened. See our Resources Guide on Committee A to get in touch.

• We have also compiled resources for how to protect your online privacy and address harassment and doxxing. See our Resource Guide on Digital Security & Doxxing. We encourage you to let us know so we can assist and provide support.

Also remember: it is OSU’s responsibility to support you and protect your academic freedom. Within university governance, the University Senate’s Committee on Academic Freedom and Responsibility also works on these issues. Contact: Joel Wainwright.

AAUP-OSU Advocacy for Support

Many other universities have a public protocol for how to support faculty targeted for harassment. Such guides make it easier to navigate crisis situations by clarifying expectations about how academic freedom will be defended - see, for example, the University of Iowa’s Faculty Support & Guidance document and U-Mass Amherst’s U-Mass Amherst’s Resources for Responding to Harassment of UMass Faculty for their Research, Teaching, and Public Engagement. 

While Ohio State unfortunately currently lacks such a guide, AAUP-OSU is advocating for the university and its divisions to adopt one. To volunteer to support this effort contact us.