Essentially, the syllabus is a physical artifact outlining key structural elements of a course. It often serves contractual, record keeping, and/or communication functions. It is the place where faculty describe what content they will cover, what books and articles their students will read, the assignments they will complete, dates when things are due, and all the policies and rules that are supposed to keep everyone happy and out of trouble. The authors argue that the syllabus' primary function should be as a learning tool, one that is carefully crafted through a systematic course design process. The results of this study suggest that not only does the syllabus matter, the type of syllabus matters. When students read a learning-focused syllabus, they have significantly more positive perceptions of the document itself, the course described by the syllabus, and the instructor associated with the course.