A first-class syllabus can help promote effective, efficient and engaging learning, but traditional syllabi too often fail to attain this purpose. This paper describes and illustrates a syllabus review check-list that was designed to assist faculty at a major university to adopt a problem-centered approach to their courses. The check-list enables the user to identify a typical syllabus; a more effective, efficient and engaging instructional syllabus; and an even more effective, efficient and engaging problem-centered syllabus. The review of the syllabi of 52 faculty members from a major university is reported.