It does seem like creating a syllabus for a course I have already taught live wouldn't be so difficult. However, things change when developing an online course. There is an expectation that the syllabus be interactive so that studetns can easily find what they are looking for and search through topics easily.
Additionally, the provisions for when the instructor and TAs are available need to be structured differently. Virtutal office hours may be necessary to accommodate students. However, it seems that in a virtual environment students are less likely to be available during the traditional office hours of campus instructors or faculty and TAs. To alleviate some of these problems, I have added a frequently asked questions discussion post that will be checked daily by the TAs and myself. I am hoping this will help the students have access to question answers at more convenient times of the day for them, as well as cut down on multiple e-mails with the same or similar questions.
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You're right that a challenge for an online course is developing a rapport with the students and being able to answer their questions and hear their comments. Your FAQ discussion post is a good idea for answering questions that other students probably will have, too. And you've addressed an important part of the FAQ success -- having an established process for regularly checking and monitoring the post. Whether the course is online or face-to-face, students often expect almost immediate response to e-mails or online posts. I'm interested in what you'll establish as guidelines for your response to their contacts.
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