I always have an icebreaker for the first meeting of class. I ask the students to find a new friend and interview them, using the hand-out that I give them. Questions include some background information about themselves and then reasons for taking this class. Students introduce their new friend by the answers they received. I also agree that the syllabus needs to be specific, including learning outcomes, course topics to be discussed, an explanation of course assignments, grading, and participation. I liked the idea of included information about missed or late assignments.
