Introduction to Psychology PSYC 1315-001 Summer II 2011 – MTWR 8:00-10:00 AM – LS 100 Instructors: Christopher T. McNabb and Amber L. Harris Offices: 507 & 505 Life Sciences Building Office Hours: Wednesdays, 2:00 pm– 3:00pm. Appointments are preferred. Email: [email protected] and [email protected] (Do not email [email protected]) Before you email us, be sure to read this syllabus. As a general rule, we do not reply to student emails when the answer to their question can easily be found by reading the course syllabus. Department Website: www.uta.edu/psychology Required Textbook “The Science of Psychology: An Appreciative View,” 2nd Edition, by Laura A. King, McGraw-Hill, ISBN: 978-0-07-353206-6, ©2011. This textbook is required, meaning that you will need to read and study from it in order to pass the course. Additionally, there is an online companion to the book that provides study aid and has been beneficial to prior students. Course Business Communication Primary communication will be through university email accounts. The use of Blackboard is also required in this course. Course grades are posted on Blackboard. Go to http://elearn.uta.edu and login with your usual UTA Net ID and password. If you are unfamiliar with how to work within this system, contact the Help Desk in the Central Library. You must bring a photo ID with you. You can also email them for assistance at [email protected]. Please do not use blackboard email to contact us. Course Description The course is a general survey of the various areas of psychology and is intended to provide a scientific basis for understanding thoughts, emotions, and behavior. The course is designed to interest and meet the needs of both majors and non-majors. Course Learning Goals and Objectives Instructional goals are directed toward enabling students to recognize and recall basic facts and describe major concepts and terminology in all fields of psychology. Instructional materials include the assigned textbook, study guide, and lecture presentations. Assessment of mastery of these goals will be via exams with questions that focus on each of the above knowledge skills. Attendance I expect you to attend class. Although attendance is technically not mandatory, students do not do well in this course unless they are present. Students who miss a class meeting, multiple classes, or portions of a class due to absence, tardiness or early departure will be accountable for all of the material that is covered during those sessions. Drop Policy No grade is given if a student drops a course before 5:00pm CST on the Census Date, Jul. 18, 2011. A student may drop a course with a grade of W until Aug. 2, 2011. Dropping a course past this date requires approval of the appropriate official.Assessments There will be three major exams and one comprehensive final exam. Each major exam will cover all of the listed lectures, videos, assigned textbook readings, and other material provided for that exam (see Schedule). All course material merits inclusion on the test. Exams will be taken in class. Students arriving after the scheduled class start time on an exam date are not allowed to take the exam after the first completed exam is turned in. Missed Exams Makeup exam requests will be approved only when appropriate documentation is provided that indicates that compelling circumstances prevented a student from taking a scheduled exam (http://wweb.uta.edu/catalog/content/general/academic_regulations.aspx#4). Examples of such circumstances include funeral attendance, religious holidays, and illness. No information should be provided in a makeup exam request that is private or confidential in nature. A note from a friend or family member is not acceptable documentation. A request for a makeup exam must be made in writing within three days of the missed exam. Any and ALL makeup exams will be taken on Thursday, August 11th from 8:00-10:00AM in LS 100. There will be no opportunity to make-up a makeup exam. Research Participation Requirement The Psychology Department requires that all students taking Introduction to Psychology complete a 6-credit research requirement. This consists of participating in experiments conducted by Department Faculty and their Research Assistants. These experiments are approved by the UT Arlington Human Research Review Committee. A typical 30-minute experiment is worth 0.5-credit. The purpose of the requirement is to give you first-hand knowledge of psychological experimentation. In lieu of participating in experiments, you may choose to write reviews of current research articles. Each review is worth 1-credit. You will not be graded on your performance in an experiment or on your reviews. FAILURE TO COMPLETE THE REQUIREMENT WILL RESULT IN AN INCOMPLETE FOR THE CLASS. You will then need to complete your requirement during the next semester or the incomplete will turn into an “F”. For additional information about this requirement, please go to http://www.uta.edu/psychology and click on Participant Pool Information (in the Links section) to receive a copy of the latest Psychology Pool Handout. More details will be provided in an orientation session and in an information handout. Points are not added to the course grade for completion of the research participation requirement. The Final Course Grade The final course grade will be based on the mean of the three highest out of the four exam grades. Extra credit points will be added to the lowest of the three exam scores that comprise the student’s final grade. If you miss an exam and do not have a University approved excuse for doing so this will be the grade that is dropped from the final average. No information about grades will be sent through email. Grading Format, Weighting/Point Value of Assignments, and Examinations The grade for each exam will be the % correct of exam questions. The minimum points for a letter grade are (A=90, B= 80, C=70, D= 60, and F= below 60). All exams are of equal weight. Rounding will be applied only for the calculation of the course grade. This will consist of raising a decimal fraction of 0.5 or greater to 1. For example, a course grade of 79.5 will be rounded to 80 for a course letter grade of B. A course grade of 79.4 will not be rounded and will yield a course grade of C. This grading policy is not flexible under any circumstances. No consideration for
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