1 Psy 140 Introduction to Psychology Course Syllabus Semester: Fall 2009 Section: 140/H50 Time: Lecture 01:00PM - 04:19PM Days: Saturdays Dates: 08/29/2009-12/19/2009 PLUS 16-hrs guided learning Location: James McDivitt Hall, Room 209 Instructor: Liz O’Dell Email: [email protected] Office Hrs.: by appointment Required Text: Psychology, 9th ed., by Myers, Worth Publishing Company. Optional Text: Student Study Guide. Course Description: Overview of the field of psychology, including learning, development, emotion, motivation, personality, abnormal behavior and psychotherapy. (From JCC Catalog, 2009-10). Introduction: Psychology 140 is designed as a survey course. We will examine the fundamental principles and current developments that have contributed to the growth of Psychology. As such, the course will be comprehensive in nature and broad in design. Throughout this class emphasis will be placed on you mastering the material presented in both a theoretical and practical context. Consequently, it is expected that you will devote sufficient time and energy to accomplish this goal. You will be expected to think deeply and critically about Psychology—in essence, to think like a psychologist. In order to do this, you will have to work hard, confront your “road blocks to learning,” examine and understand your cognitive and learning styles, attribution styles, heuristics, our pre-conceived ideas and attitudes regarding human behavior, and be open to thinking in a new, more critical way. Attendance: You must attend class in order to successfully complete this course! Attendance points are earned through activities completed in class and through sign-in sheets. Activities completed in class will be summarized online and given formal points. Additionally, starting with the second absence and thereafter, fifty points for each absence will be deducted from the final grade. Attendance is taken at the end of each class period. Come to class prepared and engaged.2 Online Work: This is a hybrid course. You are expected to check the class websites and complete the work as described. No late assignments are accepted. Take due dates seriously! Plan on spending a considerable amount of time online. If you do not have a personal computer and workspace at home, arrange to be at the computer labs on campus. You must have access to a computer. Our class site is found at: http://jetnet.jccmi.edu/ - Assignments - Forums - Tests - Activities of all sorts for EACH week! - ALL work is turned in via this site - Grades are compiled on this site Tests: Tests are online. Due dates are clearly indicated. No make-up tests, period. Your lowest test scores will be dropped when computing your final grade. Grading Policy: The grade you earn in the course will be based on the average grade you receive on all graded work. The grade/percentage relationship is presented below: Grade Percent 4.0 100-90 3.5 89-88 3.0 87-75 2.5 74-73 2.0 72-60 1.5 59 1.0 58-50 .5 51-50 0.0 49 or below Incomplete Grade Policy: An incomplete will be considered when, in my opinion, your work is sufficient in quality but is lacking in quantity to meet with course objectives. An incomplete may be removed by satisfactorily meeting the course objectives during either of the next full-length semesters or at an earlier date specified by me. (Incomplete grades are very rare!) Withdrawal/Drop Policy: It is important to note that if you decide for whatever reason that you do not want to complete this course, you must officially withdraw by completing a withdrawal form (which can be obtained in the Student Center) on or before the official withdrawal deadline. After that date, your grade will be determined by the grades you’ve earned. In some cases, this could mean a 0.0 final grade. Audit Policy: Audit is an option to attend a course without receiving credit. To register for an audit grade, (or to change from credit to audit), the request must be completed in the Registrar’s Office at the time of initial registration or during the ADD/DROP period for the class.3 Instructor/Student Contact: The best way to reach me is by messaging me on JetNet. You may also email at [email protected]. Please email me through your JCC account so that it is not disregarded as spam. If you contact me on a Sunday, I will get back to you on the following Monday. Most weekdays, I am able to return email within 24 hrs. Academic Honesty Policy: Academic honesty is expected of all students. It is the ethical behavior that includes producing their own work and not representing others’ work as their own, either by plagiarism, by cheating, or by helping others do so. Plagiarism is the failure to give credit for the use of material from outside sources. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to: - Using data, quotations, or paraphrases from other sources without adequate documentation - Submitting others’ work as your own - Exhibiting other behaviors generally considered unethical Cheating means obtaining answers/materials from an outside source without authorization. Cheating includes, but is not limited to: - Plagiarizing in all forms - Using notes/books without authorization - Copying - Altering graded work - Falsifying data - Exhibiting other behaviors generally considered unethical Collaboration: While JCC encourages students to collaborate in study groups, work teams, and with lab partners, each student should take responsibility for accurately representing his/her own contribution. Consequences/Procedures: Faculty members who suspect a student of academic dishonesty may penalize the student by taking appropriate action up to and including assigning a failing grade for the paper, project, report, exam, or the course itself. Instructors should document instances of academic dishonesty in writing to the Dean of Faculty. Student Appeal Process: In the event of a dispute, both students and faculty should follow the Conflict Resolution Policy. This policy is presented in the Student Rights and Responsibilities (student handbook) and in the Master Agreement. Americans with Disabilities Act: If any student taking this class has a physical or mental impairment (e.g., hearing or visual problems, learning disabilities) that could reasonably be considered to affect your performance in this class, I would appreciate it if you informed me of this