PSY 140 – Introduction to Psychology 1 C. Boulter Syllabus Psychology PSY-140- Professor Christopher Boulter [email protected] - Primary Course Description: This course is introductory in nature. This means we will cover quite a few topics related to the discipline of study known as psychology. By the end of the semester, you will not be a psychologist but you will have been exposed to the major principles, concepts and ideas upon which psychologists‟ research and debate. We will travel through the material in the textbook at a rapid pace. Yes, you will need the book and yes, you will need to read the book. It is important for you to keep up with the reading of each chapter (approximately 40 to 50 pages per chapter). Always refer back to the attached tentative schedule to see what we will be discussing Course Goals: Modern psychology is defined as the science of behavior and mental processes. By the end of the semester, I hope you understand exactly what that sentence implies regarding the nature of psychological science. Yes, you will be exposed to many new words, thoughts and concepts. I think you will find this class intellectually stimulating and perhaps, somewhat challenging. I also hope your active participation in this class helps you in your own personal journey of self-discovery … an important developmental task for all humans. Successful students in this class tend to demonstrate certain behavioral/personality characteristics. Allow me to list a few of them: 1. Class attendance … online classes are individually driven. What this means is that it is easy to put things off until it is too late. Do not put this class off, you will find yourselfPSY 140 – Introduction to Psychology 2 C. Boulter falling behind and it will be extremely difficult to catch back up. The class week begins Monday at midnight and will continue until Sunday at midnight. 2. Prior preparation … read the assigned chapters and be able to discuss them in the forums. 3. Timely work… you will find that this class requires that we stick to a schedule. To do this, I will assign the workflow. If you do not have an assignment turned in within the required timeframe, it will not be accepted unless there are major extenuating circumstances. 4. Questions, questions, questions. Use the various forums to ask questions of me and of your fellow students. 5. Interaction with professor and fellow students. The interaction in this class with depend on you. You will get out of it what you put in to it. Textbook: Myers, D. G. (2007). Psychology (9th ed.). Holland, MI: Worth Publishing. (Study Guide is highly recommended). Recommended Reading: Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). (2001). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Maimon, E. P., Peritz, J. H., & Yancey, K. B. (2007). A writer’s resource: A handbook for writing and research (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill Higher Education.PSY 140 – Introduction to Psychology 3 C. Boulter Academic Honesty Policy: Academic honesty is expected of all students. Each student will produce his or her own work and not represent the work of others as their own via plagiarism or cheating nor will a student aid others in the violation of the ethical principle of academic honesty. Plagiarism is the failure to give credit for the use of material from outside sources. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to: 1. Using data, quotations, or paraphrases from other sources without adequate documentation 2. Submitting others‟ work as your own Cheating means obtaining answers/material from an outside source without authorization. Cheating includes but is not limited to: 1. Plagiarism in all forms 2. Using notes/books without authorization 3. Copying 4. Submitting others‟ work as your own or submitting work for others 5. Altering graded work 6. Falsifying data 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 Academic Dean.PSY 140 – Introduction to Psychology 4 C. Boulter 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. Grading Scale Grades will be based on class attendance and participation, tests, and research paper. The following break down will apply to each student. 1. Weekly forums: 25% 2. Final Exam: 25% 3. Test totals: 50% The final grading scale will be based on the totals of the above graded activities. I do not grade on a curve, your grade will be what you earn. 90-100 % = 4.0 85-89 % = 3.5 80-84 % = 3.0 75-79 % = 2.5 70-74 % = 2.0 65-69% = 1.5 60-65 % = 1.0 59 % and below = 0.0 WITHDRAWAL FROM CLASS: The last day to withdraw from classes is LISTED IN THE SCHEDULE OF CLASSES. You must initiate a withdrawal in person at the main campus or one of the extension centers.PSY 140 – Introduction to Psychology 5 C. Boulter Note that I do not withdraw students from class other than what is described under attendance. If the withdrawal from class is student-initiated, it is necessary for an advisor or counselor to approve the schedule change. The student's official date of withdrawal will be the date received at the Registrar's office. A student is not considered withdrawn from class until the withdrawal form has been processed (add/drop form). “I” (INCOMPLETE) GRADE: An incomplete (I) will be considered when, in my opinion, your work is sufficient in quality but is lacking in quantity to meet the course objectives. This does not mean that it is automatically given if you request it. It is not a substitute for a W grade. It assumes you have faithfully have done good quality work (2.0 or better), and that you have a good and sufficient reason (as determined by me) not to complete the class. Please note that while I do not routinely assign this grade, I will be glad to discuss your individual situation with you. A grade of “I” may be removed by satisfactorily meeting the course objectives during either of the next full-length semesters (fall/winter) or at an earlier date specified by