PSYC 2301.211 General Psychology Course Syllabus PSYC 2301 General Psychology Psychology Behavioral Sciences Department Division of Arts and Sciences Instructor: Chris Straface, M.A., LBSW, LPC-Intern South Plains College Note: The first section of the syllabus is a Common Course Syllabus and is used by all sections of PSYC 2301 at SPC. The second section of the syllabus is titled Instructor s Course Information and contains the requirements for this particular section. The first thing you need to do for this course is to READ THE ENTIRE SYLLABUS. I know it is long, but it is very important that you understand all that is expected of you, the student, in this course. 1
PSYC 2301.0211 General Psychology Course Syllabus SPC Common Course Syllabus for PSYC 2301 General Psychology Department: Behavioral Sciences Discipline: Psychology Course Number: PSYC 2301 Course Title: General Psychology Credit: 3 Lecture, 0 Lab Satisfies a core curriculum requirement? Yes, Behavioral or Social Science Prerequisites: TSI compliance in Reading Available Formats: Conventional, INET, ITV Campus: Levelland Textbook: Psychology 10 th Ed., Myers, David G., Worth Publishers, ISBN-13: 978-1-4292-6178-4. Course Specific Instructions: Each instructor will attach his/her course specific instructions. Course Description: An introduction to the fundamental concepts in psychology with emphasis on heredity and environment, individual differences, personality dynamics, and group processes. Course Purpose: To acquaint students with the diverse field of psychology, methods of research used and how it contributes to the body of knowledge in psychology, promotion of critical thinking, generation of new ideas, and consideration of alternate explanations when evaluating information. Course Requirements: To maximize the potential to complete this course, a student should attend all class meetings, complete all homework assignments and examinations in a timely manner, and complete all other projects or papers as assigned on the course specific instructions. Course Evaluation: See the instructor s course information sheet for specific items used in evaluating student performance. 2
PSYC 2301.211 General Psychology Course Syllabus Attendance Policy: Whenever absences become excessive and in the specific instructor s opinion, minimum course objectives cannot be met due to absences, the student will be withdrawn from the course. Each instructor will have additional information about attendance on his/her course information sheet. Student Learning Outcomes: Students who have completed this course will be expected to: demonstrate knowledge and understanding of major perspectives in psychology (e.g., behaviorism, psychoanalytic, and cognitive), demonstrate knowledge and understanding of biological bases of behavior and mental processes (e.g., physiology, sensation, and perception), understand the nature of psychology as a science and basic research methods used in psychology (e.g. descriptive, correlational, and experimental), evaluate the quality of information with an open but critical mind, (e.g., differentiating empirical evidence from speculation), understand major applied areas of psychology (e.g. clinical, counseling, and industrial/organizational), recognize the necessity for ethical behavior in all aspects of the science and practice of psychology, tolerate ambiguity and realize that psychological explanations will often be complex and tentative, apply psychological knowledge to every-day life which fosters personal growth and selfawareness and increases awareness and understanding of others. Through course assignments, papers, activities, and assessments, students will: demonstrate the ability to read and write clearly and concisely, value diversity and differences in people, explore relationships of ideas and see their similarities and differences, gain a basic understanding of the career fields related in the major, assimilate and synthesize information, integrate ideas across the curricula, Inter-relate the past to the present. 3
PSYC 2301.211 General Psychology Course Syllabus PSYC 2301.211 General Psychology Room: RC 410 Tuesday, Thursday 5:30 6:45 Fall Semester, 2013 Contact Information: Chris Straface, MA, LBSW, LPC-Intern cstraface@southplainscollege.edu (806) 716-2565 Office: Counseling and Guidance Center (Levelland Campus) Office Hours: I can be reached by appointment MTWRF 8:30 4:00 Class Begins: Monday, August 26 th, 2013 Labor Day September 2 nd, 2013 Fall Break October 11 th, 2013 Thanksgiving November 27 th 29 th, 2013 Class Ends: Thursday, December 12 th, 2013 Final Grades Due: Friday, December 13 th, 2013 Academic Integrity See SPC General Catalog, p. 23 and p. 11 of the Student Guide. You are expected to do your own work. You may not work with another person to complete your quizzes, exams, or any other assignment given as homework. You may not copy another student s work and present it as your own. You may not allow another student to copy your work. This is your reminder that any form of cheating will not be tolerated. Complete honesty is required of the student in the presentation of any and all phases of course work. This applies to quizzes, class exams, final examinations, and daily reports and term papers. SPC General Catalog, p. 23. If the instructor determines that cheating is occurring or an assignment has been plagiarized the resulting grade will be zero for that assignment. A second offense will result in failure of the course. Guidelines for Classroom Behavior I would like to welcome all students into an environment that creates a sense of community, pride, courtesy, and respect; we are all here to work cooperatively and to learn together. In order to create a smooth and harmonious learning community, please make every attempt to come to all the class sessions, to come to class on time, and to stay until the end of the class unless you have informed the instructor that you must leave early. There may be a time when you are unavoidably late for class. In that case, please come into the room quietly and choose a seat closest to the entrance. Please see me after class to record your attendance; otherwise you will be marked absent. 4
PSYC 2301.211 General Psychology Course Syllabus Once the class session has begun, please do not leave the room and then re-enter unless it is an emergency. If you miss a class meeting for any reason, you are responsible for all material covered, for announcements made in your absence, and for acquiring any materials that may have been distributed in class. It is important that we are all able to stay focused on the class lecture/discussion and not have disruptive behaviors in the class. For this reason, only one person at a time in the class should be speaking. Side conversations are distracting for surrounding students and for me. Also, it is very rude to read papers, sleep or work on assignments for other classes in this class. If you feel the need to do any of these things you may leave and return the next class. For additional information on student misconduct refer to pages 11-15 of the Student Guide. Failure to abide by policies may result in expulsion from the class and an F for the semester. As you can see, simple norms of courtesy should be sufficient to have our class run in the best interests of all of us. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Cell Phone, pagers, and other Electronic Devices Cellular phones, pagers, and other electronic devices will not be used for this course. Cell phones should be set in a manner that will not cause disruption in the classroom (either silenced or off) and placed out of sight of the instructor. Any student seen using a cell phone during class will be asked to leave the class immediately. Any devices that ring, beep, or otherwise disrupt the classroom during an exam will result in immediate expulsion from the class and a grade of zero (0) will be given for the exam. The use of a lap top during class is not permitted. Attendance You are expected to attend class each time it meets. Regular attendance is to your advantage, as test questions will include information from the lecture, class discussion and other material presented in class. Roll will be taken at each class session and a record of attendance maintained. Students will be allowed Four (4) absences during the semester. Upon the fourth (4) absence, a student may be administratively withdrawn from the course with a grade of X. Any student missing four consecutive classes will automatically be dropped from the course. Tardiness Being late does not constitute being absent, but it is very disruptive and rude to come to class late so allow enough time in your schedule to arrive a few minutes early to class. If you do arrive late, quietly take a seat closest to the entrance. Two events of tardiness will equal one absence. Grading Policy: Chapter Homework There will be 6 chapter homework assignments, each worth 100 points. The homework will cover the chapters assigned, lecture notes, and class discussions over material that may or may not be in your text. 5
All homework must be completed by the deadline. Retakes will not be allowed except for the extreme circumstances. If an emergency or other situation makes it impossible for you to complete a homework assignment, contact me as soon as possible to make arrangements to complete the homework assignment in a reasonable timeframe. Short Essay Assignments (150 points) Students will complete one research paper over an assigned topic by the instructor. Further details will be given later in the semester. The essay will be in APA format. The length of the paper will be 1 ½ to 2 pages. A cover page and reference page is required and is not included in the page count. An abstract is not required. The essay must be typed in 12 point font double spaced and include a running header. Grading will cover content, resources, and organization. See attached grading rubric for specific grading. Class Presentation (150 points) Students will complete a project for presentation in the classroom. The project will earn each participant a maximum of 150 points. Students will be graded on content, use of resources, organization of ideas, presentation. See attached grading rubric for specific grading. Final Exam Students will be required to participate in a comprehensive final exam. The exam will be worth 250 points. The exam is scheduled to take place December 9 th from 3:30 pm to 5:15 pm. Grading Scale 1006 pts. to 1150 pts. = A 863 pts. to 1005 pts. = B 720 pts. to 862 pts. = C 577 pts. to 719 pts. = D 0 pts. to 576 pts. = F Any student concerned with their grade is welcome to meet with the instructor throughout the semester to discuss ways of improving study habits, test-taking skills, etc Disabilities Statement: Students with disabilities, including but not limited to physical, psychiatric, or learning disabilities, who wish to request accommodations in this class should notify the Special Services Coordinator early in the semester so that the appropriate arrangements may be made. In accordance with federal law, a student requesting accommodations must provide acceptable documentation of his/her disability to the Special Services Coordinator. For more information, call or visit the Levelland Special Services Office in the Student Services building, (806) 894-9611 ext. 2577, or Reese Special Services in Building 8, 885-3049, ext. 4654. 6
August 27 August 29 September 3 September 5 September 10 September 12 September 17 September 19 September 24 September 26 October 1 October 3 October 8 October 15 October 17 October 22 October 24 October 29 October 31 November 5 November 7 November 12 Introduction to Class Prologue The Story of Psychology Ch. 1 Thinking Critically with Psychological Science Homework Assignment 1 Due - Prologue Ch. 1 Thinking Critically with Psychological Science cont. Ch. 2 The Biology of the Mind Ch. 2 The Biology of the Mind cont. Ch. 3 Consciousness and the Two-Track Mind Homework Assignment 2 Due Chapters 1-2 Ch. 3 Consciousness and the Two-Track Mind cont. Ch. 4 Nature/Nurture Ch. 4 Nature/Nurture cont. Ch. 4 Human Diversity Ch. 4 Human Diversity cont. Ch. 5 Development Through the Life Span Homework Assignment 3 Due Chapters 3-4 Ch. 5 Development Through the Life Span cont. Ch. 7 - Learning Ch. 7 Learning cont. Ch. 10 Intelligence Homework Assignment 4 Due Chapters 5, 7 Ch. 10 Intelligence cont. Research Paper Due Ch. 11 Motivation and Work Ch. 11 Motivation and Work cont. Ch. 13 Personality Homework Assignment 5 Due Chapters 10-11 Ch. 13 Personality cont. 7
November 14 November 19 November 21 November 26 November 28 Ch. 13 Personality cont. Ch. 15 Psychological Disorders Ch. 15 Psychological Disorders cont. Ch. 16. Therapy Thanksgiving Break December 3 Presentations Group 1 Homework Assignment 6 Due Chapters 13, 15, 16 December 5 Presentation Group 2 December 10 December 13 Final Exam 5:00-7:00 pm Final Grades Due 8
Student: Presentation Rubric Psyc 2301.007 Date: Content Resources Organization Presentation Factual Used Credible Resources Ideas were Organized Used Aids Well Informed Cited Resources Creative Informative Aids Were Relevant to Topic Addressed the Topic Each Category is Worth 15 Pts.
Student: Research Paper Rubric Psyc 2301.007 Date: Content Resources Organization Factual/Informative Used Credible Resources Ideas were Organized Well Informed Cited Resources Purpose Clearly Stated Length Addressed The topic APA Style Grammar, Spelling, Writing Mechanics 15 PTS Each