General Psychology Syllabus for 2019-2020
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Instructor Information

Course Information

COVID-19 Protocols

Recording Policy

Disability Statement

If you have a disability (learning, mental, physical) that affects your ability to participate effectively and have access to any program or service at Amarillo College please contact Disability Services at (806) 345-5639 . Our offices are located in the Student Service Center office 112. More information may be found at www.actx.edu/disability.
Disability Services facilitates access to all programs and services according to the ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, as well as other federal and state laws.

Amarillo College Web Accessibility Policy Statement

Amarillo College is committed to providing equal access to all programs and services, including all working, learning, and service environments that affect equal access for persons with disabilities. This commitment to provide equal access and opportunity for persons with disabilities is in compliance with federal and state law. Amarillo College also strives to provide Electronic and Information Resources (EIR) that are accessible to all authorized users.

If you find you are unable to access material in an accessible format please contact the Disability Services Office at (806) 345-5639 . This office will work in conjunction with other campus resources to address and accommodate your issue in a timely manner.

Statement for Mental Health and Advocacy & Resource Center:

As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:

The Tutoring for Success policy applies to any student whose grade or performance in the course falls below a departmentally determined minimum threshold. In either of those cases, the instructor will direct the student to the appropriate tutoring service, which may be faculty-led, discipline-specific, and/or general. Under this policy, the instructor will follow specific departmental guidelines governing the use, duration, and grade component of the tutoring need.

Administrative Drop Policy

Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016

Student Withdrawal Procedures

Students who wish to withdraw from a course must complete all steps indicated on the Academic Withdrawal Request form by the course withdrawal deadline.

NOTE: Students who are attending Texas institutions of higher education, for the first time fall 2007 and later, may not withdraw from more than six courses during their academic career. This withdrawal limitation does not include dual credit or developmental classes (Senate Bill 1231 Rule 4.10.) For more information on Drop and Withdrawal Policies, please visit the Registrar's Office Web site.

Privacy Statement

The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students.  If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .

Course

PSYC-2301-004 General Psychology

Prerequisites

Course Description

General Psychology is a survey of the major psychological topics, theories and approaches to the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Student ResourcesStudent Resources Website

Department Expectations

Occupational License Disclaimer

Notice to Students enrolled in an educational program for preparation of issuance of certain occupational licenses:

Students enrolled in an educational program in preparation for obtaining certain occupational licenses are potentially ineligible for such license if the student has been convicted of an offense. For further information, please contact:

Melodie Graves
Justice Involved Advocate
Student Service Center 117
mgraves24@actx.edu
806-371-5995
Make appointment at https://melodiegraves.youcanbook.me

You can also contact the Legal Clinic, or the faculty member in charge of the educational program that you seek to enroll in. The further information you will receive will include notification to you of your right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from the licensing authority in order to clarify your particular situation.

Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)

Class Type

Online Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

Exploring Psychology, 11th Edition + LaunchPad Access Code, David G. Myers and C. Nathan DeWall

(This edition includes access to an audio book version of the text, as well as an ebook that can be read offline.)

Supplies

Access to a computer and the internet are required. If you do not have your own computer or internet service, you will need to use AC computers located on the 4th floor of the Ware Student Commons. 

Student Performance

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Identify various research methods and their characteristics used in the scientific study of psychology.

2. Describe the historical influences and early schools of thought that shaped the field of psychology.

3. Describe some of the prominent perspectives and approaches used in the study of psychology.

4. Use terminology unique to the study of psychology.

5. Describe accepted approaches and standards in psychological assessment and evaluation.

6. Identify factors in physiological and psychological processes involved in human behavior.

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

My expectation is that each of you will do well in this course. My views of intelligence and academic performance are closely tied with growth mindset (Dweck, 2006).  Good academic performance is developed through persistent effort and good choices in strategy:  Poor academic performance results from a lack of effort and poor strategy choices (APA, 2015).  For example, let’s consider an effective strategy to choose when reading your textbook. Before reading the chapter itself, survey the entire assigned reading noting its key sections. Once you begin reading, think about the Learning Objective Questions given at the beginning of each major section. Be sure to note and process all photos, graphs, and captions.  As you are reading, take the time to mentally review the Retrieve It boxes scattered throughout the chapters. Finally, after reading the entire assigned material, test yourself using the three sections of the Chapter Review. Taking advantage of the many opportunities for information retrieval will aid you in retaining the concepts presented. 

My expectation is that as you read assigned chapter sections in our textbook, you will (gasp J) find yourself enjoying it. I promise that you will experience much less frustration with all assignments if you first actively read the material in the textbook.  The points are best read in context and not picked through to simply answer questions.  Decide to enjoy and get the most out of our class as we explore the science of psychology! 

My expectation is that you will complete all online assignments, ask questions when something needs clarification, ask questions related to the material just for the fun of it, be prepared for exams, complete your service learning project, respect everyone in this class at all times, and engage in academic integrity. I define integrity as doing the right thing when no one is watching.  Academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Avoid placing yourself in any situation for which an instance of academic dishonesty is suspected.  Violations include plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration on individual assignments and cheating on tests, among others. Please use your textbook and notes for exams and assignments, but make sure they are yours. 

Grading Criteria

Grading criteria: 

There will be a total of 1,000 possible points in this course.  They will be allocated as follows:

Syllabus Quiz			Total of 15 points
Exams			Total of 400 points
	Unit 1 Exam	100 points
	Unit 2 Exam	100 points
	Unit 3 Exam	100 points
	Unit 4 Exam	100 points
Social Responsibility Project: Essays & Volunteering			Total of 150 points
LaunchPad Chapter Assignments			Total of 330 points
	Study Guides/LearningCurve/Assess Strengths
Weekly Discussion Posts			Total of 105 points

 

Letter Grades:

For Exams & Assignments                              For Final Course Grade

A = 90 – 100%                                                A = 895 – 1000 points

B = 80 – 89%                                                  B = 795 – 894 points

C = 70 – 79%                                                  C = 695 – 794 points

D = 60 – 69%                                                  D = 595 – 694 points

F = 0 – 59%                                                     F = 0 – 594 points

Hint to calculate grades: 

Calculate your grade by dividing the number of points you earned by the number of possible points for the assignment/exam.  For example, if you earned 19 points on an assignment that had a total of possible 25 points, you figure your grade this way: 19÷25=0.76 which is 76% or a grade of 76 for the assignment. You can calculate what your overall grade in the class is following this same process. Example, 86 (exam 1) + 13 (syllabus quiz) + 10 (study guide ch 1) = 109 points earned.  Now figure possible points for those same assignments:  100 (exam 1) + 15 (syllabus quiz) + 10 (study guide ch 1) = 125 points possible. Then divide earned points by possible points:  109÷125=0.87 which equals 87% or an average at this point in the class of 87.  Please approach me if you still have questions. 

Brief assignment descriptions:

1. Syllabus Quiz: The syllabus quiz covers the material presented in this syllabus document to make sure everyone is prepared and aware of the class structure. It will be under the Exams tab and is due during the first week of the course (see schedule).

2. Exams: Multiple-choice and essay online exams (4 units) are located under the Exams tab. Each exam is the property of the professor and may not be photographed, circulated or otherwise reproduced. 

3. Social Responsibility Project: The Social Responsibility Project gives you the opportunity to volunteer for four hours at a community organization and describe your experiences in essay format using the Social Responsibility Essay Template.  Details are located under the Social Responsibility Project tab.  Review the project instructions immediately to begin arranging your volunteer hours and give yourself plenty of time to complete the project.  Past students have expressed appreciation for this aspect of the course. Due date can be found in the class schedule below.

4. LaunchPad Chapter Activities:  Multiple-choice Study Guides for each chapter (14 chapters) are in a practice quiz format. You will be allowed to attempt the study guide assignments as many times as you want until the assignment deadline. Each chapter also has LearningCurve assignments to engage with the information in a game-like format.  Four Assess Your Strengths activities allow application of course concepts to your personal life and experiences. All of these assignments will be located in the weekly folders under the ASSIGNMENTS tab.  Note: After you reach 100% correct on a chapter’s Study Guide Practice Quiz, then hints for the upcoming exam will become available to you.  The hint will pop up as a file in the week’s assignment folder in Blackboard. This is a good opportunity for you to make full points for the assignments with the added bonus of exam hints that can be used as a study guide for that chapter. 

5. Discussion Posts:  Weekly online discussion posts focus on assigned textbook readings, relevant videos, and complementary online content.  They will be located in the weekly folders under Assignments.  Reading your classmates’ posts will increase your engagement and help you form a meaningful connection to the material.  I expect respectful interactions with your classmates at all times.  The grading rubric will be presented in a file for you to print and reference throughout the course.  

6. Optional Videos:  At the bottom of each week’s folder are links to YouTube videos. Watching these YouTube videos is an optional, entertaining, and fast-paced review of each chapter’s content.  

7. Extra Credit Opportunity:  LaunchPad assignments for Chapter 5 are available to complete for extra credit points. This includes a Study Guide Practice Quiz and two LearningCurve activities.

Attendance

You will need to check online every day for updates and assignments. If you miss assignment and exam due dates then your course grade will be negatively affected.

Calendar

Additional Information

Makeup Policy:  Please review the exam and assignment dates for this class. This is an accelerated, eight-week course: You will need to have arranged your affairs to accommodate keeping up with reading the textbook and completing all assignments. We both want you to be successful. I do not accept late work. Late assignments will receive zeros.  If you have an emergency or serious circumstances, contact me as soon as possible, so I can help you be successful. For this reason, you should not wait until the last minute to start an assignment. 

Administrative Drop Policy:  Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped from the course. Effective Fall, 2016.

Student Withdrawal Procedures: The last day to withdraw with a grade of “W” on your transcript is Wednesday, December 11.  Please visit with me if you have any concerns about completing the class or if you desire to withdraw.  As part of the process to withdraw, it will be your responsibility to obtain the necessary form and signatures. Please ask me about a digital version with my signature that may be available when specifically requested by you.  You must officially drop a class through the Registrar’s office using the procedure detailed on the Withdrawal form.  If you simply stop attending, a grade of F will appear on your transcript. NOTE: Students who are attending Texas institutions of higher education, for the first time fall 2007 and later, may not withdraw from more than six courses during their academic career. This withdrawal limitation does not include dual credit or developmental classes (Senate Bill 1231 Rule 4.10.) For more information on Drop and Withdrawal Policies, please visit the Registrar's Office Web site.

Technical Problems:  If you experience a technical problem with some online aspect of the course, you may contact the Student & Faculty Help Center at 806-371-5992 or by email at ctlstudenthelp@actx.edu.  If you need LaunchPad technical support, you can reach one of their representatives 24/7 through the online form at http://www.macmillanlearning.com/Catalog/techsupport. They are also available at 800-936-6899 (Mon-Thur 8a-3am; Fri 8a-12a; Sat 12p-8p; Sun 12a-3a).

Mental Health and Social Services at AC: As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student’s ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900.  The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/.  Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5450. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is www.actx.edu/arc

Tutoring Policy: If a student scores below 70% on an exam or writing assignment, he or she will be required to attend tutoring per the instructor’s directions before being allowed to complete the next assigned work.