PSY General Psychology Course Syllabus 3 Credit Hours Spring Term 2018 M/W 11:30am - 12:45pm CRN# 22460

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1 PSY General Psychology Course Syllabus 3 Credit Hours Spring Term 2018 M/W 11:30am - 12:45pm CRN# Professor: Melonie Sexton, PhD msexton7@valenciacollege.edu Phone: Office: Building Office Hours: M/W 9:30am 11:30am (via ) M/W 3:00pm 4:30pm (in office) T/R 1:00pm 2:00pm (in office) F 1:00pm 2:00pm (Bldg 11 Lobby) F 2:00pm 4:00pm (via ) Course Description: This course is designed to provide students with an overview of theory and research in the major areas of psychology: biological, experimental, developmental, social, cognitive, personality, and clinical. This factual and conceptual foundation in psychology will help students understand behavior and apply psychological principles in a variety of settings and to their own lives (Valencia Community College Online Catalog , Course Description) Objectives and General Purpose of the Course: The general purpose of this course is to provide students with a basic understanding of the following: 1. An applied and theoretical basis of general psychology 2. How multiple psychological factors are interdependent and intertwined within the psychological forces influencing our psyche 3. Various theories presented on general psychology, and their impact/application on our everyday lives. 4. Practical understanding of the various psychological principles in all facets of our lives i.e., interpersonal relationships, social behaviors 5. Introduction and promotion of the CLAST, General Learning Outcomes, and Valencia Core Competencies The Valencia Student Core Competencies: Valencia has identified four core competencies that are believed to be crucial to individual success in a variety of contexts. These competencies are instrumental in course design and implementation. 1. Think: Think clearly, critically, and creatively. Analyze, synthesize, integrate, and evaluate in many domains of human inquiry. 2. Value: Make reasoned value judgements and responsible commitments. 3. Communicate: Communicate with different audiences using varied means. 4. Act: Act purposefully, reflectively, and responsibly.

2 Communication Please be aware that students are expected to be able to communicate in a professional manner with the professor. This includes in-class interactions as well as phone messages and s. Specifically, s must include the professor s name, student s name, course information (e.g. General Psych M&W 11:30-12:45) and use proper English (no texting abbreviations etc.), any that does not conform to these requirements may be ignored. Attendance Policies Tardiness- Being late or leaving early will directly impact your attendance/participation points. Tardiness rules are as follows: a. 1 Tardy exempt b. 2 Tardies will constitute a verbal warning to resolve the issue c. 3 Tardies will result in the loss of 20 attendance points d. Each subsequent tardy will result in the loss of an additional 20 points Absences There are no excused absences for this class! This includes medical, dental, or any other emergency situations that may arise. Missing more than 3 days of class will result in a 0 for your attendance/participation and points will start to be taken from other areas. Special exemptions may be considered if proper notification/documentation is provided; however, if you fail to follow proper policy and continue to miss more than the allowed days, the professor reserves the right to assign a grade of F at the end of the term. Required Materials Feldman, Robert. (2017). Understanding Psychology, 13 th Edition. McGraw Hill. 5 Scantrons (Form No ) Class Exams Class Exams will be developed both from the required readings (see above) and lecture material, including any material that is discussed or presented by guest speakers, or which is presented in video format. Exams will consist of multiple choice questions, fill in the blank, and short answers essays. Paper will be provided for the fill in the blank sections and short answer essays. Students must bring a scantron (Form No ) to complete the multiple-choice portion of the exam. Failure to bring a scantron will result in an automatic deduction of 20 points from your exam score. All exams will be administered during class time *Index card* - No notes or books are allowed during the exam. However, you will be allowed to write on both sides of an index card (3 x5 ) and bring the card with you to the exam. The card has to be handwritten by yourself. The professor reserves the right to confiscate cards or completely stop this policy at any point during semester. - You must take all of the regular class exams, no exceptions. - No makeup exams or alternative exams are offered for this course, failure to take a class exam will result in a grade of 0 being assigned by the professor except under the following condition. Missing an Exam Conditions If a conflict is known prior to an exam date and the professor is notified in person or in writing and a verbal or written response is received, the exam will be placed in the testing center for an alternate date of testing. This is the only allowance for class examinations.

3 Final Exam The final exam will be a cumulative/comprehensive exam and will be weighted on the material covered during the entire semester. If you take the final comprehensive exam, the lowest score from your regular class exams will be dropped. However, the final exam is optional if you fit the following criteria (below): Final Exam Exemption Criteria -You have taken all of the regular class exams -You have at least a C average in the class -The professor has not told you that you must take the final ***Plan to take the Final Exam during the scheduled time. DO NOT MAKE PLANS TO LEAVE FOR THE BREAK BEFORE THE EXAM, OR YOU WILL MISS THE FINAL EXAM AND RISK RECEIVING A GRADE OF ZERO FOR THE COURSE. Final Presentation At the end of the course, students will create and submit a 3-5-minute PowerPoint presentation explaining the importance of psychology and how psychological concepts learned in class influences their day-to-day lives. Each individual must create their own presentation. Please see presentation guidelines as available for download from the class page (Blackboard). The Final Presentation is worth 100 points. Extra Credit Meta-major Advising Session - Students may receive an additional 10 points towards their final grade by meeting with their major advisor. Each student must contact and schedule a 30-minute appointment with their appropriate program advisor (advisor names can be found on Blackboard). To receive the points, please bring the professor the business card of the advisor signed and dated by the advisor. The deadline for the extra credit is March 9 th. Term Paper Students may receive an additional 30 points towards their final grade by completing ONE 3-page APA style research paper. Please see writing assignment guidelines as available for download from the class page (Blackboard). One term paper per student may be submitted at any point during semester. The deadline for all extra credit papers is the last week of class. App Reflection - Students may receive an additional 30 points towards their final grade by completing up to 3 one-page reflection paper. An apps list can be found in Blackboard. Students must commit to using each app for at least one week. After using the app, students must write a one-page paper detailing their experience and explaining the underlying psychological concept. Each paper is worth up to 10 points. The deadline for the extra credit is the last week of class. Other opportunities for extra credit may arise throughout the semester, however, this is not guaranteed. Please do not request extra credit assignments from the professor. Late Submissions are NOT accepted.

4 Student Evaluation a. Class Exam points b. Class Exam points c. Class Exam points d. Class Exam points e. Final Presentation 100 points f. Attendance/Participation 100 points g. Final Exam 200 points h. Extra Credit Advisor Meeting 10 points i. Extra Credit Term Paper 30 points j. Extra Credit App Reflection 30 points Final Grades: The final grade in the course will be assigned according to the following percentages of the total points possible. Rounding will not be factored into your grade points = A - 90% - 100% points = B - 80% % points = C - 70% % points = D - 60% % points = F - 0% % Incomplete Grade Policy: In general, only the above grades will be given. Incomplete grades (such as WP, WF, I, X, H, or N ) are NOT given under any circumstances. Students having difficulties meeting the course requirements can withdraw from the course by the withdrawal deadline. Students withdrawing from the course will receive a course grade of W. Further, students cannot withdraw themselves after the withdrawal deadline, March 30 th (Valencia Withdrawal policy 2010), students who fail to withdraw before the deadline and are ineligible to continue in the class, will receive an overall grade of F for the course. Other Information Information for Students with Disabilities: Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the appropriate office. The disabilities office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the instructor when requesting accommodation. West Campus SSB, Rm. 102 Phone: (407) , Fax: (407) , TTY: (407) Academic Honesty: No form of cheating will be tolerated. Any student guilty of cheating or plagiarizing will be given the grade of F for assignment, and potentially, the course. In case of such an event, a written statement detailing the incident will be attached to the student's official College and University files. Students must also adhere to the following Honor Code:

5 Course Communication and Behavior Policies: 1. Cell phone usage is only permitted during specified in-class activities 2. Text messaging is only permitted during specified in-class activities 3. Computers are only permitted if WIFI is disabled. If the professor suspects that a student is not using the computer for academic purposes, the student may be asked to move to the front row or to leave the class. Failure to comply with these rules will result as follows: 1. First offense student will be given a verbal warning 2. Second offense - student will be asked to leave class and an absence will be recorded 3. Third offense - student will not be allowed to continue in the class and will be required to withdraw themselves or receive an F in the course Course Style and Participation This course will be taught from an applied perspective and the professor will attempt to utilize book examples, video examples as well as real life and/or everyday examples to provide an interactive and comprehensive presentation of the information in this course. As discussions arise, further topics may be explored to allow students to explore critical thinking skills and understand the application of the material. Some of the covered material will include the following: Gender, Birth and Death, Sexuality, Phobias, Disorders and other as appropriate. If you are uncomfortable with any of these topics you may inform the instructor at any time, and time out of class during these lectures will be provided. If assistance is needed regarding course content or any other matter (personal problems, questions, etc.) I (Dr. Sexton) may be contacted at any time. Participation will be required throughout the course of this class. Please come prepared to share your experiences and discuss the assigned material. NOTE: Students DO NOT have permission to record (audio, video, photo, text) communication sessions with the instructor. Permission to record for individual academic purposes may be granted upon request at the instructor s discretion. Campus Resources: Valencia College has a number of on-campus resources designed specifically to help you succeed academically, professionally, and personally. If you need additional assistance in your courses or are having trouble dealing with psychological issues* (such as stress, anxiety, time management, relationships, etc.), please be sure to check out these resources: Ellen Rendle (Social Sciences) Program Advisor, Phone: (407) , lrendle@valenciacollege.edu West Campus Tutoring Center Bldg. 7, Room 240, Phone: (407) West Campus Writing/Communications Center Bldg. 5, Room 155, Phone: (407) West Campus Advising Center SSB, Room 110 West Campus Library Bldg. 6, Phone: (407) * BayCare Behavioral Health & Student Assistance Program (SAP) Phone: (800) Computer Access Lab Bldg. 6, Room 101, Phone: (407) Blackboard Help Desk: (407) or onlinehelp@valenciacollege.edu or OIT Help Desk: (407)

6 General Psychology - Course Calendar Dr. Melonie Sexton NOTE: The schedule of events is tentative and subject to change at any time during the course of the semester. Several planned interactions and exercises will accompany the text material at various times during the course of the semester, which may influence the rate at which other material is covered. Important Dates can be found here: Date Jan. 8 (M) Jan. 10 (W) Jan. 15 (M) Jan. 17 (W) Jan. 22 (M) Chapter/Topic Class Orientation Guidelines and Expectations Ch. 1 Introduction to Psychology No Classes MLK Day Ch. 2 Psychological Research Ch. 2 Psychological Research (con t) Jan. 24 (W) Ch. 4 Sensation & Perception Jan. 29 (M) Ch. 4 Sensation & Perception (con t) Jan. 31 (W) Exam #1 Chapters: 1, 2, and 4 Feb. 5 (M) Ch. 3 Neuroscience & Behavior Feb. 7 (W) Ch. 3 Neuroscience & Behavior (con t) Feb. 12 (M) Ch. 5 States of Consciousness Feb. 14 (W) Ch. 5 States of Consciousness (con t) Feb. 19 (M) Ch. 6 Learning Feb. 21 (W) Ch. 6 Learning (con t) Feb. 26 (M) Exam #2 Chapters: 3, 5, and 6 Feb. 28 (W) Ch. 7 Memory Mar. 5 (M) Ch. 7 Memory (con t) Mar. 7 (W) Ch. 8 Cognition & Language Mar. 9 (F) Extra Credit Advising Meeting Deadline Mar. 12 (M) No Classes Spring Break Mar.14 (W) No Classes Spring Break Mar. 19 (M) Ch. 8 Cognition & Language (con t) Mar. 21 (W) Ch. 10 Motivation & Emotion Mar. 26 (M) Exam #3 Chapters 7, 8, and 10 Mar. 28 (W) Ch. 12 Development Apr. 2 (M) Ch. 12 Development (con t) Apr. 4 (W) Ch. 15 Psychological Disorders Apr. 9 (M) Ch. 15 Psychological Disorders (con t) Apr. 11 (W) Ch. 17 Social Psychology Apr. 16 (M) Ch. 17 Social Psychology (con t) Apr. 18 (W) Exam #4 Chapters 12, 15, and 17 Apr. 20 (F) Final Presentations & Extra Credit Papers Due by midnight Apr. 25 (W) at Final Exam ALL CHAPTERS 10am

7 Syllabus Contract and Acknowledgment for Dr. Sexton s PSY2012 I have read the syllabus, the course calendar, and have familiarized myself with the class Blackboard page. I understand that I am responsible for all the content within these documents and that I will be expected to uphold my responsibilities of being an active student learner at Valencia. I further understand that I am responsible for all course materials, requirements, and due dates/times. In addition, I understand the course policies and all consequences on attendance, assignments, exams, presentations, activities, and late work policy as described in the syllabus. I have read and agree to abide by all requirements. Signed, Date signed:

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COURSE WEBSITE: Intro to Financial Accounting Spring 2012 Instructor 2: Jacqueline R. Conrecode, MBA, MS, CPA Office Hours: Mondays & Wednesdays: 11:00 12:15 PM, 3:30 4:45PM Office: Lutgert Hall 3333 Office Phone: 239