Psychology 300 - General Principles in Psychology
Online Class
Psychology 300 – General Principles in Psychology
American River College
Spring Semester 2017
Instructor: Marcia McCormick
Preferred email address: [email protected]
Office Phone / Voicemail: (916) 484-8476
Professor’s Office: Davies Hall Room 376
Student Hours: Mon & Wed 9:00-10:00AM,
Tuesdays & Thursdays 8:30AM-10:00AM,
and by appointment.
Additional email address: [email protected]
COURSE ADMINISTRATION AND GRADING POLICY
1. Course Description:
a. This course provides a broad overview of general principles of psychology. Topics
include the scientific method, statistics, biological determinants, as well as general
processes of behavior, such as development, learning, language, intelligence,
perception, motivation, emotion, personality, and mental health.
2. Student Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
a. compare the major theoretical perspectives in psychology (e.g., behavioral, biological,
cognitive, evolutionary, humanistic, psychodynamic, socio-cultural)
b. describe the general subject areas of psychology (e.g., biological, sensation and
perception, learning and memory, cognition, consciousness, individual differences,
psychometrics, personality, social processes, developmental/lifespan, emotion,
motivation)
c. describe the applied areas of psychology (e.g., clinical, counseling, forensic,
community, organizational, school health)
d. differentiate between commonly used research methods in psychology and their
applications
e. apply psychological concepts, theories, and research findings to personal,
interpersonal, occupational, and social/community contexts
f.
incorporate systematic critical thinking in arriving at conclusions about behavior and
mental processes
g. describe the roles that culture and diversity play in various aspects of human behavior
and mental processes
h. distinguish between the ethical implications of psychological research and the
responsibility to pursue and use knowledge wisely
3. Required Materials:
a. REVEL access: This is an online resource associated with the textbook and includes
an electronic copy of the textbook. Access to the REVEL course site is required for
this course and there will be required assignments associated with this resource.
b. Textbook: Psychology, by Saundra K. Ciccarelli & J. Noland White, 4th Edition (2015).
Pearson / Prentice Hall Publishers. Students will have have access to the electronic
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textbook via their REVEL access. Students can also purchase a printed copy of the
textbook when they purchase their REVEL Access through the publisher.
1. There is also a printed copy of the textbook on reserve in the ARC library for 2
hour use. It can be checked out at the reserve desk with the call number: PCL
PSYC300 #21.
4. How to get to our online class site in D2L:
a. There is a Desire2Learn online site set up for this class. To access the Desire2Learn
site for this class:
1. Using the internet, go to the following website. (Please note that there is no
"www" at the front.)
2. https://d2l.losrios.edu/
3. Use your username and password to enter the Desire2Learn course site for
this class.
4. Username is the letter w followed by your student id.
5. Your password is the same as your password for signing up for classes.
6. Click on the Course: PSYC 300 Online - MCCORMICK
5. Contacting the Instructor.
a. General questions (ex. When is an assignment due? Clarification on a concept in a
lecture?)
1. Post your question to the discussion board.
a. On D2L there is an ongoing discussion board throughout the semester
where you can post questions you have about the class (Forum titled:
“Needing help with this course?”). Other students and the instructor can
answer here to help clarify things for you. This is an excellent way to
get help with the class as it gives your fellow classmates the opportunity
to assist you as well. It also allows other students to benefit from the
questions you ask. For example, if you are unclear on when something
is due, you may not be the only student with that question. If you post it
to that board the question can be answered there for all students.
b. Private questions that you can’t post to D2L (ex. Questions about your grade)
1. Email instructor directly
a. Please send all emails to me at the following email account:
[email protected]. I will be checking email at least once daily
Monday-Friday. You can expect a response back typically within 36
hours during the work week (M-F). I do not check email over the
weekend.
b. However, please direct all general course questions to the “Needing
help?” discussion board.
c. Student Hours.
1. I have five regularly scheduled student hours each week.
a. Mondays & Wednesdays 9:00-10:00AM (in Davies Hall Room 376)
b. Tuesdays & Thursdays 8:30AM-10:00AM (in Davies Hall Room 376)
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7. How will I hear from the instructor?
a. A partial list of some of the ways you may hear from the instructor include:
1. Emails.
a. Students will receive emails from the instructor. All emails will be sent to
the student’s ARC gmail account.
2. Announcements.
a. New announcements may be posted on D2L periodically throughout the
week. So be sure to check the site at least 3 times a week Monday to
Friday. You are responsible for any information given online, including
changes to the schedule.
3. Feedback on assignments.
4. Discussion boards.
5. Notes posted in the grades area in D2L.
8. Supplies.
a. Students will need to have reliable access to computers with reliable online
connection. Computer problems are not acceptable excuses for non-completion of
assignments. Therefore, be sure to have a backup plan in place in case your primary
computer has problems. Students also need to be able to save and print files as well
as be able to print information from online.
b. Required Textbook (either in electronic or printed format).
c. Required REVEL site access.
d. Computer System Requirements:
1. Computer, either a Macintosh or IBM compatible.
2. Web browser: Mozilla Firefox or Safari. (Please note that new version of
Internet Explorer does not work well with the new version of D2L and ARC is
currently recommending you use Firefox.)
3. Reliable internet connection.
a. Minimum 56K modem or High Speed Internet connection (for example
DSL, Comcast, Etc.)
b. I strongly advise that you take any timed assessment on a high speed
internet connection. It will be in your best interest if you have the fastest
connection available to you for those assessments. All students have
the same allowed time regardless of their connection speed. If you do
not have access to a high speed internet connection you can always
come to campus and use the computers there.
4. Ability to print from online.
5. Ability to save files.
a. Hard-drive space or any external media needed to save files.
6. A word processing program that allows you to save in Rich Text Format (.rtf) or
Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx).
7. Adobe Acrobat reader. This is free software that is available to you online.
8. Activated American River College gmail account for receiving emails.
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9. Antivirus Software. You must have antivirus software on your computer. If you
do not have this currently, it is available at a reasonable cost at many stores
such as Best Buy.
9. Support Resources available through ARC.
a. You have many resources available to you on the American River College campus.
Some of these campus resources include:
b. The required textbook is in the ARC library at the reserve desk and can be checked
out for 2 hour periods.
c. Computers with high speed connections are available through various computer labs
and libraries on campus (contact the campus for hours and availability).
d. Tutoring services. (Contact the Learning Resource Center / Library on campus for
more information about possible availability of tutoring.)
e. American River College Technical Support. The Los Rios eLearning Help Desk is
available by phone (1-855-321-3232) and is available Mon-Thurs 7AM-6PM & Fridays
7AM-5PM.
f.
There is more information about how to contact ARC Technical Support at the
following website: http://d2lresources.losrios.edu/
g. In addition you may have additional resources available in your cities and counties.
For example, your local libraries may have computers with internet connections
available for use for limited times. Please check with your local libraries for specifics
such as the hours available, time limits for use, and any costs associated with utilizing
these resources.
10. Course Format.
a. This is an online class and all materials and exams will be done online. You are not
required to come to the physical campus. In the folder under the "Content" area you
will find "The Plan" for that module that identifies exactly what you need to be working
on for that module.
b. "The Plan" will contain detailed information about the associated reading in the text
and information about any other homework assignments & quizzes for that week. I
recommend printing out "The Plan" and following it step-by-step! Be sure you pay
attention to any deadlines listed in "The Plan" as you are responsible for meeting all
deadlines. Do not rely on emails or announcements from the instructor to remind you
of deadlines. Also, do not rely on the "Calendar" function in D2L to remind you of
deadlines. Some items may be listed there, but not all items may be listed on the
"Calendar". So please be sure to follow the syllabus closely. Extensions will not be
given for ANY reason.
c. You will also find the "Study Guides" and any lecture material in the folder for that
module. The "Study Guides" will contain a clear list of questions indicating exactly
what I expect you to learn in that lesson or chapter. In addition, there is a list of
vocabulary terms that are covered either in the textbook or lecture notes that I would
expect you to understand and be able to use. If you answer all of these questions and
understand the listed vocabulary as it pertains to this subject you will find yourself very
well prepared for the exams. There may be information that is not included in the
study guides from specific websites that are linked or referenced in the course. You
are still responsible for any of that material presented online for the assignments and
exams. Be sure to review all material posted and linked as you are responsible for all
information presented in the lecture notes and any linked or referenced online
sources.
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11. What you can expect when taking this course:
a. This course is a rigorous transfer level course. In a transfer level course students are
expected to spend 2-3 hours studying outside of class each week per lecture hour. In
the standard in-class full semester version of this course, the class meets 3 hours per
week and in addition students are expected to do 6-9 hours of studying outside of the
class every week. This means that students should be spending approximately 9-12
hours a week on just this course. In this online class I expect the same time
commitment. Therefore you need to plan to spend between 9-12 hours every week
on this course! It may require more time than that for some. It is important you plan
your schedule to allow yourself sufficient time to dedicate to this course.
b. This is not an open-entry / open-exit format course. It is NOT a self-paced course. It
is very similar to a typical in-class format course. Students will need to keep up with
the material and assignments as the semester goes along. No late work is accepted
in this class beyond any specified late deadlines so it is not possible to wait until the
end of the semester and get caught up. So my advice is to keep up as the semester
goes along.
c. You can expect to work hard in this course and to learn a lot. Hopefully you will find
the information interesting as it relates to things that we have all experience with as it
is about human behavior and mental processes.
12. Course Grading.
a. Final Course Grade will be assessed according to course point totals obtained on
exams, homework and assignments, online weekly quizzes, participation in online
discussions, papers, and the final exam. The percentage received on each will be
multiplied by the point value as determined by the weighting below and the result will
be the number of course points you receive.
Each portion of the course is weighted as follows:
Exam #1
= 16% of grade (160 pts)
Exam #2
= 16% of grade (160 pts)
Exam #3
= 16% of grade (160 pts)
Exam #4
= 16% of grade (160 pts)
Final Exam = 16% of grade (160 pts)
D2L Chapter Quizzes & other assignments - combined total: = 7% of grade (70 pts)*
D2L Discussion Boards - combined total: = 4% of grade (40 pts)*
REVEL Chapter Quizzes - combined total: = 5% of grade (50 pts)*
Paper / Writing Assignment: = 4% of grade (40 pts)
*The total raw “points” for each category listed in D2L will not equal these numbers.
Instead, the overall percentage score for that category will be multiplied by the
available points listed here for the weighted course points for each of these categories.
For assistance in correctly weighting these categories in the final course grade please
use the “Grade Calculation Sheet” posted online in D2L.
Grades will be assigned based on the following system:
Total Points possible = 1000 pts
A
900-1000 Points
B
800-899 Points
C
700-799 Points
D
600-699 Points
F
<600 Points
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13. Calculating your grade.
a. You will be able to view your scores on assignments and exams once they are posted
online in D2L. However, if you just add up the total points in the online gradebook it
will be misleading. For instance, if you just look at your total points and the total points
possible listed in D2L and calculate your grade it will be incorrect. D2L does not
reweigh the items according to the percentages indicated above. Thus I maintain a
grade book outside of D2L where all of the items are recalculated into the percentage
weights as indicated above. You should maintain a record of your scores throughout
the semester on the blank "Grade sheet" available under "Content" in D2L.
14. Exams.
a. There will be four non-comprehensive exams and a comprehensive final exam. All
exams will be given online. Information regarding the specifics of the exam (i.e.
number of questions, types of questions, amount of time allowed for completing
the exam, etc.) will be posted in an announcement around the time of the exam.
There may be objective questions (such as multiple choice and true/false) and/or
subjective questions (such as essay and short answer questions). Exams may be
taken only once. Once they are started, you have a limited amount of time to finish
them. You need to make sure that you have prepared for each exam just as you
would if they were an in-class exam that was closed-book, closed-note. The timing
is designed as if they are closed-book/closed-note exams. I expect you to know
the material well enough not to need to look up information. If you look up
information you will likely not have time to finish the exams. You must complete
the exams within that allotted time. Before starting an exam make sure that you
will have adequate uninterrupted time to complete the exam. Once the exam has
been started, you can NOT restart the exam. Exams are individual assessments.
This means that you CANNOT help or receive help from anyone on the exams.
Typically, exams will be posted online on Wednesday @ 8AM. In general, you will
have from Wednesday 8AM through Friday 8AM to complete the exam (unless
otherwise specified). Be sure to refer to the syllabus and any posted
announcements for exact dates for exams. Exams must be completed before the
end time, not just started before that time. Refer to the syllabus for exact exam
dates and times. The computer will only allow access to begin the exams during
the available times. Thus you will not be able to begin the exams at any time
outside of the available times (i.e. only during Wednesday 8AM - Friday 8AM for
most exams). Thus you need to make sure that your schedule is set up that you
allow time to take those exams during those times specified in the syllabus.
15. Deadlines.
a. All deadlines are firm. The only late work that is accepted is the “Late Quiz” in D2L for
each Module. There will be a “Late Quiz” in D2L option that appears after the original
deadline has passed. However, that quiz will not be worth the same amount of points
so using the “Late Quiz” in D2L option will lower your score on the quiz. The quizzes
are the only thing that are accepted late and only to the specified late deadline. Other
than the quizzes as specified above, there is no late work accepted in this class for
any reason. The deadlines will state a date and a time that the item is due. All times
stated are based on the Pacific Standard Time or Pacific Daylight Time, whichever is
currently in effect. This is the time that it is in California, which is where American
River College is based. If you are in another time zone or in a location that does not
observe Daylight Savings time, you need to be sure that you understand what the
current time is in California when planning to submit your assignments. No extensions
or exceptions will be given if you are in another time zone or in a location that does not
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observer Daylight Savings Time. No extensions on assignments will be given for ANY
reason, including for example: illness, family emergencies, computer problems,
misreading the deadlines, etc. I recommend submitting all work as early as possible
to decrease the likelihood that you have some unavoidable situation come up at the
last minute (such as you get food poisoning at lunch and had planned to complete an
assignment after lunch). There are NO extensions, and NO exceptions.
16. Early / Late Assignments.
a. Assignments will only be available at the scheduled times. Pay close attention to the
deadlines in the syllabus as well as any announcements or changes. Assignments will
not be made available early to students on an individual basis due to students'
personal scheduling situations. Additionally, no late work is accepted in this course
beyond any stated late deadlines for the quizzes in D2L. For example, you cannot
make up a missed quiz, discussion board, REVEL quiz or any other assignment.
There are no exceptions.
17. Early / Late Test Administration.
a. Exams will only be administered at the scheduled time. Please be sure to look at the
syllabus to ensure that you do not have a conflict with the exam dates. If you have a
conflict you need to change that conflicting activity or drop this course. The exams will
only be available during those specific listed times.
18. Make-up Policy.
a. Make-up exams will NOT be given for ANY reason. Make-up exams will not be given
for any reason including, but not limited to, major illness, hospitalizations, car
accidents, doctor's appointments, death in the family, childcare issues, internet
problems, computer problems during an exam, power outages, personal emergencies,
previously scheduled family vacations, sporting events, etc. In other words – there will
be NO make-up exams – NO EXCEPTIONS. So please do not even ask. In the
cases of serious documented extended medical illnesses see the section on "missed
exams". Please keep in mind that even in those situations there are no "make-up"
exams given.
b. In addition, please note that if you miss an exam it counts as an absence and
increases your risk of being dropped from the class. If you miss an exam but intend to
continue in the class you need to contact the instructor before the end of the exam
availability window in order to prevent being dropped from the course.
19. Missed exams.
a. If you miss an exam for any reason, with only one exception as explained below, you
will earn a zero on that exam. The only exception is if you miss an exam due to
serious illness as specified below and you contact the instructor before the day and
time of the exam and meet all of the conditions stated below. In that situation you will
still earn a zero on that exam but your final exam will be worth the value of the final
exam plus that one missed exam. In other words, it will in essence make your final
exam score count for both the final exam and the missed exam. If you miss more than
one exam, even for reasons meeting the conditions below, the final exam will only
replace one of the exam scores and you will receive a permanent zero for the other
exam. (If you must miss more than one exam even for qualified documented illnesses
it may be in your best interest to drop this class.) There will be NO make-up exams for
any reason. NO exceptions.
b. There is only one qualified reason for missing an exam. In the extremely rare case
that you are medically incapacitated for the entire available time of the exam your
Final Exam percentage will also be counted for that one exam. In order to qualify for
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your final exam score to count in for the missed exam the following conditions must be
met:
1. You must have emailed me before the end of the exam availability window. In
case you are unconscious you need to have made sure in advance that a
family member or friend has my email and knows to email me within that time
frame.
2. You must provide original documentation signed by a physician that you were
medically incapacitated for the entire duration of the exam. A doctor's note
simply excusing you from work that day does not qualify. A note indicating that
you were hospitalized at 2PM if the exam started at 8AM would also not qualify,
even if you had been planning to complete the exam later that evening. Thus it
is always in your best interest to plan to take the exam as soon as it is
available.
3. Medically incapacitated includes situations such as coma or extended
hospitalization that covers the entire time the exam was available. It does not
cover having a cold, food poisoning, morning sickness, vomiting, or any other
situation that does not involve serious documented illness that required medical
attention for the entire time the exam was available.
4. I must receive this original documentation in hardcopy form (faxed or emailed
documents will not suffice).
5. I must receive the original documentation within 1 week of the original deadline
for the exam. For the Final Exam I must receive the original documentation
within 48 hours of the end of the Final Exam.
c. In addition, please note that if you miss an exam you are at risk of being dropped from
the class. If you miss an exam but intend to continue in the class you need to contact
the instructor before the end of the exam availability window in order to prevent being
dropped from the course.
20. Grade Improvement Option.
a. You will have the opportunity to replace your exam score on one of the first four
exams. (This does not apply to quizzes or the Final Exam, it only applies to Exams 14.) This opportunity is referred to as the Grade Improvement Option, or GIO. Refer to
the dates on the syllabus for when this option will be available. It is not until we get
toward the end of the semester. Students can only take one GIO exam. If a student
scores higher on the GIO then that higher score will replace the original score on that
exam. If the student scores lower on the GIO or does not take a GIO, then they will
keep their higher original score. This option cannot hurt your grade, it can only
improve it. This is the only optional exam in this class as students are not required to
take a GIO exam. However, it is in the students' best interest to take advantage of this
opportunity when it becomes available. More information and details about this option
will be posted online later in the semester.
21. Policy on Academic Honesty.
a. Academic dishonesty on an exam or assignment earns an automatic zero for that
assignment. It can also result in further disciplinary action including expulsion from the
college. Cheating consists of giving or receiving ANY assistance. Cheating includes
ANY discussion about the exams or quizzes, including asking a fellow classmate
something as simple as "Was the test hard?". Any discussion related to the exams
during the exam availability window is prohibited and will result in disciplinary action.
You cannot help another student on an exam or quiz, nor can you receive any help
from another student or other individual. Also, using any resource other than the class
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notes and textbook during an exam is considered cheating as well. Cheating on an
exam, quiz or assignment also includes, but is not limited to, copying directly from the
book or closely paraphrasing a source on essay questions. It also includes improper
citations in any papers or written work that result in your taking credit for someone
else's work. It is your responsibility to ensure that your work is original. Anyone
caught engaged in academic dishonesty of any sort can receive an automatic "F" on
that assignment in addition to possible further disciplinary action from the Behavioral
Social Sciences Dean or College Discipline Officer. All instances of academic
dishonesty are reported to the college disciplinary officer. Simply put, just don't do it!
b. Work submitted in this class must also be original to this class. You cannot submit
work that you have previously submitted in another class, or even in a previous
semester or section in this exact course. Submitting work that was previously
submitted for credit constitutes academic dishonesty.
c. It is your responsibility to protect your work. DO NOT give out your D2L password to
ANYONE. (Not your family members, best friend, significant other, a staff member of
American River College… not even to your instructor!!) You are responsible for
changing your password to something no one else can figure out and for ensuring that
no one else has access to it. Failure to protect your password or utilizing someone
else's password will automatically be considered a violation of this policy on academic
honesty and you will be subject to disciplinary actions as mentioned above. In
addition, you may be subject to disciplinary action if anyone else accesses your
account, even if they do not directly copy any information. Another individual simply
accessing your D2L site is considered cheating and may result in disciplinary action
for all students involved, even if you were unaware that your account had been
accessed. So, in other words, PROTECT your password. Additionally, if you access
another student's D2L account for this class it is also academic dishonesty and subject
to the consequences outlined above.
d. You must agree to abide by the college and instructor policies on academic honesty in
order to continue in this class. In the course site in D2L you will find the academic
honesty policy for this class that you must agree to in order to continue in this class.
Clicking on agree and submitting will be considered to be your legally binding
signature. If you do not go into that file, read, and agree to the policy for this course
and the college policy (by clicking on "agree") by the stated deadline you will be
dropped from this course. You will also not have access to any other assignments or
exams if you have not agreed to the academic honesty policy.
22. Paper(s) / Writing Assignment(s).
a. There may be several writing assignments in this class. Detailed information
regarding any written assignments will be given out at a later date. No late papers or
assignments will be accepted. Other homework assignments and exams may require
written work as well.
23. Required Assignments.
a. Required assignments will include but not be limited to reading the textbook, reading
any additional assigned materials or websites, completing website activities, weekly
quizzes in D2L, chapter quizzes in REVEL, homework as assigned, writing
assignments as assigned, and participation in discussions. Assignments will be listed
in "The Plan" so be sure to follow it closely. Late assignments will not be accepted
with the exception of the “Late Quiz” in D2L option which will result in a point
reduction. You cannot make up any REVEL chapter quizzes, homework,
assignments, or discussion boards for any reason.
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24. REVEL.
a. For this course you are required to have access to the REVEL site for our
textbook. Information about how to access REVEL will be posted on D2L. You will
have weekly chapter quizzes in REVEL that you will be required to complete, in
addition to the module quiz in D2L each week. Both of those quizzes are required.
At the end of the semester I will drop the lowest REVEL chapter quiz score in
calculating your final percentage for all of the REVEL quizzes that will be used in
your final course grade calculation. So if you experience a technical issue or just
forget to take one of the REVEL chapter quizzes it will not count against you as
your lowest score will be dropped. However, there are no late or make up REVEL
chapter quizzes so you want to be sure that you are staying up to date with all
assigned work.
25. Review Sheets / "Study Guides".
a. Review sheets, called "Study Guides", will be made available for each module. They
include the "Performance Criteria" which outlines questions that you should be able to
answer after reading the text and completing the lectures. In addition, they include
vocabulary specific to that topic area. These study guides serve as your review
sheets for tests and for the final exam. If you know everything about the vocabulary
and performance criteria in the study guides you should do well on the tests. There
will not be a separate review sheet for the final exam as your study guides from all of
the chapters throughout the semester serve as your final exam review sheet. I
strongly advice students to write out the answers to the questions and notes on the
vocabulary as you go through the semester. While you are not required to turn that in,
it is expected that you are doing this. It will also help you as you get toward the end of
the semester and are studying for the final exam.
26. Readings.
a. The syllabus includes topics and required readings for each module. Assigned
readings and all activities listed in "The Plan" should be completed before the deadline
listed for that module. We will be covering the entire book. Thus we will average
approximately 40 pages per week. It is necessary to actively do the readings to do
well in this course. This is an online course. ***Therefore the reading is an
essential aspect of the course. ***
27. Schedule of due dates.
a. Please refer to the syllabus for general deadlines. More specific deadlines will be
posted in "The Plan" each week. You also need to be checking the announcements
frequently to ensure you do not miss any changes or additions to the schedule that
may come up throughout the semester. Deadlines may change at the instructor's
discretion and those changes will be communicated through announcements or "The
Plan". Changes to deadlines may also be communicated through email so it is also
important that you are regularly checking your ARC gmail account. It is expected that
you are reading the announcements, “The Plan”, and emails sent to your ARC gmail
account. Thus you are responsible for any updates that are posted in any of these
modalities.
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28. Changing Grades.
a. A grade will ONLY be changed if the assignment or exam was misgraded. If you
believe your assignment or exam was misgraded, you must let me know within one
week after the assignment or exam score is posted. I will then regrade the entire
assignment / exam. I will not regrade assignments / exams after that one week
period. Grades will not be changed for reasons other than errors in grading. Please
realize that a regrading of an assignment or exam may result in a lower grade, higher
grade, or no change in the grade. Likewise, if I notice an error in grading on anything
at any point in the semester I will fix it. This may, in some cases, mean that the grade
is decreased when the error is corrected.
29. Attendance.
a. Attendance in this class is mandatory. Attendance in this online class is determined
through the on time submission of assignments. Attendance expectations in this class
include:
b. Students are expected to log onto the D2L course site at least 3 times a week Mon-Fri.
When there are discussion boards students may need to log in more frequently.
Students are expected to read all announcements. A week starts on Monday and runs
through Friday.
c. Students are expected to check their American River College gmail account at least 3
times a week Mon-Fri. Students are expected to reply to all course related emails as
appropriate.
d. Students are expected to complete and submit all assignments on time. (Missing any
combination of 3 assignments, quizzes, discussions, or exams qualifies a student to
be dropped for failing to attend class.)
1. The following activities are required to be completed for you to remain in this
class. If all of these are not completed on D2L within the first day of the class
you will automatically be dropped from this class. Information about these
tasks will be available online in D2L.
a. Log onto the D2L course site.
b. Sign the Academic Honesty Policy.
c. Complete the Email Verification task.
30. Participation and Behavioral Expectations.
a. It is my job as the instructor to maintain a productive learning environment. I expect
students to actively participate in the online discussions and in all postings respond to
each other and the instructor with respect. I look forward to engaging discussions with
you all! A few things to keep in mind:
1. You must be respectful to others in the class in all communications, both to
other students and the instructor. This includes not only the content of the
communications but also the tone of the communications. Please recognize
that individuals have differing backgrounds, experiences, and ideas. This class
environment is a place to explore how those ideas relate to the theories we will
be learning about in class. Please be respectful of differing ideas and
perspectives.
2. Do not type in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS in emails or discussion board posts.
This is equivalent to yelling at someone in a face-to-face communication.
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3. Any violation of expected behavior in the class may result in the assignment
receiving a zero and potentially students losing access to further participation
for a period of time up to two weeks, which may potentially further jeopardize
the student’s grade. So be sure that your communications are respectful of
others at all times.
4. Please read the file posted online in D2L: “The Core Rules of Netiquette”. It
contains other basic guidelines that are important for online communication and
participation in online formats.
31. Dropping the course.
a. Required attendance on the first day of class: Attendance on the first day of class is
determined by logging into the class and completing the “Academic Honesty Policy”
and the “Email Verification Task”. Students who have not completed those on the first
day of the new semester may be dropped from the course as a “No show”.
b. The college policy is that students may be dropped for excessive absences. In this
online course attendance is determined solely through the submission of required
assignments.
c. Students may be dropped if either of the following occurs:
1. Student has missed 3 or more of a combination of quizzes, assignments,
discussions, or exams.
2. Student has not submitted any work for a consecutive 10 day period,
regardless of total number of missed assignments.
d. **Attendance is mandatory. Attendance is determined through submission of work.
You must keep up with this course to prevent being dropped.
e. However, it is the student's responsibility to drop this course officially via the college if
they are no longer taking the class. Do NOT expect the instructor to do it for you. If
you have not officially dropped the course before the drop deadline - even if you
have stopped submitting work, you may receive an "F" for your final course
grade. I do not give retroactive "W" withdrawals. In other words, I will not change that
"F" grade to a "W".
f.
The last day to drop this class is April 16th. Please be sure to retain confirmation of
dropping the course if you drop online. Print whatever confirmation comes on your
screen when you drop. Without confirmation you have no recourse if there was a
technical problem and your drop did not go through. I also recommend printing a copy
of your class schedule showing that you dropped the course. It is your responsibility
to ensure that you are officially dropped from the course.
g. The last day to drop this course without a “W” notation on your transcript is: January
29th, 2017.
h. The last day to drop this course is: April 16th, 2017.
32. Extra Credit.
a. No extra credit opportunities are available.
b. The instructor maintains the right to assign up to a maximum of 5 extra credit points to
the overall course grade of a student semester. However, assignment of these points
is done only in extraordinary cases as determined solely by the instructor. If a student
asks for these points they automatically lose the possibility of receiving them.
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33. Special Needs / Accommodations.
a. If you have a verified need for an academic accommodation or materials in alternate
media (i.e. Braille, large print, electronic text, etc.) per the Americans With Disabilities
Act or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, please inform your instructor during the
first week of class, or as soon as possible if the disability occurs during the semester.
Also, contact Disabled Student Services and Programs (DSPS) at that same time. I
want to be sure you have whatever you need to be successful so I need to know right
away if you need an academic accommodation due to a disability. If you take your
exams through the DSPS office on campus you must take your exam during the same
posted time period and on the same dates as the rest of the class. You need to
contact me with the paperwork from DSPS at least one week prior to any needed
accommodations so that I can ensure the accommodations can be arranged in time.
b. I make every effort to ensure that the materials posted on the D2L site are screen
reader accessible and that any videos have closed captioning. If you encounter any
materials that are not accessible please contact me immediately so I can fix the
problem. I appreciate your extra set of eyes helping me if I miss something!
34. Agreement to Policies.
a. Your continued enrollment in this class constitutes your explicit agreement to the
course policies as laid out in this document as well as changes and instructions from
your instructor. The instructor reserves the right to change these policies as needed
to maintain a quality learning environment.
*** If you are needing help in this class please contact me so that we can make an appointment.
WELCOME to Psychology 300 !!!!!!!!!!!!!
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