WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY  WOODRING COLLEGE OF EDUCATION  HUMAN SERVICES PROGRAM

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AND REHABILITATION

HSP 430: Readings and Projects in Human Services

Spring 2011

INSTRUCTOR / Jackie Baker-Sennett, PhD
PHONE / 360-650-2524
E-MAIL /
ADDRESS / Dept. HSR- Miller Hall Hall 315E
516 High Street
Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA 98225-9087
OFFICE HOURS / By phone or email:
Drop- in hours are Wednesday Noon-1:45pm.
DATES / Begins: Wednesday March 30
Ends: Wednesday June 1

Catalog Description

Supervised readings and projects on selected contemporary topics that impact human services.

Course Outcomes:

1)Students will add depth and/or breadth to their learning in academic or field-based areas related to the theory and practice of human services. .

2)Students will generate a learning contract and provide evidence of completing this contract by documenting learning (in the form of a project, paper, or reflection on field study and supervisor evaluation.)

Introduction:

Welcome to HSP 430! Readings and Projects in Human Services, is an elective in the Human Services Program that gives you the opportunity to independently explore a specialized topic, work on a scholarly project, or engage in advanced fieldwork of your own choosing. Additionally, some of you are taking HSP 430 in lieu of a required course in the major. Each of you, in consultation with me, will design your own individualized learning contract and assessment system during Weeks 1-3 of the quarter. You will then complete the learning contract by Week 10 of the quarter.

Expectations:

This course is suited for mature learners who desire the opportunity to explore topics through self-directed means or continue with advanced fieldwork. I am available to serve as a resource and provide ongoing feedback throughout the quarter. However, to complete HSP 430 successfully, students must take considerable initiative andwork fairly independently.

The number of credits for HSP 430 varies according to the time spent and the depth of learning required. Each credit involves approximately 30 hours of work over the course of the quarter (i.e. 1 credit= 30 total hours; 4 credits=120 total hours). I will work with you to design a contract that is consistent with hourly expectations. The course may be taken for a letter grade or Pass/No Pass. Please contact the Registrar’s Office if you are interested in enrolling Pass/No Pass. WWU Policy is contained here:

Readings: Students who will be working on independent projects during the quarter are required tolocateunique readings and learning resources with assistance from the librarian. Students who are enrolled in HSP 430 in lieu of required coursework will work with me to adapt the required course syllabus to meet learning requirements.

ASSIGNMENTS AND DUE DATES

Assignment /

Due Date

Introductory Office Appointments and Class Meeting / Week 2- Thursday April 7th
Individual Appoiintments: 11am-1pm
Class Meeting: 2-4pm, Room TBA
Learning Contract Due / Week 3– Wed. April 13th
Submit in Miller Hall 315E
Project Update / Week 5 – Wed. April 27th
Submit in Blackboard
Progress Meeting or Field Visit / Week 7 or 8
Must submit an agenda 24 hours in advance (send to )
Final Products Submitted / Week 10 (Due by June 1st)

Learning Contract (Due- Week 3)

Students engaged in Readings and Projects:

Students who are completing directed readings should complete a draft of the independent study form contained at:

Please plan to meet with me Wednesday or Thursday during Week 2 of the quarter to discuss the draft and formalize the contract.

Students engaged in Field Study:

Students who are completing field study will submit the HSP 440 learning contract (Forms #2,#3, and #4) contained in the Field Study Manual: Contracts must be signed by the Field Supervisor. Please be prepared to discuss your learning contract during Week 2 of the course. Students taking HSP 430 for a letter grade will need to submit an assessment plan and documentation of learning in the form of artifacts and work completed during the quarter.

Students taking HSP 430 in lieu of required coursework:

Students who are enrolled in HSP 430 in lieu of a required course should plan to stay after class during Week 2 of the quarter to finalize a learning contract.

Mid-quarter Project Update (Due – Week 5)

All students are required to submit a 600-800 word update on learning during Week 5 of the quarter. For students studying in the field this should include reflection on progress towards completing learning objectives. For students completing directed readings the update should include progress to date, with an attached reference list or annotated bibliography. Also, please identify any additional support you will need from the university (instructor, librarian, ATUS).

Progress Meeting or Field Visit with Agenda (Week 7 or 8)

All students are required to schedule a Progress Meeting or Field Visit during week 7 or 8 of the quarter. Prepare for this meeting by developing an agenda. For students interning in the field this may take the form of a traditional field visit (with supervisor) or an on-campus meeting with the course instructor. It is your responsibility to schedule the meeting, develop an agenda, and submit the agenda to me at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.

Final Project or Paperwork Due (June 1st)

Final course products and paperwork should be submitted during Week 10 of the quarter (by June 1st).

GRADING SCALE

The course grading scale is as follows:

GRADE

/

POINT PERCENTAGE RANGE

A

/ 95 – 100
A- / 90 – 94
B+ / 88 - 89
B / 84 – 87
B- / 80 – 83
C+ / 77 – 79
C / 74 – 76
C- / 70 – 73
D+ / 67 - 69
D / 64 – 66
D- / 60 – 63
F / Below 60

Students enrolling Pass/No Pass must achieve a total of 70 points to pass the course.

POLICIES

Academic Dishonesty

Plagiarism- Instances of academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, will receive a failing grade and will be reported to the Provost’s office. A student may be dismissed from the Program if a major violation of academic dishonesty is identified. Western Washington University students are responsible for reading, understanding, and upholding the standards of academic honesty as set forth in the WWU Academic Dishonesty Policy and Procedure (see Appendix D of the University Bulletin). Note: Please pay careful attention to this policy. Assignments (or portions of) can not be submitted in more than one course. Blackboard utilizes SafeAssign plagiarism detection system.

Late Assignments

Assignments are due on or before assigned due dates. Due dates for the reading, written and/or presentation assignments are given in the Description of Assignments and Reading Assignments. Late assignments will receive a 10% deduction for each day the assignment is late.

Written Work

All written work must be typed, double-spaced, and grammatically correct. Assignments should conform to APA Publication guidelines (unless otherwise negotiated with the instructor). Please proofread work before submitting. Poor writing skills and submission of work that does not address assignment criteria will influence the final grade. The Writing Center at WWU is available to provide writing support and assistance. Please contact them for details at: .

“K” Grade

Students who request a “K” (incomplete) grade must be doing acceptable work up until the 7th week in order to be eligible to receive an incomplete. “The grade of K (Incomplete) is given only to a student…when extenuating circumstances make it impossible to complete course requirements on schedule.” (Extenuating circumstances do not include mere lateness in completing work.) Students must request the “K” grade and a contract must be completed stating what must be accomplished to satisfy the incomplete. A date of completion must be specified on the contract. Students will be given the grade earned at the time of the incomplete contract minus any points associated with incomplete assignments if course work is not completed as agreed when the contract expires. Please review the statement regarding the assignment of incomplete grades in the Western Washington University Bulletin.

Reasonable Accommodations

It is the policy of Western Washington University to provide reasonable accommodations to the known physical, sensory, and/or mental limitations of qualified individuals except where such accommodation would impose undue hardship on the institution. To request accommodation, students must contact WWU disAbility Resource Center for Students at (360) 650-3083 or

Corresponding by email

All students are required to use MyWestern accounts for official class email. Official University announcements are sent via WWU email. You are welcome to forward your WWU email to a personal account, but please be aware that some free email accounts do not notify you or the sender when mail is not delivered. It is the student’s responsibility to make certain that email is received.

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HSP430Spring 2011: Baker-Sennett1