VALENCIACOMMUNITYCOLLEGE- EAST CAMPUS

General Psychology: PSY-1012 (Summer2008)

Course Syllabus

Professor: Dr. Purvi Gandhi

Office Hours: 15 minutes. before or after class or by appointment

Contact information: or

Course Material can also be found on Faculty Frontdoor:

Credit: 3credit hours

Textbook:Psychology (2006), Saundra Ciccarelli and Glenn Meyer

Study Guide is optional but recommended

Course Description: Life orientated course in psychology, designed to give the student the factual foundation in techniques and the vocabulary of psychology and general understanding of human behavior. Surveys research and application of psychology in areas of learning, intelligence, motivation, emotion, personality, behavior disorders, mental health and therapy.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this class, the student should be able to demonstrate knowledge regarding:

1. The definition of psychology

2. Factors that affect an individual:

a. Biological Perspective (i.e. brain and body functioning)

b. Psychological Factors (i.e. traits and attributes)

c. Social Factors (i.e. environment)

3. Major growth and developmental milestones

4. Learning and Memory

5. Major theorists and theories

6. Health and Wellness

7. Application of principles to daily life

Teaching Approach: The material covered in class will be a combination of the text material, along with class discussions. The concepts will be taught in class, with an emphasis on application to daily life. The course consists of lectures, discussions, and group activities.

Important Dates:

May 5:Summer classes begin

May 12: Last Day to withdraw and receive a refund for a class

May30: Withdrawal deadline for “W” grade (no refund)

June 15: Final Withdrawal deadline for a “WF” or “WP”

June 12: Final Exams Day

Attendance and Participation: Attendance AND participation are a significant portion of your grade. In order to receive full credit for daily attendance and participation, students must be ON TIME and be PRESENT for the duration of the ENTIRE class time. Participation includes involvement in class activities including discussions, note taking, and attentiveness. Sleeping during class will be considered an absence for that day. Due to the nature of the Summer Term, you are allowed no more than 1 absence from class. Excessive absences (more than 1 class) will result in your removal from class. You will be notified by email if you will be withdrawn from class. (See Attendance Policy).

No Show Status: Class attendance is required beginning the first week of the term. If you do not attend class during the first week, you may be withdrawn from the class as a ‘no show’. In this event you will be billed for the class and a “W” will appear on your transcript for the course.

Final Exam: To receive credit for a course for which you are registered, you must take the final examination. It is your responsibility to know when and where the final examination is scheduled and to be present and on time. Final examination schedules are published in the Credit Class Schedule and campus newsletters and are available in Admissions/Records Offices and Advising Centers. You may be absent from a final examination or deviate from the examination schedule only with approval by the professor AND the appropriate provost. If you do not attend the final examination and do not have an approved absence, you will receive an F for the course.

Evaluations:

Tests:There will be 5 tests throughout the semester including the final. These tests will cover information presented in class and textbook material. The tests may be multiple guess, true/false, matching and/or short-essay. Each test is worth 50 points. Tests will be announced at least one week ahead of time. Please refer to the Tentative Schedule as a guideline.

The tests will be scheduled as follows:

Following Chapter 1, 2

Following Chapter 3, 4

Following Chapter 5, 6

Following Chapter 8, 9, 10

Following Chapter 12, 14, 15

Test Grades: Individual test grades may be assessed on the following scale:

A = 45 - 50

B = 40 - 44

C = 35 - 39

D = 30 - 34

F = 29 and below

All tests MUST be taken on or before dates assigned. If you know you will not be able to attend class on the day of an exam, it is your responsibility to contact the professor before the class meets. In other cases when prior notice can not be made, it is STILL your responsibility to contact the professor to discuss the reason for missing class and/or the exam.

Make-up Policy: If you miss an exam or deadline date for an assignment, you have only 24 hours from the time of class to contact me regarding a make-up. I can be reached via my atlas email account or yahoo email account. If a make-up is granted (only in cases with a documented, valid reason), you have up to 3 days (from the due date) to complete the make-up. Even with an approved make-up, there will still be a 10% PENALTY on the assignment or exam.

Prosocial Project OR Research Paper:

Prosocial Project: You may choose to complete a Prosocial Project. In order to receive credit for the project, you must complete 7 to 10 hours of a community service activity. Those hours must be completed over AT LEAST a period of TWO days. You have the option of completing the activities that are provided to you or constructing your own project. Please refer to the handout for details about types of projects that are eligible. Please also have your project approved by the professor PRIOR to starting the project. You will need to have a form completed and signed by a supervisor/manager, who can attest to your involvement in the activity. In addition, you will need to submit a 2-3 page paper summarizing your project and experience. The project and paper are due by June 10, 2008. The project is worth 65 points.

Research Paper: You may chose to complete a Research Paper on any psychology topic of your choosing. In order to receive credit for the paper, you must write an 8-10 page research paper, using at least 3 references/articles. There are several books in the library called The Annual Editions; Annual Editionscover many different areas of psychology including educational, human development and general psychology. You may choose your article out of these books or you may be able to find another journal article of interest to you that will meet the criteria. The Internet offers many journals on line. Please have your research topic and sources approved by the professor to ensure that it meets the criteria. Your paper must be APA formatted with a works cited page (please see handout on website for details). You must have your name and class time on the title page. The paper will be worth 65 points. It will be due on June10, 2008. Your paper is due on your normal class meeting day or can be turned in early.A copy of your articles MUST also be attached to your paper. Points will be deducted if the paper is not in this format or is turned in late! If you have questions about the research paper, please see me.

Essays:You will be required to complete two short essays (1-2 pages in length), applying psychological principles to practical situations. Each essay is worth 30 points. Details of the essays will be discussed as we cover the chapters or can be seen on the Faculty FrontDoor website. Your first essay is due by the time of the first exam. Please see the Essay Options sheet on the Faculty Frontdoor website.

Requirements for Papers and Essays:

  1. Papers: Papers must be typed and double-spaced. Papers should be a combination of an understanding of the concept and the application of the concept to personal situations (using a specific personal example).
  2. Research papers will need to be completed in APA-format. ALL papers need to be grammatically correct.
  3. You can turn a rough draft of a paper in, at least one week prior to its due date, for my review and feedback.
  4. Papers should be printed out and turned in during class. However, you are permitted to email papers in rare cases. Emailed papers should be sent as an attachment (and not in the body of the email) and in a Word program.
  5. Late Paper Policy: Papers are considered late if turned after 5 pm of the due date. Papers will be penalized a letter grade for each day late, up to three days. After three days, the paper grade will become an F.

Grading:

Test 1: 50 points

Test 2: 50 points

Test 3: 50 points

Test 4: 50 points

Test 5 (Final): 50 points

Project or Paper: 65 points

Essays: 60 points.

Attendance and Participation: 150 points

TOTAL: 525 pts.

Your grade will be computed on a total-points system. To find your average, simply add up your total points earned and divide by the total number of possible points (525 points).

Grading System:

A = 90% - 100 %

B = 80% - 89%

C = 70% - 79%

D = 60% - 69%

F = Below 60%

Classroom Courtesy: Please remember to turn off your cell phones, pages, and Ipods and remove any earphones before class starts. Ball caps are to be removed during quizzes and exams. Treat others, their property, and their opinions with respect. Text messaging in class is against classroom policies. If you are in violation of any of the policies, you may be asked to leave the class for the day. Repeat violations can lead to withdrawal from the class.

E-MAIL: Check your Atlas account regularly. I will send e-mails to the entire class and to individuals if I need to notify you of changes between class meetings. Be advised that some providers are not compatible with Atlas and forwarded e-mails may be blocked or treated as SPAM.

Competencies Addressed:

Valencia Student Competencies: This course seeks to reinforce the following Valencia Student Competencies: Think, clearly, critically, and creatively by analyzing, synthesizing, integrating, and evaluating symbolic works and truth claims. Reflect on your own and others’ values from the individual, cultural, and global perspectives. Communicate by reading, listening, writing, and speaking effectively. Act purposefully, reflectively, and responsibly by implementing effective problem solving and decision making strategies.

CLAST Competencies:Certain CLAST competencies are required in this course.

ADDITIONAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR SYLLABI

Department Website:

College
Withdrawal

Procedure

/ The College has initiated withdrawal procedures and timelines in response to legislation/rules adopted by the state legislature and State Board of Community Colleges. The deadline to withdrawal from this course is in the current catalog, and is also available online at After that date, if you withdraw or are withdrawn from the course, you will be assigned either a “WP” (withdrawn passing) or a “WF” (withdrawn failing). Additional information is available in the College Catalog (
Valencia
Student
Core
Competencies / Valenciafaculty has defined four interrelating competencies (Think, Value, Communicate, Act) that prepare students to succeed in the world community. These competencies are outlined in the College Catalog. In this course, through classroom lecture and discussion, group work, and other learning activities, you will further your mastery of those core competencies. Additional information is available in the College Catalog (
CLAST
Competencies / The College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) measures the following: reading skills, essay skill, English language skills, and mathematics skills. To the extent possible, you will be encouraged to develop these skills as part of you work in this course. Additional information is available in the College Catalog (

Academic

Dishonesty

/ All forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited at Valencia. Academic dishonesty included, but is not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, furnishing false information, forgery, alteration or misuse of documents, misconduct during a testing situation, and misuse of identification with intent to defraud or deceive. Sanctions available to the professor should a violation occur are described in the Valencia Student Handbook or online at

Student Code of

Classroom Conduct / Valencia is dedicated not only to the advancement of knowledge and learning, but is concerned with the development of responsible personal and social conduct. By enrolling at Valencia, a student assumes the responsibility for becoming familiar with and abiding by the general rules of conduct. The primary responsibility for managing the classroom environment rests with the professor. Students who engage in any prohibited or unlawful acts that result in disruption of a class may be directed by the professor to leave the class. Violation of any Valencia policies/procedures or classroom rules may lead to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from the College. Disciplinary action could include being withdrawn from the class, disciplinary warning, probation, suspension, expulsion, or other appropriate and authorized actions. Valencia’s Student Code of Classroom Conduct (Policy 10-18) can be found in the current Student handbook, or online at

Students with Disabilities

/ "Students with disabilities who qualify for academic accommodations must provide a notification from the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) and discuss specific needs with the instructor, preferably during the first two weeks of class. The Office for Students with Disabilities determines accommodations based on appropriate documentation of disabilities. The East Campus Office is located in Building 5, Room 216."

Final Exam

/ All professors are required to give final examinations to all credit students (except those taking course work for audit) during the scheduled final examination period. The type and nature of the final examination rests with the supervising administrator and the individual professor and the final examination for this course is April 24.Students wishing to take the final examination on a date or at time different from the posted final examination schedule must receive approval from the faculty and dean prior to the final examination period available at
Valencia’s Final Exam (Policy 05-12) can be found online at

Cell Phones

/ Students are required to turn off all cell phones and pagers before the beginning of class. If a cell phone or pager vibrates or is audible, the student may be asked to turn it off or leave for the remainder of the class. If there is an emergency situation warranting the use of a cell phone or pager during class time, the student must notify the professor in writing prior to the beginning of class. During a testing situation, if a cell phone or pager vibrates or is audible, the student’s quiz, test, or examination will be collected and the student will be asked to leave without an option for completion.
Internet Research / Because of the variety of sources, ease of publication, lack of central control and proliferation of commercial information on the free Internet, it is often hard to tell if the information is reliable. Many sites contain research and information of high quality. However, unlike traditional print publications or library-based electronic resources, there is usually no process of peer review, nor is there an editor verifying the accuracy of information presented on the Internet. There are an increasing number of sites containing information that may be incomplete, anonymously written, out-of-date, biased, fraudulent, or whose content may not be factual. Students should, therefore, use caution in use of the free Internet for their research needs. For academic topics that are addressed in scholarly literature, use of electronic databases or visiting the library may better meet your needs. However, each professor makes the final determination of what is or is not accepted as a valid source so review the syllabus for specific guidelines from your professor.
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****This outline may be altered, at the professor’s discretion, during the course of the term. It is the responsibility of the student to make any adjustments as announced. ****