PSYC 2301 Spring, 2012; Round Rock Campus

Syllabus

The purpose of a course in Introductory Psychology is to introduce the student to the scientific study of animal and human behavior and mental processes. The Department of Behavioral Sciences at ACC has directed that all PSYC 2301 classes must cover these Core Topics:

Research Methods
Personality
Learning
Life-Span Development
Physiological Basis of Behavior
Cognition (including Sensation, Perception & Memory)
Stress (and intellectual, social, physical and emotional health)
Psychological Disorders
Social Psychology

Click here to see the ACC Catalog's Course Description of PSYC 2301. The major topics to be covered will include: the nature of psychology, specialties, research methods, biology and behavior (including evolutionary psychology), sensation, perception, consciousness, learning, memory, language, cognition, intelligence, motivation, emotion, lifespan development, personality, psychosexuality, stress (and health), psychological disorders, methods of therapy, and social psychology. The format of the class will be that of a lecture course with occasional media presentations. Student participation in the form of questions, comments and discussion is greatly desired. Students will be expected to learn the lecture material! Written learning objectives will be distributed to students during the first day of class. These objectives inform the student as to what textbook material is likely to be covered on the exams.

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Grades will be determined by four in-class hour exams, each counting 25% of the final grade. The exams will be multiple-choice in nature. Students must provide Scan-Tron forms for purposes of taking exams. These forms are available in the ACC Bookstore. Click here for the Monday/Wednesday Class Schedule, or the Tuesday/Thursday Class Schedule. Make-Up Exams will be provided in the Round Rock Campus Testing Center. Make-Up Exams are for students who fail to take a scheduled in-class exam. There is a strict deadline for taking any Make-Up Exam. It is the day before the next scheduled in-class exam. Click here for Testing Center Hours. It is the student's responsibility to know and honor these deadlines. There is no Make-Up Exam for the Fourth Exam.

Students may earn Extra Credit by viewing, and reporting on, the videocassette series, The Secret Life of the Brain, (Call Letters: QP376 .S43 2002) which is a five part series available in the Learning Resources Center at the ACC Riverside, Rio Grande, Northridge, Pinnacle, Cypress Creek and East View Campuses. Reports should be submitted for each episode viewed. If accepted, each report will result in one point added to the student's final grade point average.

Extra Credit book reports may also be submitted. These will be graded on a 100 point scale and one-tenth of the score will be added to the final grade point average of the student. Here is a list of books and videos in the Learning Resources Center at ACC. Extra Credit reports should be stapled together and turned in by the deadline which is published in the Course Schedule.

Logon to Blackboard for Extra Credit! Click here for information on how to logon to Blackboard.

When you are logged onto Blackboard, you can obtain Extra Credit for participating in the Discussion Boards. Click here to find out how your participation will be scored.

If you are inspired to do Service Learning that is relevant to Psychology, you can earn up to one letter grade's credit for documenting 25 hours of volunteer work at the Austin State Hospital or the Austin State Supported Living Center and reporting on the experience. Your report should relate the volunteer experience to the course Learning Objectives. If you wish to earn Extra Credit for Service Learning, please contact the Volunteer Coordinators at either the Austin State Hospital (512/419-2323), or the Austin State Supported Living Center (512/454-4731). Remember that you will have to pass a criminal background check to be accepted as a volunteer at either of these institutions. You will also have to undergo training and an orientation. So start early! The Extra Credit Reports and official letterhead letter documenting your accumulated hours for volunteering are due by the deadline published in the Course Schedule for each class.

The textbook for this course is: Introduction to Psychology by Charles Stangor; FlatWorld Knowledge Publishers. Click here to go to the publisher's web site. Students can register here and read the entire book online at no cost. This paperback book is also available in the ACC Bookstore or directly from the publisher. It is the student's responsibility to read the assigned chapters of this book in a timely manner.

Attendance is important for learning to happen! Therefore, regular, timely attendance is expected. It is the student's responsibility to know everything that is covered in class. The roll will be checked at the beginning of each class. There is no formal penalty for non-attendance, but the student should be advised that this is not an independent study course. The easiest way to do poorly, or fail, is to miss class! It should be noted that students who, by virtue of their regular attendance, possess a complete set of lecture notes, will have, in effect, a "magic bullet" for test preparation, since the instructor will try earnestly to prepare the class for the up-coming exams in the lecture.

Facilities to be used by students include the classroom at the Round Rock Campus, the Library (where students may find the optional Extra Credit videos), and, if necessary for Make-Up Exams, the Testing Center at the Round Rock Campus.

Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities. Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes.

A word about Scholastic Dishonesty: This is a serious problem and is one of the most self-defeating behaviors which any student may display. Acts prohibited by the college for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work. Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought, research, or self-expression. Academic work is defined as, but not limited to tests, quizzes, classroom presentations, and homework. Plagiarism is the submittal of someone else's work as one's own. It will not be tolerated. Nor will any form of cheating during exams. If convicted of scholastic dishonesty in this course, the student will receive an F. This topic and many others are covered in the official ACC College Course Catalog.

Students are expected to be mature and responsible citizens. Any student whose conduct or dress at any time is in violation of the law, is a public nuisance, or is deemed improper or detrimental to the College may be subject to disciplinary action. Students are expected to respect the rights and welfare of other members of the College community and its guests. Violence, the threat of violence, any disruption to the learning process, or intimidation will be subject to disciplinary action.

The Department of Psychology respects Academic Freedom. Each student is strongly encouraged to participate in class. In any classroom situation that includes discussion and critical thinking, there are bound to be many differing viewpoints. Students may not only disagree with each other at times, but the students and instructor may also find that they have disparate views on sensitive and volatile topics. It is my hope that these differences will enhance the class and create an atmosphere where students and instructors alike will be more encouraged to think and learn. Therefore, be assured that your grade will not be adversely affected by any beliefs or ideas expressed in class or assignments. Rather, we will respect the views of others when expressed in classroom discussions.

Incompletes are rarely given and are not recommended unless they are indicated for valid reasons. The student has the responsibility of discussing the proposed incomplete with the instructor and honoring the requirements agreed upon for conversion of the incomplete to a grade. To be considered for an incomplete, the student must have completed three exams, and have an average grade of at least C.

Although the instructor reserves the right to drop any student from this class when it is appropriate and indicated, your registration is your responsibility! If you stop attending this class for any reason, be sure to complete a withdrawal form in the Office of Admissions. This may prevent you from receiving a grade of F. The deadline for withdrawal from the spring sixteen weeks semester is Monday, April 23, 2012. Students are responsible for understanding the impact withdrawing from a course may have on their financial aid, veterans benefits, international student status, and academic standing. Students are urged to consult with their instructor or an advisor before making schedule changes. Per state law, students enrolling for the first time in fall 2007 or later at any Texas college or university may not withdraw (receive a W) from more than six courses during their undergraduate college career. Some exemptions for good cause could allow a student to withdraw from a course without having it count toward this limit. Students are encouraged to carefully select courses; contact an advisor or counselor for assistance.