Syllabus Addendum

Psychology 105 - Interpersonal/Personal Psychology

T. McMiller, Instructor
Phone 803-981-7064
Ofce: B11 Ofce #4
Email: tmcmiller@yorktech.edu
Ofce Hours: MW: 9:30-12:30PM; TH: 9:30-11AM
Required Textbook:
Weiten (2012). Psychology Applied to Modern Life. Cengage Learning
Attendance:
YOU MUST LOG INTO THIS COURSE AT LEAST 4 TIMES PER WEEK. To
ensure that you are maximizing optimal success, you should log into the
course EVERYDAY! Check your email everyday as I send reminders
frequently throughout the semester.
Students will be withdrawn from a course, distance learning or otherwise,
when the student has missed more than 10 percent of the course, based on the
length of the course. If the allowable limits are exceeded prior to the midterm
grade, a "W" will be assigned. If the limits are exceeded after the midterm date,
a "WF" will be assigned, unless a student has extenuating circumstances.
Failure in the course does not qualify as an extenuating circumstance.
Students who wish to withdraw from the course must obtain a Withdrawal
From Class form from the division ofce (A104). Students who made initial
contact after the drop/add period, but failed to maintain contact with the
instructor will be withdrawn according to the following guidelines: 16-week
course (end of 3rd week of inactivity) 10-week course (end of 2nd week of
inactivity) 08 week course (after 1 1/2 weeks of inactivity) 05-week course (end
of 1st week of inactivity).
Withdrawals:
The College Handbook states that students who are absent from 10% of the
scheduled classes will be withdrawn from the class. If you do not respond to
the DQ board for 2 consecutive posts, I will send you an email. If you fail to
respond, you will be withdrawn from the course. For a summer class which
meets two (2) times per week, the allowable limit is three (2) absences (non-
posts to the DQ board). If the allowable limits are exceeded prior to the
midterm grade, a W will be assigned. If the limits are exceeded after the
midterm date, a WF will be assigned, unless a student has extenuating
circumstances. Failure in the course does not qualify as an extenuating
circumstance. Students who wish to withdraw from the course must obtain a
Withdrawal from Class form from the instructor or division ofce.

Academic Honesty:
Cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty will not be
tolerated. If a student is caught cheating on an exam, plagiarizing from any
source, or engaging in any other form of academic dishonesty, he/she will
automatically receive a zero (0) for that exam, quiz, or assignment and will be
subject to further disciplinary action. For online courses, use of the textbook is
allowed on exams however collaboration with others is not allowed. If a student
is found to have collaborated with anyone while taking an exam or discussing
the exam with other students who have not taken the exam, a zero will be
assigned.
We now have Turn-It-In which will provide you with a percentage of how
much of your post is matching another source- such as a website, book,
student, or journal. Please ensure that you do not plagiarize as this would not
be benefcial for you to do and be successful in the course. Any assignments
that have been drafted from another source and not your own work will receive
a 0. You will have access to all reports from Turn-It-In online through the
drop-box.
Exams:
There will be four exams in this course. Exams may be a combination of
multiple choice, true/false, fll in the blank, short answer, and discussion/
essay questions. The fnal exam is mandatory and is comprehensive. All exams
will be found under the quizzes tab of D2L. You only have 1 attempt at
these exams so be sure to have at least 90 minutes to complete your exam
online. If you allow the computer to sit or time-out for 2 minutes, you will
automatically be locked out of the exam. If you have technical issues or
concerns, please print your answers or complete a print-screen shot and this
will be your proof of initiating the exam.
The information for each test will be from the readings, assigned videos/
assignments, and power-point information. It is imperative that you read your
text during this semester. Without reading, you will NOT be successful in this
course. This is why your textbook is required. Also, complete the test during
the timeframes provided. Late submissions will NOT be accepted (see make-
ups). If you have technical issues, always print the screen and/ or at least
your answers so that you have proof of you logging into the site.
All test dates will be featured on the Course Calendar document that will
outline the dates/ times for each test this semester. All exams will open at
8:00AM (Monday) and close at 11:59PM on (Wednesday). You will have 48
hours to complete your exams.
Make-ups:
Make-up exams/assignments will be allowed only for those students who have a death
in the family, are ill and can provide written documentation, or have made prior
arrangements with the instructor. Written documentation will be required before
the student is allowed to makeup the exam/assignment. Any student not taking
an exam at the scheduled should contact the instructor prior to the beginning of the
exam, either by phone or email. If you miss an exam and dont have
documentation, you will NOT be permitted to take the exam. Also, if you wait
until after 1 week post original test date, make-up exams will not be permitted.
Make-up exams WILL not be the same format as the original exam and must be
completed in the Assessment Center within one (1) week of the original exam
date- as a closed-book test. There will be a 30 point deduction for ALL make-
up exams no matter the reason. After 1 week of the original test date,
make-up tests will NOT be allowed.
Assessment Center:
It is located in A building, 2
nd
foor at the top of the stairs. Please contact the
Assessment Center for their hours of operation. It is not my responsibility if
you forget to take the make-up exam, arrive when the assessment center is
closed, or not yet open. Approved make-ups will only be permitted at the main
campus.
Module Chapter Calendar:
Module I: 1, 2, 3, 14
Module II: 4, 5, 6
Module III: 8, 9, 10
Module IV: 11, 12, 13
Discussion Questions: (Also known as DQs)
A discussion question will be posted for each chapter. Throughout the semester,
you will be given 1-3 question(s) to respond to in the Discussion Board. You
should at least respond to the posted question as well as respond to at least
two other student(s) post AFTER posting your initial post- per instructions.
Establishing a schedule will help you ensure that you log in at least 4 days a
week during the 7 week period and that you read and reply to the peers that
posted a response to your initial post.
Again, each week, you should respond to the posted question as well as
respond to two other student(s) - per instructions. For the weeks that you
complete a Learn-Smart, Milestones Video, or Drop-box post, you will NOT
reply to peers.
For the Introductions post, you will only reply to 1 other student in the
course. Each week, the question will NOT indicate responding to peers, but,
please do so as each week, you must reply to 2 peers initial post. An active
board is a great accent to the course.
Please ensure that you answer all questions for the DQ postings each week.
Remember to use polite language in responding. We all have a right to our
opinions. All of these aspects will be used in the grading portion of the weekly
DQs.
To get to the Discussion Board click on the Discussion Link at the top of the
page in D2L. Remember, you are being graded on both the quality, quantity,
AND timeliness of your responses. Please also ensure that you place a subject
in the subject line of the DQ. Failure to place a subject will result in 10 points
of your DQ post. Also, do NOT post an attachment to the DQ Board. Please
ensure that you post your assignment in the space provided. Providing an
attachment will result in a 0 for the week. It is unacceptable to post
habitually late responses, as the Discussion Board is our only means of
class discussion in this online format. Points will be deducted for habitually
late responses. Each student will receive a discussion post grade at the end
of each week. Throughout the semester, I will provide chapter review summits
where I will re-cap and etc. via email to the class. I will NOT be responding to
each post submitted to the DQ board. However, I will be reading each post that
is made. If you are failing in the area of the discussion posts, I will contact you
personally. Each week, I will keep track of your postings. If you miss a posting
and the discussion board is locked, please do NOT email me your posting. I will
not accept late DQ posts regardless to your reason. Each week, your DQs will
open at 12AM on Monday and close by 11:59PM on the following Sundays.
It is best to establish a routine early in this part of the course. This also
ensures that you are successful in this area of the course.
The course calendar outlines when all assignments are due in regards to your
DQ (Discussion Questions).
*Grading of DQs:
At any point, students can contact the instructor about weekly grades for the
DQ area. Please ensure that you read and understand the following as it
relates to the DQ posts. Specifc and individualistic issues will be provided by
the Instructor, if concern is informed by the student.
* Scores for DQs:
100: Student refected critical thinking when answering all parts of the
question. Student also replied to peers while refecting critical thinking and
establishing a substantial post- supplementing with cited material from the
textbook as support.
90-99: Student refected critical thinking, but failed to answer all parts of the
question. Some errors were possibly made in part of grammar, review of
material, time, substance, or replying to peers.
80-89: Student refected critical thinking, but some errors were made in part of
tying material with DQ question. Refection of the material was incorrect.
Student may have had problems with grammar, review of material, time,
substance, or replying to peers.
70-79: Problems with critical thinking in answering this weeks DQ. Problems
with grammar, review of material, time, substance, or replying to peers.
60-below: Clear problems with answering question and refecting on the correct
material information for support of the post; failure to use correct grammar,
review of material, time, substance, or replying to peers.
Reading Assignment:
Each student will complete a weekly reading assignment that will also
correspond with the weekly chapter discussion post(s). You must complete this
reading assignment- even if you are completing a Learn-Smart, Milestones
Video, or Special Drop-box Assignment. It would be benefcial for you to outline
key components from the sections advised on your study guide so that you
have notes for each test to study. Also, ensure that you print and use the
power-points as a guide for your studying.
If you would like to bring your notes/ chapter outline to my ofce for me to
review prior to the test opening, please email me and confrm an appt to meet
with me. These reading assignments, power-points, and study guides will be
benefcial for you to use to use as study tools- even though your tests are open-
book.
Project:
Your course project will consist of creating a refective paper dealing with the
topics covered in the text and in class. This paper should be typed and
submitted to the Course Project folder of the dropbox. It should be doubled
spaced. The length should be at least 5-6 full pages (title page/ reference page
NOT included in the 5-6 pages). Please use MLA format.
This paper should include your personal examples and feelings of dealing with
the topics covered as well as research presented in the topic provided by the
Instructor. The paper should include how you adjusted to or how you are trying
to adjust to a specifc challenge. It could also include a challenge that you know
that you should deal with, but as yet have not. The paper should be creative
and not an article critique. In other words, the paper should be your thoughts
and feelings as well as research from your text so support your opinions and
ideas.
Please use 3 additional APA sources in addition to your textbook. Sources like
Wilkapedia.com, About.com, WebMD.com, are not approved sources. Please
use the online library for YTC. EBSCO provides a host of empirical articles that
can be helpful for you.
Please choose a topic below:
My Career Choice: How I Made the Decision & Why?
Divorce: Adjustment, Treatment, & Long-term Efects
Self-Awareness: The Defning ME
Depression: Causes, Treatment, & Symptoms
Stress Management 101
Gender Identity Disorder: Help for Humankind
Alcoholism: The Whole Approach
Coping with Death of a Loved One
Personality: How We Become Who We Are
This assignment will be due at the end of the semester and will be worth 20% of your
overall grade.
Grading Scale:
A = 90 - 100 B = 80 - 89 C = 70 - 79 D = 60 - 69 F = 59 or less
Final Grades:
Final grades will be calculated in the following manner:
Exam One 20%
Exam Two 20%
Exam Three 20%
Exam Four (mandatory comprehensive fnal) 20%
Project 10%
Discussions- 10%
Online Etiquette:
1.Please ensure that you use polite language, limit grammatical errors, and
never ofend your peers/ instructor when creating or replying to your
posts.
2.Always log in at least every day to ensure that you are updated in the
course (i.e.= changes and etc.). Posting habitually late will not only
deduct points, but if not fair to your posts, if no one sees them and
replies to your thoughts and opinions. An active DQ board = an active
course.
3.Never inquire to your peers something that you SHOULD inquire of the
Instructor. Always email your Instructor or call during ofce hours. Never
send a class email or post a question of your peers to the DQ forum. This
may confuse unconfused students and cause more harm than good.
There is only 1 Instructor and 30 students.
4.If you disagree with your peers, do so in a non-threatening manner. If
you are concerned about your ways of addressing a controversial topic
contact the Instructor.
5.Your posts are considered your VOICE of the course, please ensure that
you are posting and replying.