Course Syllabus

Northeast Mississippi Community College

Humanities and Social/Behavioral Sciences

Psychology Department

General Psychology (PSY 1513)

 

COURSE SYLLABUS

 

  1. COURSE & INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

 

            COURSE NAME, NUMBER, CREDIT: General Psychology, PSY 1513, 3 Hours

 

            INSTRUCTOR & CONTACT:

Dr. Laura Pannell

                        Office Hours: By appointment

                        Classroom: New Albany           

                        E-mail: lmpannell@nemcc.edu

           

NOTE: Please use your Northeast e-mail account and be sure to sign your name.

 

  1. MATERIALS

 

TEXTBOOK:  Openstax Psychology. Available for download at

https://openstax.org/details/psychology (Links to an external site.)

 

PSY 1513 Course Documents: Course documents (Syllabus, Course Schedule, Power Point Lectures, Term Project Instructions, etc.) are located in Canvas.

 

  1. COURSE DESCRIPTION

An introduction to the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes.  This includes history and theories of psychology, research methods, biological bases of behavior, the principles of learning, personality and abnormal behavior.

 

  1. COURSE OUTCOMES
  2. Recall brief history of psychology
  3. Compare various research methods related to behavioral science
  4. Recognize bases for behavior, including physiology and environmental areas
  5. Recall common psychological principles of learning
  6. Recognize common personality theories
  7. Define abnormal psychology and recognize several mental disorders

 

 

Chapter Topics

Chapter 1- Introduction to Psychology  (CO 1)

Chapter 2- Psychological Research (CO 2)

Chapter 3 – Biopsychology (CO 3)

Chapter 4: States of Consciousness (CO 4)

Chapter 6: Learning (CO 4)

Chapter 7: Thinking & Intelligence (CO 4)

Chapter 8: Memory (CO 3, 4)

Chapter 11: Personality (CO 6)

Chapter 15:  Psychological Disorders (CO 6)

Chapter 14: Stress (CO 3, 6)

 

Instructor reserves the right to modify the content and schedule as necessary for changing course conditions.

 

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  1. COURSE RULES & GUIDELINES

 

Attendance and class participation (e.g., active listening, class discussion and assigned activities) are expected. Your attendance will be monitored and responded to according to the attendance policy set forth by the current Student Catalog of Northeast Mississippi Community College.  You may collect a copy of the catalog in the Office of Admissions or online at http://www.nemcc.edu (Links to an external site.). Attendance is mandatory. The maximum number of absences allowed for any student shall be the equivalent of two weeks of class (2 for Evening Classes). NEMCC Attendance Policy stated in the NEMCC Catalog.

 

Please see the college policies regarding Covid and masks in the classrooms. Your mask should adequately cover both your mouth and nose.

Zoom Policy

If you allowed to join class by Zoom (College/Instructor Permission Required), you must follow the below guidelines:

 

While participating in the ZOOM classroom, students are expected to adhere to the following policies. Failure to do so will result in an absence in the course:

  • Student must be present at the start of the class session and remain present through the end of the class session with stable internet connection and video on in order to be counted present.
  • Zoom attendance follows the same attendance and tardy procedures as traditional classroom attendance.
  • Students attending class through Zoom will follow all college policies applicable to traditional classroom behavior (i.e. appropriate dress code, no sleeping, no walking around during class, etc.).
    •  Appropriate dress code – no pajamas, etc.
    • No sleeping
    • No walking around during class
    • No Watching tv or other device
    • No Texting, using cell phone, etc.
    • No Driving
    • You must have proper lighting so that you face is clearly visible. 
    • See also Student Conduct for the Classroom in this syllabus
  • Students may not:
    • Leave their device during class for any length of time.
    • Have others present in the room or engage in conversations (audio or text) with anyone not enrolled in the class, including people in the room or by phone.
    • Turn off the video at any time.
    • Take any photos or record any of the class lectures.
    • Engage in any activity other than attending class. This includes, but is not limited to, household chores, childcare, cooking, or driving.
  • Students must be present by live video and audio at the start of the class session and remain present through the end of the class session with stable internet connection and video on in order to be counted present.

 

Class Responsibilities for Students:

  1. Complete all assigned readings prior to class meeting time.
  2. Attendance and class participation (e.g., active listening, class discussion and assigned activities) are expected. Your attendance will be monitored and responded to according to the attendance policy set forth by the current Student Catalog of Northeast Mississippi Community College. You may collect a copy of the catalog in the Office of Admissions or online at http://www.nemcc.edu. Attendance is mandatory. The maximum number of absences allowed for any student shall be the equivalent of two weeks of class (2 for Evening Classes). NEMCC Attendance Policy stated in the NEMCC Catalog.
  3. Adequately complete all assigned readings, projects, papers, exams and quizzes by the due date.
  4. Penalties for work that is submitted after the deadlines are as follows:

 Missed Exams: you will use a missed exam or your lowest exam grade as a drop exam grade, except for the final exam. The final exam must be taken and cannot be used as a drop grade.  If you miss more than one exam, then you need a legitimate excuse in order to take a make-up, which will be given 45 minutes before class begins on the next scheduled class date.

  1. Complete all graded quizzes and exams without the assistance of books, notes, or other aids (electronic or manual). Cheating on quizzes or exams and/or plagiarizing on written assignments are grounds for 0 credit, and/or an F for the course, and/or dismissal from the college.
  2. Return all exams to the instructor after writing the exam and after reviewing your exam results. Failure to return exams immediately after writing and reviewing an exam will result in a grade of F for the course.
  3. Mobile device/ear buds, etc. may not be used during class. Mobile devices must be on silent and out of sight.
  4. Personal computer/tablet usage for nonclass/subject activities during class is not allowed. Prior approval from instructor required for consideration of personal tablet/computer in class.
  5. Educational environment/socially appropriate use of language in tone and words for classmates and/or instructor.
  6. Appropriate demonstration of respect for fellow classmates and/or instructor, guest lecturer.
  7. Talking during class is allowed only as part of instructor led class discussions.
  8. Sleeping or putting head down on desk is not allowed.
  9. Recording of class lectures/discussions, etc. is prohibited.
  10. Any behavior disruptive to the learning environment is not allowed

Violation of the above can result in immediate dismissal from class.

 

  1. INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

 

The course instruction will be delivered by the following methods:

  1. Lecture on the various reading assignment topics – May be delivered via Zoom
  2. Illustrations (power point & online) of the various concepts, principles, methods, and theories
  3. Class discussions of the reading assignment topics/issues as warranted

Note: Specific instructional content and objectives and their respective instructional strategies will be presented at each class meeting.

 

  1. ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES & CRITERIA
  2. Assessment Instruments and Scoring Criteria:

(1) Exam 1

                        (2) Exam 2

(3) Exam 3

(4) Exam 4
(5) Final Exam

 

Instructor reserves the right to modify the content and schedule as necessary for changing course conditions.

 

  1. EVALUATION

 

            All examinations are worth 100 points each, including the final exam.  There will be a drop-grade from among the first four exams.  The final exam grade will not be dropped. Any missed exam will be used as the student’s drop grade. Makeups are not available.

            Any missed exam (Exams 1-4) will be used as the student’s drop grade. The final exam is required and cannot not be dropped. Failure to complete the final exam will result in a 0 for the exam and will be used in final grade calculations.

Grading Scale (Average):

 

A = 89.5 – 100

B = 79.5 – 89

C = 69.5 – 79

D = 59.5 – 69

F < 59

 

TITLE IX POLICY:

 

NEMCC is committed to complying with Title IX, a federal policy that prohibits discrimination, including violence and harassment, based on sex. NEMCC’s educational programs and activities must be free from sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and other forms of sexual misconduct. If you or someone you know has experienced sex discrimination, sexual violence and/or harassment by any member of the campus community, you are encouraged to report the conduct to NEMCC’s VP of Student Services, Mr. Ray Scott (jrscott@nemcc.edu), or to NEMCC’s Title IX Coordinator, Ms. Beth Benson (elbenson@nemcc.edu). Additional resources are available at http://www.nemcc.edu/about/title-ix/faq/ & http://www.nemcc.edu/about/title-ix/sexual-misconduct-policy/.

 

ACADEMIC HONESTY:

 

Academic honesty is a fundamental attribute of higher learning. Students who violate the principle of honesty deny themselves an opportunity to master the skills that they are credited to possess, cheat their classmates of deserved recognition, and demean the college and its degrees. It is a matter of great concern that all members of the college community strive for high standards of personal integrity.

Evaluation of each student’s level of knowledge and understanding is a vital part of the teaching process, and requires tangible measures such as reports, examinations, and homework. Any act that interferes with the process of evaluation by misrepresenting the relationship between the work being evaluated and the student’s actual state of knowledge is an act of academic dishonesty. These acts of dishonesty include but are not limited to: fraud, cheating, plagiarism, forgery, and facilitating dishonesty. (Definitions and discipline procedures may be found in Northeast Procedures Manual).

 

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT/SECTION 504 OF THE REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973 - (ADA):

 

Northeast Mississippi Community College provides adaptations and modifications to the learning environment for eligible impaired and/or disabled students. All students with a disability, including distance learning students, are strongly encouraged to contact the ADA/Section 504 Counselor/Coordinator, Mrs. Leigh Ann Stewart, located in Wright Hall 106 at (662) 720-7192, or via email at lastewart@nemcc.edu to discuss their disability and the appropriate accommodations. Students may also contact the ADA/Section 504 Compliance Officer, Mr. Ray Scott located in Ramsey Hall Room 216, or at (662) 720- 7179. Students must self-identify in order to receive accommodations. NEMCC Disability Applications may be obtained from the Counseling Center in Ramsey Hall or online from NEMCC’s website at http://www.nemcc.edu/student-support/disability-accomodations.