Syllabus for General Psychology 31969-007

Course Syllabus

The syllabus gives you an overview of what you need to do and outlines expectations. It is essential reading, and I highly recommend you also watch the walkthrough of your syllabus. Though the video walkthrough doesn't cover everything in detail (you are expected to read the syllabus carefully yourself) it does help to highlight some of the main points.

General Psychology Syllabus

Instructor

Lark Baum-Kailasam, MSW, MS, CSAC (she/her/hers)

Contact Information

ebaum@ccsf.edu (e-mail is best, response time 48 hours M-F)

Office Hours

Fridays 5-6pm via this Zoom link, password 497261 or by appointment.

What is this class about?

This course is a critical exploration of psychological research as it applies to understanding the causes, physiology, consequences, and management of stress. Emphasis is on practical applications for better managing stress.

What textbook and materials do I need?

The main text for this class is PSYCH6, ISBN 9780357041055. Additional materials will be made available on Canvas, the CCSF online learning platform.

What will I know how to do when I have completed this class?

Interpret the major historical and current psychological perspectives.
Define the methods and goals of psychological research.
Analyze basic psychological concepts.
Evaluate the applicability of psychological concepts to current issues.
Critically apply psychological principles to examine real life situations.

The above are the formal “Student Learning Outcomes” for this class, but equally important is that you get a taste of what a college class is like, both in terms of personal responsibility and independence as well as the quality of work expected. This class is designed to be a positive experience for you, but these new expectations might also be challenging. Please do not hesitate to come talk to me if you have any concerns or worries in this area! Everyone can succeed in this class if we work together.

What work will I have to complete to be successful in this class?

General Expectations

You will be expected to participate online discussions, complete exercises and presentations in pairs and small groups, and write critical thinking reflections on Canvas. You will also need to complete assigned readings from the text and other sources, complete online activities, and complete a final essay. As with an in-person class, the expectation that for every hour you spend in class, you would spend roughly two hours on out of class work; since this class would have met 2.5 hours per week in person, the total weekly commitment you can expect is about 7.5 hours (note: some weeks will be less, but some weeks, like when you are working on a paper or project, will be more. Additionally, your personal circumstances may mean you take more or less time than the rough estimate).

Remote learning expectations

This semester’s class is remote and will be taught via Canvas. It is asynchronous, which means that you are not expected to be anywhere at any specific time in order to complete the requirements of this class. I will be available for live office hours, and there will be some recorded short lectures you can watch, but the expectations for this class require only that you complete the work in Canvas (assignments, discussions, and exams). Please note that you are expected to login at least twice per week in order to be successful in completing the work, and the more you login and engage the easier it will be. If you do not login for two weeks or you do not complete two weeks’ worth of assignments/activities/exams without communicating with me about it, you risk being dropped from the class.

How is this class graded?

Exams and quizzes – Exams include multiple choice and essay questions; they are not comprehensive, and will only cover material since the last exam, with the exception of the final essay, which may cover topics from the entire course. Quizzes are weekly, small-scale "checks" to make sure you are learning as well as you think you are.
Activities – Assignments and discussions.

90% and above: A

80-89%: B

70-79%: C

60-69%: D

below 60%: F

What else will I need to do to be successful in this class?

Be respectful.

Psychology is an evolving field, and as such no one person (including me!) will know the best way to address every possible topic. Sometimes we will get it wrong – and that’s okay, as long as we address it respectfully. You are expected to show respect and kindness to everyone, even if you are expressing disagreement or feel emotional. Your current notions and beliefs will definitely be questioned in the course of the semester, because that is the purpose of higher education, but part of being in college is learning how to discuss these productively and work through challenges in the room.

Note: This class is a space where everyone’s experience is respected, even if we do not agree. No bullying or rudeness will be tolerated, and your discretion around the personal information shared by others is expected.

Follow the General Policies

Keep copies of all of your assignments until final grades are posted. I highly recommend composing and saving any assignments to be handed in on Canvas on your personal computer or in your personal cloud to protect against technical failures and the loss of your work. “Canvas ate my assignment” is not an acceptable excuse!
Communicate with me about any issue or problem you have that might impact our class performance as soon as possible – don’t wait for it to get too big to manage.
Login to Canvas and complete all the required material. If you are struggling (the work, general stress – anything standing in your way of success), please message me about what’s going on or set up a conference to talk.

Follow the Academic Policies

Follow the Rules of Student Conduct, including academic integrity and plagiarism. You are expected to be familiar with the definitions and rules around student conduct, and not being aware of them is not a valid excuse for violation. A violation of academic integrity will at minimum result in a 0 on the assignment, paper, or exam, and could result in failure of the class or expulsion from the college depending on the severity. Please carefully review the guidelines here.
Turn in your assignments on time*. Each assignment has a due date clearly marked in Canvas. If you turn in your work late but before I have finished grading the other assignments, I will deduct points as appropriate for the size of the assignment (generally 10%). If I have already finished grading when you turn in late work, I may not accept it and you will receive a zero. In other words, do not assume I will accept your late work, and turn everything in on time unless you have discussed it with me ahead of time or there are documented extenuating circumstances.
Write your discussions and responses on time. Discussions are just that -- discussions. Because they occur in an active, ongoing way, responses after the due date don't contribute to the conversation, as the conversation has already concluded! Therefore, discussions lock on their due date and time, and no late submissions are accepted.
Make-up exams are not offered*. Because the exams are to be completed in a window of time, you should be able to plan around personal circumstances.

* Items above marked with an asterisk can be negotiated under certain very limited circumstances, usually including a documented extenuating circumstances or a disability accommodation. Do not expect that your circumstance will automatically generate an exception, so communicate! Unless your circumstance is an immediate emergency, I expect that you will discuss it with me ahead of time.

What are the resources and personal assistance services available to me as a CCSF student?

Remember that this is a college class. You may or may not be accustomed to this workload, the topic of psychology can sometimes be triggering, and of course you have a full life, complete with issues and challenges outside of class. If you are struggling in any way, please come discuss it with me before you get overwhelmed! Other resources are available to support you via the CCSF Virtual Campus. The site is divided into sections for tutoring, Admission and Records Virtual Counters, and resources. As of this writing, the resources section of the site covers CCSF resources (food, student support, resource centers and student activities) and the community section covers resources outside CCSF (community guides, disability resources, emotional and health support, financial support for attending college, food resources, housing resources, protecting yourself and others, technology support, and unemployment information). Please visit the virtual campus site – there might be resources you didn’t even know you could use available to you! Here are some I want to highlight:

DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals): Resources and information applicable to eligible immigrant youth.

Disabilities Students Programs and Services (DSPS): If you are a student with a disability that requires accommodation, please come speak with me in addition to requesting accommodation through DSPS.

ESL Center for Language and Academic Development (CLAD): If English is not your first language and you want extra support around developing your English language skills, please look over the services that CLAD offers, including tutoring, workshops, courses, and a physical space to help connect to other ESL learners.

Homeless At-Risk Transitional Students Program (HARTS): Support for students who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Multicultural Retention Services Department (MRSD): Provides “comprehensive, culturally specific, multilingual education programs and services that promote successful learning and student achievement in a multiculturally sensitive setting.”

Queer Resource Center: A safe space offering multiple programs and services for students of all LGBTQQI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex) identities.

Tutoring/Learning Assistance Center: One on one, face to face or online tutoring and writing support.

Women’s Resource Center: Information for women about resources available on and off campus.

Schedule and Assignments

Reading

You are expected to complete the reading for the week before the week begins.

Assignments

Assignments are designed to be completed after most of the week’s discussions are concluded, because they will draw from both the reading and the other materials covered that week. There will not always be an assignment, when there is, they will be provided on Canvas. To allow for a full class week for discussions and to give you time to write, assignments are due Saturday at 6:00pm.

Online discussions

Online discussions are required weekly unless otherwise stated on Canvas. Your initial post is due Wednesday by 11:59pm; your reply post is due Saturday at 6:00pm.

Week #1, January 19 (Tuesday)

Reading: Chapter 1, What is Psychology?