Spring 2014
Centennial 103/203
MW 1:40-2:55pm
Instructor: Dr. Jennifer A. Clarke
Email Address: jclarke3@uccs.edu
(please use subject line “PSY 1000-001”)
Blackboard Messaging: Please do NOT message me on Blackboard. Please use my uccs.edu email.
Phone: Please do not call me or leave voicemails for me. Please email or come in person.
Office: Columbine 4043
Office Hours (first come, first served): M 12:15-1:15; W 3:00-4:00; or by appointment.
• Please be respectful of these times (for example, do not show up on Monday at 12:10 or 1:16 and expect me to be available). If these times do not work for you, please contact me via email to set up an appointment.
• I often keep my door closed when I am in the office. If you come by during office hours and the door is closed OR you have an appointment and the door is closed, just KNOCK!
Lunch/Coffee with the Prof: Occasionally throughout the semester I will be having coffee at Jazzman’s or lunch at
Café 65 (both located in the University Center). I will post these dates on Blackboard, and I hope you’ll join me!
Teaching Assistant:
Email Address:
Office:
Lauren Duke lduke@uccs.edu
Columbine 4046
Office Hours: M 11:00-12:00; W 12:00-1:00
Teaching Assistant: Michael Bultmann
Email Address:
Office: mbultmann@uccs.edu
Columbine 4046
Office Hours: M 12:00-1:00; R 1:15-2:15
Review Sessions: M 3:00-5:00; R 2:30-4:30; Location TBA
Myers, D. G. (2013) Psychology, 10 th Edition . Worth: New York.
During the semester, we will discuss a broad base of knowledge about the many areas of study within psychology. I will provide you with a working knowledge of terminology, research methods, key findings, and other basic information within this diverse discipline. I will demonstrate the applicability of psychological knowledge to practical situations. I also intend to help you learn study skills and critical thinking skills.
Each student must submit a signed and dated Responsibility Form. The form can be found on Blackboard in the
“Syllabus” folder. Please print a copy and bring it to class SIGNED AND DATED by February 5, and you will earn
10 course points. If you do not turn it in by February 5, you will not receive points, but you must still submit a signed/dated form in order to receive credit for your other assignments.
• There will be four exams: three during the semester, and the fourth during finals week.
• Exams may consist of multiple choice questions, matching, fill in the blank, short answer, or essay questions.
•
Exams will focus on the most recent material, but there may be cumulative portions on any exam.
• Any material covered in class is fair game for tests (including any movies or guest lectures), as is any material in the assigned reading. I emphasize lecture material on my exams.

•
The final exam date and time are listed on the syllabus and will take place as scheduled according to the University final exam schedule. Note that this may not be at the regular class time.
• I reserve the right to assign take-home exams.
Missed exam/Make-up exams:
• If you miss an exam without an approved excuse, you will receive a score of zero (0%) for that exam.
• There are five possible excused absences: University-sponsored event with university clearance, death in the family, illness for you or your dependent, mandatory court appearance, or military deployment. There are no other excuses for missing an exam. If you miss an exam due to a University-sponsored event, courtmandated appearance, or a deployment, or for a situation such as traveling to a funeral for which you have advance notice, you must discuss this with me BEFORE the exam. Do not simply skip the exam and then come back expecting to be allowed to take the exam.
• TO BE ALLOWED TO MAKE UP AN EXAM, YOU MUST PROVIDE ME WITH
DOCUMENTATION THAT YOUR ABSENCE WAS DUE TO ONE OF THE FIVE EXCUSED
EVENTS – NO EXCEPTIONS. Failure to provide adequate documentation will result in a score of zero
(0%) for that exam. This means that you must get a doctor’s note to miss an exam due to illness.
• Please note that scheduled, non-emergency medical events (appointments, scheduled surgeries, etc.), weddings, vacations, work or work-related events, travel difficulties (bad weather, canceled flights, etc.), sorority/fraternity or other club events, inability to find child care (except in the case of a child’s documented illness), etc., are NOT excused absences. ONLY the five excuses listed above are considered acceptable.
Consider this before planning to go out of town the weekend before an exam.
• Make-up exams may be in any form I choose, including essay form.
• The procedure for making up an exam is as follows:
• Provide Dr. Clarke with documentation first. You must do this during office hours or during an office appointment. You may not do this in the classroom.
• Schedule a make-up exam with the Testing Center/Disability Services (Main Hall 105, 255-
3354). Email Dr. Clarke to inform her of the date and time of your make-up exam. Note: There is a $30 charge to take an exam in the testing center.
• Make-up exams MUST be completed within one calendar week of the original testing date (e.g., if the test date on the syllabus is January 24, you must make up the exam no later than January
31). Failure to do so will result in a score of zero (0%) for that exam.
• Note: if you take a make-up exam in the testing center without first providing Dr. Clarke with documentation and notifying her of your scheduled make-up exam, your exam may not count.
Late to exams:
• Latecomers disrupt exams, making it difficult for other students to concentrate on their tests. If you are late to an exam (e.g., you arrive after I have finished disseminating the exams and have given the class permission to start) without an excused reason (same as above for missing exams) and documentation, I will deduct 25 points from your exam score. Traffic, inability to find a parking space, missing your bus, missing your ride, car trouble, work hours, etc., are NOT excused reasons to be late to exams. Only genuine emergencies supported by documentation will be accepted as excuses.
Exam administration:
• All Exams must be completed on a Scantron Form 882-E in #2 pencil.
You are responsible for providing your own Scantron and pencil. If you use an incorrect Scantron form or you use a pen to complete your
Scantron, you will receive a score of zero on your exam. No exceptions.
• The Scantron is the final word in exam grading.
I will grade the Scantron form that you submit using a
Scantron grader. If the grader cannot decipher your Scantron due to incomplete erasures and it marks items as incorrect, that is your responsibility. It is always a good idea to bring extra Scantrons to exams.
• If you fail to write your name on your Scantron, you will receive a score of zero.
• If I do not receive a Scantron with your name on it, you will receive a score of zero. It is YOUR responsibility to be sure that you turn in your Scantron to the correct envelope.
• Once you have taken an exam, the score you earn is your score. Your score will not be changed due to illness, stress, or other problems you are experiencing at the time of the exam. If you are having problems

and feel like your situation fits within the excused absence category, you must let Dr. Clarke know BEFORE you take the exam, and you must be prepared to provide the required documentation.
• Exam scores will be posted on Blackboard, typically within one week of exam administration.
• If you are caught using an electronic device during an exam, or you are otherwise caught engaging in suspicious behavior during an exam (e.g., talking), you will be asked to turn in your exam immediately and you will receive a score of zero on that exam.
You must earn 5 Research credits, either in the form of participation points in psychology studies or through alternate research assignments (or a combination of both).
1.
Earn 5 participant points (“SONA” points) through the UCCS Psychology Research Sign-up System (go to www.uccs.edu/psych and click on “SONA System” on the top navigation bar; follow instructions for logging into the system and signing up for studies). You may participate in one study if it is worth 5 points, or 10 studies each worth 0.5 points, or 5 studies each worth one point, or any combination of studies that equals 5 total participation points.
• Any questions about participation credit MUST go through the Researchers or Laura Chandler
(lchandl2@uccs.edu). Note the names and contact information of any and all Researchers in case you need to contact them.
• Any questions about the SONA system must go to Laura Chandler (lchandl2@uccs.edu).
• YOU are responsible for taking care of credit issues and for checking to make sure you are awarded appropriate credit. KEEP THE EMAILS YOU RECEIVE THAT CONFIRM YOUR POINTS.
They are your best support documents in the event of a computer error or other dispute.
• You MUST allocate your points to PSY 1000-001 (the course AND SECTION must be correct). If you allocate your points to another course, another section, or to the extra credit bank, you will not receive credit for this class. I cannot assume that you intended to allocate your points to this class; you MUST allocate points correctly in order to receive credit.
• I WILL NOT SEARCH THROUGH SONA FOR YOUR POINTS. I WILL NOT LOOK IN
OTHER SECTIONS OR IN OTHER COURSES TO FIND YOUR POINTS. IT IS YOUR
RESPONSIBILITY TO ALLOCATE YOUR POINTS CORRECTLY. IF YOU DO NOT DO SO,
YOU WILL RECEIVE A ZERO.
2.
OR, complete the alternate research assignment FIVE TIMES with five different topics (go to the Syllabus tab in Blackboard to see the details for this option). Each completed alternate assignment is worth ONE credit, so if you choose this option, you must complete 5 separate assignments using 5 separate topics and 5 separate sources.
3.
OR, complete a combination of SONA points and alternate assignments (e.g., 3 SONA points and 2 alternate assignments) for a total of 5 credits.
Alternate Assignments are due on Monday, April 28.
• Alternate assignments must be emailed to me by 11:00pm on Monday, April 28 (no hard copies).
• If you choose to do alternate assignments, please send ALL of them in ONE email, with each alternate assignment attached in its own file (i.e., if you complete 3 alternate assignments, you should send one email with 3 attachments). The assignments should be in WORD DOCUMENTS. Do NOT send them in any other format. If you do not have access to WORD at home, please convert your documents on campus before emailing them to me. YOU WILL BE GIVEN A ZERO FOR THE ASSIGNMENT IF YOU SEND THEM
IN ANOTHER FORMAT.
• There are no exceptions to this due date and absolutely no extensions on this assignment for any reason.
SONA points are due and must be completed in entirety by Wednesday, May 7.
• You must finish participation in experiments (including multi-part experiments) by Wednesday, May 7.
• You must check your points and allocate required points to PSY 1000-001 by Wednesday, May 7.
• There are no exceptions to this due date and absolutely no extensions on this assignment for any reason.
•
Contact Laura Chandler (lchandl2@uccs.edu) or the researchers if you have issues with SONA or SONA credits.

The research requirement is “all or nothing”. You will not receive partial credit for completing fewer than 5 credits. You either complete all 5 credits and earn 90 points or you receive a zero for this requirement.
WHEN WILL I SEE MY RESEARCH REQUIREMENT POINTS ON BLACKBOARD?
• Alternate assignment points will be entered into Blackboard by 11:00pm on Friday, May 2. Each alternate assignment will earn 18 points toward the total of 90 for the research requirement.
• For example: if you see 54, it means you submitted 3 acceptable alternate assignments to me (and that I am assuming that you will have 2 SONA points on the SONA credit list).
• SONA points will be entered by 12:00pm on Friday, May 16 (if I receive the credit list earlier, I will enter the points earlier and will post on Blackboard that I have done so).
•
If you submit alternate assignments and receive points for them but fail to complete the research requirement
(e.g., you submit 3 alternate assignments, receive 54 points in Blackboard, but fail to complete 2 SONA points), the 54 will be erased and you will receive a zero for the research requirement.
• If you fail to allocate SONA points correctly, or you fail to confirm receipt of your alternate assignments, or you otherwise fail to complete this requirement or to confirm completion of this assignment, you will receive a score of zero. I cannot stress this enough; it is YOUR responsibility to allocate points correctly and to confirm in SONA that you have done so. It is also YOUR responsibility to ascertain that your alternate assignments were found to be acceptable; you can do this by checking the credits in Blackboard on May 2.
• I WILL NOT MAKE GRADE CHANGES AFTER THE FACT IF YOUR SONA CREDITS ARE
NOT PROPERLY ALLOCATED. IF YOUR SONA IS NOT ALLOCATED PROPERLY IN THE
SYSTEM TO PSY 1000-001, YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE CREDIT FOR IT.
There is no available extra credit for this class at any time for any reason. Focus your efforts on the exams.
Assignments
4 Exams @ 100 points each
Responsibility Form
Research Participation (all or nothing – no partial credit)
TOTAL
Number of Points
450-500
400-449
350-399
300-349
299 and below
Number of Points % of Total Points
400
10
90
500
80%
2%
18%
100%
Letter Grade
A Range (450-464 = A-, 465-500 = A)
B Range (400-414 = B-, 415-439 = B, 440-449 = B+)
C Range (350-364 = C-, 365-389 = C, 390-399 = C+)
D Range (300-314 = D-, 315-339 = D, 340-349 = D+)
F
Your final grade is calculated using the sum of your exam scores, your practice quiz score, your responsibility form score, and your research participation points. That sum falls into one of the above grading categories. For example, if you earn 414 points, your final grade will be a B-. I do not round percentages.
I am happy to offer necessary accommodations to students with disabilities. If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your responsibility to contact and register with the
Disability Services Office, and provide them with documentation of your disability, so they can determine what accommodations are appropriate for your situation. To avoid any delay in the receipt of accommodations, you should contact the Disability Services Office as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive;

disability accommodations cannot be provided until an accommodation letter has been given to Dr. Clarke. Please contact Disability Services for more information about receiving accommodations: Main Hall room 105, 719-255-
3354, or dservice@uccs.edu
.
If your accommodations allow you to take an exam at the Disability Services Testing Center rather than with the class, you must adhere to the following procedure:
1.
Schedule the exam with the Testing Center FOR THE SAME DAY that the class takes the exam.
2.
Schedule the exam AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO the regular class time.
3.
Bring the completed testing form (including your name and when you have scheduled to take the exam) to
Dr. Clarke ONE WEEK before the scheduled exam. No blue form = no exam.
4.
Bring a testing form for EVERY EXAM. No exceptions.
5.
Failure to follow this procedure may result in a zero on the exam.
If you are a military student with the potential of being called to military service and/or training during the course of the semester, you are encouraged to contact Dr. Clarke no later than the second week of class to discuss the class attendance policy and the procedure for making up assignments if necessary. Please see the Military Students website for more information: http://www.uccs.edu/~military/.
A class of this nature may touch upon topics that hit close to home. If this should happen with you, please be aware that UCCS has a Counseling Center on campus (visit their website at http://web.uccs.edu/counsel/ or call the center at
(719) 255-3265. The Counseling Center is located on the 4 th floor of Main Hall). The counseling center also offers workshops on test anxiety (available for a nominal fee). If you suffer from test anxiety, they may be able to help you.
• Please remember that many of your classmates are attending class because they would like to learn the material. As such, it is discourteous and unfair for any student(s) to behave in a disruptive manner. Keep side conversations to yourself. If you are disrupting class, I will ask you to leave.
• Class begins PROMPTLY at 1:40 and lasts until I dismiss you (no later than 2:55). It is discourteous and disruptive to arrive to class late and/or to leave class early without explanation.
• Please turn cell phones, pagers, iPods, iPads, and any other devices OFF before class and put them away – you do not need any such devices for my class, so they should not be out during class. Please remove headphones and Bluetooth devices from your heads. You may use a laptop or tablet to take notes, but please use it to TAKE NOTES, NOT to email, surf the internet, write papers for other classes, etc., as this is not at all beneficial to you (and is discourteous). If you violate this, you may be asked to leave the classroom.
• Please peruse www.uccs.edu/studentconduct for more information on University-wide conduct policies.
I expect to see you in class every Monday and Wednesday. I strongly urge you to come to class – statistics show that students who attend more classes get better grades and are more satisfied with their courses. Attending class is your responsibility – and your choice.
I use Blackboard for a variety of things – I post lesson slides and handouts for class, I post exam scores after exams, and in the event of illness or cancellation of class/office hours, I post that information on Blackboard as well.
Familiarize yourself with the PSY 1000 Blackboard page and check it before EVERY class.
THE BEST WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH ME IS TO SEE ME DURING OFFICE HOURS. I like being visited during office hours. It’s nice to get to know students. It’s also much easier to answer questions or to discuss issues in person.

Alternately, you can email me (please put “PSY 1000-001” in the subject line). I ask that you give me at least 48 hours to respond before you resend the email or email again with the same question.
Email communication is great for a QUICK question or to schedule an appointment. Email is NOT the medium to use for detailed, lengthy questions about material, or to air grievances, or to ask questions that could be answered by a quick perusal of the syllabus or Blackboard page.
• If you email me to ask a detailed, lengthy question about the material, or to air a grievance, I will respond to you to ask you to set up an appointment to come see me.
•
If you email me to ask a question that could be answered by a quick perusal of the syllabus or Blackboard page, I will respond by telling you to check your syllabus or Blackboard.
• If you email me to ask me a SONA question, I will respond by telling you to email Laura Chandler.
If you have a complaint about something course-related (an exam score, a policy, etc.), please DO NOT send me an email regarding your problem. Please see me in person. I will not engage in discussions regarding problems or complaints via email. However, I highly encourage you to come see me if you have something to discuss.
Please do not call the department/my office phone nor leave messages for me in the department; the office I am using is not my permanent office and I neither use the phone nor check voicemail.
Please do not message me on Blackboard! I do not check Blackboard messages.
I take teaching very seriously! I will do my best to provide you with an interesting and engaging class, different teaching media, thorough explanations, and excellent dissemination of knowledge. I will also work to provide you with a safe learning environment – a place to discuss ideas and to express opinions freely. I will not bore you with my personal viewpoints; rather, I will teach you what we as psychologists know or believe to be true. This will hopefully allow you to form your own opinions based on available information and research rather than on what Dr.
Clarke personally believes. I will do my best to be available to meet with you to discuss your progress in this class
(or anything else you’d like to discuss).
Please be aware that I am not a clinical psychologist. If you come to me with an issue and it is beyond my scope as your professor to help you handle, I will refer you onward. This is BECAUSE I care about you and want you to work with someone who has the expertise to help you.
It is my intention to work very hard to provide you with a high quality course that covers general psychology. In return, I ask that you attend class, study for your exams, participate in class activities, check Blackboard regularly, and read the syllabus so that you know what is going on in class. I will treat you like adults, and I expect you to respond by taking responsibility for your performance in this class. Therefore, I expect you to be aware of exam dates, class policies, etc. If you miss class for ANY reason, excused or not, it is YOUR responsibility to find out about any announcements made in class, changes to the syllabus, class notes, etc., by asking a fellow student.
Similarly, it is your responsibility to record the grades you receive on exams. I will post exam grades on Blackboard, and you can track your SONA points through the SONA system. PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL ME ASKING FOR
YOUR OVERALL GRADE OR FOR EXAM GRADES. YOU MUST KEEP TRACK OF THIS INFORMATION.
Most importantly, I ask you to respect your fellow students. Please choose behavior that is conducive to learning
(e.g., be quiet during class). Also, please respect the opinions of others. You definitely don’t have to agree with anyone else, but in a learning environment it is customary to listen to others without judging.
If you find that you are struggling with this course, the time to talk to me is NOW. PLEASE come see me the minute you feel like you are falling behind or are failing to comprehend the material. I will encourage students with low exam grades to see me, but ultimately the decision to seek help is yours.

At some point in the semester, for a variety of reasons, you may decide to drop this (or other) courses. Here is some information that may help you with that process (information taken from the UCCS website – DOUBLE CHECK IT with your academic advisor or the registrar).
• February 5 is the last day to drop a course and receive a 100% refund.
• April 4 is the last day to withdraw from a course without special permission from the Instructor and the
Dean. NOTE: you may not drop the class after April 4 simply because you are failing or you do not like your grade. Drops after this date are for special circumstances ONLY.
The only way for students to enroll in a course that is closed is by placing themselves on the waitlist (until the end of the census period). The system will not permit students to waitlist for more than one section of the same course or register in one section and waitlist for another. Students on the waitlist are automatically enrolled in the course if a seat becomes available. After the waitlist is purged, students may ADD a closed course until February 5, 2014, with appropriate signatures, by using a DROP/ADD form on a first come, first served basis.
It is YOUR responsibility to monitor the waitlist if you are on it, and YOUR responsibility to seek signatures on a
DROP/ADD form after the waitlist is purged. I cannot add you to the class until the waitlist is purged, and can only add you at that point if there is room in the class.

Exams will cover everything that happens in class prior to the exam in addition to all assigned chapters.
I expect you to read the chapter or pages listed BEFORE CLASS. Note – for specified chapters, only certain pages of the chapter are assigned. If I have listed only a chapter number, you are expected to read the entire chapter.
It may be necessary to spend extra days on some topics, and some topics may not require all of the allotted time.
Should major changes become necessary, I will announce them in class. If you miss class, it is YOUR responsibility to find out if anything has changed.
The text is used as a guideline for each topic, but lecture is not limited to the information in your textbook, nor will lecture cover every topic in the assigned reading. However, exams will cover all assigned reading material (even if we don’t discuss it in class) and all lecture material (even if it isn’t in the reading).
Date Classroom Topic Chapter (pages)
W Jan 22 Course Requirements/What To Expect in PSY 1000 No chapter
M Jan 27 Course Requirements/What Is Psychology?
W Jan 29
M Feb 3
W Feb 5
M Feb 10
Assignments Due
W Feb 12 Exam 1 – Prologue, chapters 1, 2, and 6 (216-242), plus all classroom material
M Feb 17
W Feb 19
M Feb 24
W Feb 26
M Mar 3
W Mar 12
M Mar 17
W Mar 5
M Mar 10
Exam 2 – Chapters 3 (92-105), 5 (166-200), 7, 8 (298-325), plus all classroom material
W Mar 19
M Mar 24
W Mar 26
M Mar 31
Spring Break – No Class
Spring Break – No Class
W Apr 2
M Apr 7
W Apr 9
M Apr 14
W Apr 16
M Apr 21
W Apr 23
M Apr 28
W Apr 30
M May 5
W May 7
Research Requirement
Alternate Assignments Due
Research Requirement
SONA Points Due and
M May 12
1:40-4:10 must be allocated to PSY
1000-001 by today
Exam 4 – Chapters 12 (486-509) and 15, plus all classroom material (including TA lectures)