Community Psychology
Georgia State University
PSYC 4510 (CRN 80746)
FALL 2014
Instructor:
Office:
Phone:
Allana Zuckerman, M.A.
1105F Urban Life
404-413-6305
Meeting Times:
Office Hours:
e-mail:
Tues. & Thurs. 1:00-2:15
Langdale Hall 521
Tuesday and Wednesday 3:00-4:00pm or by
appointment
Please use D2L email
PREREQUISITES

PSYC1101 with a grade of C or higher or it’s equivalent
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is a survey of the field of community psychology. This includes the theoretical and political roots of the
field, research approaches, and models of prevention and intervention. Applications of community psychology theory and
methodology to local and global issues will also be discussed.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Students will become knowledgeable about the following:

The historical, social, scientific, professional, and political antecedents to community psychology

The basic assumptions and values of community psychology

The primary intervention strategies used by community psychologists

The primary research strategies used by community psychologists

The application of community psychology to a range of social issues
As part of GSU’s initiative to elucidate a set of general learning outcomes for all courses taught in the university (see
http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwapa/goalsassessmentofgeneraleducation.html), faculty have reviewed each undergraduate course in
the psychology department in order to specify the ways in which it contributes both to the department’s overall learning goals
and objectives and to the university’s general learning outcomes. A list of the learning goals and objectives specific to this
course is posted with course materials on D2L under the heading “PSYC 4510 Learning Goals/Outcomes.”
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK - Available at the GSU Bookstore and one copy is on reserve at the library.
Kloos, B., Hill, J., Thomas, E., Wandersman, A., Dalton, J.H. (2012). Community psychology: Linking individuals and communities
(3rd ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
DESIRE2LEARN (D2L)
This syllabus, lecture outlines, and additional course materials will be available on D2L. I will also use D2L to post schedule
changes. All students are expected to check D2L regularly for schedule updates.
COURSE FORMAT AND ASSIGNMENTS
The class will use a combination of lecture, discussion, videos, class exercises, and guest speakers. Students are expected to
have read assigned text chapters by the dates assigned and to contribute to class discussions in a meaningful fashion.
Exams (180 points). There will be three exams (60 points each), each covering approximately one-third of the course. The
format of the exams will be multiple choice and short answer. The first 2 exams will be on D2L and you will have a couple of
days to complete them. On the date they are due they must be completed on D2L by 5:00pm. There will be no class on the
days that the exams are due. The 3rd and final exam will be IN CLASS! There are no make-up exams for the first two exams
since they will be given online and you will have ample opportunity to take them over the course of a couple of days. Makeups for the final exam will be decided at the discretion of the instructor and if you wish to make-up in the final in person, you
must contact the instructor 24 hours before the exam or (in emergency situations) 24 hours after the exam to set up a new
exam time. Be prepared to provide documentation of the reason for your absence (when appropriate).
Psyc 4510 syllabus – page 1
Thought Papers (30 points). You will prepare three “thought papers” (10 points each) during the semester. These should
include personal and thoughtful reactions to the readings and lecture material on three different topics presented during class.
They may contain constructive criticism of one or more readings or lectures, integration of the material, an application to a
specific personal experience, or an idea stimulated by the readings. These papers must be printed with a 12-point font, doublespaced, and with 1-inch margins. The papers should be 1-2 pages in length and should be uploaded to D2L. Thought papers
are due by 5:00pm on the dates listed below. You are not allowed to make-up thought papers. The late policy on late papers
can be found in the section of the syllabus titled “policy on late assignments.”
Term Project (80 points total). This project will be based on your familiarity with a community organization addressing a social
problem of your choosing. You must choose a social issue/problem you are interested in learning more about, identify a local
organization that addresses it, arrange for the opportunity to visit their office(s) and meet with at least one member of the
organization to learn about how it operates. The four sections of the project will summarize this experience, and provide your
analysis of how the organization reflects, or fails to reflect, the principles of community psychology, which you have learned
through the course. Assignments are due by 5:00pm on the dates listed below. You must turn in the assigned section along
with all previous sections in a single computer file. Each section must be typed using a 12-point font, double-spaced, and
with 1-inch margins. Each section of the assignment should have a cover page including a title for your project, the course title,
your name and the date the assignment is turned in. All assignments should be uploaded to D2L. You are not allowed to
make-up thought papers. The late policy on late papers can be found in the section of the syllabus titled “policy on late
assignments.”

Section 1: Identify your topic and begin the research process (10 points). The completed assignment for Section 1 will
consist of: (1) a statement of your topic, (2) a list of 3-4 key terms for a literature search, and (3) citations in APA style for
at least 2 scholarly articles, chapters or books (not including your textbook) that you expect to use in your research.

Sections 1-2: Prepare a literature review (30 points). The completed assignment for Section 2 will be a brief, 3-page,
literature review summarizing research relevant to your topic. You must cite at least 3 sources from your search of
scholarly literature (You may also cite your textbook and 1 or more sources from the popular literature, but this is in
addition to, not instead of the scholarly sources). Include a reference page at the end.

Sections 1-3: Identify your organization (10 points). The completed assignment for Section 3 will consist of: (1)
Identification of the organization, including the name and address of the organization and contact information for a
person you plan to interview there; (2) a list of at least 5 interview questions you plan to ask in your interview.

Sections 1-4: Prepare an organizational description (30 points). The final part of your term project (Section 4) integrates
what you learned about your social issue in Part 2 and what you learned about the organization you chose to research.
The completed assignment will consist of: (1) a description of the organization and its approach to the social problem; and
(2) your own assessment and reflections on the organization from the point of view of a community psychologist.
Class Participation (10 points). Participation points are earned in large part by being in class and being actively involved (e.g.,
raising questions, comments in class, completing reading quizzes, etc.). You can also earn participation points by contributing
to the class in other ways, such as posting discussion messages on D2L or bringing relevant news articles into class.
Participation points cannot be made up.
Extra Credit (5 points). You may earn up to 5 points of extra credit by attending one of two events at GSU this fall and writing a
brief summary and evaluation (1 paragraph) of one of the posters at GSU’s Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference
(PURC) (http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwpur/). To earn the extra credit you must submit your 1 paragraph summary/evaluation on
either one of the posters or an oral presentation on D2L within 1 week of the event.
OFFICE HOURS
My office hours this semester are Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 3:00 to 4:00pm. Contact me directly if you want to schedule
an appointment at another time.
GRADING
This course uses plus (+) and minus (-) grading. Please note that courses or criteria that require a grade of B or C will continue
requiring the same. Grades of B- or C- will not fulfill the requirement. Final letter grades will be assigned based on the total
earned during the semester, as follows:
POINTS EARNED
PERCENTAGE
LETTER GRADE
279-300
93% - 100%
A+
Psyc 4510 syllabus – page 2
270-278
261-269
249-260
240-249
231-239
219-230
210-218
180-209
Less than 180
90% - 92%
87% - 89%
83% - 86%
80% - 82%
77% - 79%
73% - 76%
70% - 72%
60% - 69%
0% - 59%
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD
F
COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY JOURNALS
Below is a list of some of the major journals related to the field of community psychology (You may also use other sources):
American Journal of Community Psychology
Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the
Applied and Preventive Psychology
Community
Journal of Applied and Preventive Psychology
Prevention Science
Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology
Journal of Rural Community Psychology (electronic)
Journal of Community Psychology
Community Practitioner (electronic)
Journal of Primary Prevention
Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice
Health Education & Behavior
(electronic)
RESEARCH AND WRITING RESOURCES
LIBRARY. Ida Martinez, GSU Psychology Librarian is a terrific resource for help with finding and using library
resources. Her contact information is as follows: itmartinez@gsu.edu; URL: http://research.library.gsu.edu/profile/idamartinez.
Psychology Department Stats/Methods and Writing Centers. The psychology department has two tutoring
centers in 228 Kell, open only to students taking psychology courses. You may schedule 55-minute long appointments. To
make appointments, go to https://gsu.accudemia.net/, and log in with your student ID number (your password is also your
student ID number). Please see D2L for more detailed instructions. Please be aware that if you will not be able to make
appointments if you have two missed appointments within the last month. Therefore, if you miss more than one appointment,
you will have to wait until a month after the first missed appointment before you can make another appointment. Please also
be aware that cancelling an appointment within five hours of the appointment counts as a missed appointment.
At the Stats/Methods Center you can get help with statistics, methods, and reading primary articles. If you go to get
help reading primary articles, please be aware that it takes at least a few hours to thoroughly read an article. The tutor will skim
the article and do the best possible job within the time limit, but it is your responsibility to double-check the work.
At the Writing Center you can get help with any aspect of writing, including APA style. When you go to the writing
center take a hard copy of the assignment instructions and of your writing. Please note that you should not go to the writing
center to get help interpreting instructions or my feedback; see me if you have questions about that. The writing center’s
website has detailed information about what to expect from a session and how to improve different aspects of your writing:
http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwpsy/8342.html
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Students are expected to attend class having read the course materials and ready for active participation.
Veterans’ Attendance. The Department of Veteran’s Affairs requires that institutions of higher learning immediately
report to them when a student discontinues attendances. Veterans who are receiving benefits to fund their education will be
reported to the DVA if they do not attend class for a period of two weeks or more.
POLICY ON LATE ASSIGNMENTS
Except for exams and in-class essays, all assignments must be uploaded to D2L. Assignments will be considered late if they are
posted after midnight on the due date. D2L will accept assignments after the due date; however, assignments submitted more
than 2 days late should be accompanied by documentation explaining the reason for lateness (e.g., a typed note of explanation
from you, a scanned copy of a doctor’s note, etc.). Papers more than 2 days late will be accepted at the instructor’s discretion.
Late assignments will incur a 10% penalty per day (i.e., A 20 point assignment turned in 1 day late can receive a maximum of 18
points).
DEPARTMENTAL POLICY ON ACADEMIC HONESTY
The Department of Psychology follows the University system policy on academic honesty, which is published in the Faculty
Affairs Handbook and in On Campus: The Undergraduate Co-Curricular Affairs Handbook and is available to all members of the
Psyc 4510 syllabus – page 3
university community. The policy represents a core value of the university and all members of the university community are
responsible for abiding by its tenets. Lack of knowledge of this policy is not an acceptable defense to any charge of academic
dishonesty. All members of the academic community--students, faculty, and staff--are expected to report violations of these
standards of academic conduct to the appropriate authorities. The minimal penalty for cheating in this class is the grade of F.
The most common types of academic dishonesty are plagiarism, cheating on assessments, and unauthorized collaboration:
GSU Department of Psychology Definition of Plagiarism. If a student uses or relies on others’ work in preparing any
academic materials (e.g. written assignments, posters, presentations) the student must cite the source correctly according to
the directions provided by the instructor. Failure to do so is plagiarism. Copying and pasting even part of a sentence or phrase
is plagiarism, even when the source is cited correctly. Paraphrasing a source in a way that copies the phrase or sentence
structure of a source is also plagiarism. To avoid plagiarism, students are expected to properly paraphrase others’ ideas (See
“Avoiding Plagiarism” folder under Learning Resources section of D2L). Quotes in scientific writing should only be used when
the wording of the original source is critical to the student’s argument. Whether quoting is appropriate in a given instance is at
the discretion of the instructor, not the student.
Cheating and Unauthorized Collaboration. Cheating includes the use or sharing of any unauthorized materials and/or
assistance before, during, or after an assessment (e.g. exams, tests, quizzes). Unless otherwise specified by your instructor, you
may not discuss an assessment or share materials or information with any other student at any time. Unauthorized
collaboration occurs under the same circumstances as cheating, but involves assignments outside of the classroom (e.g. papers,
projects, presentations) rather than assessments.
For more information, see the GSU student code of conduct at: http://codeofconduct.gsu.edu
DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR
Students who exhibit behaviors, which are considered to obstruct or disrupt this class or its learning activities, will be
considered under the Board of Regents Policy on Disruptive Behavior. Behaviors which are considered to be inappropriate in
this classroom include but are not limited to the following: sleeping, eating, coming in late, leaving early, interrupting others,
talking out of turn, inappropriate behavior during group work, verbal behavior that is disrespectful of other students or the
instructor. The instructor will give students who exhibit such behavior a verbal warning. Continued violations will result in (1) a
written warning, (2) in a meeting with the chair of the Department of Psychology, and (3) then will be subject to disciplinary
procedures.
ALL CELLULAR TELEPHONES, PAGERS, AND BEEPERS MUST BE TURNED OFF, UNLESS THE DEVICE IS ON "VIBRATE"
MODE. If you receive a phone call/page (in vibrate mode) that is essential for you to respond to immediately, discreetly leave
the classroom. If you are expecting an emergency phone call, please notify the instructor at the beginning of class.
Remember that you are part of a learning community composed of a wide range of beliefs and experiences, and
every person has a right to express those beliefs/experiences within the discussion boundaries. No denigration or silencing of
others will be allowed!
For more information, see the GSU student code of conduct at: http://deanofstudents.gsu.edu/faculty-staffresources/disruptive-student-conduct/
COURSE EVALUATIONS
Your constructive assessment of this course plays an indispensable role in shaping education at Georgia State. Upon
completing the course, please take time to fill out the online course evaluation.
ACCOMODATION FOR DISABILITY
Students who wish to request accommodation for a disability may do so by registering with the Office of Disability Services.
Students may only be accommodated upon issuance by the Office of Disability Services of a signed Accommodation Plan and
are responsible for providing a copy of that plan to instructors of all classes in which an accommodation is sought.
*** The course syllabus provides a general plan for the course; deviations may be necessary. ***
Psyc 4510 syllabus – page 4
COURSE SCHEDULE
Topic
Readings
Aug. 26
Introduction and orientation to the course
Aug. 28
Introducing Community Psychology
Ch. 1
Sept. 2
The Development and Practice of Community Psychology
Ch. 2
Sept. 4
The importance of values
Sept. 9
Values continued
Assignments/Activities:
Log onto D2L; complete brief
survey!
Defining a social problem (discussion of term project
topics)
Sept. 11
The Aims of Community Research
Ch. 3
1st Thought paper due by
5PM
Sept. 16
The Methods of Community Psychology Research
Ch. 4
Project section 1 due by 5PM
Sept. 18
Understanding individuals within Environments
Ch. 5
Sept. 23
Understanding individuals within Environments (cont’d)
Ch. 5
Exam 1 available on D2L after class
Sept. 25
***NO CLASS***
1st Exam Due
EXAM DUE on D2L 5PM
Sept. 30
Library Workshop: Ida Martinez, GSU Psych Librarian, will
conduct a workshop on library resources for the term
project.
Oct. 2
Understanding Community
Ch. 6
Oct. 7
Understanding Human Diversity in Context
Ch. 7
Oct. 9
Understanding Human Diversity in Context (cont’d)
Ch. 7
Oct. 14
Semester Midpoint – Last Day to withdraw with a possible “w”
Oct. 14
Understanding Stress and Coping in Context
Oct. 16
Guest Speaker
Oct. 21
Film
Oct. 23
Film and discussion
Oct. 28
Resilience
Oct. 30
Prevention and Promotion: Key Concepts
Ch. 9
Nov. 4
Prevention and Promotion: Implementing Programs
Ch. 10
Meet in Classroom 1 Library
North
Ch. 8
Project Section 2 due 5PM
Project Section 3 due 5PM
2nd Thought paper due 5PM
Exam 2 available on D2L after class
Nov. 6
***NO CLASS***
Nov. 11
Empowerment and Citizen Participation
Ch. 11
Nov. 13
Community and Social Change
Ch. 12
Nov. 18
Program Evaluation and Program Development
Ch. 13
Nov. 24-28
2nd Exam Due
EXAM DUE on D2L 5PM
3rd Thought paper due 5PM
Thanksgiving Holiday No Classes
Dec. 2
Community Psychology and Graduate Training and Careers
Dec. 4
FINAL EXAM IN CLASS
Ch. 14
EXAM IN CLASS
Psyc 4510 syllabus – page 5
Dec. 9
FINAL PAPER DUE: NO CLASS
PROJECT SECTION 4 DUE
5PM on D2L
Psyc 4510 syllabus – page 6