PSY 305
Psychology of Religion
Spring I 2008
INSTRUCTOR:
Carol M. Lewis MS LCPC
PHONE:
Office phone: 312-567-2334
EMAIL:
carolmlewis@sbcglobal.net
FAX:
ALT PHONE:
Home phone: 708-485-2417
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Title
Author(s)
Copyright
Publisher
ISBN
Edition
The Writings of William James: A Comprehensive Edition
James, W.
(1977)
Chicago: The University of Chicago Press
0-226-39188-4
This Course Requires the Purchase of a Course Packet:
YES
NO
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Argosy University
COURSE SYLLABUS
PSY305
Psychology of Religion
Faculty Information
Faculty Name: Carol M. Lewis MS LCPC
Campus: Chicago Illinois
Contact Information: Office phone: 312-567-2334
Home phone: 708-485-2417
Email: carolmlewis@sbcglobal.net
Most often I will respond to email messages and phone messages by the following day, and when possible on the same day.
Office Hours: I will be available for brief meetings in the late afternoon or early evening before each class. Meetings may be arranged by
contacting me to schedule an appointment.
Short Faculty Bio: I am Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, with a Master of Science in Psychology from the Illinois Institute of Technology. I
have been a psychotherapist for more than thirty years. In my clinical work I provide diagnostic assessment and outpatient treatment for adults of
diverse cultural background and clinical needs at Mercy Hospital Mental Health Center in Chicago. My primary research work has been the study of
psychotherapeutic processes and developmental processes in psychotherapeutic groups. My published work includes The Process of Group
Psychotherapy: Systems for Analyzing Change, APA Books, of which I am both co-editor and a contributing author. I’ve been a member of the faculty
at Argosy University for more than two years.
Course description: In this course students discover how psychology helps us understand religious behavior and experience. We investigate the meaning and
value of religious faith as interpreted through the major psychological schools. Students reflect upon their own past spiritual development and consider its future
possibilities. They also probe into reasons why religion sometimes “gets sick” and what factors contribute to religious health.
Course Pre-requisites: None
Required Textbook:
James, W. (1977). The Writings of William James: A Comprehensive Edition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. ISBN: 0-226-39188-4
Additional Textbooks:
Yalom, I. D. (2002). The Gift of Therapy: An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and Their Patients. Harper Collins.
ISBN: 0-06-093811-0
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Technology: Pentium III CPU/ Windows 98; 128MB RAM, printer; Microsoft Office Acrobat (full version), Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 (PC) 5.0 (MAC) or
Netscape Navigator 4.08. Norton Antivirus.
Course length: 7.5 Weeks
Contact Hours: 45 Hours
Credit Value: 3.0
Program Outcomes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Cognitive Abilities
1.1. Critical Thinking - Given a psychological issue, employ skeptical inquiry and a scientific approach to respond to the issue.
1.2. Information Literacy - Given a research question related to psychology, access information from a variety of sources and select appropriate sources to
respond to the question.
Research
2.1. Understanding Research Methods – Given an article about research findings in the field of psychology from a scholarly journal, identify the research
methods used and the findings of the article.
2.2. Identifying Research Methods – Identify the appropriate statistical tools and basic research methods in psychology, including research design, data
analysis, and interpretation.
Communication Skills
3.1. Oral - Effectively present psychological concepts orally as appropriate to the audience.
3.2. Written - Effectively present psychological information, in writing, using software and style appropriate to the audience.
Ethics/Diversity
4.1. Ethics - Identify the issues and challenges related to ethics in the field of psychology.
4.2. Diversity - Identify the issues and challenges related to diversity in the field of psychology.
Knowledge of the Field
5.1. Foundations – Recognize the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, applications, and historical trends in psychology.
Knowledge of Applied Psychology
6.1. Apply psychological principles to personal, social, and/or organizational issues.
Course Objectives:
1.
Students will investigate how major psychological theories analyze religious development and behavior. (Program Outcome(s): 3.1, 5, & 6)
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2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
1.1. Summarize the history of psychology of religion.
1.2. Describe religion from James’ perspective.
1.3. Differentiate between Adler’s, Maslow’s, Freud’s, and Jung’s approaches toward the study of religiosity.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the implications of historical developments on the practice of religion and psychological interpretation of
religion. (Program Outcome(s): 5, & 6)
2.1. Examine the research methods and psychological perspectives utilized in research related to psychology of religion.
2.2. Differentiate between spirituality and religion.
2.3. Examine May’s spiritual approach toward personality development and analyze the amenability of the approach to psychological research.
2.4. Analyze how globalization has affected trends in spirituality and fundamentalism.
Students will identify the continuum of healthy versus pathological religious experience. (Program Outcome(s): 5, & 6)
3.1. Describe James’ view on the benefits of religiosity.
3.2. Compare the views of James and May on psychological health.
3.3. Describe the results of the Pahnke study and discuss the psychedelic use in the consciousness research.
3.4. Discuss the underlying psychological mechanisms responsible for fundamentalism and cult membership.
3.5. Analyze and create the profile of a religiously healthy individual.
Students will investigate and compare a variety of belief systems as expressed from the life works of those who have come before us. (Program
Outcome(s): 1.2, & 5)
4.1. Summarize the spiritual approach of Dalai Lama.
4.2. Explain Nhat Hahn’s view on relationships.
4.3. Compare the approaches of Dalai Lama and Nhat Hahn with May’s.
4.4. Discuss the factors involved in religion-based activism.
Students will create possibilities for the next step of emergence in the relationship between the fields of psychology and religion. (Program Outcome(s):
1.1, & 6)
5.1. Examine James’ view on faith in science and religion.
5.2. Examine Yalom’s approach to truth as expressed in psychotherapy.
5.3. Analyze the usefulness of the psychospirituality movement.
5.4. Study the current trends in research related to the psychology of religion and the positive psychology movement.
Students will evaluate their own religious development based on developmental theory. (Program Outcome(s): 3.1, 5, & 6)
6.1. Discuss their personal approach to religiosity or spirituality.
6.2. Analyze their current and past religious or spiritual development based on Maslow’s hierarchy.
6.3. Analyze the approaches that best describe their religious or spiritual development currently.
6.4. Discuss the possible effects of religiosity or spirituality on an individual in late adulthood using information from lifespan psychology.
Students will compare the similarities and differences between psychology and spiritual direction. (Program Outcome(s): 2.2, & 5)
7.1. Compare the various definitions of spiritual direction.
7.2. Compare the spiritual direction to Yalom’s existential approach.
7.3. Formulate plausible research studies to analyze the possible effects of traditional psychotherapy versus spiritual direction on the psychiatric treatment.
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Use the following outline as a guide to what we will study each week. The assignments will be further revised and defined as we proceed. The discussion
questions suggested are ones we can consider as we pursue each week’s lesson, in addition to others we think of. Check out the links, save some of them
in your favorites. They are used several times throughout the course. In addition to the material mentioned here, I am choosing some brief selections
from primary source material, (the writings of the other theorists we will consider in addition to James). I will choose material available on the web or
in the online Argosy library.
Assignment Table
1



Topics
Spirituality Versus Religion
Trends in Psychology of Religion
Benefits of Religiosity
Readings
Following Web pages:
Assignments
Discussion Questions:
http://www.apa.org/m
onitor/dec03/religion.h
tml
1.
Refer to the following Web sites:
http://www.psychwww.com/psyrelig/USA.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychology_of_religion
http://www.apa.org/m
onitor/dec03/secret.ht
ml
http://en.wikipedia.org
/wiki/Religion
(Topic: “Modern
Reasons for Adhering
to and Rejecting
Religion” on the Web
site)
http://en.wikipedia.org
/wiki/Psychology_of_r
eligion
James
Conclusions (to the
Varieties of Religious
Experience)
Based on your reading of these Web sites or other Web sites on the
psychology of religion and your online lectures, you should be able to
summarize trends in the history of psychology of religion. Next, discuss
the following:
a. Would you agree with the view that James was most important
influence in psychology of religion?
b. What evidence would you cite to justify your answer?
2.
Refer to the following Web sites:
http://www.apa.org/monitor/dec03/religion.html
http://www.apa.org/monitor/dec03/secret.html
Freud’s pessimistic view of religion suggests that people use religion to
avoid dealing with stress and conflict. In other words, for specific people,
religious beliefs are a way to avoid reality and personal responsibility.
a. Based on your reading of the American Psychological Association
(APA) articles on religion’s role in psychological practice and recent
research, discuss why you believe that Freud’s assumption was correct
or incorrect or both.
b. Discuss with relevant examples from the reading and Web sites,
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describing Freud’s views.
3.
Refer to the following Web sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion
http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_prej.htm
a.
Using information from these Web sites and this week’s lecture, read
the following and answer the questions:
Profile of an “Extrinsically Religious” person:
Kathy believes herself to be a religious person. A devout and
conservative Lutheran, she attends church every Sunday and
Wednesday and leads a Sunday school class. She believes that she is a
true Christian; and in her opinion, Christianity is the only ‘true’
religion. In her daily life, she finds she has a hard time applying
principles from her faith and wishes she were a “better” person. Her
emotions run from feeling jealous, judgmental, and anxious about her
future to feeling joyful, confident, and serene, especially when she
prays or reads the Bible. In contrast, she never experienced a kind of
personal “union” with God or mystical experience during prayer or
other religious acts. This idea frightens her.
Profile of a “Quest” type of person:
Rachel describes herself as a spiritual person. A “lapsed” Catholic,
she has attended various kinds of spiritual centers in her city:
churches, synagogues, and various Buddhist temples. In general, she
is interested in a “Higher Power,” which she thinks can manifest in
different faiths. She finds it fascinating to attend different services and
to talk to people of different religious backgrounds fascinating.
However, she feels she cannot commit to a particular religious path.
She admits to frequent “encounters” with, what she thinks of as, a
“Higher Power” or “Divine Reality” wherein she feels connected to
something bigger than herself. Often, this happens when she is in a
beautiful natural setting or when she meditates. From these
experiences, she feels her life has more meaning and this instills
greater confidence, joy, and serenity in her. At the same time, she
feels anxious about her future and feels jealous and judgmental of
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b.
others. However, in general, she describes herself as a “happy”
person.
Based on your experiences with these two religious types, discuss the
following:
i) With which kind of person would you prefer to spend time?
Why?
ii) Discuss how your view of religion or spirituality may affect your
work and/or family relationships, paying particular attention to
your own biases regarding religious versus
spiritual orientations to faith.
Assignments:
1.
Comparisons of Theorists
Choose one theorist from this week’s reading,
Do the following:
a. Summarize one approach from the four you have read about.
b. Return to the three Web sites that feature the theory of your interest.
For example, if you choose Adler’s approach, you’ll need information
from three different Web sites for a thorough understanding of Adler’s
view of religion.
c. Compare this information to what you know about each of the other
three theorists you should have studied — Freud, Jung, Adler, and
Maslow.
d. Compare the theorist you chose with each of the others, indicating
why you prefer your theorist over others. For example, why is your
theorist’s view of religion more psychologically useful or why would
it provide more meaning or comfort to people compared to the views
of other theorists? Provide specific examples based on the reading.
2



Psychology and Science
Research in Psychology of
Religion
Positive Psychology
James
The Will to Believe
Discussion Questions:
1.
Following Web pages
Based on your reading of this week’s online lectures, discuss the
following:
a. Analyze why two research frameworks — qualitative and quantitative
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http://en.wikipedia.org
/wiki/Religion
http://www.psywww.c
om/psyrelig/porfutur.h
tm
b.
2.
Topic “VIA Strengths
Inventory” from
www.authentichappine
ss.com
— are needed in the psychology of religion.
Support your response with examples.
In the past century, religious fundamentalism is on the rise. Absolutist
philosophies and religion-based terrorism received much media attention
in the past few decades, from Israel to Afghanistan, and from Ireland to
India. At the same time, around the world, there is a trend toward defining
religion in terms of personal spirituality and opposite to organized and
traditional religious forms.
Consider and discuss this trend.
3.
Based on this week’s textbook reading, discuss the following:
a. What do you think are the major goals of science and religion? How
similar are these goals?
b. Integrate James’ understanding with information from the Web site
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion
Discuss the following:
c. What do you think are the reasons for ”believing” and ”not
believing?”
d. Should scientists be more sympathetic to the sometimes unscientific
basis for religious beliefs? Why or why not?
Assignments:
1.
Authentic Happiness
a. Summarize the nature of the positive psychology movement within
psychology.
b. Compare and contrast the goals of positive psychologists with those of
religious practitioners/leaders.
c. Take the VIA signature strengths survey at:
www.authentichappiness.com.
d. Describe how your five signature strengths — all 24 are discussed in
the online lecture — would contribute to your career goals and close
relationships.
e. Describe the characteristics that might be desired or even necessary in
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f.
a spiritual director and a psychotherapist.
State the differences in strengths that you expect to see in these two
types of professionals.
2.
3

Belief and Practice: Are They the
Same?
James
The Energies of Men
Final Project
A critique of past research in psychology of religion involves the biases of
the researchers. Many researchers were either skeptical of religion or have
come from committed religious backgrounds. Many lacked familiarity
with religion, because they themselves are not religious, or they have come
from a Christian background and explored concepts from the perspective
of Christianity.
a. How did the childhood religious backgrounds of Freud and Jung
affect their perspectives on religion? Use relevant Web sites to gather
information to answer this question.
b. Which researcher you studied this week had an attitude toward
religion that is most similar to yours? Give examples.
c. Name one bias about religion — either for or against — that could
affect your approach towards the study of religion.
d. Suggest three ways in which new researchers in this area can expand
their knowledge of other religious traditions.
Discussion Questions:
1.
Yalom
Chapter 11
Chapter 61
The sustained and courageous social activism of individuals such as
Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, and Gandhi are rare occurrences.
Discuss:
a. Why do most people believe in helping others, as espoused in their
life philosophy but at the same time, may not do so?
b. According to James, “A typical person energizes below his maximum,
and…behaves below his optimum.” Discuss:
c. What does James mean by this statement? Is this “bad”? Justify your
answer.
d. When are people most likely to feel energized to accomplish a task?
Illustrate your answer with two examples from James’ essay.
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Assignments:
1.
Energies of Man
Based on James’ reading for the week:
a. Conduct interviews with two people including friends, family
members, and classmates.
b. Ask them to describe moments in their lives when they felt energized
and motivated to accomplish a task. What was going on during this
time that influenced their heightened sense of energy? For example,
frustration, fear, or a tantalizing goal can all be incentives for working
hard on a task.
c. Let your interviewees speculate about why they feel they could push
themselves to create this level of motivation in their everyday life —
something that James suggests.
d. Connect the ideas from the three to five interviews to ideas in James’
text. Ensure that you connect at least three ideas or examples from
James to the responses from your interviewees.
e. Use as much time per interview as it takes to receive answers that will
allow you to synthesize the interviewees’ responses with information
from the chapter about James.
2.
Final Project
William James confided that he wished to be a person of faith, but his
open-mindedness and scientific attitude regarding religious faith prevented
him from being so. On the other hand, some individuals like Mother
Teresa, Gandhi, Thich Naht Hahn, and Martin Luther King, Jr., far from
being distant observers of faith, lived out their faith in dramatic and
constructive ways. These individuals stand out precisely because faith was
the primary motivator in their lives, which does not apply to all people
who label themselves “religious” or “spiritual.”
a. What factors do you think are important in cultivating an active rather
than a passive faith? Use examples from the life stories of Gandhi,
Mother Teresa, etc.
b. Choose a person, living or dead, who you believed lived out their
faith. This person may be a religious or a political figure. Use the
Web, information from other classes or other, to describe how this
person used their beliefs to justify their actions, lifestyle, and the
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4




Religion and Psychopathology
Mysticism vs Psychoticism
Conversions and Personality
Change
Fundamentalism and Cults
Following Web pages
http://www.csp.org/ex
perience/jamesvarieties/jamesvarieties.html
impact of their life on others.
Discussion Questions:
1.
Navigate around the site’s link to articles on cults.
(Lecture IX:
Conversion)
http://www.psywww.c
om/psyrelig/james/jam
es8.htm#189
Refer to the following Web site:
http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/utilities/sitemap.htm
You can also refer to the following for a general overview:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult
2.
http://www.deikman.c
om/observing.html
Conversion experiences, as described in William James’ chapter on the
topic, seem to “come out of nowhere” and “strike one all of a sudden.”
a. Why would James argue this is not the case?
b. What are James’ ideas on the origins of conversion experiences, in
your opinion?
Assignments:
1.
Fundamentalism: As with all the assignments, I may revise this assignment
or provide an alternative.
a.
b.
Find two Web sites each that relate to fundamentalism:
i) The first set of Web sites should encourage “going back to the
fundamentals” and may be sponsored by a church, mosque,
temple, or other religious organization.
ii) The other should be critical of Fundamentalism as a movement
and may be sponsored by a more liberal or progressive religious
organization or a non-religious organization.
From the information obtained at these four sites and from lecture,
draw up a list of benefits and a list of drawbacks of the fundamentalist
position.
i) What was your previous opinion of Fundamentalism?
ii) Do you hold the same view now or not? How have your views of
this movement changed from your reading?
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5




Relationships in Buddhism
Relationships in Psychological
Therapy
Psychotherapy Versus Spiritual
Direction
Psycho-spirituality
Yalom
Chapter 1
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 14
Discussion Questions:
1.
From your reading of James:
What lessons can you take away that would benefit your future academic
or professional work? For example:
a. If you attend graduate school, how would James’ idea on “blindness”
affect the way you viewed others’ ideas?
b. If you work in a service agency as a group home counselor, how
would this idea of “blindness” affect how you worked with others?
Use specific references from the text to support your answer.
James
On a Certain
Blindness in Human
Beings
Assignments:
After reading Yalom’s chapters on how he works with his clients in
therapy, answer the following questions:
a. What similarities do you find in Yalom’s approach and in the
information about psychospirituality?
b. Yalom does not appear to address spirituality and religion directly,
though he helps people question their own meaning systems and
beliefs. If you had to be a client in therapy, would you search for a
secular (non-religious) therapist like Yalom, or a counselor who
worked with spirituality and religion?
c. Do you think people who are trained to be psychotherapists should
take courses in world religions? Explain, using relevant examples.
Following Web pages
http://sdiworld.org/
http://www.newadvent
.org/cathen/05024a.ht
m
http://www.obeliskfou
ndation.com/articles/ar
tpsych.html
http://www.nealelundg
ren.com/sapse/sapse_i
ndex.html
6


Summary of Approaches
Development: Childhood to Late
Life
Yalom
Chapter 41
Chapter 43
Discussion Questions:
1.
Read about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs from the following online
Page 12

Religious or Spiritual Self-Analysis
Chapter 44
lectures and Web sites:
Following Web pages
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow
http://en.wikipedia.org
/wiki/Maslow
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/hierarchy+of+needs
Describe it as you understand it.
http://encyclopedia.the
freedictionary.com/hie
rarchy+of+needs
What criticisms of this model do you have? Provide examples that help
illustrate and justify your criticisms.
2.
Kant’s idea of a “Categorical Imperative” would require that each person
live in a way and if all people adopted that way of life, the world would be
a good, sane place to live in.
a. With this in mind, do you think there is a brief set of principles that all
people could be encouraged to live by?
b. Is this desirable or even possible?
c. Discuss either of the following two questions:
i) What would be these principles?
or
ii) Why it would not be desirable or possible to attain such an ideal?
Assignments: More information to come.
7



Limitations: Psychology
Limitations: Religion in Therapy
James’ Pragmatism in Research
James
What Pragmatism
Means
Discussion Questions:
1.
James’ essay on pragmatism offers an understanding of “truth” that was
novel at a time when people were influenced with the idea of truth as
expressed in science.
a. How does James’ view of truth from a pragmatic perspective
discussed in his essay differ from other kinds of truth such as
scientific truth?
b. How do you think a pragmatic attitude toward experience, especially
religious experience, may beneficially influence research in the
psychology of religion?
2.
How do you define truth? How would you define this word in one or two
Following Web pages
http://www.apa.org/m
onitor/dec03/religion.h
tml
http://www.apa.org/m
onitor/dec03/secret.ht
ml
Page 13
sentences?
How does your definition compare to the ideas of truth presented by
Wilber and James? List two ways in which your definition is similar or
dissimilar to their ideas.
3.
Visit the following web pages:
http://www.apa.org/monitor/dec03/religion.html
http://www.apa.org/monitor/dec03/secret.html
From your rereading of the articles from APA Monitor from Week 1 listed
above and this week’s lecture and readings, discuss:
a. Should doctors, nurses, psychologists, and other physical and mental
health professionals who are currently interested in religious or
spiritual issues among their clients, learn about Wilber’s model? Why
or why not?
b. If you agree that health professionals should learn about Wilber’s
model, list five ways in which health professionals could use Wilber’s
ideas and the ideas presented in the APA articles in practice.
Assignments:
1.
Understanding Biases and Pragmatism
Choose a controversial current issue in the U.S. or in your home country or
culture that involves a debate concerning religious issues. For example,
you may choose the issue of protesting outside concerts of popular
musicians such as Marilyn Manson and Eminem in the U.S. by religious
groups. Gather information from reputable Web sites dealing with your
issue of your choice to understand the various advocated perspectives.
Based on this information:
a. Prepare a comprehensive summary of the issue.
b. Analyze and describe the various viewpoints of the debate
surrounding the issue of your choice, according to the learning from
this course so far.
Page 14
c.
d.
8



Personal Synthesis of Approaches
Current Research Problems
Future Research and Practice
Following Web pages
http://www.religionfac
ts.com
List biases from both sides that limit the understanding of the issue.
What advice or information would you provide to each group in this
debate to help each understand the other’s point of view on the issue?
Use quotes from James’ essay on pragmatism to convince them to
understand the issue in a different way.
Discussion Questions:
1.
The research in the psychology of religion focused more on the beliefs and
behaviors of Christians than any other religious group. Indeed, a shallow
understanding of other religious faiths is likely to be translated through a
Christian lens or the lens of the researcher’s own faith or nonfaith
tradition.
For more information, visit the following Web site:
http://www.religionfacts.com
Based on the information presented in the following Web site, discuss the
following:
a. What are the major differences in the beliefs of two of the major
world religions?
b. Include Christianity, Judaism, Islam, or any monotheistic religions as
one of the faiths. For example, you may compare Islam and Hinduism
or Christianity and Buddhism.
c. What are the differences that may concern psychologists wanting to
know more about a different faith?
2.
Some people working in education curricula such as Charles Haynes,
believe that students should gain knowledge about world religions because
religious differences can raise a diversity issue in U.S. schools.
Others think that religion is better left out of the public schools because it
is essentially a private and personal issue.
Do you think a course with content similar to this course would be
valuable for high school students to take? Why or why not? Cite four
different ideas from your reading of the texts, lectures, or online material
of the course that justify your response.
Page 15
Grading Criteria
Grading Scale
Grading requirements
A
100 -93
A-
92 – 90
B+
89 – 88
B
87 – 83
B-
82 – 80
C+
79 – 78
C
77 – 73
C-
72 – 70
D+
69 – 68
D
67 – 63
D-
62 – 60
F
59 and below
Attendance/participation
Weekly Assignments
Final paper
Optional
Optional
25%
20%
35%
10%
10%
100%
Library:
All resources in Argosy University’s online collection are available through the Internet. The campus librarian will provide students with links, user IDs, and
passwords.
Library Resources: Argosy University’s core online collection features nearly 21,000 full-text journals and 23,000 electronic books and other content covering
all academic subject areas including Business & Economics, Career & General Education, Computers, Engineering & Applied Science, Humanities, Science,
Medicine & Allied Health, and Social & Behavior Sciences. Many titles are directly accessible through the Online Public Access Catalog at
http://library.argosy.edu. Detailed descriptions of online resources are located at http://library.argosy.edu/misc/onlinedblist.html.
In addition to online resources, Argosy University’s onsite collections contain a wealth of subject-specific research materials searchable in the Online Public
Access Catalog. Catalog searching is easily limited to individual campus collections. Alternatively, students can search combined collections of all Argosy
University Libraries. Students are encouraged to seek research and reference assistance from campus librarians.
Information Literacy: Argosy University’s Information Literacy Tutorial was developed to teach students fundamental and transferable research skills. The
tutorial consists of five modules where students learn to select sources appropriate for academic-level research, search periodical indexes and search engines, and
Page 16
evaluate and cite information. In the tutorial, students study concepts and practice them through interactions. At the conclusion of each module, they can test their
comprehension and receive immediate feedback. Each module takes less than 20 minutes to complete. Please view the tutorial at http://library.argosy.edu/infolit/
Academic Policies
Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism: In an effort to foster a spirit of honesty and integrity during the learning process, Argosy University requires that the
submission of all course assignments represent the original work produced by that student. All sources must be documented through normal scholarly
references/citations and all work must be submitted using the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5 th Edition (2001). Washington
DC: American Psychological Association (APA) format. Please refer to Appendix A in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th
Edition for thesis and paper format. Students are encouraged to purchase this manual (required in some courses) and become familiar with its content as well as
consult the Argosy University catalog for further information regarding academic dishonesty and plagiarism.
Scholarly writing: The faculty at Argosy University is dedicated to providing a learning environment that supports scholarly and ethical writing, free from
academic dishonesty and plagiarism. This includes the proper and appropriate referencing of all sources. You may be asked to submit your course assignments
through “Turnitin,” (www.turnitin.com), an online resource established to help educators develop writing/research skills and detect potential cases of academic
dishonesty. Turnitin compares submitted papers to billions of pages of content and provides a comparison report to your instructor. This comparison detects
papers that share common information and duplicative language.
Americans with Disabilities Act Policy
It is the policy of Argosy University to make reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA). If a student with disabilities needs accommodations, the student must notify the Director of Student Services. Procedures for
documenting student disability and the development of reasonable accommodations will be provided to the student upon request.
Students will be notified by the Director of Student Services when each request for accommodation is approved or denied in writing via a designated form. To
receive accommodation in class, it is the student’s responsibility to present the form (at his or her discretion) to the instructor. In an effort to protect student
privacy, the Department of Student Services will not discuss the accommodation needs of any student with instructors. Faculty may not make accommodations
for individuals who have not been approved in this manner.
The Argosy University Statement Regarding Diversity
Argosy University prepares students to serve populations with diverse social, ethnic, economic, and educational experiences. Both
the academic and training curricula are designed to provide an environment in which students can develop the skills and attitudes
essential to working with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
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