Prof. Dalmau
Psych. 245 981 Psychology of Women
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Borough of Manhattan Community College
City University of New York
Psychology of Women (Psych. 245 981)
Fall 2011
Instructor: Miriam Caceres-Dalmau, Ph.D.
E-mail address: mdalmau@bmcc.cuny.edu
Office Room: N622
Office Hours: Saturday: 5:00-6:00 p.m.
Telephone #: 212 220-1255
Format:
As this is an online class, students are expected to have regular internet access and be or become proficient
in the use of Blackboard- for more information on how “to do” distance learning, visit:
http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/distance/
Course Description: Think a "feminist" is a bra-burning woman from the 60’s or a “modern” male-bashing
perspective? Think gender discrimination is ancient history? Think science and the media are gender-fair?
Then think again! This course will challenge, stimulate, and inspire you! And it is not for women only. If you
are or know someone who is a woman, this course is for you! This course is designed to introduce you to
the myriad factors influencing the psychological development of girls and women in America.
Learning Objectives: I have set forth the following objectives for this course:
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To provide you with an overview of the major areas in the field of psychology of women.
To increase your awareness of the conditions and issues facing women in different countries and
cultures.
To help you learn how to critically evaluate and think about the content of the course, media
information, and scientific reports.
To increase your understanding of the contributions of women to psychology and other fields.
To encourage you to take a pro-active role in contributing to the betterment of the lives of girls and
women in your community, country, world.
To help you improve your writing skills.
Student Competencies: At the completion of the course you will be expected to:
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Discuss knowledgeably the readings and topics covered in the course.
Identify a large number of women who have contributed to a wide variety of disciplines, fields,
occupations, etc.
Know how to conduct a literature search using both library and Internet resources.
Critically evaluate research, films, and writings related to the study of the psychology of women.
Demonstrate college level writing abilities.
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Prof. Dalmau
Psych. 245 981 Psychology of Women
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Required Text: Available at BMCC bookstore and Manhattan Books
Matlin, M. (2007). The Psychology of Women 6th Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
ISBN: 9780495500506
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Online Readings (can be assessed through links on applicable week on coursemap)
Course Requirements:
Quizzes: There will be 5 quizzes to assess your comprehension of the assigned readings. These will count
for 25 points each. Quizzes will include objective and short answer items and will have a time limit of 45
minutes. Quizzes will be open-book but time is limited so study well before taking the quizzes. Quizzes will
be available from the Blackboard (BB) site from 10:00 a.m. Fridays to 11:55 p.m. Sundays. You must take
the quizzes during the day/time that it is available on-line unless you have a documented, approved excuse
(illness, personal emergency, athletic event, work conflict, etc.) Please notify me immediately if you find you
will not be able to take the quiz as scheduled. Notify me immediately by email if you have difficulty
accessing the Blackboard web site or get locked out of the quiz before you have finished.
Critical Thinking: Some weeks you will respond to a question or direction found on the Critical Thinking DB.
Each original post is worth 4 points and you will respond to 2 students’ postings (2 points each). Your posts
will be graded on the depth of thought evidenced, the completeness of response, and quality of writing.
Research Project: You will sign up for 1 of 3 research projects, each worth 30 points. Instructions for the
assignments can be found on the course Assignment web page. Assignments will be submitted using your
group’s the “file exchange” function in Blackboard (BB). I will then review the papers and submit them to
other students in the class for reading. Please note that you are ONLY working on 1 project on your own.
The group you are assigned to is mostly for organizational reasons (i.e. designate when assignments are
due based on group).
Reactions to Research Findings: You will read the research papers of people in your group and post
reactions to the appropriate DB. Instructions for your posts will be found in the DB on BB. Each post will be
worth 10 points. Your posts will be graded on the depth of thought evidenced, the completeness of
response, and quality of writing.
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Prof. Dalmau
Psych. 245 981 Psychology of Women
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Outstanding Women Biographies: You will be submitting 2 biographies, each worth 20 points. See the
handout on the Assignment web page for specific details and information regarding these biographies.
Reactions to Biographies: You will read the biographies submitted and post reactions to the appropriate DB
according to the schedule posted on the BB site and found in your course schedule. Instructions for your
posts will be found in BB in Course Information. Each post will be worth 10 points and you will doing 2
posts. Your posts will be graded on the depth of thought evidenced, the completeness of response, and
quality of writing.
Extra Credit: The only extra credit opportunity will be through points awarded for additional
discussion board (at beginning and end of semester). If you are interested in working on any
additional projects for the furthering of your learning, I will be happy to be a part of the process but
no points will be awarded-learning should be the main motivator. As extra credit means extra work and
students who are having difficulty completing the required course work seldom have the time to complete
additional course work, I suggest you plan and organize your time so that you are able to complete your
assignments in a timely manner and study effectively during the semester so as to do as well as possible on
your quizzes and exams. There are numerous resources available in the Learning Resource Center
(Room: S500, telephone: 212 220-1376) to help you learn time management and study skills, improve your
writing, and master the course content. Please contact me immediately if you are having any difficulty.
BMCC Absence Policy & Procedure: At BMCC, you are expected to attend all face to face classes. The
maximum number of absences is limited to one more hour than the number of hours a class meets in one
week. Since this is an online class, you are expected to log in at least twice a week (to submit pertinent
work, read postings, access resources). Keep in mind that BB has an administrative function where I can
view individual log-in statistics.
Academic Honesty: Student’s are expected to submit original work. Where resources and sources of
information are used, credit must be given to the original source. For help when working on assignments,
students are encouraged to consult with the Learning Resource tutors, the Writing Center tutors, other
students in the class, and of course, ME!
BMCC Policy on Plagiarism and Academic Integrity Statement
Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s ideas, words or artistic, scientific, or technical work as
one’s own creation. Using the idea or work of another is permissible only when the original author is
identified. Paraphrasing and summarizing, as well as direct quotations, require citations to the original
source. Plagiarism may be intentional or unintentional. Lack of dishonest intent does not necessarily
absolve a student of responsibility for plagiarism.
Students who are unsure how and when to provide documentation are advised to consult with their
instructors. The library has guides designed to help students to appropriately identify a cited work. The full
policy can be found on BMCC’s website, www.bmcc.cuny.edu. For further information on integrity and
behavior, please consult the college bulletin (also available online).
BMCC College Disability Statement:
In keeping with the college’s policy of equal access for students with disabilities, any student with a disability
who needs academic accommodations is welcome to meet with me privately. All conversations will be kept
confidential. Students requesting accommodations will also need to go to the offices of Services for
Students with Disabilities, N768. The office will supply you, if appropriate, with an academic accommodation
letter for you to show to professors.
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Prof. Dalmau
Psych. 245 981 Psychology of Women
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GRADE POINT BREAKDOWN
Quizzes (5x25)
Research Project (1x30)
Biographies (2x20)
Biography Reactions (2x10)
Research Project Reactions (3x10)
Critical Thinking Posts (8x8)
Total
125
30
40
20
30
64
309
GRADE SCALE (%age calculated out of 300 points):
A = 282 or higher
A- = 270-281
B+ = 261-269
B= 252-260
B- = 240-251
C+ = 231-239
C= 222-230
C- = 210-221
D+ = 201-209
D= 192-200
D- = 180-191
F = 0-179
Please feel free to visit me during office hours or by appointment anytime during the semester concerning
your progress in class. I welcome the opportunity to assist you in your academic endeavors!
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