INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

OFFICE HOURS

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (From Academic Course Guide Manual/Workforce Education Course Manual/NCTC Catalog

GRADING CRITERIA

COURSE SUBJECT OUTLINE (Major Assignments, Due Dates, and Grading Criteria - Tentative)

LEARNSMART Assignments (10 x 2 points each = 20 points): This assignment requires access to McGraw-Hill Connect, which you can purchase in the bookstore, or directly from the Connect link on Canvas. Please note that everyone will receive a free trial for 2 weeks, in case you cannot immediately purchase the access code for Connect. Also, please note that purchasing an access code, will provide you access to an e-book for the duration of the course. For this assignment, you must complete the 10 LEARNSMART activities assigned for this class (see calendar above). To do so, you must access the LEARNSMART links on the modules page, which correspond to the topics you will be studying each week, and continue working on the assignment until you have completed it. Please note that there is a link for Connect support if you experience difficulties with this software. Each LEARNSMART activity may take 30 minutes to an hour or more to complete, depending on how well you know the material. As with other assignments, most LEARNSMART assignment will be available for 2 weeks, beginning on the Monday two weeks prior to the due date, and ending at 11:59pm on the Monday of the week the assignment is due. One LEARNSMART assignment will be due on a Wednesday 2/21 – (See calendar above).

Quizzes (4 X 5 points each = 20 points): You will have 5 quizzes over the course of the semester, which will be administered in class on days which will be unannounced. Each quiz will have approximately 5-10 multiple choice questions, on any topic from the reading/lecture materials for the current week or a previous week. Your grade for this assignment will be based on a total of 4 quizzes. Five points (5 percent) of your overall grade in the class will be deducted for every quiz which is not taken. Quizzes cannot be retaken as the answers will be reviewed in class, immediately after the quiz is taken. If you come into class late you can only take the quiz during the 5 minutes allotted for each quiz, or until the last person hands in their exam, whichever occurs first. The lowest or your five quiz grades will be dropped.

Exams (15 points each = 45 points total): You will have three exams, which will consist of approximately 30-50 multiple choice/matching/true-false questions each. Additionally, you will have a cumulative final exam consisting of approximately 60-70 multiple choice/matching/true-false questions. Your lowest grade on these four tests will be dropped. So, if you study well and are satisfied with your grades on the first three exams, you may choose not to take the cumulative final exam. You will have 50 minutes to complete the first three exams, and 120 minutes to complete the cumulative final exam. See calendar below for specific exam dates. Your overall exam grade will be based on your three highest exam grades. Questions will be taken directly from PowerPoint slides, lectures, and other assigned materials, as well as your assigned readings, so take good notes and read your text thoroughly. Late exam submissions will not be accepted, so be sure to allow yourself enough time to complete the exam. There will be no make-up exams. If you fail to complete an exam, that exam will count as your dropped grade, and the other three will make up your overall exam grade. If you miss an exam, that exam will count as your dropped grade, and the other three will make up your overall exam grade. If you miss more than one exam, you will have a 0 as an exam grade, which will lower your grade by one full letter grade for each additional exam missed.

Mental Health Research Paper (30 points): SHOULD BE RESEARCH-BASED! Not opinion-based! If you merely write your opinion on the topic, you will receive a 0 for this assignment. This assignment is a formal research paper. You should write in 3^rd person focusing on what academic sources have reported in their research (e.g., “Blashfield et al. (2014) conducted a review…”), and not in 1^st person (“I think that…”; “I enjoyed…”; “It seems to me…”; et cetera).

For this assignment, you will write a formal research paper in APA format related to one specific mental health disorder. This paper will be submitted via Canvas. You will write a 3-5 page, typed & double-spaced, 12-point font paper. Please include a cover page and reference page in APA format. Cover page and reference page DO NOT count toward the 3-5 page requirement. Please DO NOT INCLUDE AN ABSTRACT for this assignment. Directly after your cover page, begin writing your paper. Reviews are to be written, and most importantly CITED in APA format throughout the body of your paper. Please google OWL Purdue APA format for a good resource on how to use APA formatting. You will choose one mental health disorder to research and write your formal research paper over the mental health problem you choose, according to the guidelines below.

Utilizing academic articles, your textbook, and Curtis & Kelley’s (2018) Abnormal Psychology: Myths of Crazy (2^nd ed.), discuss the mental health problem you are researching in light of the 4 F’s of abnormality discussed in Chapter 1, theories of abnormality discussed in Chapter 2, assessment and diagnosis discussed in Chapter 3, and research methods discussed in Chapter 4.  

Your paper should contain the following elements:

• Describe some of the historical influences and early schools of thought that shaped how mental health has been conceptualized (See Chapters 1 & 2 of Curtis & Kelley on History and Theories of Abnormality).
• Describe some of the prominent perspectives and approaches used in the study and treatment of mental health (See Chapter 2 of Curtis & Kelley on Theories of Abnormality).
• Identify research methods used in the study of mental disorders, and some specific findings of these research methods related to the disorder you are researching, including a discussion of the ABC’s of the 4F: Frequency (See the 4F’s of Abnormality in Curtis & Kelley – Chapter 1; See also Chapter 4 on research methods).
• Describe the psychological assessment and evaluation of this mental health problem, including a discussion of the 4F: Function (See the 4F’s of Abnormality in Curtis & Kelley – Chapter 1; See also Chapter 3 on assessment & diagnosis).
• Identify some of the physiological and psychological processes involved in the behaviors related to this mental health problem, including a discussion of the 4Fs: Feeling Pain & Fatal (See the 4F’s of Abnormality in Curtis & Kelley – Chapter 1).
• Discuss individual and social responsibilities in regard to individuals with mental health problems. Within the context of social responsibility, you may discuss familial responsibilities related to individuals with mental health problems.

Your paper will be graded according to these required elements. Including 3 or fewer of these elements will result in a grade of D or lower. Including 4 of these elements will result in a grade of C or lower. Including 5 of these elements will result in a grade of B or lower. Including 6 of these elements will result in a grade of A or lower. You must include all 6 of these elements to be able to receive an A (90% or above) on this assignment, but may not receive an A if your paper contains significant problems with incorrect grammar, spelling, punctuation, citations, et cetera, sufficient to impact the overall quality of your paper.

This grade is 30 percent of your overall grade in the class, such that failing to turn in the assignment will likely lead to a grade of D or lower. You should not write more than five pages, and no extra credit will be given for doing so. As with all other assignment, no late papers will be accepted.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered.  All absences are considered to be unauthorized unless the student is absent due to illness or emergencies as determined by the instructor.  It is the student responsibility to provide documentation as to the emergency for approval and judgement by the faculty member.  Approved college sponsored activities are the only absences for which a student should not be held liable and only when provided by a college official ahead of the absence.  Valid reasons for absence, however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work.  Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed due to absence unless they have reasons acceptable to the instructor.  A student who is compelled to be absent when a test is given should petition the instructor, in advance if possible, for permission to postpone the exam.  Student will be dropped from a class by the Registrar upon recommendation of the instructor who feels the student has been justifiably absent or tardy a sufficient number of times to preclude meeting the course’s objectives.    Persistent, unjustified absences from classes or laboratories will be considered sufficient cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College. From Board Policy FC (LOCAL)

You are expected to keep within the on-going discussion typically the nature of a psychology class by attending every class, and logging in to complete your assignments in canvas weekly, and perhaps most importantly, by maintaining ongoing communication with me and your fellow classmates over the course of the entire semester. Failing to attend class and log in regularly will result in failure to finish assignments on time. All assignments have strict deadlines and cannot be made up late. Therefore, failing to log in, will likely result in a low or failing grade. If you choose to drop this class, it is your responsibility to drop the class. 

Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is April 5^th.

DISABILITY SERVICES (Office for Students with Disabilities)

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides support services for students with disabilities, students enrolled in technical areas of study, and students who are classified as special populations (i.e. single parents).

Support services for students with disabilities might include appropriate and reasonable accommodations, or they may be in the form of personal counseling, academic counseling, career counseling, etc.  Furthermore, OSD Counselors work with students to encourage self-advocacy and promote empowerment. The Counselors also provides resource information, disability-related information, and adaptive technology for students who qualify.

For support, please contact the counselors at (940) 498-6207 or (940) 668-4321.  Alternatively, students may stop by Room 170 in Corinth or Room 110 in Gainesville.

CORE CURRICULUM FOUNDATIONAL COMPONENT AREA (For classes in the Core)_______     

o         Communication

o         Mathematics              

o         Life and Physical Science

o         Language, Philosophy & Culture

o         Creative Arts

o         Government/Political Science

X         Social and Behavioral Sciences

o         Component Area Option

o         American History

REQUIRED CORE OBJECTIVES (For classes in the Core)

X             Critical Thinking

X              Communication

X              Empirical and Quantitative

o           Teamwork

o           Personal Responsibility

X              Social Responsibility

COURSE TYPE

o           Academic General Education Course (from ACGM but not in NCTC Core)

X          Academic NCTC Core Curriculum Course

o        WECM Course

STUDENT HANDBOOK

Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the student handbook and published online.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, academic falsification, intellectual property dishonesty, academic dishonesty facilitation and collusion.  Faculty members may document and bring charges against a student who is engaged in or is suspected to be engaged in academic dishonesty.  See Student Handbook, “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Conduct ([FLB(LOCAL)]”. 

QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS