Mini-Mester 2020 Class Syllabus

Name of Course: Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology 2320-0230

Instructor’s Name: Mr. Jose A. Rivas, M.S.

Email Address: jrivas@nctc.edu

Starts: 08/24/2020 Ends: 12/17/2020 Last Drop Date: 11/02/2020 with a “W”

Online Class Office Hours: As needed.

Responding to E-mails or Canvas Messages: Within 24 to 48 hours (I usually check my emails and Canvas messages every day unless I am unable to access my computer). All generic questions must be written the “Ask Mr. Rivas Questions” discussion board. All personal inquiries can be submitted by email or by Canvas message.

REQUIRED OR RECOMMENDED COURSE MATERIALS

Comer, Ronald, J. & Comer, Johnathan, S. (2019). Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology ISBN:978-1- 319-12669-8.

“All students must purchase and read the required text book.”

COVID-19 Specific Syllabus Statements Fall 2020

Syllabus statement regarding potential Conversion of Onsite Classes to Online/Remote Format: North Central Texas College students should be aware that in the event of a college closure due to COVID-19, onsite classes will be converted to an online/remote format. Students should plan ahead to ensure they have access to the computer equipment (either PC, MAC, or tablet), webcam, and internet connectivity to continue their classes in an online/remote format. Please read all your official North Central Texas College student emails as the transition from onsite to online/remote might require a reorganization in your personal situation. Students will be granted a 72-hour transition and grace period. Online classes will continue as scheduled without disruption. Wear a mask, stay safe, and contact your Instructor as the situation arises. These policies and procedures were updated on July 30, 2020 and are subject to change.

Syllabi Statement Regarding Face Coverings: Per the North Central Texas College guidance on face coverings on campus, in the instructional setting, faculty and students must wear face coverings, such as masks or face shields. Students without coverings, or those who do not comply with the rules relating to face coverings, will not be able to participate in on-campus classroom activities. To request an exception to this requirement, students should contact the NCTC HR Office of Enrollment Management

(ccove@nctc.edu). Failure to comply with the face coverings requirement may result in the Instructor directing the student to leave the classroom. Any student asked to leave the classroom may be referred to the student conduct officer. These policies and procedures were updated on July 30, 2020 and are subject to change.

Temporary COVID-19 Attendance Policy for Face-to-Face Meetings: We are facing an unprecedented situation in which all of us must be flexible and make prudent decisions in the best interest of our families, our campus, and our community. In light of this, North Central Texas College is temporarily establishing the requirement that faculty keep records of student attendance for face-to-face course meetings as well as a documented seating chart. In addition, students who are sick or need to quarantine should not attend classes. Students will not be required to provide formal documentation from a health care provider and will not be penalized for COVID-19 related absences when proper notification to campus health officials is made in accordance with the guidelines stated below.

Faculty will:

• Notify students about important course information and delivery changes through Canvas and campus email.

Students should:

• Provide notification to campus officials (via NCTC Daily Health Check protocol through Canvas) if they have tested positive for COVID-19 or have to quarantine so we can confirm reported absence with instructors, monitor, and assist the campus community.
• Notify instructors in advance of the absence.
• Connect with that class through Webex if the class session is being transmitted in a hybrid fashion.
• Keep up with and/or make up missed classwork or assignments.
• Submit assignments digitally through Canvas or other means as announced by your instructor.
• Work with their instructors to reschedule exams, labs, and other critical academic activities described in the course syllabus.
• Check Canvas and campus email daily to receive important announcements pertaining to the course.

During this period, faculty with face-to-face meetings will establish assigned seating/work stations to facilitate roll-taking, and, if necessary, contact tracing. Additionally, we ask all members of the College community to be attentive to their health, and safeguard others, by following the CDC’s guideline to “stay home when you are sick.” You should stay home if you have symptoms. More information on what to do if you are sick is available at the CDC’s website.

Additional NCTC information is available at http://www.nctc.edu/coronavirus/index.html

Course Assignments: All students are expected to complete the assigned readings prior to each class meeting. Students must also complete assigned activities by their due dates. Students that do not complete assignments by their due dates will be subjected to points subtracted to their grade for that activity. Only students with well-documented information may be granted an extension on missed quizzes or exams. This excludes all discussion boards and homework assignments.

Discussion Forum Questions: Students are required to participate on all discussion forum activities. Students may correspond with their fellow classmates, but only to discuss discussion forum questions, answers, and/or activities. Students may not use the online discussion forums to express vulgar or obscene language, personal interactions with other students, and/or personal views not related to discussion forum activities. Students that do fail to follow the rules may be expelled from the course. All generic questions must be written the “Ask Mr. Rivas Questions” discussion forum. All personal inquiries can be submitted by email or Canvas message.

Exams and/or Quizzes: There will be two exams and six quizzes over the course of the semester. All exams and/or quizzes will be graded within a week after students have completed the assessment tool by the date listed on this syllabus.

All Papers or Written Assignments Must be Submitted on a Word Document of 2010 or greater. (Required Assignment) Film Review Paper:

For this assignment, please write about a film from the list below this description. The purpose for this assignment is to show how Hollywood can misrepresent mental illness to bring in box office dollars.

Although the film industry can stigmatize mental disorders, films can produce awareness about certain conditions. The student’s goal will be to show how the disorder is represented in the film, describe the character(s), and formulate a true description of the condition.

Film List:

“A Beautiful Mind” “Girl Interrupted”

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest” “Patch Adams”

“Sybil” with Sally Fields.

Your paper should be a minimum of 3 to 5 pages in length, typed and double-spaced, using a 12-point font and APA formatting. In addition to these pages, include a cover page and reference page (which are not counted as the 3 to 5 pages).

Also, please be sure each source on your reference page is cited in the body of your text and vice versa. At least one reliable, academic sources should be used to support your writing (one must be from a primary source).

See your syllabus for the rubric that will be used to determine your grade. As always, let me know if you have any questions and I'll be glad to help! Due Date for this assignment will be: