Class Participation/Ask Yourself Reflections (20%):
Class participation is mandatory.  “Ask Yourself Assignments” are imperative will count as 20 points towards your course grade. For each chapter, you will be given a set of questions to answer. These are usually questions that require critical thinking about issues relating to psychology. Respond with a sophisticated paragraph (at least 300 words), addressing all parts of the assignment. These questions are listed in the “Class Calendar and Assignments” section of the syllabus. Not doing these assignments will severely affect your grade.

Online/Blackboard Major Exams (55%: Midterm = 20%, Final = 35%):
There will be a midterm, and a final exam. These will be online exams on Blackboard for you to complete. Please take note of these exam dates in the schedule.

Reflection Paper (6 pages: title page + 4 essay pages + reference page: 25%)
The purpose of this reflection paper is to give you the opportunity to reflect upon and to integrate the information you have learned in Psychology 101, particularly as it relates to everyday life. The reflection paper is to be typed, and no longer than 4 essay pages, which must be submitted to me via email attachment. You are encouraged to submit a draft of the paper before the deadline. Please refer to the guidelines for instructions.  Deadline: the last day of classes. 

Optional Extra Credit Assignment: Research Participation (10 points toward final exam)
Participation in psychological research is intended to provide students with an experiential understanding of psychology, and to contribute to ongoing research in the field. For extra credit, you will participate in psychology research by completing an online survey on the Social Psychology Network website. The surveys listed on the website are conducted by psychology faculty, post-doctoral researchers, and graduate students around the world. They cover a wide range of topics in social psychology. All research was reviewed and approved by a university-wide Institutional Review Board/ethics committee. Please note that your responses will be anonymous. This will be worth 10 points towards your final exam.  Guidelines for the extra credit assignment will be posted after the midterm exam is given.  Deadline: due the last day classes.

Self-Care Assignments (ungraded):
College can be demanding, and managing academic life with your personal life can be overwhelming at times. However, remember to be patient with yourself and the process of growth, change, and healing. I have incorporated some “self-care assignments” so that you can stop and take some time to reflect on yourself, be mindful that taking care of yourself should be your biggest priority, which will allow you to better take care of others. These are recommendations for ways to minimize distress and anxiety over the course of the semester.  Please note that these are only recommendations, and are not substitutes for professional/clinical care. These will not be graded. 

Late Work/Make-up Policy

All assignments and exams are due by the deadline as posted on the course schedule. There are no make up assignments or exams, except for dire extenuating circumstances (handled on
an individual basis).  Please plan accordingly, and complete these assignments in advance of their deadlines to ensure any unanticipated circumstances do not result in a missed assignment. User error does not qualify you for any kind of makeup or retake opportunity.  Completing and submitting the assignments or exams by the due date is your sole responsibility. If you receive an incomplete score because of failure to submit the assignment or exam by the due date, then your score for that assignment will be recorded as “zero.”

Be Careful/Blackboard Clock: The clock on your computer may be different than the clock in Brightspace. If the clock is different by one second, you will be locked out of the assignment or exam. Plan accordingly. I recommend that you submit your assignments and exams well before the deadline.

Grading Policy

Grades are strictly based on the performance of the midterm (20%), the final exam (35%), Ask
Yourself Assignments (20%) and Reflection paper (25%). You will also earn 10 points on your final exam if you submit the optional extra credit assignment.

Grading Scale:
The grading scale for this course is as follows:

Points           Grade
97-100              A+
93-96.9             A
90-92.9             A-
87-89.9             B+
83-86.9             B
80-82.9             B-
77-79.9             C+
73-76.9             C
70-72.9             C-
67-69.9             D+
60-66.9             D
<60                    F

Grades are earned by the student, not given by the instructor. Grades are non-negotiable and
course grades will not be curved. No other extra credit will be given for any reason at any time.