Walter vom Saal
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Psyc
257: Psychology of Human Sexuality, fall 2005 |
Note: there may be adjustments and changes in this syllabus. You are responsible for any changes announced in class (even if you miss a class for an excused absence).
This syllabus has been prepared for my website (noted below) and may refer to other handouts on the website. To see those handouts, go to the website and click on the link to the home page for this course.
Course: Psyc 257, Section 01. Fall 2005. Dr. vom Saal. CRN # 1099.
Catalog Description: Catalog Description ( from Undergraduate Catalog): An overview of human sexual behavior. Topics include sex and gender, biological factors, sexual development, interpersonal relationships, intimacy and love, communication, sexual orientation, pregnancy and birth, contraception, abortion, sexual dysfunction, sexual diseases, sexual exploitation, legal and ethical issues. Gender differences and sex role behavior will be discussed, with special attention to the question of whether male and female behaviors differ, and how best to explain such differences. Prerequisite: "C" or better in PSYC 100.
Class meeting time and place: TuTh 4:00 - 5:15 pm, Fitzelle 319.
Final examination: Tuesday, December 13, 2005, 11:00 am - 1:30 pm.
Do not register for this course if you cannot make the final exam time!
Required Texts: Two texts are required. (Note: Be sure you get the correct editions. Second hand books may be the wrong editions.)
Byer, C. O., Shainberg, L. W., & Galliano, G. (2002). Dimensions of Human Sexuality (6th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Note: a CD is sometime packaged with this text. It usually comes with no extra cost to you, and it is ok to get it, but it is NOT required for this course.)
Taverner, W. J. (2006). Taking Sides: Clashing Views
on Controversial Issues in Human Sexuality (9th Edition). Guilford
CT: Dushkin/McGraw-Hill.
In addition to the text(s), this course will include information and assignments presented on my website. You should be prepared to print material from the web, and you should anticipate that there may be expenses associated with that printing.
Instructor:
Walter vom Saal, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology 502 Fitzelle Hall SUNY College at Oneonta Oneonta, NY 13820-4015 |
office phone: 607-436-3704 |
Office hours will be posted on the home page of my website.
Course goals and meta-goals: The primary goal of the course is to offer you the opportunity to learn basic information about the psychology of human sexuality as described above. A secondary but important set of goals are what I term meta-goals, by which I mean goals that go beyond the subject matter of this particular course. My meta-goals for you include learning the following skills: listening, note-taking, reading, and studying; writing well (including correct grammar and spelling); becoming more comfortable with and more proficient with numbers and numerical analysis; thinking critically; challenging assumptions; reading and following instructions; becoming aware of cultural variations; becoming aware of (and sympathetic to) human weaknesses; and increasing your own personal self-awareness. These may be evaluated during quizzes, exams, or by other means and may form part of your grades.
General Requirements
Attendance policy: Students are expected to attend all classes. A grade for class attendance and participation will be assigned. In order for me to consider whether an absence may be excused, a written explanation with appropriate documentation must be submitted within one week of the absence. Absence from the final exam period counts as THREE absences.
If you miss a class, even for an excused absence, you are responsible for finding out about any class announcements, including those about changed requirements or due dates. Please contact a classmate or the teaching assistant regarding material you missed.
Final examination: Final exam times for each course are printed in the college course schedules. You should plan for these when you register for a course, so there should never be a need to request adjustments or changes in final exam times for any course. In this course I will make no adjustments in final exam times except for truly unpredictable emergencies. If this is not acceptable to you, drop the course now.
Website: You are responsible for checking the course website
for announcements and assignments. You should check the website on a regular
basis as described in class. To access the website:
-- go to: http://employees.oneonta.edu/vomsaaw;
OR
-- go to Oneonta home page, click Academics, click Faculty Web Pages, scroll
down to Psychology, click Walter vom Saal; OR
-- do a Google search for Walter vom Saal (spelled correctly!).
E-mail: Be sure your correct e-mail is on file at the college in case I need to contact you via e-mail. See my website home page for a link to information about how to do this.
Check your e-mail on a regular basis in case there is a message from me.
If you wish to contact me by e-mail, be aware that I do not always check my e-mail every day. DO NOT submit assignments through e-mail unless you have been asked to do so by me, or have discussed it with me and received special permission to do so. In either case, you must keep a copy of any e-mail you send (and my replies) and any materials that you submit by e-mail.
Specific Course Requirements and Grading
Exams: There are three examinations. See the Schedule of Topics for dates. See the Reading Guidelines and Schedule of Readings for material to be covered on each examination. Exams will include material drawn from the text and material drawn from lectures. The Final Examination is a cumulative examination that will cover all the material in the course.
Homework: Occasional homework assignments will be given. Since these will be in preparation for class discussion, late homework will not be accepted except for official approved absences.
Discussions of Taking Sides text: Each student is expected to attend all discussion sessions and participate in one Issue Team presentation, as follows. We will discuss 10 issues covered in the Taking Sides text, as shown on the Schedule of Topics (2 issues per class for each of 5 classes). Before each class, Students must read the text on each of the two issues being discussed for that class, and prepare two Issue Analysis Sheets for those issues. These sheets should be prepared in accordance with guidelines on the website and will be graded “acceptable” or “unacceptable” based on those guidelines. These sheets must be prepared in advance and presented as an “admission ticket” to each class. Issue Analysis Sheets will not be accepted if they are late. Since I will be firm about this, students are strongly encouraged to plan carefully and to plan for unexpected problems, and I will accept Issue Analysis Sheets early.
Advocacy project: During the last several weeks of the class, students will work in groups to develop advocacy projects relevant to the course. Further details and guidelines will be provided in class.
Class participation: Students who engage actively in class discussion and class activities may be awarded extra credit at the discretion of the instructor. Quality of contributions, including fostering an atmosphere that facilitates further productive discussion, is critical.
Group work: Some of the work in this class will be done in pairs or small groups. You should be prepared for group work, and understand that some portion of your grade for the course will depend on the quality of work produced by the group or groups that you work with.
Attendance at events: During the semester students are expected to attend two on-campus or off-campus events relevant to the course, such as lectures, presentations, or relevant films (no more than one may be a video or movie). For each, submit an Event Attendance Report, which may be found on the website under Handouts (General Handouts for All Courses), and be prepared to describe the event in class if requested. One additional event may be attended and reported for extra credit. Click the link at the top of this page for possible on-campus events.
Optional study cards: Students may earn credit by preparing study cards for each examination as described in class. Bring the study cards to each examination.
Optional study partner project: Students are urged to study with a study partner and may earn credit for doing this. To get full credit, meet at least 6 times with a study partner and write a separate one-page report on each meeting. Ideally 3 meetings will be in preparation for the first exam and three for the second exam. Each written report must state who met, when and where you met, what you did, and whether it was helpful. Each student must submit his or her own one-page report, each report must be submitted within one week of the meeting, and meetings must be spread across at least three different weeks. It is not hard to get credit for meeting with a study partner, but you must follow these requirements carefully and fully.
Additional options: Students desiring to replace or supplement the standard course requirements or to submit additional evidence of learning may submit a written proposal before the due date shown on the schedule of dates. Proposals will not be accepted past the due date. Approval of proposals will be based on the quality of the written proposal (including quality of presentation, neatness, style, grammar, etc.) and evidence that the student is capable of independent work.
Grading procedure: The grade will be based roughly on the following weightings. Each student may select one of two grading options:
Grading Option 1: Full participation option. This is the option recommended and expected for most students, and will be assumed to be the option selected unless the student and professor agree on Option 2 described below.
course component: |
points: |
Exam #1 |
22 points |
Exam #2 |
22 points |
Final exam |
22 points |
Issue Analysis Sheets for Thursday discussion activities: 10 sheets at 0.5 points per sheet = total of 5 points. Sheets must be submitted when entering class (or before) and will not be accepted late. |
5 points |
Issue Team Presentation |
5 points |
Advocacy Team Project |
10 points |
Attendance at 2 campus events and submit events reports: credit of
1 point each for two required, and one additional possible for extra
credit. |
2 points |
Homework assignments: total of 6
points if all assignments are submitted by the due dates and graded “acceptable.” |
6 points |
Attendance and class participation |
6 points |
TOTAL |
100 |
Optional extra credit: total 2 points for submission of study cards
as described in class. |
|
Optional extra credit: total 2 points for meeting with a study partner
as described above. |
Grading Option 2: Exam only option. This grading option is available only after consultation with the professor. A student may choose this option at any time prior to the selection of groups for group presentations. If this option is chosen, the course grade is based on the average of the three examinations only, except that the maximum course grade is “C.” No additional course components are required.
Note: The "points" shown for each component are a rough approximation of the relative weightings to be given to various course requirements. The final course grade will be based on my best overall professional judgment about how you performed in the course and what you learned, and will not be bound by a rigid weighting of individual components. In particular, unusually good or unusually poor performance in any component may increase the weighting of that component.
Grading Scale:
Points to letter grade: |
letter grade to points: |
|||
| 0.00 - 59.9=E | 80.0 - 82.9 =B- | E = 0 | B- =82 | |
| 60.0 - 62.9 =D- | 83.0 - 86.9 =B | D- = 62 | B = 85 | |
| 63.0 - 66.9 =D | 87.0 - 89.9 =B+ | D = 65 | B+ = 88 | |
| 67.0 - 69.9 =D+ | 90.0 - 92.9 =A- | D+ = 68 | A- = 92 | |
| 70.0 - 72.9 =C- | 93.0 - 96.9 =A | C- = 72 | A = 95 | |
| 73.0 - 76.9 =C | 97.0 - 99.9 =A+ | C = 75 | A+ = 98 | |
| 77.0 - 79.9 =C+ | C+ = 78 | |||
Lateness policy: Except in the case of excused absences, late homework assigned in preparation for specific classes will not be accepted and will receive a failing grade; missed quizzes will receive a failing grade; and all other work will receive a penalty of one letter grade for each calendar day late. In the case of excused absences, homework may be submitted late, quizzes will be omitted, and exams must be made up or replaced with an alternative at the discretion of the instructor.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL WORK SUBMITTED: All work submitted for this course must be stapled (not paper-clipped!) and must have the following information as high as possible at the top of the first sheet:
| 257/01 | [Your name] |
[Title of project or requirement] |
[date] |
Failure to follow this requirement will result in a grade penalty and return of your work for correction and resubmission.
In addition, I will expect you to keep a copy of everything you submit, and also keep all drafts used in preparation for papers or other work submitted. Also be sure to back up your computer files on a regular basis. This is an important habit to develop. Loss of computer files will not be an acceptable justification for failure to complete assignments on time.
PROOFREAD YOUR WORK! Materials submitted should be high in quality. Read the handout on Guidelines for Writing Papers and the handout on Writing and Grammar, and be sure your written work follows those guidelines. If a paper returned to you has "C+R" written on top it means you should correct errors and resubmit. Correct the errors by writing over the original so that I can see your corrections; DO NOT rewrite or retype the whole paper. The grade for the work will be “E” until the work is resubmitted with errors corrected.
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SPECIAL NOTE ON POLITICAL CORRECTNESS AND ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT: Both of these topics will be examined as part of this course. Both are especially relevant to this course. The topic of human sexuality generates strong feelings and sometimes discomfort. I believe a critical part of any college course is to challenge preconceptions and encourage independent critical thinking. Therefore in this course I will occasionally say things that are controversial, and we may see films, read materials, and carry out classroom discussions and activities that may make some individuals uncomfortable. This is not a required course, and all students taking the course must do so voluntarily and with an understanding that these things will occur. For this reason, we will devote an early class to a more complete discussion of course "ground rules," and all students will be expected to sign a statement that they have read, understand, and agree to these ground rules.
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Related documents:
See the home page for this course on my website for related documents including key dates and deadlines, handouts, reading assignments, homework assignments, and others.
updated 8/23/05