EXAM



PSYC 326 (4 units) is an introduction to the biological bases of behavior. We will go in some depth into the observations and psychological concepts (the behavior and cognitive processes) and the biology (in terms of the anatomy, physiology, neurochemistry, and endocrinology) that make up the discipline behavioral neuroscience. Topics include basic concepts in neuroscience, methods of study, sensory and motor systems, sleep-wake cycles (circadian rhythms), reproduction, emotions, ingestion, learning and memory, communication, schizophrenia and affective disorders. Psychology 100g or permission of the instructor is a prerequisite.

Learning Objectives:

• Students demonstrate several major topics in behavioral neuroscience.

• Students demonstrate the psychological methods to studying the topics in behavioral neuroscience.

• Students demonstrate the biological methods of studying behavioral neuroscience.

• Students demonstrate how the methods of psychology and biology integrate to inform us about human and animal behavior.

Class Schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:00 – 3:50 pm online

Online Class: For the lectures, log onto Blackboard using your USC credentials. Once in Blackboard, a few minutes before each lecture click on Zoom and select today’s lecture.

The lectures are recorded in the cloud and they are available by Zoom shortly after class on Blackboard. You view the recordings by logging onto Blackboard, choosing Zoom and selecting Cloud recordings.

The Keynote/PowerPoint slides used in the lectures will be posted after the lectures on Blackboard under the heading for the Syllabus. As I may edit the slides before, during or after I give the lectures it is best to download these after the lecture. Once I have lectured on a portion of the material, that portion will remain the same for the rest of the semester.

Required Text: Carlson, N.R. and Birkett, M.A. (2016). Physiology of Behavior, 12th edition. New York,

Pearson. ISBN 9780134080918 (hard), ISBN-13 978-0-13-431927-8 (loose), ISBN-10 0-13-

431927-3.

The tests are based on this 12th edition.

There is a new 13th edition coming out that I have not yet reviewed.

Recommended Reading:

If you are interested in learning good, scientifically supported study techniques, I can recommend the following book for two different purposes. For example, it addresses the myths about “styles” of learning and the (poor) value of group learning. At about $27 on Amazon [summer 2020 price], this is a good buy.

Rhodes, M.G., Cleary, A.M. and DeLosh, E.L. (2020). A Guide to Effective Studying and Learning: Practical Strategies from the Science of Learning. New York, Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-021447-0 (pbk).

PowerPoint Slides: The publisher’s original PowerPoints are posted on Blackboard>Syllabus at the beginning of the semester for reference. These publisher filenames are in upper case. The publisher’s PowerPoints consist of summaries of the text and reproductions of the figures. The text in these PowerPoints is fair but not great, and some of the textbook figures are missing. These slides are for reference and documentation.

In class I have converted into Apple Keynote for my computer. I extensively edit these slides. My slides include all the figures in the textbook, added emphasis, additional text and figures I create. I convert these back into PowerPoint and put them on Blackboard>Syllabus before each quiz. (I convert back to PowerPoint because this format is more available to students; a downside is the conversion process is not completely accurate.) My Keynote/Powerpoint filenames are in lower case. My figures include an asterisk * (star) in the upper left corner of each slide I will lecture and test. Dark asterisk * indicates the whole slide is important with material that will be tested. Gray asterisk * indicates there is valuable background material on the slide but is not tested. No asterisk means you can skip the slide.

On Blackboard>Syllabus, there are separate sections for each quiz. Each section describes the sections of the textbook that I will lecture and will be tested. In addition, each quiz section has attached the aforementioned publisher’s PowerPoint (posted at the beginning of the semester) and my lecture slides converted into PowerPoint (posted before the quiz) if the student is interested in comparing the two.

Blackboard: Always go to Blackboard to see the latest updates of the syllabus and other material. All documents that I put on Blackboard are found under Blackboard>Syllabus divided into the headings Course Syllabus, Testing, Grading and Supplements. For example, you will find the document "making and taking tests" here. You will also find documents related to calculating your grades for the course. Here is a brief description of some important documents.

- syllabus -- the current updated syllabus; always go here for the current syllabus.

- making and taking tests -- insight into how your tests are constructed. For your own studying, I

would advise that you think in terms of how you would write and answer test questions on

the material.

- how to calculate your grade -- instructions on how you can calculate the combined score

for the differing importance of text and lecture questions, if you are curious or do not trust

our calculations.

- grade calculator -- an Excel file where you can plug in your letter grades and their average is

automatically calculated. This document also can be used to predict your course grade

given your current grades, or to inform you what grades you need for a certain

course grade; the grade calculator is set up for 14 exams maximum but you can enter your

current number of test grades.

- history of the development of this course -- why the lectures and testing are the way they are

in this course.

- quiz summaries -- these items indicate the sections of the texts that we will be covering in this

course. There are also supplemental files for certain chapters.

emergency information includes USC, LA Times and BBC as sources.

- lecture Keynote/PowerPoint slides

- Zoom recordings of the lectures

- Instructions for setting up and using Lockdown and Respondus Monitor

- benchmark answer sheets specifies the correct answer sheet to purchase for the exams used in

when the course is in-person (AccuScan Benchmark #29240). For the online course,

testing is done through Blackboard

- emergency information includes USC, LA Times and BBC as sources.

You will find tests under Assignments (Blackboard>Assignments) when they become available on the day of the test.

You will also find on Blackboard (Blackboard>Grade Center) your scores and letter grades for each of your quizzes, and the current average of all your letter grades. We desire to give you rapid feedback on your progress in the course. The Grade Center on Blackboard is an unofficial record of your scores and grades. Keep in mind that we try very hard to make this accurate on Blackboard but that the values that really count are in my Excel file. My Excel grade book is the official record of your scores and grades. I report your official grade to the Registrar and your grade in the course is viewed on Oasis after the semester.

See also Office Hours Supplement.

Instructor

David Lavond, Ph.D.

Phone: 740-4041

Office: SGM 1016 (10th floor)

Email: dlavond@usc.edu (short queries only)

Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm via Zoom (link given in Announcements and in a document in Blackboard) and by appointment.

Based on my online experience with office hours so far, this semester I will try the following. If no one is in my zoom office hours in the first 10 minutes I will terminate the office hours. This is because my experience is very few students came to office hours. If you know you will be late, send me an email and I will wait for you.

In addition to office hours, you can always email me (short queries only), and if something more extensive is needed we can arrange a separate zoom session by appointment at a mutually agreeable time.

Teaching Assistant

To Be Arranged

Organization of the Class: This is a lecture course. This class is 1 hour 50 minutes long with breaks occasionally for questions. Students can ask questions at any time (using their microphone or chat). For this online course students will take the tests outside of the class lecture period.

Online Teaching: Classes are online in Spring 2021 because of the corona virus. Go to Blackboard and select this course. Once in this course, select Zoom and join the lecture. I am still learning about Zoom – I have not figured out why most students directly enter into the Zoom lecture whereas some enter the Waiting Room and I have to notice they are there to admit them into the session. The lectures are recorded in the cloud and you will also find these cloud recordings on Zoom.

Technological Proficiency and Hardware/Software Required

USC has resources available for the challenges to students with online courses.

USC technology rental program

USC realizes that attending classes online and completing coursework remotely requires access to technology that not all students possess. If you need resources to successfully participate in your classes, such as a laptop or internet hotspot, you may be eligible for the university’s equipment rental program. To apply, please submit an application. The Student Basic Needs team will contact all applicants in early August and distribute equipment to eligible applicants prior to the start of the fall semester.

USC Technology Support Links

Zoom information for students

Blackboard help for students

Software available to USC Campus

Zoom etiquette

Students are probably far more familiar with proper “netiquette” than myself. It is important to be polite and respectful. My limited experience with online teaching is most students have been helpful when working out Zoom issues (for example, informing me by chat when they cannot hear me or that a student is in the Waiting Room). From my point of view, most students turn off their video so I do not see their image – my guess is they do not want to show their surroundings.

Synchronous session recording notice

The Zoom sessions are recorded and you have to agree to the recording to continue to participate online – technically, synchronous learning. If you do not agree you are not allowed to continue to participate in that particular online session. However, all students can always watch the recorded video later without this legal stipulation – technically, asynchronous learning.

Online Exams: There will be online testing every week. The exams are based on the material presented in lecture and in the text. The text reinforces and expands on the material in the lectures. In lecture, I tell you the things I think it is important for you to know about the topic. A subset of this lecture material will be tested - the tests are a sample of the material. Theoretically, all you need is to listen to the lectures. It is far better, however, to use the text to review and study the material in greater depth. See the material on Blackboard about how to study.

You take the tests outside of class. Tests are available from 12 am until 5 pm on the day of the test in the syllabus schedule. This arrangement helps students in different time zones and allows students some flexibility in their schedules. Once started, each test is 20 minutes long (longer for students with documented disabilities).

Since testing is asynchronous, for security purposes you will not get to review your correct/incorrect answers after taking the test – students could communicate the correct answers to students who have not taken the test yet. Similarly, some students may miss an exam and have to make it up at the end of the semester. Like an SAT test, you will not get to review the answer key.

For testing, go to Blackboard and select this course. Once in the course select Assignments where you will find the tests when they are made available. Tests do not show up until the time of testing availability – 12 am to 5 pm on the test day. Each test consists of 20 multiple-choice questions, usually 10 questions based on the Malott text and 10 questions based on the Terry text. The tests are not cumulative. The tests only cover the new material. At 1 minute per question, these are 20-minute tests. The tests are taken online outside of class period. The tests will be made available beginning at 12:00 am and ending at 5:00 pm on the day of the test (a 17 hour window). Depending on their status, disability students get time-and-a-half or double time for the exams – disability students must make me aware of their status so I can enter exceptions for testing in Blackboard.

Students must download and use Lockdown and Respondus Monitor to take the tests. These systems help to secure test integrity by monitoring against suspicious activity. See the document about Lockdown and Respondus Monitor in Blackboard. I have provided a practice exam (not graded; this has irrelevant content) for students to try the Lockdown/Monitor before taking a real test. You can take the practice test as many times as you like

Grading: Grading is based on student performance on weekly quizzes. Students must take all quizzes. The last quiz and makeup quizzes will be given during the final exam period.

Letter grades will be given for each quiz, and these letter grades (not the points) will be averaged for the final grade. That way you know exactly where you stand in the course and where you need to go beginning with the first quiz and through to the end of the course (use the Grade Calculator on Blackboard to simulate future tests).

Absolute Grading: Grading is a modified absolute scale for converting quiz points into letter grades. Once a quiz score has been converted into a letter grade the points no longer figure into the course grade (except for Extra Credit, see below). The default distribution for grades for each 20-point quiz is

Table 1. Default Distribution of Scores and Grades

20, 19, 18 A (i.e., cutoff 18 = A)

17 A-

16 B+

15 B

14 B-

13 C+

12 C

11 C-

10 D+

9 D

8 D-

7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2,1,0 F

That is, the default cutoff for an A is 18 points, or 90% correct responding.

However, I look at the distribution of grades for each quiz and move the cutoffs down if a quiz is particularly tough until I get about the same number of As that the class typically gets on the quizzes to that point in the course. In the academic year 2012-2013, I lowered the cutoff for quizzes (to A = 20, 19, 18, 17, i.e. cutoff for an A set to 17 points) on average just twice during the semester for the 14 quizzes given. In other words, an absolute cutoff of A = 18 works well. I never increase the cutoff for a quiz. If the entire class got As that would mean we, the teacher and students, are doing something right.

I never increase the cutoff for a quiz because there are too many As, for example. If the entire class got As that would mean we, the teacher and students, are doing something right.

See the document on frequently-asked-questions on Blackboard.

Example Grade Statistics: My philosophy is if you know 90% of the material then you have earned an A. In the academic year 2012-2013 the actual breakdown of final grades with extra credit was

Table 2. Example of Final Grade Distribution for PSYC 326 in 2012-2013

24% A

17% A-

22% B+

16% B

10% B-

5% C+

3% C

1% C-

1% D+

0% D

1% D-

0% F (the students earning an F dropped out)

The median grade was B+ (50% above, 50% below). The mode grade (most frequently occurring grade) was A. (I have not calculated the mean.) This distribution is representative of other semesters.

It is possible for everyone in the course to get an A. Although I have never seen that happen classes have gotten close to that performance. Anyone with a C+ or less is doing very poorly in the class and you should either do better on your own or you should seek help to do better.

Curving the Grades: I am sometimes asked about whether or not I curve the grades for this course, as if the course or the grading is so difficult or grading is biased by a single or few outlying students who have done exceptionally well and put the rest of the students at a disadvantage. I think you can understand now from the above why I always look puzzled by this question, since it seems completely nonsensical to me. The course is designed so that students should do well -- very well -- which is why if you are doing poorly then you are doing something terribly wrong.

See the document on frequently-asked-questions on Blackboard.

. Testing Accommodations: Students with disabilities must inform me as soon as possible so I can set their testing accommodations. Typically, accommodations involve students who get time-and-a-half or double time for the exams. See the information on Disabilities below.

.

. Extra Credit: Extra credit is earned by doing exceptionally well on the quizzes. This policy primarily helps students who are on the B+/A- and A-/A borders.

. Points earned above the cutoff for an A on every quiz accumulate and go towards earning extra credit. The student needs to earn a total of 7 of these points during the semester to earn extra credit that will change their course grade.

. As an example, if the cutoff for an A is 18 points for Quiz 3 and the student got a score of 20 then the student gets an A for Quiz 3 and earns "2 points towards getting extra credit." This phrasing in parentheses is important: These points are not extra credit points, but they are points towards earning extra credit. Either you have earned extra credit because you have reached the threshold of 7 points or you have not (“yes” or "no" appears in the Extra Credit column on Blackboard)

. You need to accumulate a total of seven (7) of these extra points on the quizzes to earn extra credit.

. Extra credit ("yes") applies to the grade at the end of the course (Course Grade), it does not apply to your Current Grade in the class. At the end of the course, the student's grade is the average of the letter grades of all the quizzes (not the total number of points). If extra credit has been achieved ("yes") then the grade will be boosted one grade level. For example, if the student's average letter grade for all the quizzes earns the student a B+ and the student has earned extra credit ("yes") then the student's grade for the course will be A-. That is about a 10% improvement in the student's grade. The University does not allow extra credit to count more than 10% of the grade for a course. See the file on extra credit placed on Blackboard.

. Study the following examples illustrating how extra credit works (14 quizzes in this example).

Quiz # |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |7 |8 |9 |10 |11 |12 |13 |14 | |Final

Course

Grade | |STUDENT A | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |score |20 |16 |19 |13 |19 |15 |14 |16 |17 |16 |14 |17 |19 |20 | | | |grade |A |B+ |A |C+ |A |B |B- |B+ |A- |B+ |B- |A- |A |A |B+ |A- | |points towards extra credit |2 |0 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |2 |yes,

earned extra credit | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |STUDENT B | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |score |18 |17 |19 |17 |19 |17 |17 |16 |17 |20 |17 |17 |19 |18 | | | |grade |A |A- |A |A- |A |A- |A- |B+ |A- |A |A- |A- |A |A |A- |A- | |points towards extra credit |0 |0 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |2 |0 |0 |1 |0 |no,

did not

earn extra credit | | |

Make-up Exams: Students must take all quizzes. Failure to take a quiz automatically results in 0 points and an F for that quiz. There is no make-up exam for missing the last quiz, Quiz 14 (the final exam).

Students should take all quizzes on time to keep up with the material and to spread the burden of studying out. It is highly recommended that quizzes should only be missed for legitimate reasons like hospitalizations, funerals, religious observance, interviews. I do not regulate each missed exam, however, as I trust students will make wise decisions. All legitimate missed exams are treated exactly the same way.

All make ups are part of the Final. Make ups will be available from the last day of classes to the end of the final for the class. The day and hour of the final exam is published in the Schedule of Classes. Students are allowed to make up to three (3) quizzes that they missed during the semester without penalty. No note or excuse is needed. The last quiz and up to three make-up quizzes are taken from 12 am until 5 pm on the day of the class final. Once an exam begins, students have 20 minutes . Students have 20 minutes for each of the exams (final and each makeup exam). Quizzes can not be made-up at any other time. Additional missed quizzes automatically become 0 points and a grade of F. My strong advice is that you do not miss any quizzes, that way you stay up with the course material (the intended purpose of weekly tests) and you do not have to review old material for the make-up. You cannot retake a quiz.

If you missed additional quizzes and want to be allowed to make them up then you need to document the reasons you missed ALL of your missed exams, not just the additional missed exams. The documentation required is the same the University uses for an Incomplete (documented illness or death in the family). The Student Health Center does not provide documentation for medical excuses. Do not squander (waste) your three quizzes you are allowed to make up.

See the document on frequently-asked-questions on Blackboard.

The Course Grade: You are responsible for taking all of the exams in this course. Your course grade is the average of the letter grades you earned on all of your quizzes plus the extra credit if you earned it. All of your coursework must be completed by the end of period scheduled for the final exam for this course. Any missed quizzes in the course automatically become 0 points and a grade of F and these are factored into your course grade.

Incompletes: The instructor will closely follow university regulations concerning requests for incompletes. Students must seek permission for an incomplete from the professors. Incompletes will be granted only in the event of documented illness or family tragedies that happens after the drop date. The Psychology Department has an Incomplete form for the student to complete and submit. The Student Health Center does not provide documentation for medical excuses.

University Final Exam Policy At the end of every semester the University sends professors a reminder about the University Final exam policy. This email simply repeats what is said in the Schedule of Classes about the final exams. No student in a course with a final examination may omit or take the final examination before it is administered to the class. All professors must adhere to the final examination schedule published at 
. Note that this syllabus is a contract between the University, professor and student. You are legally obligated to attend the final exam, and excuses such as attending a wedding, attending a graduation or having scheduled a flight are not acceptable. You know the final exam schedule when you sign up for the course. Plan your commitments accordingly.

Mid-semester Standing: The University requires that instructors submit an evaluation of each student's standing during the semester. I indicate you are "at risk" if your cumulative grade is a C- or less.

From the university's description: "Mid-semester standings for students in undergraduate courses (courses numbered below 500) must be entered on the Grading and Roster System by October 19 (the end of week 8).  The collection of student standings must take place by the mid-point of the semester to give academic advisors sufficient time to identify and assist under-performing students.  In most cases, the “grade” you enter will be “not at risk” or “at risk,” although some students will need a letter grade.  Please note that you are contributing to the university’s retention effort by identifying students who are at risk. The mid-semester reports are for advising purposes only and do not become part of a student’s permanent record." (October 1, 2012)

Cell Phones and Computers in Class Electronic devices have a place in the classroom, and they also do not have a place in the classroom. Electronic devices are appropriately used in the classroom for academic purposes for this class (taking notes, viewing the text and figures if you bought the electronic version) and for emergencies relevant to our immediate safety. By example, the following is how I use and do not use these devices in class.

My phone is set to “silent” (also known as vibrate) during class. I am signed up for Trojan Alert text and email messaging for school originated notifications of emergencies and I advise you do the same. My experience is Trojan Alert is responsible and meaningful yet it is not offensively obtrusive. In addition, I have turned on Emergency Alerts from the government. I have not yet received one of these alerts on my phone. However, I have turned off AMBER Alerts which ignore my phone’s silent setting as I don’t plan on identifying any vehicles or license plates in class and these alerts are readily available in the news and on freeway signs outside of class.

I use a computer in class to display PowerPoint/Keynote slides in my PSYC 326 Behavioral Neuroscience class and maybe a few videos in my PSYC 305 Learning and Memory class.

I do not check my email or social media or shop or surf the web during class. Neither should you out of courtesy to me and to the students around you, and this activity has no place in class. If you engage in any of these activities you should be mature and responsible enough to leave the class while you are doing it. If I get complaints from students in class I will bring it to your attention -- you and I both don’t want that.

Since I am at home for the online teaching, I have been interrupted by delivery persons at my front door. I have no control over if or when this interruption may occur. Let me apologize in advance.

Terminology: This is an issue that comes up more in my learning and memory class but does have relevance to some topics in this class. You may find terms used in this course like “autistic”, “autistic spectrum disorder”, “mentally retarded”, “special”, “challenged”, “mentally disabled”, “neurodivergent”, “disabled”, etc. used in this course, especially with the clinical examples in Malott. Malott has made a conscious effort to remove these terms from his text but they are often found in the titles of published resources. Some students find the Malott text to be their most valuable introduction to the psychology of learning and memory concepts and applications through examples, and one of the more valuable experiences in their college careers. That has been my personal experience. I am interested in the basic and advanced learning and memory concepts. I am not a clinician. The basic and advanced concepts are fundamental to the psychology department’s Applied Behavior Analysis Masters program. (Other students value the broader survey book by Terry.)

The phenomenon variously described as the “euphemism treadmill” or George Orwell’s “newspeak” (Nineteen Eighty-Four) is a never-ending cycle where clinically significant terms enter public usage and are deemed unacceptable. Except for autistic/autistic-spectrum-disorder and anorexic/anorexia, I generally avoid using these terms myself. The original terms are scientific terms that have become common in layperson speech. The terms are not used disparagingly in the literature or in this course but are used as contextual descriptions, often of the original work or current examples.

This is not a clinical class. I am not a clinical psychologist. Our concern is to introduce and illustrate basic and advanced concepts in neuroscience. A long time ago, the Malott text was my first introduction to psychology and convinced me that psychology could be scientific and it could be useful. A persistent theme in Malott is the right of clients to effective, evidence-based treatment. The basic and advanced concepts in this course are fundamental to the psychology department’s Applied Behavior Analysis Masters program.

If you have trouble with these terms we can discuss your issues and, if necessary, refer you to services to help you.

Supreme Court rulings consistently uphold the rights enjoined by the First Amendment, including the right to say something that offends. Most recently this has been reaffirmed in Iancu v. Brunetti 2017 supporting remarks that affect races, cultures, beliefs and national symbols. The First Amendment and the professor’s Academic Freedom are recognized by USC Office of Equity and Diversity (reaffirmed in my personal experience Summer 2020).

I will make an effort and try not to offend anyone in this class.

Copyright Notice -- All Rights Reserved: It has come to the attention of the psychology department and the University that course material has been sold by students, former students and businesses. This is theft of intellectual property. The University has cease and desist orders against businesses engaging in this illegal practice.

The course material is for the use of students who are currently enrolled in the course. The copyright to all lectures, discussions, posts on Blackboard and emails with the instructor belongs to the course instructor. In addition, other copyrighted material belonging to publishers and authors is used with their permission for educational purposes only in this course. You may not store, post, or distribute any course materials by print or by electronic means for use by anyone who is not presently enrolled in this course. Current students, former students and commercial entities may not sell or distribute this material without the express written permission of the instructor teaching this course.

. Disabilities: It is very important for students with disabilities to provide me as soon as possible with documentation so I can program their testing accommodations into Blackboard.

. Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to your course instructor (or TA) as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open from 8:30am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday. Website and contact information for DSP (213) 740-0776 (Phone), (213) 740-6948 (TDD only), (213) 740-8216 (FAX) ability@usc.edu 



Emergency Preparedness/Course Continuity in a of Crisis: In case of emergency, when travel to campus is difficult, if not impossible, USC executive leadership will announce a digital way for instructors to teach students in their residence halls or homes using a combination of the Blackboard LMS (Learning Management System), teleconferencing, and other technologies. Instructors should be prepared to assign students a “Plan B” project that can be completed ‘at a distance.’ For additional information about maintaining your classes in an emergency, please access:

Help: “If you are having difficulty with this class, let me remind you that, in addition to me (and, if appropriate, the teaching assistants), there are other ways that you may receive help. The Academic Support and Disability Services Program offers free tutoring and learning skills instruction to USC students in many classes. The center is located in the Student Union Suite 301 and is open Monday through Friday. All tutoring is on a first come first served basis. It is important to phone ahead for an appointment for learning skills at (213) 740-0776. In addition, the Writing Center in THH 321 offers undergraduates help in composition. Tutors are available for 30-minute appointments by calling (213) 740-3691. Also, your departmental advisor, or an advisor in the College Advising Office in CAS 100, is available to you, if you believe you should talk with someone in more general terms. Please remember that there are many people at USC who are available to help you.”

Statement on Academic Conduct and Support Systems

(USC Center for Teaching Excellence, July 2020)

 

Academic Conduct:

Plagiarism – presenting someone else’s ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your own words – is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize yourself with the discussion of plagiarism in SCampus in Part B, Section 11, “Behavior Violating University Standards” policy.usc.edu/scampus-part-b. Other forms of academic dishonesty are equally unacceptable. See additional information in SCampus and university policies on scientific misconduct, policy.usc.edu/scientific-misconduct.

Support Systems:

Counseling and Mental Health - (213) 740-9355 – 24/7 on call

studenthealth.usc.edu/counseling

Free and confidential mental health treatment for students, including short-term psychotherapy, group counseling, stress fitness workshops, and crisis intervention.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1 (800) 273-8255 – 24/7 on call



Free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Services (RSVP) - (213) 740-9355(WELL), press “0” after hours – 24/7 on call

studenthealth.usc.edu/sexual-assault

Free and confidential therapy services, workshops, and training for situations related to gender-based harm.

Office of Equity and Diversity (OED) - (213) 740-5086 | Title IX – (213) 821-8298

equity.usc.edu, titleix.usc.edu

Information about how to get help or help someone affected by harassment or discrimination, rights of protected classes, reporting options, and additional resources for students, faculty, staff, visitors, and applicants.

Reporting Incidents of Bias or Harassment - (213) 740-5086 or (213) 821-8298

usc-advocate.care_report

Avenue to report incidents of bias, hate crimes, and microaggressions to the Office of Equity and Diversity |Title IX for appropriate investigation, supportive measures, and response.

The Office of Disability Services and Programs - (213) 740-0776

dsp.usc.edu

Support and accommodations for students with disabilities. Services include assistance in providing readers/notetakers/interpreters, special accommodations for test taking needs, assistance with architectural barriers, assistive technology, and support for individual needs.

USC Campus Support and Intervention - (213) 821-4710

campussupport.usc.edu

Assists students and families in resolving complex personal, financial, and academic issues adversely affecting their success as a student.

Diversity at USC - (213) 740-2101

diversity.usc.edu

Information on events, programs and training, the Provost’s Diversity and Inclusion Council, Diversity Liaisons for each academic school, chronology, participation, and various resources for students.

USC Emergency - UPC: (213) 740-4321, HSC: (323) 442-1000 – 24/7 on call

dps.usc.edu, emergency.usc.edu

Emergency assistance and avenue to report a crime. Latest updates regarding safety, including ways in which instruction will be continued if an officially declared emergency makes travel to campus infeasible.

USC Department of Public Safety - UPC: (213) 740-6000, HSC: (323) 442-120 – 24/7 on call

dps.usc.edu

Non-emergency assistance or information.

New Teaching Experience Evaluations (beginning Spring 2018):

. “Learning Experience Evaluations will be conducted on {insert date}. This will be your opportunity to provide feedback about your learning experience in the class. This feedback helps the instructor determine whether students are having the intended learning experiences for the class. It is important to remember that the learning process is collaborative and requires significant effort from the instructor, individual students, and the class as a whole. Students should provide a thoughtful assessment of their experience, as well as of their own effort, with comments focused on specific aspects of instruction or the course. Comments on personal characteristics of the instructor are not appropriate and will not be considered. For this feedback to be as comprehensive as possible, all students should complete the evaluation.” 
 (Course Evaluations, New Learning Experience Evaluation Protocol, 4/16/2018)

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Notice of Consequences of Adding Fall Recess Beginning in Fall 2019

Already there are fewer class days in Fall semester than Spring semester. Fall Recess removes two additional days (Thursday-Friday) resulting in fewer instruction days. This has a consequential impact on the content and schedule of this course. In Fall 2020 the Fall Recess has been dropped because the academic schedule has been modified to account for responding to the Covid-19 virus and online courses.

Class Schedule (highlighting is used to help identify the material tested on each of the quizzes)

Day Date Day-of-Week Topic Assignments

-- 1/15 F Spring 2021 classes begin

HOL 1/18 M MLK Jr Day

1 1/19 Tu Introductory material: intro, nervous system Carlson Ch. 1, 2

2 1/21 Th introductory material: structure., pharmacology Carlson Ch. 3, 4

3 1/26 Tu Introductory material: methods Carlson Ch. 5

4 1/28 Th QUIZ 1 Carlson Ch. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Vision Carlson Ch. 6a

5 2/2 Tu Vision Carlson Ch. 6b

6 2/4 Th QUIZ 2 Carlson Ch. 6a+b

. Audition, Body & Chemical Senses Carlson Ch. 7a

7 2/9 Tu Audition, Body & Chemical Senses Carlson Ch. 7b

8 2/11 Th QUIZ 3 Carlson Ch. 7a+b

Control of Movement Carlson Ch. 8a

HOL 2/15 M Presidents Day

9 2/16 Tu Control of Movement Carlson Ch. 8b

10 2/18 Th QUIZ 4 Carlson Ch. 8a+b

. Sleep and Biological Rhythms Carlson Ch. 9a

11 2/23 Tu Sleep and Biological Rhythms Carlson Ch. 9b

12 2/25 Th QUIZ 5 Carlson Ch. 9a+b

. Reproductive Behavior Carlson Ch. 10a

13 3/2 Tu Reproductive Behavior Carlson Ch. 10b

14 3/4 Th QUIZ 6 Carlson Ch. 10a+b

. Emotion Carlson Ch. 11a

15 3/9 Tu Emotion Carlson Ch. 11b

16 3/11 Th QUIZ 7 Carlson Ch. 11a+b

. Ingestive Behavior Carlson Ch. 12a

WEL 3/12 Fr Wellness Day

17 3/16 Tu Ingestive Behavior Carlson Ch. 12b

18 3/18 Th QUIZ 8 Carlson Ch. 12a+b

. Learning and Memory Carlson Ch. 13a

WEL 3/23 Tu Wellness Day

19 3/25 Th Learning and Memory Carlson Ch. 13b

20 3/30 Tu QUIZ 9 Carlson Ch. 13a+b

. Human Communication Carlson Ch. 14a

21 4/1 Th Human Communication Carlson Ch. 14b

22 4/6 Tu QUIZ 10 Carlson Ch. 14a+b

. Neurological Disorders Carlson Ch. 15a

WEL 4/7 We Wellness Day

23 4/8 Th Neurological Disorders Carlson Ch. 15b

24 4/13 Tu QUIZ 11 Carlson Ch. 15a+b

. Schizophrenia and the Affective Disorders Carlson Ch. 16a

25 4/15 Th Schizophrenia and the Affective Disorders Carlson Ch. 16b

26 4/20 Tu QUIZ 12 Carlson Ch. 16a+b

Anxiety Disorders etc Carlson Ch. 17a

WEL 4/22 Th Wellness Day

27 4/27 Tu Anxiety Disorders etc Carlson Ch. 17b

28 4/29 Th QUIZ 13 Carlson Ch. 17a+b

. Substance Abuse Carlson Ch. 18a

Course Evaluations

WEL 4/30 Fr Wellness Day

-- 4/30 Fr Spring 2021 classes end

Final Exam

Thursday, May 6, 2021, 2 pm – 4 pm QUIZ 14 (Carlson Ch. 18a+b) and all make up exams

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