Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Readings and Conferences: Leadership (Face-to-Face)

PSY 4831-01

Course: PSY 4831-01
Credits: 1
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: PSY
CRN: 30807

Course Description

This course is designed as an introduction to Psychology as a profession. Each week we will discuss a variety of topics ranging from professional development, different careers and subdisciplines in psychology, graduate school, mental health, and at the end of the semester you will each choose a topic you are interested in to discuss with the group as well.

Required Texts

There are no required materials for this course.

Learning Outcomes

Professional development. This course is designed to help students at all stages of their academic careers identify resources on campus and outside of campus that will help them in their future professional endeavors. Students will learn about internships, service opportunities, different career pathways, how to prepare for graduate school, and many other topics that will benefit them professionally.

Communication. In this course you will learn how to communicate professionally with your peers, esteemed members of the community, and experts in a variety of subdisciplines in psychology.

Critical thinking, digital literacy, information literacy, peer collaboration. In this course you will learn how to utilize library resources to identify, understand, and disseminate scientific findings within the field of psychology to your peers via a group oral presentation at the end of the semester.

Essential Learning Outcomes:

  • INTELLECTUAL AND PRACTICAL SKILLS
  • Information Literacy: Students identify, locate, evaluate, attribute and share information effectively and ethically.
  • INTEGRATIVE LEARNING
  • Integrative learning: Students make connections among ideas and experiences and can synthesize and transfer their learning to new, complex situations within and beyond the campus.

Course Requirements

Your grade in this class will be based on your attendance and an oral presentation at the end of the semester. Attendance will be worth 60% of your grade, the oral presentation will be worth 20% of your grade, and the service hours are worth 20% of your grade.

This is a Pass/Fail course. You need the equivalent of a C- (70%) or better to receive a Passing grade.

Oral Presentation: The purpose of this assignment is to use your knowledge in psychology and other disciplines to contribute to the health and wellness of your community. Your final project in this course will be to complete a group presentation with 2-3 of your peers. You will be asked to make a 10–15-minute PowerPoint presentation on a wellness topic in psychology (sleep hygiene, mindfulness, etc.). You will need to utilize library resources to identify at least one peer reviewed source and all of your sources must be cited in APA format. Sign-up sheets for presentations will be distributed at the end of the semester. PowerPoints must be uploaded to canvas 24 hours before your presentation time. No late presentations will be accepted.

Service Project: The purpose of this assignment is to use your skills and time to get involved in the betterment of our community. Psi Chi and/or Psychology Club Leadership team will organize at least one service project with a community partner during the semester. You can sign up and attend the organized club service project. Alternatively, if the organized project does not work with your schedule, you can identify and participate in at least 5 hours of volunteer service through another campus or community organization. Note: you may not use one service project to meet requirements for multiple classes, unless the one project covers enough hours to meet BOTH course requirements.

Course Outline

The first class meeting of the semester is the second week of the semester, during which all attendees can provide the leadership team with interest in the kinds of topics and guest speakers you want to hear from.  We will meet weekly, but topics and guest-speakers vary based on scheduling, student interest, and availability.  Thus, the course outline is developed by class members and the elected leadership team while the semester is ongoing.

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

The group project cannot be turned in late. The service hours must be submitted before the last day of the semester, which is the day BEFORE Finals.

No late presentations will be accepted.

Attendance Policy

This is an in-person course. Attendance will be taken every day and your grade will largely be based off these points (see below for more information). You cannot pass this class if you do not attend class. If you can’t attend in person, reach out and we may be able to arrange for attendance via Zoom. However, you are expected to be coming to the majority of classes in person.

Student Support and Resources

Mental Health:
The Southern Utah University Psychology Department values our students irrespective of race, age, gender, sexual orientation, culture, religion, nationality, capabilities, or disabilities. Our faculty and staff are committed to the intellectual, physical, and emotional health of all members of the campus community. Should anyone experience problems or issues with depression, anxiety, grief, discrimination, alienation or marginalization, helplessness or hopelessness, or thoughts of suicide, we implore you to seek us out. Our commitment is to listen, and help you find the resources you need.
SUUSA STATEMENT:
As a student at SUU, you have representation from the SUU Student Association (SUUSA) which advocates for student interests and helps work as a liaison between the students and the university administration. You can submit T-Bird Squawks feedback by going to https://www.suu.edu/suusa/voice. Likewise, you can learn more about SUUSA’s Executive Council at https://www.suu.edu/suusa/executive-council and about all of SUUSA’s Student Senators at https://www.suu.edu/suusa/senate.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.