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Southern Utah University

Summer Semester 2026

Adolescent Development (Online)

PSY 3220-30I

Course:	PSY 3220-30I
Credits:	3
Term:	Summer Semester 2026
Department:	PSY
CRN:	20870

Course Description

A study of human development during adolescence and emerging adulthood. The interaction of biology, mind, and environment on the physical, cognitive, and psychological development with an emphasis on developmental theories and psychosocial issues. (Fall [As Needed], Spring [As Needed], Summer [As Needed]) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): PSY 1010 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C- Registration Restriction(s): None

Required Texts

Kuther, T. (2025). SAGE VANTAGE: Children in Context: A Topical Approach. (1st ed). ISBN: 9781071914465R180

This textbook can be found at the campus bookstore. With inclusive access your textbook is about $80 at the bookstore. See ‘Sage Vantage Student Registration’ and ‘Vantage Student Help Guide’ on canvas for information on how to use sage vantage to integrate your book with canvas. This is how you will access your assignments for this course. It is your responsibility to make sure you have access to the book by Friday July 3rd when your first assignments are due.

Learning Outcomes

You should be able to describe key psychological concepts across multiple theoretical perspectives within the field of psychology.
By the end of this course, you should be able to explain how Adolescent Developmental as a field connects with and complements other disciplines within and outside the field of psychology.
You will be asked to recognize cultural and individual differences that underlie the complexities of adolescent development.
You will use scientific reasoning and critical thinking to interpret psychological phenomena and theories.
By the end of this course, you should be able to describe the various types of research methods used by developmental psychologists, with particular consideration of various research designs, limitations, and ethical principles
Digital Literacy: Students strategically and responsibly employ appropriate technologies to explore, create, collaborate, and organize in a digital context.
Information Literacy: Students identify, locate, evaluate, attribute and share information effectively and ethically.
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

Evaluation Methods:

Your grade in the course will be based on your performance on 3 exams, 8 homework assignments, research participation, and a final paper.

1. Exams: Throughout the course, you will be required to complete three 50 question exams (worth 100 points each) to evaluate your knowledge of the material being covered. Each exam will consist of multiple-choice questions based on the course readings, lectures, and assignments. These will be open book/open notes timed exams taken over canvas. All exams must be completed on your own. Makeup exams will only be granted to students who have requested them 2 weeks in advance or contact me within 24 hours of the exam with a documented emergency that clearly prevented them from making it to the exam each day it was available. Makeup exams are not a right and are not guaranteed. It is up to my discretion to approve all makeup exams and I reserve the right to deny a makeup exam request for any reason. Therefore, it is strongly recommended you do not miss any exams. However, if you do miss an exam there will be an optional final at the end of the semester you can take to replace your lowest exam score. See below for more information.

2. Chapter Polls: You will be assigned to an answer a poll for each chapter assigned to you. These questions will be questions gauging your opinion on the reading. Polls will be graded for completion as there are no right answers to these questions. Each poll is worth 3 points. Late polls will result in a 10% deduction each day for a maximum 50%-point deduction. For example, if you turn something in one day late you will receive 10% off your grade for that assignment. If you turn something in 5 days late or 30 days late you would receive a 50% deduction from your grade on that assignment. All late assignments are due by August 7th at midnight. Any assignments turned in after this will not be graded.

3. Homework Assignments: Throughout this course you will complete 12 HW assignments Each HW assignment will be a quiz on the chapter you just read. All homework assignments must be completed on your own. In addition to these 12 chapters quizzes you will also be required to complete a syllabus quiz and a welcome assignment (see below for point breakdown). Late assignments will result in a 10% deduction each day for a maximum 50%-point deduction. For example, if you turn something in one day late you will receive 10% off your grade for that assignment. If you turn something in 5 days late or 50 days late you would receive a 50% deduction from your grade on that assignment. All late homework is due by August 7th at midnight. Any assignments turned in after this will not be graded.

4. Discussion boards: There will be 2 discussion boards in this class due the week before each of your first two required exams. You will be required to post on a class discussion board describing a psychological concept on your study guide for the current unit. You will also be required to reply to at least one classmate. No late discussion boards will be accepted under any circumstances.

5. Research Participation: Given that the topics we will be covering in psychology often stem directly from research studies, it is important to see how this information is collected firsthand. To meet this objective, this course requires that you participate in research occurring here in our department by signing up for studies through the online research system called SONA. A total of six credits will be required for this class. More information on how to register for SONA will be posted to canvas in the next few weeks. All research participation must be completed by August 7th. No late research participation will be accepted.

6. Optional Final Exam: The final exam for this class will be optional. If you choose to take the final, it will replace your lowest exam score. If you do not do better on the final than your previous three exams, you will not be penalized. This will be a 50-question, multiple choice, cumulative exam. There will be no makeup final exams offered under any circumstances.

Course Outline

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

Homework: Late assignments will result in a 10% deduction each day for a maximum 50%-point deduction.
Polls: Late assignments will result in a 10% deduction each day for a maximum 50%-point deduction.
Exams: No late exams will be accepted. Makeup exams will only be granted to students who have requested them 2 weeks in advance or contact me within 24 hours of the exam with a documented emergency that clearly prevented them from making it to the exam each day it was available. Makeup exams are not a right and are not guaranteed. It is up to my discretion to approve all makeup exams and I reserve the right to deny a makeup exam request for any reason. Therefore, it is strongly recommended you do not miss any exams. However, if you do miss an exam there will be an optional final at the end of the semester you can take to replace your lowest exam score.
Discussion Boards: No late discussion boards will be accepted under any circumstances.
Research Participation: All research participation must be completed by August 8th. No late research participation will be accepted.
Optional Final Exam: There will be no makeup final exams offered under any circumstances.
Grade Disputes:If you disagree with your grade on an exam or assignment, you may submit a written dispute by email to the instructor within one week of receiving your grade. Do not send grade disputes to my teaching assistant (if applicable). Grade disputes will not be considered after this one-week window. If applicable, include in your written dispute a reference to a page in the textbook that pertains to your rationale.

Attendance Policy

This is an online course. Classes will be recorded and posted to canvas each week for you to access. Although you will not be given credit for watching the videos, the majority of your exam questions will come from these recorded lectures. Additionally, there is information in your textbook that we will not be going over in these recordings. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you watch all lectures and keep up with the readings in order to do well in this class.

Course Fees

There are no additional course fees associated with this class.

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.

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