Syllabus Close Relationships Across the Lifespan (HDFS 1060)

Syllabus
Close Relationships Across the Lifespan (HDFS 1060)

Course Title:Close Relationships Across the Lifespan (HDFS 1060)
Credits:3
Prerequisites:None
Instructor: Sarah Casper, LMFT

E-mail:
Telephone:(860) 558-6584

The easiest way to reach me is via email or text

Required Textbook and Supplemental Material:

Miller, R. (2015). Intimate relationships (7th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.

McGraw-Hill Education Connect® access for Miller, Intimate Relationships 7e

ProctorU account for online proctoring of exams (free)

The developer of this course is Dr. Kari Adamsons, Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Connecticut.

All images fromCheezburger Networkare used with permission. All other images are copyright free or were created by the instructor unless otherwise noted with a citation.

You will learn about theory and research on topics involving close relationship literature. This will include attraction, relationship development and maintenance, friendship and social support, love, sexuality, intimacy, communication, conflict, dissolution and divorce, loneliness, and bereavement.

As an online course, it might be tempting to be disconnected and disengaged from other classmates and myself, but this class has been created in ways that will help us help one another learn and apply the information we will learn about this important subject. You will be asked to reflect on your personal experiences with these subjects, as well as to make recommendations for others who find themselves in these situations.

After completing this course you will be able to:

·  Demonstrate a basic understanding of research and theory in the area of close relationships.

·  Understand the nature, pros and cons, and implications for knowledge of various research methods used in studying close relationships.

·  Be able to analyze the interaction of personal choice and societal influences as well as the diverse processes and structures of close relationships in contemporary society.

·  Be able to apply concepts learned to “real-life” situations (hypothetical and their own) and be able to evaluate the outcomes of various courses of action in relationships.

·  Develop practical knowledge and skills regarding functional behaviors in relationships, including positive communication strategies; healthy conflict management; healthy expectations; evaluating costs, rewards, and alternatives; and coping with relationship difficulties such as loneliness, betrayal, and loss.

Your course will be conducted online in a series of modules, and we will cover approximately one module per day. Every module will have associated assignments, and some group discussion and individual activities also will occur. Course modules often will contain material not covered in the text, and class input, questions, and discussion are welcomed and desired. As the instructor, I contribute most as a guide and resource person.I am not the sole guardian of what you will learn in this course.Instead, I assume that you share equally in the learning process and the responsibility that accompanies it. This assumption requires that you read your textbook and the online course modules, participate in class discussion and activities, and complete all class assignments and projects.

McGraw-Hill Education Connect

For this course you will be required to purchase McGraw-Hill Education Connect® access for Miller, Intimate Relationships 7e. You are not required to have a print text; please be aware if you purchase a used textbook you will still need to purchase Connect access. You can purchase the access code in the bookstore, and you also can purchase the correct version of Connect directly from McGraw-Hill as part of the login process.

Once you are in Connect a print-upgrade option is also available if you want a print copy at any point during the term. This will be a full color binder-ready version of the text. McGraw-Hill will send it to you for $15 (including s/h); please allow a few days for delivery.

To get started, please follow the PowerPoint demonstrating how to log into Connect and sync it with the HuskyCT course. Note that for your grades to register correctly, you must ALWAYS LOG IN THROUGH HUSKYCT/BLACKBOARD.

Important: You must register in Connect even if you haven’t purchased your code yet. Connect offers COURTESY ACCESS, which is free access for a few days from the start of class. When you follow the registration steps outlined in the PowerPoint you will be given the option of selecting COURTESY ACCESS. Please do this if you haven’t purchased your access code yet, as this will ensure that you don’t fall behind in class assignments. (You can read the ebook and complete assignments with Courtesy Access).

If you run into any problems using Connect, you must call McGraw-Hill’s Customer Experience Group/CXG (aka Tech Support). I cannot help you with technical issues with the McGraw Hill Connect website. They will give you a ticket number for the problem you reported. If you are not able to complete an assignment by its due date, or if you feel that you were given an incorrect score, I will be requesting the MH ticket number so that I can follow up with the publisher.

The contact information for McGraw-Hill CXG is as follows:

www.mhhe.com/support Call: (800) 331-5094

Monday – Thursday l 8AM – 4AM

Friday l 8AM – 10PM

Saturday 10AM - 8PM

Sunday l 12PM – 2AM

(All times Eastern)

http://www.connectstudentsuccess.com/

Course Policies

1.  Academic Integrity:Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception and is an educational objective of this institution. Violating academic integrity is considered a serious offense by both the university and me and is treated accordingly. Violations of academic integrity can be punishable by failure on the specific assignment or portion of the course, failure of the entire course, or other sanctions as imposed by the university. Academic misconduct is defined in Responsibilities of Community Life: The Student Code, Part VI, Section A, p. 17:

2.  University Sanctioned Activities: Students who are going to miss assignments due to participation in university-sanctioned activities (e.g., athletics, student government, band) must identify themselves and provide documentationpriorto missing the assignment and must make arrangements to complete missed work within three days of their return.

3.  Disability Accommodations:If you have a documented disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are encouraged to contact me and the Center for Students with Disabilities as soon as possible. All information regarding disabilities is confidential.

4.  Emergencies: If you have any emergency that interferes with your ability to complete the work in this course, please let me know immediately. If you cannot attend a scheduled appointment, please contact me ahead of time. My office phone number and email address are listed on the front page.

5.  My personal philosophy:The material presented and discussed in this class frequently will include topics that affect each of us personally and in different ways. I expect students in this class to be sensitive to and respectful of differences in attitudes, opinions, and experiences of others in the class. I also expect you to learn from each other just as much as from me, so participation in group discussions and activities is essential to everyone getting the most out of this course. Particularly in an online environment such as this one, you will get from the course what you give to it.

6.  A brief note about copyrights: Please note that my lectures, notes, handouts, and displays are protected by state common law and federal copyright law. They are my own original expression and I’ve recorded them prior or during my lecture in order to ensure that I obtain copyright protection. Students are authorized to take notes in my class; however, this authorization extends only to making one set of notes for your own personal use and no other use. You are not authorized to record my lectures without my express permission. If you are so authorized to record my lectures, you may not copy this recording or any other material, provide copies of either to anyone else, or make a commercial use of them (including posting them to "study" websites such as koofers, chegg, studyblue, etc.) without prior permission from me.

7.  Policy Against Discrimination, Harassment and Inappropriate Romantic Relationships:
The University is committed to maintaining an environment free of discrimination or discriminatory harassment directed toward any person or group within its community – students, employees, or visitors. Academic and professional excellence can flourish only when each member of our community is assured an atmosphere of mutual respect. All members of the University community are responsible for the maintenance of an academic and work environment in which people are free to learn and work without fear of discrimination or discriminatory harassment. In addition, inappropriate Romantic relationships can undermine the University’s mission when those in positions of authority abuse or appear to abuse their authority. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, the University prohibits discrimination and discriminatory harassment, as well as inappropriate romantic relationships, and such behavior will be met with appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from the University.
More information is available at http://policy.uconn.edu/?p=2884.

8.  Sexual Assault Reporting Policy: To protect the campus community, all non-confidential University employees (including faculty) are required to report assaults they witness or are told about to the Office of Diversity & Equity under the Sexual Assault Response Policy.Please note that this includes previous assaults, whether or not they occurred while you attended UConn. The University takes all reports with the utmost seriousness.Please be aware that while the information you provide will remain private, it will not be confidential and will be shared with University officials who can help.However, it is only provided so that resources can be brought to the attention of the student. I frequently have information disclosed to me by students, whether in person, email, or in reflection papers, as a result of material discussed in class; I am comfortable with such disclosures and do not mean to discourage anyone from sharing personal information as they see fit. But, I want you to be aware of my responsibilities as faculty at the University of Connecticut, and the purpose and limits of why any disclosures would be shared with anyone else. More information on resources and UConn policies is available at http://sexualviolence.uconn.edu/.

All your assignments – readings, discussions, journal entries, quizzes and exams – are described on the Objectives and Activities page at the beginning of each module.

Assignments

1.  Assignmentswill take a variety of forms, includingConnect reading quizzes, individual journal entries,anddiscussion posts.Assignments are designed to encourage both regular reading and your application of the material. All assignments are due by the end of the last day of the module in which they appear unless other noted (see yourCourse Outlinebe for dates). If youdo notsubmit an assignment by the deadline, you will receive a 0 for that assignment. There will be a total of 26 graded assignments and each assignment will be worth 10 points.I DO NOT GIVE MAKE-UPS OF ASSIGNMENTS.In lieu of allowing make-up or late assignments, your lowest two assignment grades will count as extra credit; therefore, assignments will be worth a total of 240 points (but 260 points are possible).