Meeting Times, Location, & Course Delivery Details
Hybrid Traditional: This course will be delivered in a hybrid traditional format. You will be required to attend class in our scheduled classroom (at the designated meeting time) on MONDAYS and WEDNESDAYS. We will typically not meet in our classroom or online on Fridays (except we will meet in the classroom on 8/28, 9/11, and 10/23).
All students enrolled in hybrid traditional courses must participate in required classroom sessions, as well as log into the course on Blackboard to complete or submit any assignment(s) or other academic related activities, to be determined by the instructor.
Contact Information
There is no textbook for this course. Primary and secondary source readings and other learning resources will be assigned as we progress through the course. Learning materials will be available on Blackboard.
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Explain major theories, concepts, and research findings in health psychology.
- Apply health psychology principles to understand health behaviors, illness, and behavior change.
- Connect psychological, biological, social, cultural, and environmental factors that influence health and well-being.
- Evaluate health issues and interventions using scientific evidence and ethical reasoning.
- Communicate about health topics effectively and respectfully with diverse audiences.
- Reflect on how personal experiences, beliefs, and values shape health behaviors and interactions with others.
- Demonstrate an appreciation for the role of psychology in promoting health, preventing illness, and reducing health disparities.
- Monitor own health by using feedback, reflection, and self-directed learning strategies,
| COURSE MODULES AND ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES | |
| *Please keep in mind that it is your responsibility to check Blackboard on a regular basis. Relevant materials will be posted for each module. | |
| Course Orientation and Community-Building (Week of 8/24 – 8/30) | COURSE ORIENTATION/COMMUNITY-BUILDING |
Module 1 (Week of 8/31 – 9/6) | Complete Activity Engagement #1 by 5pm on Sunday, September 6th |
| Health Behavior Theories | ASSIGNED LEARNING RESOURCES |
Module 2 (Week of 9/7 – 9/13) | Complete Activity Engagement #2 by 5pm on Sunday, September 13th
|
| Health Behavior Theories | ASSIGNED LEARNING RESOURCES |
Module 3 (Week of 9/14 – 9/20) | Complete Health Reflection #1 by 5pm on Sunday, September 20th |
| The Role of Stress in Health | ASSIGNED LEARNING RESOURCES |
Module 4 (Week of 9/21 – 9/27) | Submit Personal Learning Reflection by 5pm on Sunday, September 27th |
| Sleep Quality and Health | ASSIGNED LEARNING RESOURCES |
Module 5 (Week of 9/28 – 10/4) | Complete Health Reflection #2 by 5pm on Sunday, October 4th |
| The Role of Diet in Health | ASSIGNED LEARNING RESOURCES |
| Module 6 (Week of 10/5 – 10/11) | |
| The Role of Exercise in Health | ASSIGNED LEARNING RESOURCES |
| Module 7 (Week of 10/12 – 10/18) | Complete Health Reflection #3 by 5pm on Sunday, October 18th |
| The Psychological Experience of Disability | ASSIGNED LEARNING RESOURCES |
| (Week of 10/19 – 10/25) | Complete Campus-Oriented Project by 5pm on Sunday, October 25th |
| October 19: Fall Break | NO CLASS |
| October 21: Mid-Course Feedback | FEEDBACK/PRESENTATION INFO |
| October 23: Mid-Course Assessment | MID-COURSE ASSESSMENT |
| Module 8 (Week of 10/26 – 11/1) | Complete Activity Engagement #3 by 5pm on Sunday, November 1st |
| The Psychological Experience of Pain | ASSIGNED LEARNING RESOURCES |
Module 9 (Week of 11/2 – 11/8) | Complete Health Reflection #4 by 5pm on Sunday, November 8th |
| The Psychological Experience of Chronic Illness | ASSIGNED LEARNING RESOURCES |
Module 10 (Week of 11/9 – 11/15) | Complete Activity Engagement #4 by 5pm on Sunday, November 15th |
| Contemporary Healthcare Systems | ASSIGNED LEARNING RESOURCES |
| (Week of 11/16 – 11/22) | |
| November 16: PRESENTATIONS | PRESENTATIONS |
| November 18: PRESENTATIONS | PRESENTATIONS |
| (Week of 11/23 – 11/29) | Complete Activity Engagement #5 by 5pm on Tuesday, November 24th |
| November 23: PRESENTATIONS | PRESENTATIONS |
| November 25: THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY | NO CLASS |
| November 27: THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY | NO CLASS |
Module 11 (Week of 11/30 – 12/6) | Complete Health Reflection #5 by 5pm on Sunday, December 6th |
| The Future of Healthcare Systems | ASSIGNED LEARNING RESOURCES |
| (Week of 12/7 – 12/13) | Submit Learning Experiences Reflection by 5pm on Wednesday, December 9th |
| December 7: COURSE WRAP-UP | COURSE WRAP-UP |
| December 9: COURSE WRAP-UP | COURSE WRAP-UP |
You will earn credit for Health Psychology by successfully completing the course components:
Learning Resources: You are responsible for engaging with the learning resources. Relevant course materials will be posted to Blackboard in accordance with the course schedule.
Activity Engagement Materials: You will complete a series of activities connected to the course topics and submit relevant materials to Blackboard. These activities will help you actively integrate the course concepts into your lived experience. More details will be given in advance of each assignment.
It is valuable to your own personal and professional growth to manage your time effectively. There will be no extensions to submission due dates. I encourage you to take stock of your time commitments. Assess where there might be opportunities to alleviate some time demands, so that you can progress towards your goals and priorities.
You will receive 5 activity engagement prompts throughout the semester. If you complete 4 or more on time and at a satisfactory level, you will receive full credit. Each submission is worth 5 points with a 20-point maximum credit.
**The due dates for these assignments are listed in this syllabus.
Health Reflections: You will have the opportunity to complete a series of health reflections, the details of which will be given later. The purpose of the reflections is to help inspire you to connect the material to your own lived experiences. More details will be given in advance of each assignment.
You will receive 5 health reflection prompts throughout the semester. If you complete 4 or more on time and at a satisfactory level, you will receive full credit. Each submission is worth 5 points with a 20-point maximum credit.
**The due dates for these reflections are listed in this syllabus,
Campus-Oriented Project: This project will help you to actively apply your understanding of course concepts and theories. You will also have an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the Wilmington College campus community. More details will be given in advance of the due date.
**Late project submissions received within 48 hours of the deadline will be marked with an automatic 20% deduction. Submissions will not be accepted beyond 48 hours after the original deadline. This extension policy does not apply to submission of health reflections and activity engagement materials.
Team-Based Presentation: You will prepare and deliver to the class a presentation relevant to health psychology. The purpose of this assignment is to help you to analyze and evaluate the concepts you are learning in this class. This will also help foster collaboration andcommunication literacy skills. More details will be given in advance of the presentation due dates.
Personal Learning Reflections: You will have an opportunity to reflect upon your strategies and experiences as a learner at Wilmington College and beyond. In other words, what you hope to learn, how you plan to learn, and contemplating your growth as a learner.
Participation & Professionalism: Participation and professionalism points are a combination of accounting for active participation in class, passive participation in class, and any recurring evidence of unprofessional behavior (e.g., being distracted or disruptive during class). This class will be based on the concepts of RESPECT and PROFESSIONALISM. Respect for oneself, respect for others and respect for one’s learning environment. All students will be aware of and practice respect and professionalism throughout the semester.
Health Psychology is a graded course. An incomplete will only be given in special situations. If I decide to offer an opportunity for extra points at some juncture in the semester, the number of points would be minimal and only students who have completed all course components would be eligible.
POINT SCALE: 100 POINTS POSSIBLE
ACTIVITY ENGAGEMENT MATERIALS MAX CREDIT = 20PTS (20%)
HEALTH REFLECTIONS MAX CREDIT = 20PTS (20%)
CAMPUS-ORIENTED PROJECT = 15 PTS (15%)
TEAM-BASED PRESENTATION = 15 PTS (15%)
PERSONAL LEARNING REFLECTIONS = 10 PTS (10%)
PARTICIPATION = 10 PTS (10%)
PROFESSIONALISM = 10 PTS (10%)
| Minimum Points Required | Letter Grade
|
| 92 and higher | A |
| 88 | A- |
| 86 | B+ |
| 83 | B |
| 80 | B- |
| 76 | C+ |
| 73 | C |
| 70 | C- |
| 66 | D+ |
| 60 | D |
| 59 and below | F |
Instructor Course Policies
All students are expected to be in class and to actively participate. This class is designed to be an interactive learning experience. If you do not attend class, you will not be able to gain knowledge and perspective from your peers. You will earn participation and professionalism points if you 1) attend the session 2) pay attention (e.g., no social media, texting, sleeping, or disruptive side conversations) 3) actively participate in class discussion.
Active participation includes asking and answering questions; volunteering items for discussion; serving as small group facilitator or presenter. Participation and professionalism also include active listening, thoughtful reflection, cooperation, and consistent efforts to complete assignments.
PLEASE NOTE: It is valuable to your own personal and professional growth to reliably respect your time commitments. In other words, if you are expected to be somewhere, it is important to show up. Sometimes competing priorities do arise. I will offer each of you three “free passes” (equivalent to 10% of total number of class meeting sessions for this hybrid course) for absences. Use your own discretion wisely. Excused absences are not unlimited. Excessive absences (regardless of excuse) will impact your participation points. I will deduct 2 points (2% of course grade) from participation for each excessive absence. If you exceed 8 absences (25% of total class sessions), this will also impact professionalism points.
See the current Student Handbook for the college’s Attendance policy especially as it pertains to excused absences. You are expected to attend the entire class session. If you arrive late, leave early, or step out of the classroom on a regular basis, it will impact participation and professionalism points.
Although we will make use of the online learning management system (Blackboard), this is not an online course. You will not be permitted to attend class via Zoom unless authorized by the appropriate Academic or Student Affairs office.
Integrity and respect are Wilmington College core values, and honesty is our mutual responsibility. Students are expected to complete their own work according to the Wilmington Testimony: “I will practice personal and academic integrity.” At no time is copying, cheating, plagiarizing, or misrepresenting another source’s work as your own tolerated. Also critical to this is correct and accurate citation following APA writing style guidelines when applicable. Violation of this Honor Code will result in a “0” for the exam/assignment or an F for the course. See the current Student Handbook for the college’s Academic Integrity policies as they pertain to examinations, plagiarism, classroom behavior, and the process for handling academic misconduct charges.
To maintain a culture of integrity and respect, generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools should not be used in the completion of course assignments unless your instructor specifically authorizes their use. Given the rapidly evolving nature of AI tools, we will revisit and discuss this policy together as needed.
Teaching Philosophy
My teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that we are all teachers and learners. I strive to create a learning environment that is cognitively challenging and emotionally supportive. My intention is for our classroom to be a space where we learn from each other and build authentic relationships that enhance our personal and professional development. I encourage us to pursue and to practice the Quaker values of excellence, integrity, and respect for all persons as we engage in our educational endeavors.
Learning Support
The best time for us to engage in an extended discussion is during learning support sessions (i.e., office hours). These sessions are reserved to offer you some reliable times to connect with me for academic support outside of the class period. Please consider this to be an opportunity for us to build a rapport that supports your well-being and academic success. Meetings will occur on a first-come, first-served basis. Feel free to drop by or set up an appointment.
Other than face-to-face, email is my preferred form of communication. To honor my own personal and professional boundaries, I do not use texting as a form of communication with my students unless it is deemed necessary. If you attempt to contact me on my office phone and I am unavailable to respond, please follow up by contacting me via my WC email. I will do my best to respond to emails within 24 hours daily Monday - Friday. If you send me an email over the weekend and/or holidays, you might not receive a response until the official “business week” resumes. I encourage you to likewise reflect on setting healthy and reasonable communication boundaries for yourself in work and life.
If you’re seeking additional academic support, please contact the manager of the Academic Resource Center at AcademicResourceCenter@wilmington.edu.
Additional Information
It is valuable to your own personal and professional growth to be fully present and to respect the presence of those in your company. Unless designated otherwise by me for educational purposes, I expect all of us to disengage with our digital devices - of any kind - during our limited time together. If you need to have a cell phone with you to be contacted in case of an emergency, please let me know before class and set the phone to vibrate. For your own well-being and peace of mind, ask yourself “Is this thing I call an emergency truly time-sensitive or is it something I can set aside until after class is dismissed?”
Technology in the classroom can both facilitate and hinder learning. Based on the needs for this course and on some of the course learning outcomes I have set for you, laptops will NOT be permitted unless you provide me with documentation from the Associate VP for Compliance requesting such accommodation. The same applies to iPads and tablets, or similar electronic devices. No use of any type of tobacco or illegal substance is permitted in the classroom. No reading of distracting materials (newspapers, emails, etc.) is permitted during class.
Counseling Services: Confidential counseling services are available to Wilmington College students. A state independently licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) will provide a diagnostic assessment, treatment plan, and subsequent therapy sessions to assist students with a wide variety of wellness and mental health concerns. Contact KAZI MCDOWELL, Director of Counseling Services, at 937.481.2272 or ANA LOPEZ, Mental Health Counselor, at 937.481.2509 to schedule an appointment.
Learner Responsibility
It is valuable to your own personal and professional growth to make responsible decisions. I consider it your responsibility to check your WC email and our course Blackboard page at least once daily Monday-Friday. You are also expected to use your WC email address to correspond with me. Please use formal salutations and a professional tone in your correspondence.
Disclaimer
All portions of this syllabus are tentative and subject to change at any time. Please note we will be using Blackboard, the online course management system, for this course. I will announce changes in class and/or via email or Blackboard. It is your responsibility to complete all assignments by the specified dates.
Institutional and Program-Level Policies
All exams will follow the Final Exam Schedule. Students scheduled to take three or more final examinations on one day may request to arrange their examination schedule, so no more than two exams occur on one day.
Requests for early or late exams are considered only under extreme circumstances. Prior to the exam period, the student must file a written request on the Early/Late Exam Form available in the Student One Stop Center, Academic Records, and on the WC portal. The form must be signed by the Instructor and the Academic Dean, approving the alternate exam time. This process must be completed prior to the scheduled exam period.
Undergraduate: FA26 Final Exam Schedule
Out-of-class Work Expectation A minimum of 2 hours of out-of-class student work is expected for each hour of in-class time for traditional face-to-face courses. For online and hybrid courses, the combination of face-to-face time and out-of-class work should be equal to 3 hours per credit hour per week. |
Instructional Course Delivery Definition of Courses |
Academic Integrity Policy The use of generative AI is prohibited except where expressly allowed in assignment instructions. Academic Integrity Policy |
Class Attendance Policy Institutional Class Attendance Policy |