PSYCH -530-ldaffin-2025-09-29-12-48-17
Below is a syllabus template that includes WSU's required syllabus elements. Please complete all items highlighted in yellow.
Title of Course [Professional, Ethical, and Legal Issues]
Prefix and Number [PSYCH 530]
Semester and Year [tbd]
Number of Credit Hours [Variable]
Prerequisites [None]
Course Details
Day and Time: [tbd]
Meeting Location: [tbd]
Instructor Contact Information
Instructor Name: [tbd]
Instructor Contact Information: [office location, phone, email] [tbd]
Instructor Office Hours: [click here for best practices] [tbd]
TA Name: [tbd]
TA Contact Information: [office location, phone, email]: [tbd]
TA Office Hours: [click here for best practices] [tbd]
Course Description
[
This course is designed to foster your growth as an ethical psychologist. Maintaining a high standard of professionalism and ethics is a life-long process of learning; my goal for this course is to help you in developing a foundation for understanding ethical principles and laws related to psychology. There are many situations in which the ethical course of action is clear and not subject to debate; in these situations, a solid knowledge of the APA ethical code and relevant laws (state and federal law, as well as case law) is indispensable.
However, we will wrestle with the fact that the most difficult decisions that we face in our careers are decisions in which there is an ethical conflict, in which each option poses risks and costs, and the best answer involves a process of weighing these costs against one another – making an effort to offend the non-prioritized principle, standard, and/or rule/regulation the least. Often, the ethical code and laws do not provide a clear answer for us in these difficult situations, and at times we must rely on moral principles to decide upon the best course of action.
]
Course Materials
Books: [
Drogin, E.Y. (2019). Ethical conflicts in psychology (5th Ed.). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. $47.99 from Amazon
]
Other Materials: [None]
Fees: [None]
|
Course Learning Outcomes (students will be able to:) |
Activities Supporting the Learning Outcomes | Assessment of the Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
| [Be able to identify and describe ethical dilemmas, conflicts among professional, legal, and ethical standards] | [All topics across our meeting dates will address this outcome in some manner] | [Response papers, in-class presentations, in-class discussion] |
| [Be able to select appropriate courses of action in resolving ethical dilemma, conflicts among professional, legal, and ethical standards] | [All topics across our meeting dates will address this outcome in some manner] | [Response papers, in-class presentations, in-class discussion] |
| [Develop graduate-level skills to effectively communicate concerning ethical dilemma, conflicts among professional, legal, and ethical standards in written and oral form] |
[All topics across our meeting dates will address this outcome in some manner] |
[Response papers, in-class presentations, in-class discussion] |
| Be able to analyze, evaluate and synthesize information related to ethical dilemma, conflicts among professional, legal, and ethical standards systematically |
All topics across our meeting dates will address this outcome in some manner |
Response papers, in-class presentations, in-class discussion |
| Dates | Lesson Topic | Assignment | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Week 1 |
[
Course introduction ] |
[Drogin, pp. 5-40] | [insert] |
| Week 2 [dates] |
[State law ] | [
WRITTEN REACTION #1 ] |
[insert] |
| Week 3 [dates] |
[How ethics are applied] | [
WRITTEN REACTION #2 ] |
[insert] |
| Week 4 [dates] |
[
Confidentiality, privilege and privacy ] |
[
WRITTEN REACTION #3 ] |
[insert] |
| Week 5 [dates] |
[Multiple relationships] | [
WRITTEN REACTION #4 ] |
[insert] |
| Week 6 [dates] |
[
Psychological assessment ] |
[
WRITTEN REACTION #5 ] |
[insert] |
| Week 7 [dates] |
[
Therapy and other forms of interventions ] |
[
WRITTEN REACTION #6 ] |
[insert] |
| Week 8 [dates] |
[Interventions with children and families] | [
WRITTEN REACTION #7 ] |
[insert] |
| Week 9 [dates] |
[
Interventions with a multiculturalism/intersectionality lens ] |
[
WRITTEN REACTION #8 ] |
[insert] |
| Week 10 [dates] |
[
Academia, research, teaching, and supervision ] |
[
WRITTEN REACTION #9 ] |
[insert] |
| Week 11 [dates] |
[insert] |
[STUDENT-LED DISCUSSIONS
WRITTEN REACTION #10 ] |
[insert] |
| Week 12 [dates] |
[
The business of psychology ] |
[STUDENT-LED DISCUSSIONS] | [insert] |
| Week 13 [dates] |
[insert] | [STUDENT-LED DISCUSSIONS] | [insert] |
| Week 14 [dates] |
[insert] | [STUDENT-LED DISCUSSION] | [insert] |
| Week 15 [dates] |
[insert] | [STUDENT-LED DISCUSSION] | [insert] |
Expectations for Student Effort
[Describe how much time students should expect to invest in the course each week. Graduate courses should state: "For each hour of lecture equivalent, students should expect to have a minimum of two hours of work outside of class." Note that Global campus courses will automatically include credit hour equivalents in the syllabus.] [For each hour of lecture equivalent, students should expect to have a minimum of two hours of work outside of class]
Grading [add more lines if necessary]
| Type of Assignment (tests, papers, etc) | Points | Percent of Overall Grade |
|---|---|---|
| [Weekly participation in class discussions] | [insert] | [30] |
| [10 Reactions to readings] | [insert] | [30] |
| [Reference list and vignettes for class discussion] | [insert] | [25] |
| Leading your class discussion | 15 |
| Grade | Percent | Grade | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| A |
[90-100 ] |
C | [70-79 ] |
| A- | [insert] | C- | [insert] |
| B+ | [insert] | D+ | [insert] |
| B | [80-89 ] | D | [60-69 ] |
| B- | [insert] | F | [< 60 ] |
| C+ | [insert] |
[Provide information about how grades will be rounded (eg, if 89% earns a B+ and 90% earns an A-, what grade is given to a student with an 89.5?]
Attendance and Make-Up Policy
[Provide details on how attendance affects final course grades. Indicate whether and how missed exams, laboratory sessions, etc. can be made up. Sample attendance statement: “Students should make all reasonable efforts to attend all class meetings. However, in the event a student is unable to attend a class, it is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor as soon as possible, explain the reason for the absence (and provide documentation, if appropriate), and make up class work missed within a reasonable amount of time, if allowed. Missing class meetings may result in reducing the overall grade in the class.” ] Reasonable accommodations to reduce/eliminate barriers in the learning environment are available for students with a documented disability/chronic medical condition. To initiate the accommodations process please contact the Access Center. Accommodations are unique for each individual and some require a significant amount of time to prepare for, so it is essential that students notify the Access Center as far in advance as possible. Students with a disability that is identified during the semester should contact the Access Center as soon as possible to arrange for an appointment and a review of their documentation by an Access advisor. All accommodations MUST be approved through the Access Center or Disability Services. For more information contact the WSU Access Center online: http://drc.wsu.edu, or by phone: 509 335-3417 to schedule an appointment with an Access Advisor. It is a university expectation that students with approved accommodations communicate with instructors within two weeks of requesting their accommodations to discuss logistics.]
Academic Integrity Statement
You are responsible for reading WSU's Academic Integrity Policy, which is based on Washington State law. If you cheat in your work in this class you will:
-[Academic integrity is the cornerstone of higher education. As such, all members of the university community share responsibility for maintaining and promoting the principles of integrity in all activities, including academic integrity and honest scholarship. Academic integrity will be strongly enforced in this course. Any instances of academic dishonesty would of course be highly ironic given the course subject. Importantly, students who violate WSU’s Academic Integrity Policy (identified in Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 504-26-010(3) and -404) will receive an F in the course and a referral to the Office of Student Conduct. Cheating includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism and unauthorized collaboration as defined in the Standards of Conduct for Students, WAC 504-26-010(3). You need to read and understand all of the definitions of cheating: http://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=504-26-010. If you have any questions about what is and is not allowed in this course, you should ask course instructors before proceeding. If you wish to appeal a faculty member's decision relating to academic integrity, please use the form available at www.conduct.wsu.edue]
-Be reported to the Center for Community Standards
-Have the right to appeal my decision
-Not be able to drop the course of withdraw from the course until the appeals process is finished
If you have any questions about what you can and cannot do in this course, ask me.
If you want to ask for a change in my decision about academic integrity, use the form at the Center for Community Standards website. You must submit this request within 21 calendar days of the decision.