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Ethan Schwab, M.S. Department of Family & Child Sciences College of Human Sciences Office: William Johnston Building 3016 Office Hours: Wednesday 11am-12:30pm or by appointment E-mail: ets11@my.fsu.edu Mailbox for instructor: 225 SANDELS

FAD 3271 ECOLOGICAL CONTEXTS: FAMILY AS AN ECOSYSTEM Summer 2013 Section 02: MTWTF: 9:30-10:45am HWC 2400 ORIENTATION & GOALS This course provides undergraduate majors in applied developmental sciences with an introduction to the human/family ecology conceptual framework, which will provide an approach for understanding interactional patterns between family members & the environments in which they are embedded. This framework examines individuals & families within their natural, human-constructed, & human-behavioral environments & the reciprocal & interdependent interactions that occur among them. COURSE OBJECTIVES To demonstrate an understanding of individuals & families as ecosystems. To identify the systems in which families are embedded. To demonstrate an understanding of the relationship/interdependence between families & the environments in which they exist. To demonstrate an understanding & application of ecological concepts/principles as they relate to situations involving various family concerns. To develop critical thinking skills around the concepts related to human/family ecology. To develop an appreciation for your own perspective & experience as it relates to the family/human ecological concepts. READING: (REQUIRED) Bristor, M. W. (2010). Individuals & family systems in their environments (4th ed.). Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt. Other readings, as assigned & available through Blackboard PROCESS & CONTENT This course will include a combination of readings, lectures, in-class activities, & class discussions. The instructor will be responsible for presenting information related to the course content & developing active & cooperative learning experiences. This class will emphasize learning general concepts & principles related to the human/family ecological perspective & demonstrating knowledge through application of these principles/concepts to individual human & family circumstances. We will be utilizing a video assignment, an ecosystemic analysis assignment, & other experiences to explore the concepts in depth & to promote class discussions & the development of critical

thinking regarding the class topics. Students are responsible for providing their own experience through active & full participation in the exercises, as well as the critical discussion necessary to examine various topics.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS Grades will be based on the following requirements Submission and completion of Course Contract Syllabus quiz by 7/1/2013 Attendance (10 selected days) 3 exams (Exam 1: 50 points, Exam 2: 50 points, Exam 3: 40 points) Video Assignment Ecosystem Analysis Paper Proposal Ecosystem Analysis paper & presentation TOTAL

5 points 10 140 25 5 65 250 points

Students must read the course outline & submit the course contract electronically by 9:30 a.m. on July 1st, 2013. The course contract can be found on Blackboard (under Assignments). Type your name in the space provided & submit it on SafeAssign, which will constitute an electronic signature. Timely submission of the contract will be worth 5 points. If a contract has not been submitted by July 5, 2013, students will receive a deduction of 10 points. All assignments must be submitted on SafeAssign & a hard copy brought to class. The Course Schedule on Bb has the due dates for all exams & assignments. Instructions & requirements will be posted on BB & discussed in class. DO NOT SUBMIT E-MAIL ATTACHMENTS OF ANY WRITTEN PAPERS TO THE INSTRUCTOR OR TA. THEY WILL BE DISCARDED WITHOUT VIEWING. Assignments are due on SafeAssign by the beginning of class (9:30 a.m.). After that time, the site for that assignment will close & an alternate site for late papers will become available. Once an assignment has been discussed in class, you cannot get full credit for an assignment unless you have an excused absence. Thus, the only way a paper is considered on time, is to have it submitted on SafeAssign by the beginning of class. Bringing a hard copy to class without an on-time submission to SafeAssign will result in a reduction of points. Points will be deducted for every day a paper is late unless you provide documentation of an excused absence as specified in the attendance policy---NO EXCEPTIONS. There will be a reduction of 10% per day reduction in points off of the final score until the paper is submitted or a score of 0% is reached. Hard copies are due the same time and date of SafeAssign submissions and must match completely. If a hardcopy is not turned in, but a SafeAssign submission has been made, the assignment will be considered late until both copies are received. All hard copies & SA copies of your paper should match 100% with each other. If there is not a 100% match of your two submissions, the student will receive a 0 on the assignment. No grade will be given to any paper that is NOT submitted on SA & therefore cannot be checked for percent match to another paper or resource.

Students are responsible for stapling all pages of assignments so as not to lose any pages. (The instructor does not bring a stapler to class.) Assignments will be graded expeditiously, but grading a large number of papers takes time. You will be notified when grades are posted. If you desire clarification of your grade, you have 1 week after the grades are posted to make an appointment to review your papers or exams. It is your responsibility to be aware of your grades so as to prevent any surprises at the end of the semester. Submitting the same academic work (including oral presentations) for credit in more than one course without instructor permission & substantial revision is not acceptable. The instructor will retain all assignments. All make-up assignments MUST be completed within ONE week to get credit for the assignment. Once the assignment topic has been discussed in class, you cannot get full credit for an assignment unless you have an excused absence. If you are absent from class, submit the assignment via SafeAssign & then bring a hard copy to class on the day you return. Exams will consist of material presented in class that is not included in the textbook or other readings, as well as material in the assigned readings not covered in class. Make-up exams will be given only for verifiable FSU excused & documented absences (see section on attendance). It is the students responsibility to notify the instructor within 24 hours of the missed examination & to complete the make-up exam within one week of the exam date. If you do not have approved documentation for your absence, you will not be allowed to make up the exam. Grades will be based on a point system comprised of a total of 250 points utilizing the percentages & points indicated below. A plus/minus system will be in effect although there are no grades of A+, F+ or F-. No assignments will be accepted after the last day of class. There will be no extra credit in this course. A = 92% - 100% (230-250 points) C = 72% - 77% (180-194 points) A- = 90% - 91% (225-229 points) C- = 70% - 71% (175-179 points) B+ = 88% - 89% (220-224 points) D+ = 68% - 69% (170-174 points) B = 82% - 87% (205-219 points) D = 62% - 67% (155-169 points) B- = 80% - 81% (200-204 points) D- = 60% - 61% (150-154 points) C+ = 78% - 79% (195-199 points) F = Below 60% (Below 154 points)

COURSE CONTENT & READINGS Human & Family Ecology Family Systems Ecosystems Family &Individual Subsystem Family Structure & Function Individual Subsystem- Physical & Personality EXAM 1 Interactions/Transactions/Adaptations Perceiving Symbolic Interaction Space & Time Values & Beliefs

Chapters/Bristor 1, 2, 3 1, 2, 3 4 9, 10

5 Bb Reading 6 7

Decision Making Exchange Theory EXAM 2 Environment Interactive EnvironmentCommunication Stress, Change, & Adaptation Global Environment & Resources Ethics, Professionalism, & the Future EXAM 3

8 Bb Reading

11 12 14, Bb Reading 13, 15

FINAL PROJECTS (THERE WILL BE NO FINAL EXAM)

COURSE WEBSITE / E-MAIL Students are required to have Internet, e-mail, & Bb access for this class. Any course-related e-mail will be sent to you via the e-mail address listed in the Bb system. Technical difficulties will not be accepted as an excuse for late assignments. Check e-mail regularly (including junk mail) & the Bb website at least 3 times per week for announcements, assignments, & other information pertinent to the class. A tentative class schedule will be posted on Bb & updated periodically, if needed, when dates change. The title Class Schedule will always include a date to indicate the current version of the class schedule. Due to the volume of e-mail messages received by the TA & Instructor, some messages may not be answered. If there are several similar questions, a response will be sent to all students via BlackBoard. Check Bb for assistance on SafeAssign submissions or contact the Bb Helpline for personalized assistance. When having a computer problem, your first contact should be the BB Helpline.

Blackboard User Support Academic & Professional Program Services Florida State University http://online.fsu.edu help@campus.fsu.edu 850-644-8004
CLASS ATTENDANCE / PARTICIPATION All class members have a responsibility to keep current with reading assignments in order to contribute to class discussions. Because class participation is essential for your learning, students are expected to attend class regularly & be on time for class. If you need to be absent, it would be wise to get the notes from another student. Please let the instructor know as soon as possible if chronic health problems &/or a personal emergency threaten to interfere with your regular attendance & required work for this class.

Attendance will be taken at each class. An attendance roster will be circulated at the beginning
of most classes, however, the instructor reserves the right to circulate the attendance roster at the middle or end of class or both, as well as take attendance via names on in-class assignments or have students sign the roster upon leaving class. If attendance is taken more than one time during a class session, you must be present at both times to receive attendance credit for that day. You must sign the roster when it is circulated in class or attendance points will not be granted. In other words, it is important to arrive in class on time & stay for the entire class period; otherwise you will be considered as absent. Once the attendance roster has circulated the entire classroom, you will NOT be able to sign the attendance roster for that day. If you come in late, sit in a front row seat so you can sign the attendance roster, if it is still being circulated. If you come in late, immediately turn in any assignment that is due to get credit for submitting your paper on time. Regular attendance is expected, since students who attend regularly perform better than those who do not. Therefore, a selection of 10 days of class will be used to gain 10 points toward your grade. Absences are excused only with verifiable DOCUMENTATION of illness (from the health center or medical doctor); loss of family member (from obituary); FSU athletics involvement (from coach); military service (from commanding officer); or religious holiday is presented to the instructor. Consideration will also be given to students whose dependent children experience serious illness. Because of the opportunity to obtain points for attendance, activities such as job interviews, weddings, alarms not ringing, etc., are not considered excused absences. In order for an absence to be excused, you must present your documentation on the day you return to classNO EXCEPTIONS. Because students will be submitting their documentation when they return to class, students requests for a list of the days they were absent in order to obtain documentation will not be necessary. Only the days indicated on the excuse will be accepted as verification of an excused absence. Your

preliminary attendance points will be determined prior to the last day of class although attendance during the last week of class will also be included in your final calculation of attendance points. It is recommended that the student verify his or her attendance grades on Bb & check with the instructor prior to finals week to clarify any discrepancies. Signing the attendance roster for another student or having another student sign for you is a violation of the academic honor code & will not be tolerated. A student must sign the attendance roster with the same signature each day & NOT alter signatures, print ones name, or use initials. DECORUM: Disruptive or disrespectful behavior in class is unacceptable . This includes eating, frequent coming & going during class, &/or talking during lecture or while another student has the floor. No food or drink is allowed (except for screw-on caps). Other unacceptable behaviors include arriving late or leaving early, except in cases when there is a valid reason for doing so. Being unable to find parking is NOT a valid excuse for being late, so please plan accordingly. There should be NO GRAND ENTRANCES OR EXITS. Please give the speaker your full attention. Those students who are being disruptive in class due to talking or other activities will be told to leave class & attendance points will be removed for that day.

No electronic equipment is to be used in class including cell phones and music players. All cell phones must be turned off during class sessions. This means no ringing, buzzing, vibrating, texting, surfing non class related websites, music, etc. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should a cell phone be out during class. If the instructor asks for cellphones to be put away and students continue usage, said students may be asked to leave class for that day. DEPARTMENT REQUIREMENTS
As a prerequisite to seeking a degree in Family & Child Sciences, one must successfully complete FAD 2230, FAD 3220, FAD 3271, & CHD 2220 with a minimum grade of B-. For those who fail to achieve a grade of B-, each course may be repeated only once. If a B- is not achieved during the second attempt in any of these courses, another major must be selected.

ACADEMIC HONOR CODE

The Florida State University Academic Honor Policy outlines the universitys expectations for the integrity of students academic work, the procedures for resolving alleged violations of those expectations, & the rights & responsibilities of students & faculty members throughout the process. Students are responsible for reading the Academic Honor Policy & for living up to their pledge to be honest & truthful & [to] strive for personal & institutional integrity at Florida State University. (Florida State University Academic Honor Policy http://dof.fsu.edu/honorpolicy.htm). In this class FSU's Academic Honor Code is in effect for all examinations & assignments. The academic honor system of FSU (http://dof.fsu.edu/honorpolicy.htm) assumes that each student has the responsibility to: (1) uphold the highest standards of academic integrity in your own work, (2) refuse to tolerate violations of academic integrity in the University community, & (3) foster a high sense of integrity & social responsibility on the part of the university community. Please note some of the following elements of the Academic Honor Code: During examinations, violations of the Academic Honor Code shall include referring to information not specifically condoned by the instructor. It shall further include receiving information from a fellow student or another unauthorized source.

Regarding academic assignments, violations of the Academic Honor Code shall include representing another's work or any part thereof, be it published or unpublished, as one's own (known as plagiarism). It shall also include presenting or submitting any academic work (including your own work from a previous term or another course) in a manner that impairs the instructor's ability to assess the student's academic performance, such as unauthorized group work, e.g. sale &/or distribution of completed study guides; fabrication, falsification, & misrepresentation of any information or citation; & submissions of academic work for credit more than once without instructor permission (known as multiple submissions). Violations of the Academic Honor Code shall include assisting, attempting to assist, or conspiring to assist another student in committing the offenses as previously mentioned. An example of an honor code violation is signing the roll sheet for another person &/or having someone sign the roll sheet for you

According to the Academic Honor Code, students may be asked to sign the following statement. I have neither given nor received aid from any unauthorized source during this examination/assignment. Plagiarism & cheating are serious offenses & may result in failure on the exam, paper, or project, or possibly failure in the course. SPECIAL NEEDS
Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should: 1) register with & provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center, & 2) bring a letter to the instructor indicating the need for accommodation & what type. This should be done during the first week of class. This syllabus & other class materials are available in alternative format upon request. For more information about services available to FSU students with disabilities, contact: Student Disability Resource Center/108 Student Services Building 874 Traditions Way Florida State University Tallahassee, FL 32306-4167 (850) 644-9566 (voice) / (850) 644-8504 (TDD) / sdrc@admin.fsu.edu /http://www.disabilitycenter.fsu.edu

SYLLABUS CHANGE POLICY

Except for changes that substantially affect implementation of the evaluation (grading) statement, this syllabus is a guide for the course & is subject to change with advance notice.

COLLEGE OF HUMAN SCIENCES: A BREATHE EASY ZONE

In accordance with the mission & vision of the College of Human Sciencesto improve the health, development, & economic well-being of individuals, families, & communities, the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act designed to protect people from the health hazards of secondhand smoke, & the Florida State University Healthy Campus 2010 Goals, the College of Human Sciences is an established Breathe Easy Zone. There shall be no smoking in the Sandels Building, at any entrance to the building including the loading zone, or within 50 feet of the exterior of the building. A smoking area with seating, designated by a green post & green receptacle, is available adjacent to the patio along Legacy Way at the junction of sidewalks between Sandels, Jennie Murphree Hall, & Cawthon Hall. This area is accessible from the south exit of level one. The success of this policy depends upon the good will of the college community.

SUGGESTIONS FOR CLASS SUCCESS Things that will HELP you succeed in this class: 1. Coming to class regularly & participating in class 2. Reading the designated chapters BEFORE each class period. You will be held accountable for the assigned book chapters & readings on the exams

3. 4. 5. 6.

Taking notes daily Studying the in-class & textbook material for the exam Downloading study guides & ppt slides & using them as learning tools Contacting the instructor or TA during office hours. Standing in line before or after class for a quick response to your question may not provide the best or most complete answer to your question. 7. Bringing excused absences when you return to class after absence.

Things that will NOT HELP you succeed in this class: 1. Thinking that this class is an easy A. This class will require your time, attention, & work. 2. Not paying attention in class, not taking notes, & during class engaging in facebook, sleeping, talking, texting, or zoning out. 3. Waiting until the last week of class to realize that you do not have the grade that you would have desired. 4. Asking for extra credit or extra assignments---this option is NOT available 5. Begging for points at the end of the semester. 6. Missing an exam or class due to an excused absence & failing to provide the required documentation within the time allowed. 7. Having a SafeAssign score indicating a 30% match or greater with someone elses paper, a paper you previously wrote, or some other source. 8. Asking at the end of the term what days you were absent so you get documentation for those absences will be unnecessary because the documentation is due when you return to class. 9. Submitting a hard copy without a SafeAssign submission will result in a zero. 10. Providing answers to the study guide for sale &/or distribution to other students is a violation of the honor code.