HSE 110 Introduction to Human Services

Instructor Contact Information

Instructors Name:  Sheri Narin

Office Phone:  Sheri Narin, Office Location: L130 on the Person County Campus.  Office hours are posted by door. 

Email Address:  narins@piedmontcc.edu

Fax:  (336) 598 - 0453

Secretary Phone: Nancy Watts, (336) 599-1181 ext. 437

Faculty Website Address:  http://www2.piedmontcc.edu/faculty/narins/

Course Information

Course Description:  This course introduces the human services field, including the history, agencies, roles, and careers. Topics include personal/professional characteristics, diverse populations, community resources, disciplines in the field, systems, ethical standards and major theoretical and treatment approaches. Upon completion, students should be able to identify the knowledge, skills, and rolls of the human services worker.

Course Objectives:

1. Students will be able to describe the variety of community settings in which there may be a need for human services.
2. Students will be able to compare and contrast major theoretical and historical perspectives in human services and describe human services within the context of the current political climate.
3. Students will be able to construct a timeline reflecting the history for human services.
4. Students will be able to list the characteristics of a human service worker and be able to identify the strengths of a human service worker.
5. Students will be able to identify the careers in human services and describe the general responsibilities in these careers.
6. Students will be able to describe the role of prevention in human services

Prerequisites and Co-requisites: None 

Course Topics: The course will cover the following topics in the order below:

Part I:  Defining Human Services

·         Module One: Chapter One:  An Introduction to Human Services

·         Module Two: Chapter Two: A History of Helping

·         Module Three:  Chapter Three:  Human Services Today

·         Module Four:  Chapter Four: Models of Human Services Delivery

Part II: Clients and Helpers in Human Services

·         Module Five: Chapter Five:  The Client

·         Module Six: Chapter Six: The Human Services Professional

Part III:

·         Module Seven: Chapter Seven:  The Helping Process

·         Module Eight: Chapter Eight:  Working within a System

·         Module Nine: Chapter Nine: Professional Concerns

Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements

Required Textbooks:

      Woodside, M. and McClam T. (2009). An introduction to human services, 6^th ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson Higher Education.  ISBN: 978-0-495-50336-1.

      Woodside, M. and McClam T. (2005). Introduction to human services: Cases and applications. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole Thomson Learning. ISBN: 978-0-534-41868-7.

Supplementary Materials: None

Course Website address:
http://courses.piedmontcc.edu, then login and click on HSE 110 Introduction to Human Services

Hardware Requirements: Please follow the hardware recommendations mentioned at : http://www2.piedmont.cc.nc.us/DL/hardware.htm, with the addition of access to Microsoft Word.

Software Requirements: You may need Acrobat Reader for some assignments.  You can get information on downloading it through http://www2.piedmont.cc.nc.us/DL/plugins.htm.  You will need JAVA to access the virtual classroom. There is no cost for the downloads.

Assessment and Grading

Testing Procedures: There will be regular examinations, generally one per module. Examinations will generally consist of multiple choice, short answer, and true/false questions. The examinations will be open book and on-line. 

Grading Procedure:

Grades are made up from the following (subject to change):

Workbook Homework:  545 points (subject to change)

Discussion Boards:  400 points (16 discussion boards, each worth 25 points).

Black board Homework:  280 points (8 assignments, each worth 30 to 50 points).

Exams:   270 points (9 exams, each worth 30 points).

In-class assignments: 105 points (subject to change)

Total:  1600 points (This is approximate and subject to change).

Evaluation: Grades are based on a point system. Points are earned through workbook homework, Blackboard homework, discussion boards, exams, class work and additional assignments.  You will earn a certain number of points out of the total points for that assignment.  These are explained in more detail below.

Examinations

There will be regular examinations, generally one per module. Examinations will generally consist of multiple choice, short answer, and true/false questions. The examinations will be open book and on-line.  The exams are generally available in the second week of a two week module and during the entire week of a one week module but must be completed by midnight on Sunday of that week.  Exams consist of questions in the following format:  Multiple choice, fill-in-the blank, true or false, short essays and matching.

Homework

There are several homework assignments from the workbook, and additional assignments may be given as well.  Homework Assignments are due when the class meets.

Blackboard Postings

There will be blackboard postings to be completed with each chapter.  You will answer the discussion board question(s) and respond to a minimum of two other students responses, for each question.  The criteria for grades for the discussion board can be found in the syllabus under “Discussion Groups” and more detailed information about how to obtain a higher grade can be found under course information on Blackboard. 

In-Class Work

Class meetings will involve active participation in learning and working with your fellow students on in-class projects.  Your participation in the projects and the work submitted are part of your overall grade.

Grading Scale: A=1440 and above. B=1280 to 1439; C=1120 to 1279; D=960 to 1119; F=Below 960    Grading Scale is subject to change

Academic Integrity

In addition to good academic performance, students should exhibit honesty and integrity. If there is any question that academic honesty and integrity are not honored, students may be required to redo assignments in the presence of an instructor-selected monitor. Proof of dishonesty, including plagiarism, will make students subject to disciplinary action. Please consult your college catalog for more information.

Piedmont Community College Plagiarism Policy

7.5.1

PLAGIARISM

Whether intentional or unintentional, plagiarism is “the wrongful act of taking the product of another person's mind and presenting it as one's own" (Alexander Lindey, Plagiarism and Originality, 1952).

The following acts are examples of intentional plagiarism:

Copying material from a published source to avoid having to devise one’s own ideas.

Failing to give clear and proper credit to an idea, phrase, or quotation taken from a source.

Purchasing a pre-written paper.

Having someone other than the stated author complete an assignment, or part of an assignment.

Unintentional Plagiarism occurs when a student provides sources for his or her work, but the sources are cited incorrectly or inadequately. Handbooks with documentation rules for Modern Language Association (MLA) and American Psychology Association (APA), two source documentation styles, are housed in the Caswell County Campus Resource Center and in the Person County Campus Learning Resource Center. Students are also encouraged to speak with their instructors when they are uncertain about documenting their sources in class assignments.

Plagiarism will result in disciplinary action, and repeated offenses will lead to increased penalties that may ultimately result in expulsion from the College, as set out below:

A student who unintentionally plagiarizes will receive a warning and instruction on proper citation, style, and usage for the first offense.

A student who unintentionally plagiarizes a second time in a single course will receive a course grade of F in the course in which the student plagiarized.

A student who intentionally plagiarizes will receive a course grade of F in the course in which the student plagiarized.

If a student receives a course grade of F due to plagiarism, the course instructor will notify the Dean of Student Development using the Plagiarism Incident Report Form.

If a student receives three course grades of F due to plagiarism, as determined by records kept in the office of the Dean of Student Development, he or she will be expelled from the College.

Legal Reference: G.S. 115 D-20

History Note: Effective January 20, 2004

Plagiarism tutorial: http://www.lib.usm.edu/legacy/plag/whatisplag.php

In furtherance of its Plagiarism Policy, Piedmont Community College has a license agreement with Turnitin.com, a service that helps prevent plagiarism in student assignments.  Students may also be asked to submit assignments through the Blackboard tool, SafeAssign. To encourage original and authentic written work, any written assignment created in this course may be submitted for review to Turnitin.com (http://www.turnitin.com) or SafeAssign and will become a searchable document with the Turnitin-protected and restricted use database or the SafeAssign institutional or global database. 

Assignments and Participation

The following is a schedule of classes.  This is subject to change.

·         Tuesday, January 13, 2009 (Class One)

·         Tuesday, January 20, 2009 (Class Two)

·         Tuesday, January 27, 2009 (Class Three)

·         Tuesday, February 3, 2009  (Class Four)

·         Tuesday, February 10, 2009 (Class Five)

·         Tuesday, February 17, 2009 (Class Six)

·         Tuesday, February 24, 2009 (Class Seven)

·         Tuesday, March 3, 2009  (Class Eight)

·         Tuesday, March 17, 2009 (Class Nine)

·         Tuesday, March 24, 2009 (Class Ten)

·         Tuesday, March 31, 2009 (Class Eleven)

·         Tuesday, April 7, 2009 (Class Twelve)

·         Tuesday, April 21, 2009 (Class Thirteen)

·         Tuesday, April 28, 2009 (Class Fourteen)

·         Tuesday, May 5, 2009 (Class Fifteen)

·         Tuesday, May 12, 2009 (Class Sixteen)

The specific assignments can be found under “Assignments” on Blackboard and on the HSE 110 web page on my faculty webpage (http://www2.piedmontcc.edu/faculty/narins/) then click on classes that I teach and on HSE 110 Introduction to Human Services.

Class Participation or Attendance:
From the Piedmont Community College Catalog: 

Regular attendance at all class meetings is necessary for students to learn important concepts.  In this regard, the following class attendance policy is established: 

1. A student is expected to be regular and punctual in meeting all classes.  To receive credit for a course, the student must attend prior to the census point and a minimum of 80 percent of classes, labs and shop hours.  Failure to attend class is an absence, regardless of the reason.  Absences are counted from the first scheduled meeting of the class, not the first day the student attends.  All work missed during absences must be made up to the satisfaction of the instructor.  Failure to complete required assignments will negatively affect the student's final grade.

2. A student who exceeds the 20 percent limit of absences may be dropped by the instructor through the eighth week of the semester.  If a student exceeds the 20 percent limit after the eighth week, the instructor is authorized to award the student the "I" or "F" grade as warranted by the student's performance.

3. Any exceptions to this policy must be authorized by the instructor. 

Attendance policy specific to this class:

Attendance and participation are important components of learning. In addition to the Piedmont Community College attendance policy, the following policies will apply: Perfect attendance in class at the end of the semester will raise your overall grade by 1.5% points. Thus, if your average at the end of the class is an 88.5 % and you have perfect attendance, your grade will be increased to a 90%, or an A. Being on time for every class will result in another .5% grade increase. After six absences, every subsequent absence will result in an overall grade reduction of 3%. Failure to participate in Blackboard during a week will count as an absence. Every fifteen minutes missed of class counts as 1/3 absence; thus, three incidences of being late or leaving early or not coming back from a break within the specified time will count as an absence. For example, if you have 4 absences, were late three times and left early three times, and did not participate in the Blackboard part of the class for two weeks, this would count as 8 absences and your final grade would be reduced by 6% points, such as an 82% being reduced to a 76%.

 

Punctuality:
Assignments are due at specific dates and times. Projects and homework that are late will have 10 points deducted for each day that they are late.  See attendance policy above for more information on late arrival to class.

Course Ground Rules

1)       Please contact your instructor with any problems or concerns!

2)       You are expected to be on time and prepared for class. If you are unable to be in class, you are expected to let the instructor know by leaving a message by phone or email previous to the class period.

3)       Assignments are to be turned in on the date due and at the beginning of the class period due. You are responsible for making up any missed in-class assignments; however, some assignments cannot be made up.

4)       As noted in the attendance policy, excessive absences will reflect negatively on your grade.

5)       The ability to write well is an important skill for your professional development. Assignments that are difficult to read due to handwriting will be returned with one opportunity to redo the assignment, within 2 days. Typing is strongly recommended. Some assignments require typing and will not be accepted if not typed. Assignments with excessive grammatical or spelling errors (excessive as subjectively defined by the instructor) will be returned with one opportunity to make corrections.

6)       Cell phones should be turned off, or if they must be kept on in cases of emergency only, put on a vibrate mode.  If you must take a call during class, you are expected to conduct the call outside of the classroom.

7)       NO drinks or food are allowed in ANY classroom at ANY time.  Communications

Guidelines for Communications

Discussion Groups:

 

·         Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.

·         Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.

·         Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’s ideas.

·         Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.

·         Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.

·         Be positive and constructive in group discussions.

·         Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.

1. The criteria for earning an A on a discussion:
   • The discussion clearly answers the question.
   • There is some supporting information from a source other than the text and these sources are cited correctly, using the APA style guide to references.  This includes electronic references.
   • The references used are from legitimate websites; these websites will present information in a fair and balanced matter, i.e. it is not a website whose sole purpose is to promote a specific agenda or point of view.
   • Material used in answering a question is pertinent and related to the question. Just listing a website without tying the information in to your answers will result in your answer being graded as though no references were used.
   • There is evidence of your thinking on the subject and not simply parroting the ideas of others.
2. The criteria for earning a B on a discussion:
   • The discussion clearly answers the question.
   • There may be supporting information from a source other than the text (the same criteria applies as is stated above)
   • Material used in answering a question is pertinent and related to the question.
3. The criteria for earning a C on a discussion:
   • The discussion answers the question.
4. Feedback should be helpful to the student receiving it. Feedback will be evaluated for the following:

a.            Clarity

b.            Specificity

c.            Usefulness to student (will it help the student to get a better grade on next discussion question?)

d.            Balance - does the feedback point out strengths in the discussion as well as areas of weakness?

e.            Helpfulness - Does the feedback provide resources to assist student in further research?

See the Blackboard site under course information for an example of “A” quality work.

Chat:

·         Introduce yourself to the other learners in the chat session.

·         Be polite. Choose your words carefully. Do not use derogatory statements.

·         Be concise in responding to others in the chat session.

·         Be prepared to open the chat session at the scheduled time.

·         Be constructive in your comments and suggestions.

Web Resources:
Information on References for Electronic Sources

American Psychological Association, Electronic References, 5^th edition of the APA Publication Manual, 2001, Retrieved 21 July 2005 from http://www.apastyle.org/elecgeneral.html

Online Services for Distance Learners

Learning Resources Center, Online Services For Distance Learners, Piedmont Community College, Retrieved July 21, 2005 from

http://www2.piedmont.cc.nc.us/DL/online_services.htm

Blackboard Student Support

The North Carolina Conference of English Instructors offers this site with support information for online learners.

North Carolina Conference of English Instructors, CEI Blackboard Support, North Carolina Conference of English Instructors web site, Retrieved 21 July 2005 from

http://www.nccei.org/blackboard/students.html

Netiquette, Or How to Mind Your Manners When Using E-Mail, Virginia Shea, Netiquette , May 1994, http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html, Netiquette Home Page, Retrieved 21 July 2005 from http://www.albion.com/netiquette/index.html

If you have a learning or other disability, and you want to request special accommodations to ensure equal access to education at PCC, please see Brian Totten in the Office of Student Development on the main campus, 599-1181, ext. 296. The information that you provide will be kept confidential.  If you are on the Caswell campus, please see Sarah Humphrey, 336-694-5707, ext. 226.

Piedmont Community College now offers a comprehensive package of services to assist students with their academic success. The Student Success Center (SSC) is located in Room G-204 on the Person County Campus and in Room K-152 on the Caswell County Campus.  The SSC provides a variety of free learning support services including computer access, tutoring, supplemental instruction, study groups, and other academic services. Visit or call Gloria Bennett, Coordinator of the Student Success Center, at 599-1181, ext. 276 to access this valuable student resource.