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Undergraduate Course Syllabus Stress and Its Management

Course Information Course Title: Stress and Its Management Course Number: PSY2230 CRN & Section: Term and Year: Fall 2017 October 25th-December 15th Credit Hour: 3 Course Format: Online Location: NU Online Login URL: https://nuonline.neu.edu

Instructor Information Dr. Kathleen Mackenzie Email address: k.mackenzie@neu.edu Virtual Office Hours: Please email me to schedule an appointment. I will respond to emails within 24 business hours.

Course Description Provides research-experiential approach to understanding stress and its effects on human behavior and physiology. Stress is an aspect of everyday contemporary life. Discusses the work of researchers and practitioners in stress management and considers the causes of stress from a variety of theoretical and practice-based perspectives. Topics include the relation of stress to health, communication, relationships, academic and work performance. Examines the techniques and implementation of stress management in personal and professional arenas. Considers perspectives of stress and coping from various social and cultural standpoints.

Expectations

Workload o One (1) academic credit requires 50 minutes a week of classroom or faculty instruction and

about two hours of out of class student work for a 15-week course; 100 minutes a week of classroom or direct faculty instruction and about 3.5 hours of out of class student work for a 7.5-week course.

o For a three-credit course, students should expect 2.5 hours a week of classroom or faculty instruction and a minimum of 5 hours of out of class student work for a 15-week course; 5 hours of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of 10 hours of out of class student work for a 7.5-week course.

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Attendance Policy Attendance is required weekly for all online activities. More than one week missing from the online discussion is grounds for failing the course without prior approval from the instructor. The online discussions will provide students with the opportunity to link course material to real-life situations. Each student is expected to post a primary response to each discussion question and two secondary responses to other students’ responses each week. In addition, students are required to respond to any questions or comments posed by the instructor, their colleagues and student facilitators. Starting in week two, primary responses are due midnight (EST) on Monday, and secondary by midnight Wednesday. All additional follow-up responses must be posted by midnight Friday. The DB is closed on Saturdays and Sundays of each week to allow students the opportunity to read the course material for the upcoming week’s discussion. Further instructions for discussion will be provided on BB.

Policy on late work/Incomplete work: o Each assignment is due at 11:59 pm EST of the date indicated. o There are no make-up dates or extensions for the assignment except for documented personal

emergencies or special permission granted by the instructor in writing, which must be requested at least two days prior to the due date.

o Late assignments will AUTOMATICALLY receive half credit. o Extra credit assignments are not available. o Communication with instructor: Please contact me via email k.mackenzie@neu.edu. You can

expect a response within 24 business hours.

Course Materials

Olpin, M. & Hesson, M. (2015). Stress Management for Life: A Research-Based Experiential Approach. 4th

edition. Wadsworth Publishing. ISBN # 13-978-1305120594.

Costa, K. (2014). Reset: Make the Most of Your Stress: Your 24-7 Plan for Well-being. IUniverse Publishing.

ISBN # 978-1-4917-4757-5 (hard cover) and 978-1-4917-4756-8 (e-book).

Additional readings will be made available within course materials on Blackboard.

Program Objectives 1. Specialized Knowledge Develop increased literacy with core concepts, perspectives, findings and trends in psychology. 2. Broad Integrated Knowledge Engage in cross-disciplinary discourse and develop foundational critical thinking skills informed by inquiry, scientific methodology and creativity. 3. Professional Knowledge

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Increase intellectual capacity to understand vocationally oriented values, standards and techniques. 4. Socially Responsive Knowledge Analyze social challenges and opportunities contextually and formulate responses that are grounded in professional values and best practices.

5. Interpersonal and Technological Communication Skills Interact with others in a positive, professional, conscientious, collaborative manner in verbal and written communications. Display information competence and become nimble in using technology for multiple purposes.

6. Personal Development Emerge with insights and strategies to develop a professional identity and meaningfully engage in occupational endeavors, personal relationships and civic activities.

Student Learning Outcomes The course offers students the opportunity to engage in experiential learning to develop needed skills, competencies and dispositions beneficial for the 21st century global market. Based on satisfactory completion of this course, a student should be able to:

Discuss the definition of stress and apply critical thinking to identify its causes and treatments

Become familiar with seminal and contemporary research on stress, coping and resilience

Identify common stressors inherent in today’s global marketplace

Develop an understanding of the impact of stress on physiological, emotional and cognitive processes

Recognize the role of stress and coping in human wellbeing, communication, relationships, academic and work performance

Become familiar with stress management techniques pertinent to personal and professional functioning

Develop increased capacity for critical thinking, self-awareness and reflection to inform methods of stress reduction and self-care

Consider global data and intervention constructs influential towards stress and coping

Course Methodology

The study of psychology provides an important context for examining and understanding human behavior. By design, the course offers students the chance to develop a host of valuable skills for today’s marketplace, including but not limited to critical thinking, scholarly writing, metacognition, professional behavior and contextual learning. This course focuses upon a global, interdisciplinary, cross-cultural and contextual view on stress and coping. Our collective inquiry will afford students the opportunity to apply thinking across a variety of professional roles in psychology, health care, social work, education and leadership.

PSY2230 is a course with an interactive format that relies on your willingness to participate in all activities. We

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will use a variety of methods to achieve course objectives including lectures, discussion, and experiential activities. The syllabus lays out an initial plan for our work and may be revised during the course to meet students’ needs and interests. This course will take a “cocoon approach”, enabling students to learn within the context of a supportive environment.

Grading/Evaluation Standards Assignment descriptions and rubrics are listed in the syllabus section of Blackboard. The grade will be derived from four main categories of coursework for a total of 100 points, weighted as follows:

Participation-30 points

Quiz – 20 points

Reflection paper– 20 points

Final portfolio-30 points

93-above=A Outstanding 80-82 B- 68-69 D+

90-92 A- 78-79 C+ 63-67 D Poor

88-89 B+ 73-77 C Satisfactory 60-62 D-

83-87 B Good 70-72 C- Below 60 F

Late Submission of Work: Each assignment is due at 11:59 pm EST of the date indicated. There are no make-up dates or extensions for the assignments except for documented personal emergencies or special permission granted by the instructor in writing, which must be requested at least two days prior to the due date. There is no intention to penalize students for writing skills but to help foster improvement and full participation in the curriculum. If students need help to improve writing skills, the following free resources are available:

Smarthinking (available in Tool section of Blackboard) – this allows students to submit personal written material in any subject and have it reviewed by an e-instructor within a 24-hour window (in most cases). Students are strongly urged to take advantage of this resource.

Writing Center on Northeastern Campus – contact the center to schedule an appointment.

The Purdue Online Writing Lab (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/) is a valuable source of information about grammar, sentence structure, and general writing skills

Communications/Submission of Work: In the Assignments folder, click on the View/Complete Assignment link. Attach your completed assignments and click Submit. Once your assignment has been graded, you will be able to view the feedback provided by clicking on Tools, View Grades from the NU Online Campus Tab.

Assignments: *Please see below for detailed assignment descriptions.

Quiz (20% of total grade) week three--The quiz is due 11/12, 11:59p via BB.

The purpose of the quiz is to ensure comprehension of the materials, and give you the opportunity to critically reflect on some of our foundational course concepts.

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We will be covering chapters 1-4, BB discussion, and materials posted within week 1 & 2 reading, listening and viewing.

The quiz will consist primarily of short answers, and should be taken independently. You can use your notes and book. There will be 60 minutes allowed and it must be completed in one sitting. The rubric will assess substance and style. Any concerns over plagiarism (cheating) will be immediately referred for disciplinary action.

Here are some key topics/definitions that you should review be prepared to discuss:

Impact of acute, episodic or chronic distress

Function of eustress

5 dimensions of health

Value of self-assessment

Fight-or-flight response

General adaption syndrome

Stress and disease

*Also, be sure to tune into key researchers/practitioners described in our course materials and be prepared to discuss the basics of their work/approaches.

Reflection Paper (20% of total grade) week five-The paper is due 11/26, 11:59p via BB. You will reflect critically upon your self-assessments and learning within the first half of the course. The paper should use APA style, and be 5-6 pages, double-spaced, in 12-point font Times New Roman.

This paper will allow you to demonstrate what you have learned about stress management. First, choose at least 4-6 of the following assessments that you find most pertinent:

1) Assess your stress (page 17)

2) Symptoms of stress (page 18)

3) Perceived stress scale (pages 19-20)

4) Inventory of college students’ recent life experiences (page 21)

5) Ardell wellness stress (page 22)

6) Student stress scale (page 24)

7) Stress vulnerability questionnaire (page 25)

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8) Tombstone test (page 26)

Next, schedule a 45-60 minute meeting with a trusted friend, colleague or family member. Once you’ve completed your selected assessments, develop a list of questions in advance relating to key areas of stress management uncovered that you’d like to explore with someone who knows you well. It is recommended that you record the interview or take notes to ensure you capture the discussion.

Your write-up will consist of the following:

Part 1: Introduction/Results of learning and assessments: Discuss key learning in first half of course,

including a summary of key concepts and definitions that have impacted you thus far. Next, describe

the specific assessments you chose, rationale behind your choice, and a summary of what you

uncovered. Discuss your results. Did they surprise you? Do you agree or disagree? What was the

overall impact?

Part 2: Interview report: Describe briefly the person you chose to interview, and why they were

selected. Discuss the interview context (time, place, length), and summarize the questions you posed,

along with the answers provided. Next, describe your response to the feedback you were provided.

What key insights emerged? How will this information be useful moving forward? (connect to what

you discovered in the self-assessment and course materials).

Part 3: Conclusion/Essential takeaways: What key insights did you develop? What is the most

significant thing you learned from the experience of self-assessment and receiving feedback, and how

is this relevant to our discussion of stress management? (Connect to course materials and discussion)

Stress Management Portfolio (30% of total grade) Week seven during finals week--The portfolio is due 12/11, 11:59p via BB. Using the RESET and SMARTER goals frameworks discussed in class (week four reading), you will have the opportunity to develop a comprehensive wellness strategy that focuses on academic, professional and personal development. Using power point, you will develop a 12-15 slide presentation and then record via Voice thread and upload the link to the week 6 discussion board.

*It is recommended that you sign up for your Voice thread account well in advance. Go to Voicethread.com and type in your NEU credentials. Read the instructions and let me know if you have any questions.

Objective: This presentation will allow you the opportunity to articulate academic, professional and personal goals to help development and launching of a comprehensive health and wellbeing plan.

Slides 1-2: Introduction: Provide an overview of your “islands of competence”-the strengths and

resources you have, or “what’s working well”. Next, identify areas that you want to change or develop

skills around, or “what’s not working well”, which will be the target of your plan.

Slide 3: Insights provide a background of your target areas and what impact they have on stress

management in general, and then for your within academic, work and personal arenas. You should use

at least 2-3 citations to ground your thinking and demonstrate why these areas are important with

regards to stress management.

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Slide 4: Describe the systems, structures and strategies you will employ to address your target areas.

Be sure to connect the discussion to 2-3 citations to demonstrate how such strategies are seen as

effective.

Slide 5: Discuss potential roadblocks that may interfere with carrying out the structure. What might

get in the way?

Slide 6: Present facilitators, or resources/helps that will help move the plan forward.

Slides 7-11: For each component of RESET, present a SMARTER goal in table format (see appendix B).

Use this table and fill in each of the 5 components of RESET you have identified.

Slides 12-14: Reflect upon your plan. Answer at least three of the following questions:

Are my expectations realistic?

Have I crafted SMARTER goals that fit well with my essential needs?

Who or what will help me remember to stay flexible if things don’t go as planned?

If I fall off track, what will I do to recover and persevere?

What types of tasks can I delegate to reduce my load and make way for more time for self-care?

Who is part of my current support system?

Is there someone to enlist, professionally or personally to come along side you for added support?

What might I need to cut out and avoid in order to maximize my positive efforts?

Slide 15: References

Grade Breakdown Title Description Grade (%)

1 Discussions A total of 6 discussions worth 5 points each 30%

2 Quiz The purpose of the quiz is to ensure comprehension of the materials, and give you the opportunity to critically reflect on some of our foundational course concepts. We will be covering chapters 1-4, class discussion, and materials posted within week 1 & 2 reading, listening and viewing. The quiz will consist primarily of short answers, and should be taken independently. Quiz and course shell available for copy-see program manager.

20%

3 Reflection Paper Reflection paper: You will reflect critically upon your self-assessments and learning within the first half of the course. This paper will allow you to demonstrate what you have learned about stress management. Rubric and course shell available for copy-see program manager.

20%

4 Stress Management Portfolio

Stress management portfolio documenting stress management plan. Using the RESET and SMARTER goals frameworks discussed in class, you will have the opportunity to develop a

30%

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comprehensive wellness strategy that focuses on academic, professional and personal development. Rubric and course shell available for copy-see program manager.

Course Schedule

Week/Dates Topic Reading Learning Objectives Assignments

Week one

10/25-10/29

Course Intro: Defining and assessing stress

Olpin & Hesson ch. 1 & 2; Costa intro ch. 1-3; BB articles

At the successful completion of this lesson/module in the course, a student should be able to:

Define the terms stress & stressor

Define & explain the difference between eustress & distress

Differentiate between acute, acute episodic & chronic stress

Relate stress to 5 dimensions of holistic health

Discuss common stressors and assess stress levels from a variety of perspectives

DB: primary due 10/25, secondary due 10/27, lecture

Week two

10/30-11/5

The science of stress; appraisals and coping

Olpin & Hesson ch. 3 & 4; Costa ch. 4-6; BB articles

At the successful completion of this lesson/module in the course, a student should be able to:

Describe the human fight-or-flight response to stress

List the physiological changes associated with the stress response

Explain how the science of stress relates to stress management and prevention

Describe the role of stress in disease

Discuss how stress can affect body systems

DB: primary due 10/30, secondary due 11/1, lecture

Week three

11/6-11/12

The power of perception: cognitive dimensions of stress

Olpin & Hesson ch.5 & 6; Costa ch. 7-9; BB articles

At the successful completion of this lesson/module in the course, a student should be able to:

Define perception & how perception affects your experience with stress

DB: primary due 11/6, secondary due 11/8; lecture; complete quiz by 11/12,

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Explain cognitive appraisal & cognitive restructuring

Describe how hardiness & resiliency can be cultivated

Explain various cognitive techniques that prevent unhealthy stress

11:59p ET

Week four

11/13-11/19 Emotional regulation; time management and life skills

Olpin & Hesson ch. 8 & 11; Costa ch. 10-12; BB articles

At the successful completion of this lesson/module in the course, a student should be able to:

Distinguish dialectical tensions, emotional regulation and coping constructs

Explain how negative emotions relate to stress

Describe physical manifestations of certain emotions

Identify key dimensions of time management

DB: primary due 11/13, secondary due 11/15, lecture

Week five

11/20-11/26

Stress and coping applications in a global context; emotional intelligence

Costa ch. Phases I, II; BB articles

At the successful completion of this lesson/module in the course, a student should be able to:

Describe the connection between social support and stress

Describe the types of social support

Recognize the role of communication and relationships in managing stress, and in academic and work performance

Describe emotional intelligence and conflict management frameworks

DB: primary due 11/20, secondary due 11/21; lecture, Reflection Paper due by 11/21, 11:59 ET

Week six

11/27-12/3

Healthy lifestyle strategies

Olpin & Hesson ch. 15 & 24;

At the successful completion of this lesson/module in the course, a student should be able to:

DB: primary due 11/27, secondary due

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Explain brain & body benefits of exercise and movement

Describe components of healthy diet

Describe impact of sleep habits

Explain maladaptive coping strategies, including substance use/abuse

Articulate a personal wellness plan

11/29; lecture

Week seven

12/4-12/10

Course review Costa ch. Phase III; selected readings; BB articles

Learning outcomes will be reviewed Work on final submission

Week 7.5

12/11-12/15

Final week BB articles Submit Stress Management Portfolio by 12/13, 11:59p ET

End-of-Course Evaluation Surveys Your feedback regarding your educational experience in this class is very important to the College of Professional Studies. Your comments will make a difference in the future planning and presentation of our curriculum.

At the end of this course, please take the time to complete the evaluation survey at https://neu.evaluationkit.com. Your survey responses are completely anonymous and confidential. For courses 6 weeks in length or shorter, surveys will be open one week prior to the end of the courses; for courses greater than 6 weeks in length, surveys will be open for two weeks. An email will be sent to your HuskyMail account notifying you when surveys are available.

Academic Integrity A commitment to the principles of academic integrity is essential to the mission of Northeastern University. The promotion of independent and original scholarship ensures that students derive the most from their educational experience and their pursuit of knowledge. Academic dishonesty violates the most fundamental values of an intellectual community and undermines the achievements of the entire University. As members of the academic community, students must become familiar with their rights and responsibilities. In each course, they are responsible for knowing the requirements and restrictions regarding research and writing, examinations of whatever kind, collaborative work, the use of study aids, the appropriateness of assistance, and other issues. Students are responsible for learning the conventions of documentation and acknowledgment of sources in their fields. Northeastern University expects students to complete all

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examinations, tests, papers, creative projects, and assignments of any kind according to the highest ethical standards, as set forth either explicitly or implicitly in this Code or by the direction of instructors. Some assignments in this course are analyzed by TurnItIn (an Internet-based service that analyzes originality in written submissions) and the course instructor to ensure students have submitted original work for all assignments in this class during this term and to ensure submitted work complies with Northeastern University’s academic integrity expectations. In addition, please note that students may NOT use/reuse or “recycle” a paper or project submitted in another class for any assignment in this course. This includes students who may be retaking this same course for a different grade. Students who want to rework a similar topic from another course, and do so in a substantially different way, should consult with the instructor prior to moving forward with a topic/project. Please review Northeastern University’s Academic Integrity Policy at the end of this syllabus and visit the University’s website for more information. Go to http://www.northeastern.edu/osccr/academic-integrity-policy/ to access the full academic integrity policy.

Student Accommodations

The College of Professional Studies is committed to providing equitable access to learning opportunities to students with documented disabilities (e.g. mental health, attentional, learning, chronic health, sensory, or

physical). To ensure access to this class, and program, please contact The Disability Resource Center (http://www.northeastern.edu/drc/) to engage in a confidential conversation about the process for requesting reasonable accommodations in the classroom and clinical or lab settings. Accommodations are not provided retroactively so students are encouraged to register with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) as soon as they begin their program. The College of Professional Studies encourages students to access all resources available through the DRC for consistent support.

Student Resources

The We Care program at Northeastern University is a support system to aid students during times of difficulty or crisis. When students experience unexpected challenges in maintaining their academic progress, We Care works with the student to coordinate assistance among university offices and to offer appropriate on and off campus referrals to support successfully resolving the issue. For more information, visit http://www.northeastern.edu/wecare/.

Library Services The Northeastern University Library is at the hub of campus intellectual life. Resources include over 900,000 print volumes, 206,500 e-books, and 70,225 electronic journals. For more information, visit http://library.northeastern.edu/.

Tutoring Services

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Tutoring can benefit skilled professionals and beginning students alike. NU offers many opportunities for you to enhance your academic work and professional skills through free one-on-one academic support on and off campus. Tutoring is available in multiple subject areas. For more information, visit http://www.cps.neu.edu/student-resources/tutoring-services.php.

Northeastern University Online Technical Help Get immediate 24/7 technical support for NU Online by calling 855-836-3520 or visiting the online Support Center. Support via e-mail is also available within one business day at NUOnline@neu.edu.

Undergraduate Catalog The College of Professional Studies Undergraduate Catalog is a reference/resource with information about curricula, resources, and academic and student policies. For more information, visit http://www.cps.neu.edu/student-resources/.

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