Psychology 4850E-001
4850E: Honours Thesis
4851E: Honours Thesis (Science)
4852E: Honours Thesis (DCN)
If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.
1.0 CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
All honors psychology students registered in the 4th year of the Honors Specialization programs in Psychology, Animal Behavior, or Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience (DCN) are required to take Psychology 4850E - Honors Thesis OR Psychology 4851E – Honors Thesis (Science) OR Psychology 4852E (DCN). Please note that although these are listed as separate courses they are completely merged together for all honors thesis-related activities, assignments, and meetings.
Prerequisites: Psychology 3800F/G and 0.5 from Psychology 3184F/G, 3185F/G, 3285F/G, 3480F/G, 3485F/G, 3580F/G, 3780F/G, 3840F/G, AND registration in fourth year Honours Specialization in Psychology.
Students in fourth year Honours Specialization in Animal Behaviour also may enroll in this course.
Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.
Psychology 4850E - Honors Thesis. Independent research under the direction of a faculty member.
Antirequisites: Psychology 4851E, 4852E.
Psychology 4851E – Honors Thesis (Science). Independent research under the direction of a faculty member. Topics focus on fundamental psychological processes, their underlying neural mechanisms, their development within individuals, and their evolutionary and ecological contexts.
Antirequisites: Psychology 4850E, 4852E.
Psychology 4852E - Honors Thesis (DCN). Independent research under the direction of a faculty member on a topic that is both theoretically and methodologically relevant to developmental cognitive neuroscience (DCN). This course is exclusively for students in the DCN module. Thesis supervisors must be approved by the DCN Module Coordinator, as well as the honors thesis co-ordinator.
Antirequisites: Psychology 4850E, 4851E
Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. So if you take a course that is an antirequisite to a course previously taken, you will lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in the most recent course.
Distinctions between Psychology 4850E, 4851E, and 4852E. Psychology 4851E is reserved for students in the Honors BSc Psychology program who are conducting psychological research in cognition, sensation and perception, behavioral or cognitive neuroscience, or developmental cognitive neuroscience and are being supervised by a psychology faculty member conducting research that would fall under the NSERC mandate. Psychology 4852E is reserved for students in 4th year of the Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience (DCN) Module. All other students (i.e., those not in 4851E or 4852E) must register for Psychology 4850E [including all HBA students, and HBSc students supervised by faculty conducting research that does not fall under the NSERC mandate (e.g., HBSc students doing a thesis project that falls under SSHRC research domains such as personality, measurement, social psychology, educational psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, developmental psychology, and clinical psychology)].
4 seminar hours, 1.0 course
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Honors Thesis Coordinator: Dr. Debra Jared
Office and Phone Number: WIRB 5150 519-661-2111 Ext. 84631
Office Hours: E-mail Dr. Jared to arrange an appointment djjared@uwo.ca
Teaching Assistants:
Lynden Jensen ljensen8@uwo.ca E-mail for appointment Office: SSC 6325
Madison Tutton mtutton2@uwo.ca E-mail for appointment Office: xxx
Time and Location of Classes: Friday 12:30-2:30 B & GS 1056, plus some Fridays 9:30-11:30 SSC 8438/8440
Small Group Talks: Students will meet in small groups to present thesis introduction and method talks. There will be 6 time slots for each presentation. Students will attend 2 of these for each presentation, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, on different days. The overall dates for these small group talks are listed later in this course outline. The specific date, time and location for each presenter will be provided in a schedule posted on OWL by mid-October for the Fall Term presentations, and by mid-December for the Winter Term presentations.
Course Materials and Announcements: All course information, announcements, etc. will be available on the Western OWL thesis course website. This material will include deadlines and information about assignments, the formats required for written and oral work, presentation schedules for talks and poster sessions, and marks for various assignments, etc. When you have a question about a course activity, please consult OWL first BEFORE contacting the instructor. You are responsible for checking OWL on a regular basis. Announcements will be automatically sent to your UWO e-mail address, so please ensure that your email inbox is not full.
Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Mental Health@Western
http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.
Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish to contact Student Accessibility Services (formerly known as Services for Students with Disabilities) at 519-661-2147.
3.0 TEXTBOOK
Since each student conducts an individualized thesis research project, there are no textbooks for this course. However, students should use the latest version of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association when preparing their written thesis. You are not required to buy this Publication Manual but may find it convenient to own a personal copy, especially if you are contemplating going on to graduate school in psychology. Copies may be available in the Bookstore, but it (including an e-copy) can also be obtained through the APA website (http://www.apastyle.org/manual/index.aspx). A more abbreviated guide is available for free at a Purdue University site: https://bit.ly/2uyze7X
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
In this course, you will complete a psychology honors thesis research project and then present this project as both a written thesis and a poster. The thesis is a major research project in psychology carried out by a 4th year honors psychology student, under the direction of a qualified psychology thesis supervisor (typically a full-time psychology professor in Western’s Department of Psychology). This is typically an empirical project that requires analysis of data. Some honors thesis projects may involve the collection of original data whereas other projects may draw from existing data sets that may be available from the student’s supervisor.
Please note that if any proposed project is unsuitable for an honors psychology thesis, the honors thesis coordinator may require modifications or the development of an alternate project that is suitable
4.1 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Depth and Breadth of Knowledge
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Learning Outcomes · Articulate the current state of knowledge, key concepts and main research themes and issues in the major content domain(s) relevant to your honors psychology thesis research project. |
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Learning Activities · Reading · Meetings with thesis supervisor · Regular engagement in thesis research-relevant activities in thesis supervisor’s lab · Psychology Library Search Workshops · Course-provided information sheets and lectures on thesis-relevant topics |
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How Assessed · Student Presentations (Introduction Talk, Method Talk, Poster Presentation) · Written Essays (Preliminary Introduction, Preliminary Method, Final Written Thesis) |
- Knowledge of Methodologies
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Learning Outcomes · Access, interpret and critically evaluate research resources relevant to your thesis project. · Formulate research hypotheses and/or questions to address the main topic of your honors thesis research and implement a research project to test · Apply relevant statistical techniques and skills to the analysis and interpretation of the data for your honors thesis project. · Evaluate the appropriateness of different methodological approaches to address the specific psychological questions and/or hypotheses that pertain to your honors thesis project |
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Learning Activities · Reading · Meetings with thesis supervisor · Regular engagement in thesis research-relevant activities in thesis supervisor’s lab · Course-provided information sheets and lectures on thesis-relevant topics |
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How Assessed · Student Presentations (Introduction Talk, Method Talk, Poster Presentation) · Written Essays (Preliminary Introduction, Preliminary Method, Final Written Thesis) |
- Application of Knowledge
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Learning Outcomes · Articulate how to deal with key ethical research principles and issues that are relevant to your honors psychology thesis research project · Use evidence to support conclusions drawn from past research and thesis work · Engage in scholarly discussion on topics relevant to your Honors thesis project · Provide a creative/novel solution to the major research issues identified in your Honors thesis |
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Learning Activities · Reading · Meetings with Thesis Supervisor · Course-provided information sheets and lectures on thesis-relevant topics · Completion of Ethic Confirmation Form for Thesis Research · Student Presentations (Introduction Talk, Method Talk, Poster Presentation) · Written Essays (Preliminary Introduction, Preliminary Method, Final Written Thesis) |
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How Assessed · Ethics Confirmation Form for Thesis Research · Student Presentations (Introduction Talk, Method Talk, Poster Presentation) · Written Essays (Preliminary Introduction, Preliminary Method, Final Written Thesis) |
- Communication Skills
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Learning Outcomes · Communicate in writing accurately, clearly and logically, using the discourse of psychology · Communicate orally accurately, clearly and logically, using the discourse of psychology |
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Learning Activities · Meetings with Thesis Supervisor · Course-provided Information Sheets and Lectures on thesis-relevant topics · Student Presentations (Introduction Talk, Method Talk, Poster Presentation) · Written Essays (Preliminary Introduction, Preliminary Method, Final Written Thesis) |
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How Assessed · Student Presentations (Introduction Talk, Method Talk, Poster Presentation) · Written Essays (Preliminary Introduction, Preliminary Method, Final Written Thesis) |
- Awareness of Limits of Knowledge
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Learning Outcomes · Recognize the limits of your own knowledge regarding each aspect of your thesis project and how this might influence your analysis and interpretation of your findings in a broader context |
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Learning Activities · Reading · Meetings with thesis supervisor · Regular engagement in thesis research-relevant activities in thesis supervisor’s lab
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How Assessed · Student Presentations (Introduction Talk, Method Talk, Poster Presentation) · Written Essays (Preliminary Introduction, Preliminary Method, Final Written Thesis) |
- Autonomy and Professional Capacity
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Learning Outcomes · Work collaboratively with relevant others (e.g., thesis supervisor, other students and research personnel in supervisor’s lab, thesis course coordinator and TAs) to complete your honors thesis project in an ethical and timely fashion that also demonstrates an appropriate level of effort and professionalism · Show initiative and autonomy in executing each phase of your thesis project |
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Learning Activities · Meetings with thesis supervisor and other lab personnel · Regular engagement in thesis research-relevant activities in thesis supervisor’s lab · Interactions with thesis course coordinator and TAs |
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How Assessed · Thesis supervisor’s rating of student’s effort in completing the honors thesis. |
5.0 EVALUATION
SUMMARY OF ASSIGNMENTS % OF FINAL GRADE DUE DATES
- Research Ethics Confirmation Form 3% Oct. 18 (in class)
- Talk 1: Thesis Introduction 5% Nov. 1, 15, & 22
- Paper: Preliminary Introduction 12% Dec. 6 by noon
- Talk 2: Thesis Method 5% Jan. 17, 24, 31
- Paper: Preliminary Method 5% Feb 7 by noon
- Thesis Poster Presentation 10% March 20 (tentative)
- Completed Written Thesis 45% April 3 by noon
- Class Participation 5%
- Lab participation/engagement 10%
This course is exempt from the Senate requirement that students receive assessment of their work accounting for at least 15% of their final grade at least one week before the deadline for withdrawal from a course without academic penalty. You must pass the essay component to pass the course. That is, the average mark for your written assignments must be at least 50%.
COMPLETED WRITTEN THESIS. The completed written thesis will be handed in using computer files (i.e., WORD & PDF). The final thesis will be marked by the thesis supervisor and a second reader. The second reader (selected by the honors thesis coordinator) is usually familiar with the general topic domain of the thesis. The thesis marks assigned by the supervisor and second reader will be averaged by the honors thesis coordinator, and will contribute 45% of the final overall grade in the course. A class meeting will be held on Friday Feb. 7, 2020 to review the format and type of material to be included in the thesis. The final written thesis is due Friday, April 3, 2020 by noon.
THESIS POSTER. Students will present their completed thesis research in a poster form on Friday March 20, 2020. Precise details regarding poster preparations will be given in the class session on Feb 7, 2020. Posters will be graded by the supervisor and second reader, with their averaged marks contributing 10% of the final grade in the course. The poster sessions will give each student an opportunity to present and discuss their completed thesis project, and also to meet their second reader, prior to having the final written thesis graded.
RESEARCH ETHICS CONFIRMATION FORM. A completed and signed Research Ethics Confirmation Form is due Oct. 18, 2019 at the start of class. There will be a class meeting on Sept. 13, 2019 to discuss the format and type of material you must include in this form. This form consists of a brief description of the procedural aspects of the research that will form your thesis project, including specific consideration of how ethical research concerns relating to your thesis project will be dealt with. Both the student and supervisor sign this completed form to acknowledge awareness and compliance with all ethical issues and responsibilities associated with the thesis project. In addition to the Research Ethics Confirmation Form, you must complete one of the following, depending on your research participants:
Human Participants. All students conducting research with humans or analysing data collected from human participants are expected to complete the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans TCPS 2 (2018) CORE Tutorial here: http://www.pre.ethics.gc.ca/eng/education_tutorial-didacticiel.html TCPS 2 (2018) is the statement of ethics principles that guides all human research conducted in Canada, and is available here: http://www.pre.ethics.gc.ca/eng/policy-politique_tcps2-eptc2_2018.html The CORE Tutorial ends by giving you a certificate of completion; that needs to be submitted together with the Research Ethics Confirmation Form. Appropriate completion of this form, along with confirmation of research ethics approval for your thesis research (by the Western Research Ethics Office), is required BEFORE data collection or analysis can begin.
Nonhuman Animals. All students conducting research with nonhuman animals must complete the required ethics training courses provided by ACVS. In addition, you must be listed on the appropriate approved Animal Use Protocol that is held by your supervisor. The animal training courses must be completed BEFORE data collection or analysis can begin. Students must submit proof of completion of animal training courses, as well as a copy of their supervisor’s animal use protocol that lists the student as an animal user.
Your completed form will be reviewed and graded by the honors thesis coordinator to ensure that your research is: (1) suitable for an honours thesis project, (2) that all ethical issues pertaining to your research have been dealt with appropriately, and (3) that both the student and supervisor have signed the form. Appropriate completion of this form, along with confirmation of research ethics approval for your thesis research (by the Western Research Ethics Office), is worth 3% of your final grade in the course.
THESIS TALKS. During the year, each student will give two talks in small groups. The first talk will be scheduled in November and will focus on the introduction to your thesis. The second talk will be in January and will focus on the thesis method. Both talks will be graded by the section leader in charge of your small group and will each contribute 5% towards your final grade in the course. Further information about the talks will be provided in class on October 25, 2019 (Talk 1) and January 10, 2020 (Talk 2).
PRELIMINARY WRITTEN THESIS INTRODUCTION AND METHOD SECTIONS. A preliminary written version of your thesis Introduction is due Friday, Dec. 6, 2019 by noon. This paper is worth 12% of your final grade in the course. Class meetings on September 27, October 4, and October 18 will be devoted to instruction on writing your thesis introduction.
A preliminary written version of your thesis Method section is due Feb. 7, 2020 by noon. This method paper is worth 5% of your final grade. The preliminary written introduction and method written assignments, along with the final written version of your thesis, should meet the essay requirement for this course (i.e., a minimum of 5000 words of cohesive discourse).
PARTICIPATION. You will be given a mark for participation in class (5%) and in your lab (10%). The class participation mark will be based on participation in both whole class sessions and in small group sessions. In small group sessions you will be required to ask questions of other presenters, and to give them written feedback to help them improve their presentation skills. The lab mark will be assigned by your supervisor. Supervisors will be asked to consider your commitment to and time spent on the project, specifically your attendance, enthusiasm, attitude, active participation in the project, active engagement with other member of the laboratory, active reading of the literature, understanding of the project and tools used in the project, and laboratory record keeping.
Completion of All Assignments. The assignments in this course are sequential and build upon each other. Accordingly, it is expected that students will complete each and every oral and written assignment in this course on time, in the proper sequence. Failure to do so may result in serious penalties, up to and including not passing this course. If you are having difficulties in completing assignments on time you should see an academic counsellor.
Late Penalties. Please note that all assignments must be completed by their due date – there are no extensions. Accordingly, late penalties will be assessed for assignments not completed in time (10% of the worth of that assignment will be deducted for each day you are late). If you miss any course assignment deadlines, you must meet with an academic counsellor.
Although the Psychology Department does not require instructors to adjust their course grades to conform to specific targets, the expectation is that course marks will be distributed around the following averages:
70% 1000-level and 2000-level courses
72% 2190-2990 level courses
75% 3000-level courses
80% 4000-level courses
The Psychology Department follows Western's grading guidelines, which are as follows (see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf):
A+ 90-100 One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
A 80-89 Superior work that is clearly above average
B 70-79 Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
C 60-69 Competent work, meeting requirements
D 50-59 Fair work, minimally acceptable
F below 50 Fail
6.0 ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE
There are no tests or examinations in the honors thesis course. Instead, students complete all of the assignments, as described in this course outline and the OWL course website
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
Attendance is required for all scheduled classes and your assigned small group meetings. In addition to class time, y ou should expect to spend at least 200 – 260 hours between Sept and April working on your project, including reading, writing and participating in lab activities.
- Sept. 6
Overview of the Thesis Course
- Sept. 13
Ethics in Research and Completing the Research Ethics Confirmation Form
- Sept. 20
Psychology Library Search Workshops – Christy Sich
Research Question due
- Sept. 27, Oct. 4, Oct. 18
Writing Workshops- Writing your Introduction
- Oct. 25
Instruction on Talk 1 presentations
- Small Group Meetings: Talk 1 - Thesis Introduction: Note Room change to SSC 8438/8440
Nov. 1 9:30 am - 11:20 am & 12:30 pm - 2:20 pm
Nov. 15 9:30 am - 11:20 am & 12:30 pm - 2:20 pm
Nov. 22 9:30 am - 11:20 am & 12:30 pm - 2:20 pm
(Rooms & presentation schedule for all talks will be posted on OWL. Students will attend 2 of the 6 slots. Please reserve all 6 slots in your calendar until the schedule is posted)
- Jan. 10
Instruction on Talk 2 presentations and writing your Method section
- Small Group Meetings: Talk 2 - Thesis Method: Note Room change to SSC 8438/8440
Jan. 17 9:30 am - 11:20 am & 12:30 pm - 2:20pm
Jan. 24 9:30 am - 11:20 am & 12:30 pm -2:20 pm
Jan. 31 9:30 am - 11:20 am & 12:30 pm -2:20 pm
(Rooms & presentation schedule for all talks will be posted on OWL. Students will attend 2 of the 6 slots. Please reserve all 6 slots in your calendar until the schedule is posted)
- Feb 7
Information about the format for Posters and the Thesis
- March 13
Library Workshop – how to post your thesis and poster on Scholarship Western – Christy Sich
- March 20
Poster Presentation Day
7.1 Meetings with your supervisor. It is highly recommended that you schedule a regular meeting time with your thesis supervisor. A regular series of meetings (e.g., on a weekly basis), will help ensure the timely completion of each major phase of your thesis (i.e., Research Ethics Confirmation Form, Introduction, Method, Data Collection, Data Analyses, Poster Presentation, and Final Write-up). To assist you in planning your time, an illustrative schedule for completing the various phases of your thesis project is presented later in this course outline.
Your thesis supervisor should be prepared to offer you help on various thesis-related concerns, such as conceptual and ethical issues, research design considerations, data analysis and interpretation questions, and write-up issues. During the initial phases of your project, your thesis supervisor may also recommend readings associated with your thesis topic. Throughout the year, your supervisor should also be prepared to provide you with feedback on written work you may submit for review and comments.
In turn, as a thesis student, you should recognize that there are many other demands on your thesis supervisor's time. Thus, you should be well prepared for each meeting with your supervisor. As one specific example, you are expected to show initiative in searching for and becoming knowledgeable about the research literature in your thesis domain. If you wish to receive feedback on written work, you should ensure that this work is submitted to your supervisor well in advance of the time that feedback is sought.
As part of your learning experience in completing an honors thesis, your thesis supervisor may also expect you to regularly engage in various other thesis-relevant research activities in the lab. As such, please ensure you discuss and review with your thesis supervisor, at the beginning of the year, exactly what your supervisor’s expectations are regarding: (1) the frequency of regular meetings for thesis-related activities, and (2) the frequency and extent of participation in additional research-related lab activities. You should ensure you clearly understand the specific details of these expectations, as your thesis supervisor will also be giving you a Lab participation/engagement mark worth 10% of your final grade.
7.2 Illustrative schedule for thesis completion (actual due dates also shown)
- Meet Thesis Supervisor and Complete Initial Work on Thesis Topic: Early to mid Sept.
- Conceptualization of Specific Issue to be addressed in Thesis: By late Sept.
- Conceptualize Thesis Procedure and Complete Research Ethics Confirmation Form: By mid Oct.
(Research Ethics Confirmation Form due Oct. 18)
(Talk 1 on Introduction is during November)
- Write introduction, design study, and begin data collection: By Dec.
(Preliminary Written Introduction due Dec. 6)
(Talk 2 on Method is during Jan)
(Preliminary Written Method due Feb. 7)
- Data collection: Completed by Reading Week in Feb
- Data analysis: Late Feb. to early-March
- Poster Session: Poster given to supervisor for review and comments by early to mid-March
(Poster Presentation Mar. 20)
- Final Thesis Write-up: Completed thesis draft to supervisor by mid-March
(To receive feedback prior to revising and handing in final copy of thesis on April 3)
Note. The above schedule provides a general guide for structuring your time. Your thesis project may vary somewhat. As such, at the beginning of the year, you should establish with your supervisor a specific timetable for completing each major phase of your thesis (keeping in mind the various due dates for assignments). When scheduling your project, you should note that some studies may require a more complicated process (and thus longer time period) for research ethics approval, especially if they involve any form of deception or the use of vulnerable populations (i.e., clinical samples, school children, etc.). Finally, when you are designing your thesis project, you should also note that the Psychology Department does not have any funds available for research support for fourth year honors theses.
7.3 Use of the Department of Psychology Research Participation Pool. If you plan to use the Department of Psychology research participation pool, please note that each Psychology 4850-51-52 student has a maximum of 50 research participation credit hours that can be used for thesis research. General procedures for obtaining access to the research participation pool are on the Psychology Department website. In the purple footer bar, click on Research Participation Pool. On the right hand side of the participant pool page you will see a link to the form that needs to be competed in order to use the pool. A copy of your ethics approval form must accompany the application. You must be listed in the SONA system to be able to get access. Contact dchirila@uwo.ca
7.4 W.J. McClelland Thesis Award. The Department of Psychology has established an award for the best 4th year undergraduate thesis. In order to be eligible for the W.J. McClelland award (worth approximately $500.00), an outstanding thesis must first be nominated by either the student's supervisor, second reader, or the honors thesis course coordinator. A departmental committee then evaluates all nominated theses to determine the award winner.
7.5 Ontario Undergraduate Thesis Conference. The Annual Ontario Psychology Undergraduate Thesis Conference will be held in late April or early May. More detailed information will be provided when available. Students from a number of Ontario universities participate at this conference and give short thesis talks or poster presentations of their research. In past years, students from Western have typically enjoyed the opportunity to talk and meet with students from other universities.
7.6 Western Library - Research Help with Your Thesis Topic: For research assistance, contact Weldon’s Research Help desk in-person, by phone at 519-661-3162, email dbwlib@uwo.ca or use the Ask a Librarian chat service.
7.7 Library Workshops: Searching for Information regarding Your Thesis Research Topic
Conducted by: Christy Sich - Research & Instructional Services Librarian from Western Libraries
Description of Library Workshops: In this 2-hour hands-on workshop, we will work to hone your research skills so that you become more efficient and thorough in your literature searches. You will learn how to manage your references more effectively and how to share your work with your research group (if applicable). Please arrive prepared with your thesis research questions so that we can work through your real research problems for your thesis project. If you have a laptop, please bring it with you to the workshop. The skills and knowledge obtained in this workshop will help you, more generally, with your course work. These skills will also be very helpful for those continuing on to graduate school or a professional school.
8.0 STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES
Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offenses. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offenses because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offense are described at the following link: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf
As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offenses. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com http://www.turnitin.com
Possible penalties for a scholastic offense include failure of the assignment, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
9.0 POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR MEDICAL ILLNESS
Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCategory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12
The full policy for consideration for absences can be accessed at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/Academic_Consideration_for_absences.pdf
Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation:
http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html
If you experience an extenuating circumstance (e.g., illness, injury) sufficiently significant to temporarily make you unable to meet academic requirements, you may request accommodation through the following routes:
- Submitting a Self-Reported Absence form (for circumstances that are expected to resolve within 48 hours);
- For medical absences, submitting a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner in order to be eligible for Academic Consideration;
For non-medical absences, submitting appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in their Faculty of registration in order to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.
Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation. The self-reported absence form may NOT be used for absences longer than 48 hours; coursework/tests/exams/etc., worth more than 30% of the final grade; or exams scheduled in the December or April final-exam periods: http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html
Students seeking academic consideration:
- are advised to consider carefully the implications of postponing tests or midterm exams or delaying handing in work;
- are encouraged to make appropriate decisions based on their specific circumstances, recognizing that minor ailments (upset stomach) or upsets (argument with a friend) are not normally an appropriate basis for a self-reported absence;
must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hours after the end of the period covered by either the self-reported absence or SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence
10.0 OTHER INFORMATION
Office of the Registrar web site: http://registrar.uwo.ca
Student Development Services web site: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca
Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:
http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/student_responsibilities/index.html
- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct
- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations
- Policy on Attendance
- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines
- Policy for Assignments
- Short Absences
- Extended Absences
- Documentation
- Academic Concerns
- 2019-2020 Calendar References
No electronic devices, including cell phones and smart watches, will be allowed during exams.
Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute lecture notes, wiki material, and other course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.
