The information contained on this page is designed to give students a representative example of material covered in the course. Any information related to course assignments, dates, or course materials is illustrative only. For a definitive list of materials, please check the online catalog 3-4 weeks before the course start date.

PADM 510: Organizational Behavior (3 credits). Examination of concepts of human behavior in formal organizations, systems analysis, conceptual models, and decision processes.

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Overview | Objectives | Library Resources | Technical Specifications | Materials | Course Requirements | Grading | Schedule | Academic Integrity | University Policies

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Course Overview

PADM 510 is a course in organizational behavior covering the individual, interpersonal, and group work processes; organization culture; environment dynamics; and organization design, change, and development. Topics in this course include perception; attribution; personality; attitudes; group dynamics; communication; motivation; power; politics; leadership; decision making; conflict management; organization design, change and development; and culture. We will cover a series of theories and approaches to the management of human behavior in such organizations as federal and state government agencies, hospitals, nonprofit agencies, and private corporations.

The basic objective of this course is to develop your competencies to critically understand, analyze, and apply organizational behavior (OB) related theories and concepts. We believe that the knowledge and the ability acquired in this course will positively correlate to your success in professional and managerial positions.

For most of these lessons, the main elements of your learning plan will be

• learning objectives indicating the knowledge and skills that you are expected to obtain;
• learning blueprints in the schedule laying out the readings and activities
• learning content presenting key study questions and essential and/or additional learning topics and concepts;
• earning quizzes assessing your understanding of the basic knowledge;
• learning cases in which you apply the basic knowledge in a context via case analysis, in addtion to sharing your analysis with your classmates in order to learn from different perspectives; and
• learning reflections in which you discuss what knowledge you have acquired during the week, as well as what you feel the most interesting or practical aspects of the material were.

This course uses the Competency Based Learning Method. Competency refers to an interrelated set of abilities, behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge needed by an individual to be effective in most professional and managerial positions. For the future leaders in public / health / non-profit organizations, seven OB-related foundational competencies are required for the managerial and professional effectiveness in the 21st century. See these seven competencies by clicking on each tab for more details.

The table below indicates the relationship between the course topics and each competency.

Relationship between Each Competency and the Course Topics

Competency	Most Relevant OB Topics
I. Managing Self	Perception & Attribution Personality Learning & Attitudes Group Dynamics Motivation
II. Managing Diversity	Perception & Attribution Personality Group Dynamics Power, Politics & Leadership Conflict, Negotiation, and Change Organizational Culture Pulic & Private Organizations
III. Managing Communication	Communication Decision Making Conflict, Negotiation, & Change
IV. Managing Teams	Perception & Attribution Personality Learning & Attitudes Group Dynamics Communication Motivation Power, Politics & Leadership Desion Making Conflict, Negotiation, & Change Pulic & Private Organizations
V. Managing Decision Making	Communication Power, Politics & Leadership Desion Making Conflict, Negotiation, & Change Pulic & Private Organizations
VI. Managing Change and Conflict	Learning & Attitudes Communication Power, Politics & Leadership Desion Making Conflict, Negotiation, & Change Pulic & Private Organizations
VII. Managing Across Cultures	Perception & Attribution Learning & Attitudes Group Dynamics Communication Organizational Culture

Learning Objectives

This course is designed to increase your ability to

• describe the nature of organizational behavior, including its concepts and theories;
• explain system thinking in relation to management and organizational behavior;
• describe individual and group processes;
• engage in design issues in creating effective organizational behavior; and
• apply OB concepts to problem solving.

For more details on the course content, go to the Course Schedule.

Library Resources

Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can

• access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
• borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
• get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
• much more. 

You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service.  The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.

Technical Specifications

One of the benefits of being a registered Penn State student is that you are eligible to receive educational discounts on many software titles. If you are interested in learning more about purchasing software through our affiliate vendor, please visit the Technology and Software page.

Technical Requirements

Operating System	Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS), supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems.  To determine if your operating system is supported, please review Canvas' computer specifications.
Browser	Canvas supports the last two versions of every major browser release. It is highly recommended that you update to the newest version of whatever browser you are using. Please note that Canvas does not support the use of Internet Explorer. Students and instructors should choose a different browser to use.    To determine if your browser is supported, please review the list of Canvas Supported Browsers. Note: Cookies must be enabled, and pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites.
Additional Canvas Requirements	For a list of software, hardware, and computer settings specifically required by the Canvas LMS, please review Canvas' computer specifications.
Additional Software	All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Students will need a PDF reader, such as Adobe Reader.
Hardware	Monitor: Monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution Audio: Microphone, Speakers Camera (optional, recommended): Standard webcam - many courses may require a webcam for assignments or exam proctoring software.
Mobile Device (optional)	The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements.

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Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ)

During the semester you will receive information for completing the Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ). Your participation is an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on your learning experience. Your feedback is important because it allows us to understand your experience in this course and make changes to improve the learning experiences of future students. Please monitor email and course communications for links and availability dates.

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If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.

For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!

Course Materials:

Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.

This course requires that you access Penn State library materials specifically reserved for this course. You can access these materials by selecting Library Resources in your course navigation, or by accessing the Library E-Reserves Search and search for your instructor's last name.

Course Requirements

Course requirements and grading structure are based on the following activities: bi-weekly case studies, graded quizzes, and a final term paper.

Requirement 1: Bi-Weekly Case Study (60%) - Invidually Graded based on Individual Analysis and Whole-Class Discussion

Every two weeks there will be a case study designed for discussion. Cases prove valuable in this course for several reasons. First, cases expose you to organizational problems that you probably have not had the opportunity to experience firsthand. In a relatively short period of time, you will have the chance to appreciate and analyze the problems faced by many different organizations and to understand how managers tried to deal with these problems. Second, the fundamental knowledge presented in the lessons is made clearer when applied to real-life case studies. The theory and concepts help reveal what is going on in the organizations studied and allow you to evaluate the solutions. Third, case studies provide you with the opportunity to participate in class and to gain experience in presenting your ideas to others. Your classmates may have analyzed the issues differently from you, and they will want you to argue your points before they will accept your conclusions, so be prepared for debate. This is how decisions are made in the actual organizational world.

For each case, you must individually analyze it, addressing each of the five items for analysis below. Then post your analysis in the case discussion forum, and discuss further with the entire class. Ultimately, for each of the cases, the class needs to collaboratively address the following five items:

1. Key Issues: Briefly describe the leading issues in this case using the data presented in the case description.
2. Diagnosis: Define the nature of the problem as social (e.g., related to goals, values, culture, or psychological climate) or technical (e.g., related to technological, structural, or managerial work processes). Some cases will present a successful story rather than a problem. For these cases, you need to define the nature of success as social or technical.
3. Levels: Define the level or levels of the problem/success factors. Are they individual, interpersonal, and/or organizational?
4. Processes: Define the process problems in the case. Do they result from poor communication, missing leadership, muddled decision-making, incomplete problem solving, ineffective group norms and rules, inadequate conflict resolution strategies, inadequate structure or design of the organization, or some other reason? For some cases, you need to define the process factors that contribute to the success.
5. Redesign: Describe the steps you would take to take to redesign this situation to resolve the problems presented in the case. If the case study presented an example of success, how would you further improve the situation or can you identify reasons for the success? You will propose four to six concise recommendations for people, technology, and structural changes at the individual, interpersonal, and/or organizational levels.

Your individual analysis of the five items listed above should be compiled in a case analysis (usually about 800 words). By 11:59 p.m. (ET) Sunday of the first assigned week,  please post your analysis in the case discussion forum, which is open to the entire class and is located in each of the assigned lessons.

Each of you must then read and make comments on at least 5 case analyses done by your classmates in the case discussion forum during the second assigned week. You must also respond to any comments/questions made by your instructor or other students on your own case analysis by 11:59 p.m. (ET) Sunday of the second assigned week.

Please note that there is no standard answer for a case analysis; this is the reality of any “soft” social science. However, there are relatively better responses, which are logical in analysis, more in depth in discussion, arguments are consistent internally, more critical, and written clearly. These are the criteria I will use in grading the case summaries. In grading, I will also take into consideration your comments on other students’ case analyses and how you respond to any questions/concerns/comments made about your case analysis. If you successfully finish these tasks, you may receive up to 8 points for each case discussion (a total of 48 points toward your course grade).

Requirement 2: Weekly Graded Quizzes (10%) - Individually Graded

The quizzes are meant to help you keep current with the course content and to allow you to assess your knowledge of the basic concepts presented. From Lesson 2 to Lesson 12, each lesson will have one quiz designed with 20 multiple-choice questions and/or true/false judgments. These 11 quizzes are timed (40 minutes each quiz), and graded. The purpose of these timed quizzes is to motivate you to keep up with the assigned textbook readings and check your level of understanding by forcing yourself to answer questions related to your reading in a timed environment. Students who fall behind on the readings usually perform worse in the course.

 

Requirement 3: Individual Term Paper (30%) - Individually Graded

Each student will need to write a term paper of about 4,000 words—approximately 2,000 words on an organizational behavior concept followed by approximately 2,000 words on a case application that demonstrates the concept. For example, you could focus your term paper on motivation and write a 2,000-word review of motivation theories, plus 2,000 words about the application of motivation principles to a state transportation agency or a nonprofit organization, such as a hospital.

When you review an organizational behavior (OB) concept and apply this concept in a real life case, you should summarize basic theories/principles/arguments related to this concept and analyze how this concept is used in a real life case by referencing at least 10 sources (journal papers, books, web pages, plus the textbook). You need to be very careful in referencing and quoting the sources: please consult the Academic Integrity section of this syllabus. When you write the second part of the term paper, you should examine or analyze the behavior of a real organization (for example, the one where you are currently working) that could apply the knowledge related to the OB concept you selected. You should submit your term paper to the corresponding drop box at the end of the semester. The term paper is worth up to 30 points.

For all tasks, please use the sixth edition of the American Psychological Association (APA) style guide for proper form. Be sure to include citations for all direct quotes and paraphrases. Check out the APA quick citation guide at the University Libraries for some examples of common APA citation formats.

Disclaimer: E-mails sent by students pertaining to a topic that can benefit the entire class will be forwarded to the entire class.

Grading Scheme

All facets of a student's performance are taken into account for grading purposes. The graded activities and the percentage of your course grade associated with the activities are as follows.

Graded Activities		Grade percentage
Individual (interacting with the class)	Bi-Weekly Case Studies	60%
Individual	Weekly Graded Quizzes	10%
Individual	Term Paper	30%
Total		100

Based on the points earned on each of the graded activities, your course grade will be determined by the scales presented in the table below:

GRADING SCALE
Percentage	Grade	Percentage	Grade
94.00 and Above	A	77.00-79.99	C+
90.00-93.99	A-	70.00-76.99	C
87.00-89.99	B+	60.00-69.99	D
83.00-86.99	B	Below 60	F
80.00-82.99	B-

Performance is evaluated on the basis of your course work on the assignments listed in the syllabus. Your course grade depends on the points accumulated during the semester. Use the table above to keep a record of your progress.

Note:  Submit your work on time as scheduled. Your grade on assignments will be reduced by 20% for each day for late submission until deducted to 0% (5 days late).

If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.

For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.

Interactions with the Instructor and Peer Students

During this semester, you will have ample opportunities to interact with your instructor and peer students to benefit your learning. These interactions are designed in a patterned way:

1. Every week, you will receive a weekly summary and guidance of your learning progress from the instructor, where you could find a summary of how well you have grasped the key knowledge of the weekly topic as reflected in the quizzes and a constructive summary of your performance in the week.

2. Every other week, you are asked to interact with your peers and the instructor on the cases assigned in the case discussion forums.

3. Every two weeks you will receive a detailed summary of the case analysis you have done, where the instructor will comment on your case analysis and your engagement into the case discussions with your peers.

4. Every week, there will be two 1-hour office hours scheduled on two different week days where you could interact with the instructor in real-time and synchronously through Canvas Conference function. In these office hours, you could chat and discuss any topic with your instructor that is related to the course.

5. Canvas Inbox provides you an asynchronous tool to interact with your instructor and other peer students. You are expected to use Inbox function to communicate with the instructor whenever you have any questions and issues. The instructor will respond to your emails within 24-hours.

6. A mid-semester survey will be released after Lesson 6 in order to collect your mid-semester feedback on the teaching and learning of this course. The instructor will incorporate your feedback in the second half of the course to benefit your learning.

7. An end-of-semester SRTE will be administered by Penn State officially to collect your overall feedback. These feedback will be used by the instructor to change or modify the course.

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Course Schedule

To help you keep on track, you should print the schedule and check off activities listed as you complete them. Follow this schedule closely. It is important to watch for bold-faced due dates.

1. The topics and learning activities scheduled for each of the 13 lessons in the course are listed in the Course Schedule. Each lesson covers one week. As you study each week's lesson, please focus on the specific list of learning activities for that lesson.

The schedule below outlines all activities and topics we will cover in this course, along with the associated time frames and assignments. Note that assignments are due based on North American Eastern Time zone (ET). This ensures that all students have the same deadlines regardless of where they live.

Note: The due dates for the assignments are noted in the Course Schedule section of this syllabus, below. Deadlines will be defined as 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the last day of the lesson timeframe, unless noted differently.

Lesson 1: Introduction--Organizational Behavior Defined and Systems Thinking

Readings:	Required Denhardt et al. (2016). Chapter 1 Ziegenfuss: "Organizational Systems Thinking and Problem Solving" (e-Reserves) The case “Oh, the Tangled Web We Weave” (e-Reserves)
Activities:	Introduce yourself in the Lesson 1 Self-Introduction Discussion Forum. Finish the individual analysis of the case.

Lesson 2: Perception and Attribution

Readings:

Required Hellriegel, D., & Slocum, J. W. (2011), Chapter  4, “Perception and Attribution" (e-Reserves) The case: “Oh, the Tangled Web We Weave” (e-Reserves) Podcast on the website of the Organizational Behavior Division of the Academy of Management (OBWeb): "Subordinate Charisma and Fair Treatment: Interview with Brent Scott" regarding how the charisma of employees affects their managers (Note: You can read detailed information about the speakers in the Brent Scott interview.) Optional OBWeb podcast: "Perceived Discrimination: Interview with Derek Avery" (Note: You can read detailed information about the speakers in the Derek Avery interview.) E-Book: The Joy of Visual Perception, a Web Book (Please focus on Section 3, "Fun Things in Vision.")

Activities:

Take the weekly quiz. Participate in the case discussions.

Lesson 3: Personality and Attitude

Readings:

Required Hellriegel, D., & Slocum, J. W. (2011), Chapter 3 “Understanding Individual Differences” (e-Reserves) Denhardt et al. (2016). Chapter 2 The case “Loose Lips Sink Ships and can Hurt in Other Ways, too” (e-Reserves)  “Notes on Lewin’s Dynamic Theory on Personality” by Professor Frank Safayeni and Professor Rob Duimering, University of Waterloo (Note: This is a PDF file. You have to have Adobe Reader to review the notes. Permission is granted only for the use of this course. Please do not duplicate or distribute without permission.) Optional Process of Socialization: How We Acquire Our Cultures, World Views, and Personalities  (Please focus your reading on these topics: socialization, personality, and development.)

Activities:

Take the weekly quiz. Finish the individual analysis of the case.

Lesson 4: Fostering Creativity and Innovation

Readings:

Denhardt et al. (2016). Chapter 3 Serrat, O. (2017). Harnessing creativity and innovation in the workplace. In Knowledge Solutions (pp. 903-910). Springer Singapore. De Vries, H., Bekkers, V., & Tummers, L. (2016). Innovation in the public sector: A systematic review and future research agenda. Public Administration, 94(1), 146-166.  The case “Loose Lips Sink Ships and can Hurt in Other Ways, too” (e-Reserves)

Activities:

Take the weekly quiz. Participate in the case discussions.

Lesson 5: Decision Making

Readings:

Required Denhardt et al. (2016). Chapter 5 The case “Bob Knowlton” (e-Reserves). Nobel Memorial Lecture: “Rational Decision Making in Business Organizations” from December 8, 1978, by Herbert A. Simon, Carnegie-Mellon University (Note: This is a PDF file. You need to have Adobe Reader to read the document.) Video: “How the Prerequisites of Success Are Almost Always the Ingredients for Failures Too” by  Michael Raynor, The Strategy Paradox ​Optional Podcast: “Escalation of Commitment: Interview with Niro Sivanathan” (Note: you can read detailed information about the speakers in the Sivanathan interview.)

Activities:

Take the weekly quiz. Finish the individual analysis of the case.

Lesson 6: Motivation

Readings:	Required Denhardt et al. (2016). Chapter 6 Ritz, A., Neumann, O., & Vandenabeele, W. (2016). Motivation in the Public Sector. Ritz, A., Brewer, G. A., & Neumann, O. (2016). Public service motivation: A systematic literature review and outlook. Public Administration Review, 76(3), 414-426. The case “Bob Knowlton” (e-Reserves).
Activities:	Take the weekly quiz. Participate in the case discussion.

Lesson 7: Power, Politics, and Leadership

Readings:

Required Denhart et al. (2016). Chapter 7 and Chapter 8 Kellis, D. S., & Ran, B. (2015). Effective leadership in managing NPM-based change in the public sector. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 28(4), 614-626. The case “Diagnosis and Feedback at Adhikar” (e-Reserves). Podcast: "Shared Leadership in Teams: Interview with Jay Carson" (Note: you can read detailed information about the speakers in the Carson interview.) Optional Kellis, D. S., & Ran, B. (2013). Modern leadership principles for public administration: time to move forward. Journal of Public Affairs, 13(1), 130-141. Podcast: "Power Distance and Transformational Leadership: Interview with Brad Kirkman" (Note: you can read detailed information about the speakers in the Kirkman interview.) Podcast: "Charismatic Leadership and Emotions: Interview with Amir Erez" (Note: you can read detailed information regarding the speakers in the Erez interview.) Podcast: "Personal Relationships” by James H. Lowry, The Boston Consulting Group Listen to the Lowry podcast directly.

Activities:

Take the weekly quiz. Finish the individual analysis of the case.

Lesson 8: Communication

Readings:

Required Denhardt et al. (2016). Chapter 9 and Chapter 13 Liu, B. F., & Horsley, J. S. (2007). The government communication decision wheel: Toward a public relations model for the public sector. Journal of Public Relations Research, 19(4), 377-393. The case “Diagnosis and Feedback at Adhikar” (e-Reserves). Optional Podcast: "What Role Does Communication Play in Creating a Psychologically Healthy Workplace?" by Dr. David Ballard. (You can read the Ballard episode on the APA Center for Organizational Excellence website.) Podcast: "What to Do (And Not to Do) When a Reporter Calls" by Mitchell Zuckoff

Activities:

Take the weekly quiz. Participate in the case discussions.

Lesson 9: Group Dynamics

Readings:

Required Denhardt et al. (2016). Chapter 10 Bateman, B., Colin Wilson, F., & Bingham, D. (2002). Team effectiveness–development of an audit questionnaire. Journal of Management Development, 21(3), 215-226. The case "Conflict Resolution at General Hospital" (e-Reserves) Podcast: “Team Diversity: Interview with Astrid Homan” (Note: you can read detailed information about the speakers in the Homan interview.) Optional YouTube video: "Asch Conformity Experiment - Study on Length of Line" BBC radio program, Mind Changers (Please click the Listen to this edition link. You need RealPlayer to listen to this program. Download RealPlayer free.) YouTube video: "Milgram Experiment–Study on Obedience" Podcast: “Obedience & Ethics: Milgram's Lasting Lessons” by Alan C. Elms, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of California, Davis Listen to the Elms podcast directly.

Activities:

Take the weekly quiz. Finish the individual analysis of the case.

Lesson 10: Conflict and Stress Management

Readings:

Required Denhardt et al. (2016). Chapter 4 and Chapter 11 Aslam, R., Shumaila, S., Azhar, M., & Sadaqat, S. (2011). Work-family conflicts: Relationship between work-life conflict and employee retention–A comparative study of public and private sector employees. Interdisciplinary Journal of Research in Business, 1(2), 18-29. The case "Conflict Resolution at General Hospital" (e-Reserves) Podcast: “Myths and Truths About Negotiation” by Margaret Neale, professor, Stanford Graduate School of Business Optional Podcast: “Building a Civilized Workplace” by Robert Sutton, professor, Stanford Engineering School

Activities:

Take the weekly quiz. Participate in the case discussions.

Working on Term Paper: Part 1

Readings:	None
Activities:	Work on the Part 1 of the term paper (2,000 words on an organizational behavior concept or theory of your choice). No submission this week. The whole term paper (both part 1 and part 2) is due on the last day of the semester. Paper should be submitted individually to the corresponding drop box.

Lesson 11: Change and Development

Readings:

Required Denhardt et al. (2016). Chapter 12 Schmidt, E., Groeneveld, S., & Van de Walle, S. (2017). A change management perspective on public sector cutback management: towards a framework for analysis. Public Management Review, 1-18. van der Voet, J. (2016). Change leadership and public sector organizational change: Examining the interactions of transformational leadership style and red tape. The American Review of Public Administration, 46(6), 660-682. The case "The Sullivan Hospital System" (e-Reserves). Optional Podcast: "Leading Ahead of Change" by Ken Thompson, Chairman, President and CEO of Wachovia Podcast: "Team Downsizing: Interview with Scott DeRue"

Activities:

Take the weekly quiz. Finish the individual analysis of the case.

Lesson 12: Organization Structure

Readings:

Required Hellriegel, D., & Slocum, J. W. (2011), Chapter 15, "Organization Design" (e-Reseves) Lawton, A., Rayner, J., & Campus, C. (2016). Managerial Functions in the Public Sector. Andrews, R. (2017). Organizational Size and Social Capital in the Public Sector: Does Decentralization Matter?. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 37(1), 40-58. The case "The Sullivan Hospital System" (e-Reserves).

Activities:

Take the weekly quiz. Participate in the case discussions.

Working on Term Paper: Part 2

Readings:	None
Activities:	Work on the Part 2 of the term paper (write 2,000 words on a case application that demonstrates the concept or theory of your choice). No submission this week. The whole term paper (both part 1 and part 2) is due on the last day of the semester. Paper should be submitted individually to the corresponding drop box.

Lesson 13 Managing Behavior in the Public Interest

Readings:	Denhardt et al. (2016). Chapter 14
Activities:	Finalize the Term paper which is due on the last day of the semester. Paper should be submitted individually to the corresponding drop box.

Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.

Academic Integrity

University Policies

• Accommodating Disabilities:

  Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has resources for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources (SDR) website provides contacts for disability services at every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the SDR website.

  In order to apply for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability resources office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation based on the documentation guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability resources office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.

• Graduation: Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.
• Late Policy: Assignments are due by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the due date unless otherwise indicated. Late assignments are not accepted without prior approval from the instructor. Failure to turn in a paper by the required due date may result in a deduction on the final score, up to and including failure of the assignment. Make-up assignments are given at the sole discretion of the instructor on a case-by-case basis.

Your grade on assignments will be reduced by 20% for each day for late submission until deducted to 0% (5 days late).

• Additional Policies:

  For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.

• If you have a crisis or safety concern, mental health services are available to you as a Penn State student. Crisis and emergency contacts are available, no matter where you are located:

  • Anywhere in the United States: Call the Penn State Crisis Line at 1-877-229-6400 or text LIONS to 741741. You can also contact your local crisis services or hospital for emergencies.
  • Outside the United States: Please contact emergency services in your current location. You can also use the International Crisis and Emergency Services listings.
  • At University Park: Assistance is available at Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) locations on campus.
  • At a Penn State branch campus: You can search for counseling information at your campus.

Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or dependents with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.

In order to protect your privacy, course access is limited to those individuals who have direct responsibility for the quality of your educational experience. In addition to the instructor, a teaching assistant or college administrator may be provided access in order to ensure optimal faculty availability and access. World Campus technical staff may also be given access in order to resolve technical support issues.
1. Students are responsible for online course content, taking notes, obtaining other materials provided by the instructor, taking tests (if applicable), and completing assignments as scheduled by the instructor.  As a general rule, students should plan on logging into the course at least three times per week and spending at least three hours per course credit per week on the course, e.g., if the course is three credits, the student should plan on spending at least 9-12 hours per week on the course, just as they would in a residence course.
2. Students are responsible for keeping track of changes in the course syllabus made by the instructor throughout the semester.
3. Students are responsible for monitoring their grades.
4. Students must contact their instructor (and teammates when working on any collaborative learning assignments) as soon as possible if they anticipate missing long periods of online time due to events such as chronic illnesses, death in the family, business travel, or other appropriate events. The instructor will determine the minimal log on time and participation required in order to meet course responsibilities. In the event of other unforeseen conflicts, the instructor and student will arrive at a solution together.
   1. Requests for taking exams or submitting assignments after the due dates require documentation of events such as illness, family emergency, or a business-sanctioned activity.
   2. Conflicts with dates on which examinations or assignments are scheduled must be discussed with the instructor or TA prior to the date of the examination or assignment.
5. Students are responsible for following appropriate netiquette (network etiquette) when communicating with their instructor and classmates. For reference, see the Academic Success Kit.
6. Behaviors that disrupt other students’ learning are not acceptable and will be addressed by the instructor.
7. For severe and chronic problems with student disruptive behavior, the following will be applied for resolution:
   1. Senate Committee on Student Life policy on managing classroom disruptions: Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
   2. Penn State Principles

Penn State takes great pride to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated and can be reported through Educational Equity via the Report Bias webpage.

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Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.