General Syllabus 

Please see the syllabus on your course website for policies related to your particular class. General policies governing all my courses can be found here. I reserve the right to modify, change, and supplement the syllabus as needs arise. I am looking forward to an excellent semester with you.

Communication

I ask that you provide me with the respect that I should spend my time engaging with students in meaningful ways, not pointing you to material you can find on your own. Be sure to check the syllabus, course website, course content, and classmates before emailing me. This is important training for life after college – when you have a question, the first thing you do should not be to email your boss. I do not want to discourage you from engaging with me. I love teaching because I love interacting with students. However, I do not want to engage with you in ways that nurture your inability to critically think and prevents me from engaging with other students.

I am committed to checking and responding to email from students within 48 hours Monday-Friday. If 48 hours have passed (M-F) and I have not responded, please forward your email again. It likely got buried in my inbox and I will welcome the reminder. If you email me regarding an assignment less than 48 hours before the due date, you cannot reasonably expect a response before the assignment is due. 

If you are ever uncertain about the purpose of an assignment, the learning objectives of an activity, or how an assessment will be graded, please reach out. My goal is to be organized, thoughtful, and transparent. All my assignments were thoughtfully chosen. There is no busy work or unnecessary required course material. If I have done a poor job explaining the motivation for any aspect of my course, please let me know so I can be more clear.

Posting of grades

Once a grade has been posted for five business days, it will not be changed unless there is documented evidence that the student attempted to address the grade with the relevant teaching staff beginning within this five-day timeframe.

Academic Integrity

As your instructor, I am obligated to report suspected academic misconduct. 

Vanderbilt operates under the Honor System, established when the University was founded in 1873. All work submitted as a part of course requirements is presumed to be the product of the student submitting it, unless credit is given in the manner prescribed by the course instructor. All students—full-time, part-time, and visiting/transient—are subject to the policies of the Honor System. For more information, complete details are outlined in the Student Handbook.

https://www.vanderbilt.edu/student_handbook/the-honor-system/

Artificial Intelligence

I am excited about generative AI. I think that students are best served by becoming familiar with generative AI. I am interested in allowing AI to be used in many cases in my class, provided it is disclosed, per the Vanderbilt University Academic Affairs Guidance for Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools. If the use of AI is specifically limited or prohibited on an assignment, those expectations will be clarified to the student in writing.

Casual rigor

It is one of the greatest gifts of my life to have the opportunity to share my passion for psychology with undergraduates. The energy that I get out of interacting with people at your stage of life is one of my favorite ways to spend an hour. I love getting to know you, getting to cheer you on in and outside of the classroom, and having the opportunity to teach you about psychology. However, do not misinterpret my interest in supporting you and the casual and welcoming environment that I like to cultivate as a lack of expectations and rigor or as an open door for departing from the honor code. My classroom (virtual and in person) is both a warm, welcoming environment and a place of rigorous expectations. 

Student Access Services

All reasonable accommodations will be made for students registered with the Student Access Services Department. Any requests that are not approved through their office will not be granted. 

https://www.vanderbilt.edu/student-access/

Accommodations not specifically requested by SAS in official SAS letters will not be made. 

Although I will accept SAS paperwork at anytime during the semester for future assignments, retroactive accommodations will not be made. 

Statement on sexual misconduct/relationship violence

“Vanderbilt is committed to providing a community built on trust and mutual respect, where all can feel secure and free from harassment. Sexual misconduct including sexual violence, sexual harassment, intimate partner violence, and stalking, violates a person’s rights, dignity and integrity and is contrary to our community principles and the mission of the college. The University is committed to fostering a community that promotes prompt reporting of sexual misconduct and timely and fair resolution of sexual misconduct reports. Creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment is the responsibility of everyone at Vanderbilt.

We encourage all members of our campus community to seek support from the Project Safe Center; 615-322-7233. We encourage community members to report all incidents of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct directly to the Title IX Coordinator (615-322-4705).  Staff in these departments will assist in eliminating the misconduct, preventing its recurrence, and addressing its effects.”

Emergency Preparedness

“The safety of students, faculty, and staff at Vanderbilt University is of the utmost importance. As a Vanderbilt student, you are automatically enrolled in AlertVU, which is used in emergencies which pose an imminent threat to the community.  If you need to contact the Vanderbilt Police in an emergency, call 911 from any campus phone or (615) 421-1911 from any other phone. Additional information about emergency preparedness is available online.”

https://emergency.vanderbilt.edu/vu/quick-ref-guides/

Inclusivity and Diversity

This class will respect differences in background and identity. One way in which we will endeavor to do so will be to use respect and withhold judgment when sensitive topics occur in the reading and class discussion. Dr. Maxcey is open to any and all conversations offering suggestions on how to better respect differences in background and identity. Please be aware of the below offices and services on campus supporting historically minority groups on campus.

The Office of Equity Diversity and Inclusion: https://www.vanderbilt.edu/diversity/

The Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Life: https://www.vanderbilt.edu/lgbtqi/

The Black Cultural Center: https://www.vanderbilt.edu/bcc/

The Women’s Center: https://www.vanderbilt.edu/womenscenter/

Get to know me

You can learn more about me from a podcast interview I was invited to conduct with a former student on The Express Podcast found here.