Happiness in Action

HFL 1080
Spring 2017

Course Instructor: Alonna Donovan Makinson

Course Location: Virtual

Course Times: Weekly Online Release of Materials (7 weeks)

E-mail: donovaaa@ucmail.uc.edu

Course Description

This course focuses on applying the science of happiness to everyday life. Students will learn how to develop
action-oriented strategies and implement research-based skills for improving their own happiness. It is
intended that through this class, students will gain a better understanding of the science behind experiencing a
meaningful life, while heightening personal well-being and reducing stress.

Note: This class is a graded course, and your quality of work on assignments will contribute to your class
grade. Please understand that you may find the material and course work to be challenging at times. That is
because the skills, tools, and techniques that are shown to improve our happiness levels often require our
effort and self-sacrifice. The more you put into the strategies presented in class, the more you will get out of
this course. However, please consider that if you are not willing to put in the effort, this class may not be a
good fit for you.

Student Learning Outcomes

After this course, students should be able to:

1. Explain key concepts, theories, and perspectives on happiness.
2. Describe the relationship between happiness and health.
3. Identify individual beliefs, values, and assumptions surrounding the pursuit of happiness.
4. Demonstrate evidence-based skills and techniques for improving individual happiness
5. Develop a plan of action for incorporating happiness techniques into daily living.

Course Resources

Course material will be accessible online through Blackboard and will be released weekly.

Teaching Philosophy

Happiness techniques are proven through research to be effective in helping humans maintain and enhance
their health, well-being, and quality of life, and they are widely used by individuals around the world. I am very
excited to be able to share these techniques with you all. This class will be experiential in nature and is meant
to provide you with the opportunity to develop tools that you can use to enhance your quality of life.
Course Assignments and Grading

Point Breakdown

Assignment Points Possible

Participation (engaging with the material by 60 (approx. 5 points per
watching presentations, reading articles, etc.) assigned material)
Satisfaction Surveys 30 (15 points each)
Journals and Discussion Boards 140 (20 points each)
Action Plan Assignment 70
TOTAL POINTS 300

Grading Scale

Point
Letter
% Range Range
Grade
Required
A 93-100 278-300
A- 90-92 269-277
B+ 87-89 260-268
B 83-86 248-259
B- 80-82 239-247
C+ 77-79 230-238
C 73-76 218-229
C- 70-72 209-217
D+ 67-69 200-208
D 63-66 188-199
D- 60-62 179-187
F Below 60 Below 178

Course Assignments

Topic Materials: Each week of throughout this 7-week course will focus on a different aspect of happiness.
Week One: Introduction to Happiness
Week Two: Social Connection
Week Three: Kindness & Compassion
Week Four: Forgiveness
Week Five: The Art of Gratitude
Week Six: Mindfulness
Week Seven: Incorporating Happiness into Daily Living
Each week, there will be videos, articles, or other materials assigned to introduce and explore the topic.
Please follow the instructions to complete the assignments in their entirety (by watching the videos, reading
articles, completing surveys, etc.) for completion grades.

Life Satisfaction Survey: This will help you assess your current level of life satisfaction which will help you
raise your awareness of your emotional states. Youll be prompted to take one at the beginning of this course
and one at the end. Doing this will help you be able to e
valuate any changes that might have taken place
since starting the course. You wont be graded on your score, but will receive a completion grade for
completing the survey. The numerical score is just for your benefit to help you assess your level of life
satisfaction.

Happiness Action Plan: Youll be developing a long-term Action Plan in which you will be asked to create a
strategy detailing how youll realistically be able to incorporate happiness practices into your life beyond this
course. Since this course is designed to give you realistic, practical tools you can access and incorporate into
your life outside of and beyond the context of this course, this assignment will be the most significant reflection
of that intent. This will be your capstone assignment for the course. The instructor will provide the course with
a worksheet to guide you through completing this assignment a few weeks prior to the due date. However, it
may benefit you to start thinking about the assignment as you begin working through the material.

Happiness Practices: Youll have one of these each week that allows you the opportunity to take what youve
learned that week and apply it in a practical way to your daily life. Each practice will be accompanied by
directions of how to complete the practice.

Journals and Discussion Boards: You will either be assigned to complete a journal entry or a discussion board
entry on a weekly basis in order to have the opportunity to reflect on what you have been learning about
happiness and to process your experience with the happiness practices. The weekly directions for the
assignment will include writing prompts to help you structure your response.

Tentative Course Calendar

The instructor reserves the right to make updates and changes to the syllabus at any time.

Week/Date Topic/Activity Assignments Due Date

Watch Week One Videos:
Intro to Course, Course Friday, August 25th
Overview, Intro to Happiness

Life Satisfaction Survey Friday, August 25th

8/21 Introduction to Article: Happiness, the Hard

1 Friday, August 25th
8/27 Happiness Way by Darrin McMahon

Happiness Practice 1 Friday, August 25th

Week One Journal Entry Friday, August 25th

Watch Week Two Videos:

Weekly Update, Intro to Social
Connection
Social
2 8/28 - 9/3 Happiness Practice 2
Connection
Week Two Discussion Board
Friday, September 1st
Friday, September 1st
First post due by Friday,
Friday, September 1st ;
Response to peers due
 by Saturday, September
2nd

Watch Week Three Videos:

Weekly Update, Intro to Friday, September 8th

Kindness & Compassion
Kindness &
3 9/4 9/10 Happiness Practice 3 Friday, September 8th

Compassion

Week Three Journal Entry Friday, September 8th

Watch Week Four Videos:

Weekly Update, Intro to Friday, September 15th
Forgiveness
Article & Video: The Ancient
Friday, September 15th
Heart of Forgiveness
9/11 The Power of
4
9/17 Forgiveness Happiness Practice 4 Friday, September 15th

First post due by Friday,

September 15th;
Week Four Discussion Board Response to peers due
by Saturday, September
16th

Watch Week Five Videos:

Weekly Update, Intro to Friday, September 22nd
Gratitude
9/18 The Art of
5 Happiness Practice 5 Friday, September 22nd
9/24 Gratitude

Week Five Journal Entry Friday, September 22nd

Watch Week Six Videos:

Weekly Update, Intro to Friday, September 29th
Mindfulness
Using
Happiness Practice 6 Friday, September 29th
9/25 Mindfulness as a
6
10/1 Skill to Foster
First post due by Friday,
Happiness
September 29th;
Week Six Discussion Board Response to peers due
by Saturday, September
30th
 Watch Week Seven Videos:
Weekly Update, The Habits of Friday, October 6th

Happiness by Matthieu Ricard

Life Satisfaction Survey Friday, October 6th

Incorporating
10/2
7 Happiness Into
10/8
Daily Living
Week Seven Journal Friday, October 6th

Submit Action Plan Friday, October 6th

Course Policies

1. Respect. There will be group discussions in this class. As future professionals in any field, we must
learn to use inclusive language and be aware of individuals differences.

2. Cell Phones You will get more out of this class if you silence and put away your phone while
engaging with the material.

3. Since this is an online course, Blackboard will be the primary forum of communication. The
syllabus will be posted in the Syllabus section of the Blackboard. The students must check the
Announcements section regularly.

4. E-mail Requirement Please e-mail all questions regarding this course through your official
University of Cincinnati e-mail account or Blackboard.

5. The University Rules, including the Student Code of Conduct, and other documented policies of the
department, college, and university related to academic integrity will be enforced. Any violation of
these regulations, including acts of plagiarism or cheating, will be dealt with on an individual basis
according to severity of the misconduct.

6. If you have any special needs related to your participation in this course, including identified visual
impairment, hearing impairment, physical impairment, communication disorder, and/or specific
learning disability that may influence your performance in this course, you should meet with the
instructor to arrange for reasonable provisions to ensure an equitable opportunity to meet all the
requirements of this course. At the discretion of the instructor some accommodations may require
prior approval by Disability Services.

School of Human Services Course Policies

The best way to do well in a course is to stay engaged in it. To help you to stay in touch and remain engaged,
you are expected to participate each week and to keep up. Its also crucial that you stay in contact with your
instructor, especially when you encounter difficulties. Your instructor cannot help you solve a problem that
he/she doesnt know about. The following guidelines are meant to help you be successful in this course:
If you need support in accessing anything in Blackboard, call 513-556-1602 or via
 blackboard@uc.edu.
It is expected that students will check their email a t least once every 48 hours for possible
announcements regarding the class.
It is expected that when students login to Blackboard, that they will also check the Announcements
area.
When emailing the instructor, please make sure you sign your name and include the name of the
class
The instructor usually checks email at least every other day, a situation may arise where this is not
possible. Do not wait until the last day before an assignment is due to contact your instructor if you
have questions. Please note the instructor will not check email on the weekend.
Emails are considered private documents between the sender and the receiver. Permission from
the sender is required before forwarding to another.
Please note that technical difficulties do not excuse the student from the responsibility of
participation and other assigned work.
In the event of a university-a
pproved absence or illness, it is the students responsibility to contact
the instructor to request a make-u p assignment. Make-up assignments will be granted only for
documented illness or university-approved absences that were indicated two weeks in advance.
All-class communications via Blackboard or email must be approved through the instructor.
Communication amongst the class is encouraged, but we want to respect the personal emails of the
whole class by not sending mass mailings.

Homework Policies

1. No late assignments will be accepted except in extreme cases (must be a documented illness or
emergency). If you have any difficulties with uploading your assignments to Blackboard, please email
the instructor immediately to let her know with your assignment attached prior to the assignment due
date. Blackboard malfunctions will not be accepted as an excuse for late assignments. You should
therefore plan ahead and submit assignments early to make sure that they upload properly. I t is your
responsibility to keep up with assignments, and once you miss assignment deadlines, you will not be
able to make them up. Missed assignments will be recorded as a 0 and this will negatively impact your
course grade. Please be responsible and keep up with your own work.

2. Please note that the instructor does not have a physical office on campus or office telephone, so any
class-related issues or questions will be resolved via email.

3. If you have any questions about assignments, please check the syllabus, assignment directions, and
course announcements for the answer prior to emailing the instructor. There are a lot of students in the
course, so checking for the answer first will help prevent unnecessary emails that make it difficult for
the instructor to resolve other issues in a timely manner.

4. All assignments should be submitted via the Assignment Manager (or Discussion Board when
applicable) within Blackboard. Your instructor will not accept assignments via e-mail unless prior
permission has been granted, nor will they accept assignments typed directly into the Comments box.
Only assignments submitted as attachments using the Assignment Manager will be accepted. Please
upload your assignments to the appropriate assignment section or they may not receive credit. For
example, your quiz scores should be uploaded in the Quiz Score Journal, not your weekly Happiness
Course Journals. Instructions on using the Assignment Manager can be found in the Technology
Resources button and Blackboard 101 on your Blackboard course menu.

5. Please remember to put your name on every assignment that you complete.

6. When writing your assignment, please use a size 12 Times New Roman font and 1 inch margins.
Do not increase the size of the font or margins to increase the length of your paper.
 7. Please use Microsoft Word to write your papers. MS Word is the official word processing program
for the School of Human Services. There are often problems opening and reading other types of
documents. If you do not have Microsoft Word, the university has negotiated a Campus Agreement
(CA) for typical Microsoft desktop products. You may purchase these products (on CD) for a nominal
fee from the University Bookstores (513-556-1700). You will have to sign a statement that you are a
student and return it to them (Fax (513) 556-5555) b
efore they can send it to you Microsoft Campus
Agreement Subscription Acceptance Form for Registered UC Students.

8. The students enrollment in this class represents a contract with the instructor. This syllabus, the
assignment descriptions and the weekly schedule contains the information for this contract. The
instructors responsibility is to provide feedback in a reasonable amount of time. Please remember that
it may take several days to grade assignments and have them returned to you.

Academic Integrity

The University Rules, including the Student Code of Conduct, and other documented policies of the
department, college and university related to academic integrity will be enforced. Any violation of these
regulations, including acts of plagiarism or cheating will be dealt with on an individual basis according to the
severity of the misconduct. Academic dishonesty in any form (cheating, plagiarism) is a serious offense and
cannot be tolerated in any academic community. You may view the University of Cincinnati Code of Conduct
information online at the following site:
http://www.uc.edu/conduct/Code_of_Conduct.html.http://www.uc.edu/conduct/Code_of_Conduct.html
http://www.uc.edu/conduct/Code_of_Conduct.html
Plagiarism is defined as:
Submitting anothers published or unpublished work in whole, in part or in paraphrase, as ones
own without fully and properly crediting the author with footnotes, quotation marks, citations, or
bibliographic references.
Submitting as ones own original work, material obtained from an individual, agency, or the internet
without reference to the person, agency or webpage as the source of the material.
Submitting as ones own original work material that has been produced through unacknowledged
collaboration with others without release in writing from collaborators (University of Cincinnati, Code of
Conduct, http://www.uc.edu/conduct/Code_of_Conduct.html)
http://www.uc.edu/conduct/Code_of_Conduct.html)
Plagiarism will not be tolerated and, according the Student Code of Conduct, may result in the following
consequences:
Formal report of academic misconduct. (UC student disciplinary records are maintained for 6 years
with access limited to those with an educational need to know and those who receive permission
from the student law school admissions, government employers, etc.)
Reduced or failing grade on the exercise.
Reduced or failing grade for the course
Recommendation to the College Hearing Panel/Dean/Provost for probation, suspension, dismissal

Special Needs and Accommodations Policy

If you have a disability (e.g., visual impairment, hearing impairment, physical impairment, communication
disorder, and/or specific learning disability) which may influence your performance in this course, you must
meet with the Disability Services Office (DSO) to arrange for reasonable accommodations to ensure an
equitable opportunity to meet all the requirements of this course. If you require accommodations due to
disability, please contact DSO at 513-556-6823, Campus Location: 210 University Pavilion. You will be
provided an Accommodation Form indicating your accommodation needs for the quarter. Please present this
Form to your instructor as soon as possible to ensure your accommodation needs are discussed, agreed upon,
and provided.
Title IX

Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of your actual or perceived sex,
gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation. Title IX also covers sexual violence, dating
or domestic violence, and stalking. If you disclose a Title IX issue to me, I am required forward that information
to the Title IX Office. They will follow up with you about how the University can take steps to address the
impact on you and the community and make you aware of your rights and resources. Their priority is to make
sure you are safe and successful here. You are not required to talk with the Title IX Office. If you would like to
make a report of sex or gender-based discrimination, harassment or violence, or if you would like to know more
about your rights and resources on campus, you can consult the website www.uc.edu/titleix or contact the
office at 556-3349.

Counseling Services, Clifton Campus

Students have access to counseling and mental health care through the University Health Services (UHS),
which can provide both psychotherapy and psychiatric services. In addition, Counseling and Psychological
Services (CAPS) can provide professional counseling upon request; students may receive five free counseling
sessions through CAPS without insurance. Students are encouraged to seek assistance for anxiety,
depression, trauma/assault, adjustment to college life, interpersonal/relational difficulty, sexuality, family
conflict, grief and loss, disordered eating and body image, alcohol and substance abuse, anger management,
identity development and issues related to diversity, concerns associated with sexual orientation and
spirituality concerns, as well as any other issue of concerns. After hours, students may call UHS at
513-556-2564 or CAPS Cares at 513-556-0648. For urgent physician consultation after-hours students may
call 513-584-7777.

School of Human Services Commitment to Student Success and Retention

We want to make sure we help you explore every option available to keep you progressing towards successful
completion of this course, as well as through your academic program. There are many challenges that may
occur in the duration of this course either due to the course, technology, or other life circumstances. Below,
you will find essential strategies to empower you to successfully complete this course should you find yourself
having any of these difficulties.

First and foremost, email your instructor immediately. We are here to support and encourage you as
well as promote your active involvement in the learning process. Opening this line of communication is
the first and most important step towards working through the issues that have brought you to this
point. We are available to communicate with you about your progress and provide insight into how you
are faring in comparison with the rest of the class, identify areas in which you are struggling and
provide strategies for improving your performance.
Take some time to look through the resources listed in the button on the Blackboard course site
labeled, Dont Drop! We Can Help! There are many valuable FREE resources available to you to
help support your online success as a UC student.

Course Withdrawal

Please check the website for the Office of the Registrar for University policies regarding withdrawal
procedures:
http://www.uc.edu/registrar/policies_and_procedures/withdrawal_procedures.html.
f you are considering withdrawing from the course, please contact your advisor. If you are receiving financial
aid there could be repercussions for withdrawing: http://financialaid.uc.edu/eligibility/recalculation.html.
Please also note that if you are failing the course when you decide to withdraw, the instructor reserves the right
to issue a failing grade. For this reason, if you find yourself having difficulties in the class, you should
communicate with your instructor immediately in order to determine the best courses of action to improve your
grade and/or withdraw from the class. Please note that only in very rare circumstances will an Incomplete be
given. Only students who have been attending class regularly and submitting assignments as required will be
considered for an I grade. Documentation regarding extenuating circumstances will be required before an I
is granted.

Questions for Your Instructor

If you have questions about an assignment or other portion of the course, please email the instructor.

If you have a personal question or comment for your instructor, use the instructors email address. You may
send e-mail to the address listed at the top of the syllabus. Please DO NOT EMAIL THROUGH BLACKBOARD
as the Blackboard email feature does not work. Please remember that it may take some time before your
e-mail is read. Please remember to sign your name to any email.

School of Human Services and Faculty Commitment to Course Evaluation

The School of Human Services requires that each course is evaluated each time it is taught. The School uses
a confidential web-based system, CoursEval, for these evaluations. At the beginning of finals week you will
receive an email from the School Director, Dr. Janet Graden, with CoursEval as the topic. There is a link on
that email that takes you directly to the evaluation. The online system is confidential and anonymous. I will
receive only a summary report of combined data after final grades have been submitted. As an instructor, I
greatly value your input regarding the strengths and areas for improvement of this course. Your feedback is
essential for me to continually improve instruction opportunity for quality student learning and outcomes.

Course Contract

Upon officially registering for the course, the student assumes responsibility for understanding and complying
with the entire contents of the course syllabus. It is the students responsibility to raise questions or concerns
directly with the instructor. The course instructor reserves the right to change, modify, add, or delete any class
assignment, reading, or activity at any time. Such changes will be made at the earliest possible time.