Course Syllabus

Click on the following link, for a word file of your course syllabus. The course syllabus also contains the course calendar, which you should check weekly - CHHS200syllabusSp22-1.doc  

Course Syllabus CHHS 200: QUALITY OF LIFE

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University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Education

Dr. Retta R Evans, PHD, MCHES

Email: rrevans@uab.edu  Phone: 205/996-2701   EEC Building 304B

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UAB SCHOOL OF EDUCATION VISION STATEMENT

“The vision of the UAB School of Education is to enhance our national reputation by addressing global challenges in education, health, and wellness on a local level.

UAB SCHOOL OF EDUCATION MISSION STATEMENT

“The mission of the UAB School of Education is developing and sharing knowledge to support education, health, and wellness professionals.”

UAB SCHOOL OF EDUCATION VALUES – We Value…

Integrity, Respect, Diversity and Inclusiveness, Collaboration, Excellence and Achievement, Stewardship and Accountability

COURSE INFORMATION

PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE: none

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK: All students are required to have the following textbook: Invitation to Health. 18th Edition (2018) by Diane Hales. This course requires MindTap from Cengage. The textbook/web component may be purchased from the Blazer Bookstore (Hill Student Center) or online from Cengage Publisher.  Note: You WILL need access to the MindTap web component to complete all quizzes.

• An Invitation to Health, Loose-leaf Version, 18th + MindTap Health, 1 term (6 months) Printed Access Card ISBN: 9781337882408

OR

• MindTap Only option:  MindTap Health, 1 term (6 months) Instant Access for Hales' An Invitation to Health  ISBN: 9781337557160

COURSE DESCRIPTION This course is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills to improve their personal health and that of their future students. Wellness and the effects of lifestyle on the quality of life are emphasized. Students will learn decision-making and other skills to enable them to make health-enhancing choices and engage in activities to improve and maintain their quality of life.

LATE REGISTRATION Students who register during the first week of the term, during late registration, will already be one week behind. Those who fall into this category are expected to catch up with all week one work by the end of week two. Students who do not feel they can meet this deadline should drop the course. Note that late registration may mean you do not receive your textbook in time to make up the work you missed. Not having your textbook on the first day of class is not an excuse for late work after the deadlines.

INSTRUCTIONAL METHOD This class will be conducted entirely online through the Canvas Learning Management System, Zoom, and other tools. Students will not attend class on-campus. These classes are designated in the Class Schedule with a section number beginning with the letter "Q".

TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS Students MUST have access to a computer with Internet connection and Canvas for this class. This is expected of anyone enrolled in an online class. Students can use the Public Library to insure they have access at all times. Students are expected to have a back-up plan in the event of electricity loss, Internet loss and/or computer problems. Students will NOT be given an extension of any deadlines due to lack of access to the Internet or computer issues. Students must have access to:

PowerPoint software; an UAB e-mail account that can be accessed on a daily basis; access to the Internet; access to a computer capable of running Internet Explorer 6.0 or above, or current versions of Firefox; students who use older browser versions will have compatibility problems with Canvas; microsoft word software. (The Instructor cannot grade anything that cannot be opened. NO Notebook, NO MS-Works, NO WordPad. Only Microsoft Word please).  Academic Software Center: uab.onthehub.com  

STUDENT EXPECTATIONS The course syllabus serves as a contract by which the student must comply.

• Students are expected to participate in the online elements of this course. Students should access this course through Canvas, the official UAB learning management system.
• Students are expected to participate in scheduled assignments and learning activities. Completion of scheduled assignments will be used to monitor participation in the course.
• Students are expected to submit all assignments to the Course Instructor in Canvas per the due dates and in their respective locations as specified in the instructions for the assignment. 
• If extenuating circumstances (such as hospitalization or other serious events) prevent the student from completing assignment by the deadline, the student is required to e-mail Dr. Evans before the deadline to discuss alternatives. If this communication does not occur, late assignments will not be accepted and a grade of 0 will be recorded without exception. (see “Policy on Late Assignments)
• Students are expected to check their e-mail and course announcements from Canvas weekly and respond within 24 hours when needed.
• All students are responsible for ensuring that their UAB e-mail account is in proper working order during the entire time they are enrolled at UAB. E-mail is the only way the Course Instructor can, at least initially, communicate with students.  It is the student’s responsibility to make sure a valid UAB e-mail address is provided. Failure on the student’s part to do so can result in the student missing important information that could affect their grade.  Students are responsible for the information that is sent to their UAB e-mail account.  The instructor will not accept e-mails sent from e-mail accounts other than the UAB account of the student enrolled in the course.
• Students are expected to review their academic progress through the Canvas gradebook at least once per week.
• Students are expected to devote an average of 5 hours per week to be successful in the course.
• Students are expected to submit college level written work with competency in spelling, grammar, punctuation, and style. Students will proofread/correct spelling/grammatical errors before submitting assignments/emails to instructor. Written work with significant mechanical flaws will not be accepted.
• Students are expected to have a back-up plan in the event of computer issues. This is not an excuse for late or incomplete assignment submissions. Public libraries with Internet access are available for use by students if necessary.
• Students are expected to participate in the course by following the course syllabus, course calendar, and other information provided by the course instructor. Reference the course calendar often!
• Students are expected to submit correct, complete assignments. Once an assignment is submitted, it will be graded as is. Therefore, students are expected to triple-check an assignment before submitting it. When a student submits an assignment, s/he is confirming it is complete, the correct assignment and correctly located. If a student realizes they submitted an assignment by mistake, they must e-mail the instructor prior to the deadline for the assignment AND prior to the assignment being graded and ask that it be deleted.  If both requirements are not met, the assignment will be graded as submitted.
• Students in this class will be expected to: Speak and write Standard English, work cooperatively with others, possess independent reading and study skills at the university level, possess basic computer skills.
• Students are expected to remain in regular contact with Dr. Evans via UAB e-mail as well as through participation in the Discussion Board (including Questions for Dr. Evans) and the submission of assignments, all in a timely fashion. Dr. Evans will communicate on the Canvas Announcement page, Discussion Board, and/or via UAB e-mail.

Class Participation This class does not meet in person.  It is ESSENTIAL that students enrolled in this course have consistent access to the Internet as well as reliable computer equipment. Class participation includes “checking-in” weekly to post discussions, readings and keep up with meeting deadlines. Accommodations cannot be made if students miss due dates because of technology mishaps or lack of access to the Internet. PLAN vacations/work around this class; do NOT plan for the schedule of this class to accommodate your vacation/work schedule!

Instructor Feedback Students can expect feedback on assignments and discussion boards within one week of turning in the assignment/discussion. If the student emails the instructor, please expect a return email within 48 hours, M-F.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING METHODS

The following assignments will constitute your grades in this course.  You will find a grading rubric for assignments posted in Canvas. Use the rubric to determine if you have met the requirements of each assignment/discussion before submitting that assignment/discussion for grading.

Written exams (2 @ 75 pts each = 150 points) Students will meet online for midterm and final at a specified time/date. The online exams will be opened and closed at a specified time. The exams will be a combination of multiple choice and true/false. These are timed, CLOSED note/text exams. NOTE: make-up exams will NOT be given! Refer to the course calendar (contained in syllabus) for midterm/final exam dates and times.

NOTE: The midterm exam will consist of ALL material contained within chapters 1-7 and 9-11. The final exam will consist of ALL material contained within chapters 12-19.

Quizzes/post-tests (18 quizzes x 15 pts each = 270 points) Students will complete chapter quizzes. All quizzes are timed and are due by 11:59p CST on or before the due date. Refer to the course calendar for all due dates. All quizzes are taken in the MindTap online portal.

Video Quizzes (10 @ 10 points each = 100 points) Students will watch a short video and answer questions based on the information learned. Most weeks will contain a video quiz; only 10 of them are worth any points. The remainder of the video quizzes are designed to keep the student engaged in the learning material and will be important to review for midterm and final exams. Refer to the course calendar for all due dates. All video quizzes are taken in the MindTap online portal.

Nutrition Lab (1 @ 20 points) Students will complete a nutritional analysis and answer questions based on the analysis. Students must submit the nutrition lab by 11:59p CST on or before the due date. Refer to the course calendar for all due dates.

Discussion Board (13 discussions x 15 pts each = 195 points) Students are required to participate in online discussions related to topics from required readings and current issues. Discussion boards will open on Monday and close on Sunday at 11:59pm CST. Each student is required to make one main post by day three (Wednesday), that answers the main question of the discussion posed by the instructor, as well as a minimum of three follow-up posts to classmates, for a total of FOUR posts per module discussion, by Sunday of that week. DO NOT POST ALL POSTINGS ON ONE DAY; instead the discussion should continue throughout the assigned timeline. Points will be deducted for “all in one day” postings. To receive all points, posts should be reflective of the course readings, ask questions that extend the discussion, and use APA formatting when citing references at the bottom of each post where outside sources are mentioned. Follow the course calendar for start and end dates for participating in discussions. 

METHOD OF EVALUATION

There are 735 points possible.  Final course grades will be determined by how many total points are earned out of the final possible points, with the final rounding to the nearest whole number percentage (i.e. 89.3% rounds to 89%; 89.7% rounds to 90%)  

      Grading Scale       100-90% A      89-80% B        79-70% C       69-60% D        59-0%  F     

IMPORTANT NOTE: The student has exactly 72 hours to discuss/dispute a grade once it has been posted in the gradebook. There are no exceptions to this rule. This means you cannot come back at the end of the term to discuss/dispute any lab/assignment/quiz or exam.

UAB AND COURSE POLICIES

POLICY REGARDING E-MAIL DECORUM The major means of communication between the instructor and candidates will be via CANVAS announcements, grading notes, candidate specific e-mail or class mass e-mail. It is imperative that candidates check both the course “Announcements” page and their UAB email regularly for relevant updates and communication. When communicating with Dr. Evans, please sign your name to the email and indicate which online course you are enrolled in, to help eliminate confusion. In addition, please use professional email etiquette.

Further, students are urged to use their UAB e-mail accounts or set up the appropriate mechanisms for forwarding communications to an alternate address. To ensure communication is going to your preferred e-mail account, should you wish NOT to use your UAB account, please contact UAB IT at 996-5555 for instructions. The instructor is not responsible for e-mails that are misdirected.

POLICY REGARDING LATE ASSIGNMENTS: Requests for extensions must be made in writing, via e-mail, to Dr. Evans, in advance of deadlines and accompanied by appropriate written documentation (such as proof of hospitalization) if the excuse is to be acceptable (excused absence).  If this communication does not occur, late assignments will not be accepted and a grade of 0 will be recorded without exception. Computer problems, placing an assignment in an incorrect location, forgetting an assignment, work/life balance problems, and/or not having the textbook are not acceptable excuses. No assignment will be accepted after the last day of the term unless the student qualifies for an Incomplete Grade, has submitted the necessary paperwork requesting an Incomplete Grade and has been approved by the instructor for an Incomplete Grade. Discussion posts will not be accepted late.

Note: Travel and/or work-related business do not quality for late submissions of assignments or grades of “Incomplete.”  A regular and consistent pattern of course participation is an expectation of the online learning experience for instructors and learners.

UAB POLICY ON INCOMPLETE GRADE ASSIGNMENT: a grade of Incomplete “I” is a temporary notation which is assigned at the discretion of the instructor, and only if the following three conditions are met.

• The student, for nonacademic reasons beyond his or her control, is unable to complete course requirements.
• The student is, according to the instructor’s assessment, currently passing or has demonstrated the potential for passing the course.
• The student has made arrangements with the instructor, prior to the grade submission deadline, for completing the course requirements.

Oral/Written Communication POLICY: UAB expects all students to be proficient in the areas of spoken and written communication. Students should also be able to demonstrate graduate level writing skills such as proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, style, clarity, sentence structure, professional vocabulary, organization, active voice, and other aspects of college level writing including proper citing of scientific sources of information.  This includes any correspondence to the instructor! Consequently, the course instructor reserves the right to recommend remediation for any candidate who’s oral and written communication skills are considered unsatisfactory.

ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY:  The University assumes as a minimum standard of conduct in academic matters that students are honest and submit for credit only the products of their own efforts. All dishonest work will be rejected as a basis for academic credit. Any student found cheating or plagiarizing a test, quiz, or assignment will immediately fail that test, quiz, or assignment, may fail the course, and will be referred to the Department Chair for disciplinary action.  Sanctions up to and including expulsion are possible, subject to appeal procedures outlined in the Student Handbook.

ABETTING is helping another student commit an act of academic dishonesty. Allowing someone to copy your quiz answers or use your work as their own are examples of abetting.

CHEATING is the unauthorized use or attempted use of unauthorized materials, information, study aids, the work of others, or computer-related information.

PLAGIARISM means claiming as your own the ideas, words, data, computer programs, creative compositions, artwork, etc., done by someone else. Examples include improper citation of referenced works, the use of commercially available papers, failure to cite sources, or copying another’s ideas. For more information about the UAB policies regarding misconduct, please see these links: Academic Honor Code, 

Non-Academic Student Code of Conduct

POLICY ON REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS: UAB is committed to providing an accessible learning experience for all students. If you are a student with a disability that qualifies under Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and you require accommodations, please contact Disability Support Services (DSS) for information on accommodations, registration and procedures. Requests for reasonable accommodations involve an interactive process and consist of a collaborative effort among the student, DSS, faculty and staff. If you are registered, please contact DSS to discuss accommodations that may be necessary in this course. If you have a disability but have not contacted DSS, please call (205) 934-4205, or visit their website.

ANTI-HARRASSMENT POLICY: The University of Alabama at Birmingham is committed to providing an environment that is free from sexual misconduct, which includes gender-based assault, harassment, exploitation, dating and domestic violence, stalking, as well as discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. If you have experienced any of the aforementioned conduct we encourage you to report the incident. UAB provides several avenues for reporting. For more information about Title IX, policy, reporting, protections, resources and supports, please visit UAB Title IX webpage for UAB’s Title IX, UAB’s Equal Opportunity, Anti-Harassment, Duty to Report, and Non-Retaliation policies.

Student Agreement Statement - Students are required to submit the following Student Agreement during Week one of class. Copy and paste the following paragraph into a Word document and submit it into its designated space under the “Getting Started” module button in Canvas. Points are not earned for this assignment; however, five (5) points will be deducted from your final overall grade if this paragraph is not submitted by the end of Week one.

"I have read the Course Syllabus, Course Calendar and Course Polices and will comply with all of the information and requirements including the policy on plagiarism. I have reviewed, noted and agree to the assignments, assigned deadlines and the policies regarding late work. I agree to check the course calendar weekly to keep track of all due dates and required reading for this course.  I realize that following the latest edition of the APA is required for this course for any assignment needing citations or references. I understand that this course includes discussions on health-related behaviors, some of a personal nature, and that all matters discussed within the realm of this course should be kept strictly confidential. I verify that I have access to Microsoft Office Professional Suite which includes Word and PowerPoint in order to complete coursework and understand that other types of files will not be accepted. I also have confirmed my UAB e-mail is working correctly. I will check my UAB e-mail, grades (including Instructor comments), and course announcements weekly, and immediately contact the Course Instructor if I have questions, comments or concerns. Additionally, I understand the quizzes and exams are set up as closed note/text exams."

 

Student Name:                                                                        Date: