Course Syllabus

Contact Information

Dr. Leah Hoffman, PhD, RD/LD, CNSC

Adjunct Instructor, Department of Health and Exercise Sciences, OU Norman

Associate Professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences, OU Health Sciences Center

Office Hours:  By appointment

Phone: 405-271-8001, ext. 41174

Email: leah-hoffman@ouhsc.edu or leah.a.hoffman-1@ou.edu

 

Teaching assistant: Kyra Newcombe, Kyra.V.Newcombe-1@ou.edu

Kenneth is your first contact for any questions related to grading (including participation or other assignments). Content questions should be directed to Dr. Hoffman.    

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Course Details

ABOUT THE COURSE

This course is delivered 100% online. There are no scheduled class meetings; all course activities and assignments will be completed on your own.

Required activities

The course content is separated into weeks. Each week begins Monday at midnight and ends Sunday at 11:59 PM; for example, Week 1 begins Monday, August 24 at midnight and ends Sunday August 30 at 11:59 PM.

Each week follows the same general format:

1. A reading assignment using Connect, including reading comprehension questions
2. Lecture video(s) from the instructor; notes and learning objectives are provided for each lecture
3. A participation activity that will help you to apply the material to your life
4. A comprehension quiz that encompasses both reading and lecture
5. Virtual office hours video, where I’ll answer questions from you or clarify any points of difficulty from last week

Some weeks will also include course assignments, 4 in total. Make sure to read the specific instructions for each of these assignments and note due dates.

Optional learning activities

One of my favorite parts of this course is that we have a wide variety of students in this class—some are future registered dietitians (AKA, pre-nutrition majors), some will work in other sectors of healthcare, some are here to improve their own diets, and some think that anything science-based is “not for” them. I am thrilled that every single one of you is taking this course, but recognize that each student has individual needs and wants from this course. To that end, there are a few optional activities that students who are interested may participate in. Each will be available on Canvas, and you may choose to participate in some but not in others. The optional activities are:

1. Discussion boards (optional and ungraded):
   • Periodically, a discussion question on an advanced topic in nutrition will be posted with an invitation to interact with your classmates and with me through the discussion board.
2. Virtual office hours (optional and ungraded): Submit a question to be answered during virtual office hours
   • Each week, you’ll be invited to submit a question for me to answer during my virtual office hours video.
3. Extra credit (optional, graded for bonus points):
   • There will be 4 small additional assignments during the semester, each worth up to 5 points (for a total of 20 points if all are completed). Instructions will be provided with the assignment. None will be accepted after the due date listed in the assignment. No additional extra credit activities will be offered during the semester; if you miss an extra credit assignment, you will not be able to make up those points.

Course Materials

Our required textbook is: Nutrition Essentials by Wendy J. Schiff, Third Edition, published by McGraw Hill. We will use the eBook with Connect. The text is required; you will not be able to complete the required assignments without purchasing and using the text.

Follow instructions provided to purchase the text--you can save some money by purchasing directly from Connect compared to through the OU Bookstore.

Grades

Breakdown

Learning Activity	Points Available	Contribution to final grade
Reading assignment (10 points each, 16 assignments)	160	27%
Participation activity (10 points each, 16 assignments)	160	27%
Comprehension quiz (10 points each, 16 quizzes)	160	27%
Food diary	5	11%
Assignment 1: Dietary Self-Assessment	20
Assignment 2: Fast Food Diet Plan	20
Assignment 3: Computer Dietary Assessment	20
Comprehensive final exam	50	8%
Total points available	595

 

Scale

Final grades will be assigned as follows; no exceptions will be made:

Grade	Points
A	533-595
B	474-532
C	414-473
D	354-413
F	0-353

Course Components

  Food Diary

• This semester, we will complete a dietary assessment of your usual diet, to help make you aware of the foods that you are currently consuming. This begins with our first assignment, in which you will write down everything you eat and drink in a 24-hour period. See full instructions here.
• This assignment is worth just 5 on its own, but is critical for both Assignment 1 and Assignment 3. You will not be able to complete Assignment 1 or Assignment 3 without doing this food diary.
• To complete the food diary, record your intake of food and beverages for a 24-hour period, preferably a day that is similar to your normal dietary patterns. Full instructions are found on the Food Diary form on Canvas. You must use the form provided on Canvas, called “Nutritional Assessment Daily Food Diary.”
• Submit your form on Canvas in the appropriate assignment dropbox.

Assignment 1: Dietary Self-Assessment

•  The goal of this assignment is to begin evaluating the quality of your usual diet. Using your Food Diary, you'll analyze how your intake compares to recommendations for a person of your gender, age, height, weight, and activity level.
• Specific instructions are available on Canvas. Your assignment consists of two components: a table in which you will show your data and a written report of 1-2 pages in length.

Assignment 2: Designing a Weight Loss Program at Fast Food Restaurants

• The goal of this assignment is to evaluate how a consumer can create a balanced diet for weight loss even at fast food restaurants. (There are no good and bad foods!)
• Specific instructions are available on Canvas. This assignment consists of two components: a table showing the foods you have chosen and their nutrient content and a written report on your impressions of this assignment and the food available at fast food restaurants.

Assignment 3: Computer Dietary Assessment

• In this assignment, you will receive a detailed analysis of all the nutrients in the food you consumed on your Food Diary, as analyzed with professional software by a nutrition professional. You will analyze your diet, compare it to your macro- and micronutrient needs and determine how you could improve your diet to meet your individual health goals.
  
• Specific instructions are available on Canvas. Again, the assignment will include 2 components: a table showing your intake of several nutrients compared to your recommendations and a written report analyzing your diet.

Exams & Quizzes

There will be a weekly quiz that goes over the material covered in class that week, including readings and lecture material. Each week will include some comprehensive questions to keep your knowledge fresh. All quizzes are open-book, open-note, but you will have a time limit of 20 minutes. You are still encouraged to study well to be ready for these quizzes; you will run out of time if you have to look up every single answer. Any questions left unanswered will be marked as incorrect. One question will display at a time, and questions are in random order.

There will be one final exam, held during finals week. You may take the exam at any time during the week. This exam will consist of 50 questions and will be comprehensive. The exam will be open-book, open-note but will be timed. Again, you will not have adequate time to look up every answer, so prepare accordingly.

Course Policies

Communication

The instructor strives to have open communication with students both within and outside of the classroom. Students are encouraged to contact faculty to discuss questions or other issues related to the course. The best way to ask a question about the course or material is to post it on Canvas, under the discussion board "Questions for Virtual Office Hours." I will be monitoring Canvas closely and answer those questions in my Virtual Office Hours video. By posting to the questions board, you may be able to help answer questions that other students have.

Individual concerns should be directed via e-mail to the instructor. Responses to telephone or e-mail messages will usually be transmitted within 48 hours during regular working hours (9AM-5PM, Monday-Friday).  If you do not have a response within this time period, please check to assure you have used the correct e-mail address or phone number and follow up if with course faculty if needed.  Faculty will respond to student questions received during evenings and weekends once they are back in the office during regular business hours. 

Questions about grading should be directed to the course teaching assistant for prompt assistance.

Late Policy

Assignments turned in late will receive an automatic 20% grade reduction for each day late.

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University Academic Policies and Student Support

Course Catalog 

Search the OU Course Catalogue.

Student Handbook

Please familiarize yourself with the OU Student Handbook.

Online Library

Access digital materials and other resources at OU Libraries.

Academic Misconduct

In addition to the course conduct policies outlined by your professor in the Course Syllabus in the online classroom, please review the Graduate Student Handbook. 

It is the responsibility of each student to be familiar with the definitions, policies, and procedures concerning academic misconduct. The Student Code is available from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, and is contained in the Student's Guide to Academic Integrity.

This site also defines misconduct, provides examples of prohibited conduct, and explains the sanctions available for those found guilty of misconduct.

Plagiarism 

Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is basically no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism. 

For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries.

Reasonable Accommodation for Disabilities

The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for all students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who require accommodations in this course should contact their professor as early in the semester as possible.

Students with disabilities must be registered with the Disability Resource Center prior to receiving accommodations in this course.

If you have a disability and you would like to make a request for reasonable accommodation, please see the Graduate Student Handbook or get in touch with the Accessibility and Disability Resource Center.

Adjustments for Pregnancy/Childbirth Related Issues

Should you need modifications or adjustments to your course requirements because of documented pregnancy-related or childbirth-related issues, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss your options. Generally, modifications will be made where medically necessary and similar in scope to accommodations based on temporary disability.  Learn more about the rights of pregnant and parenting students by consulting the FAQ sheets provided by the Institutional Equity Office.

Title IX Resources  

For any concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, stalking, or intimate partner violence, the University offers a variety of resources, including advocates on-call 24/7, counseling services, mutual no contact orders, scheduling adjustments, and disciplinary sanctions against the perpetrator. Please contact the Sexual Misconduct Office at 405-325-2215 (8-5, M-F) or OU Advocates at 405-615-0013 (24/7) to learn more or to report an incident. 

Religious Holidays

It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required classwork that may fall on religious holidays without penalty. It is the responsibility of the student to make alternate arrangements with the instructor at least one week prior to the actual date of the religious holiday.

Copyright Policy

It is illegal to download, upload, reproduce, or distribute any copyrighted material, in any form and in any fashion, without permission from the copyright holder or his/her authorized agent. The University of Oklahoma expects all members of its community to comply fully with federal copyright laws. If such laws appear to have been violated by any user, the university reserves the right (1) to terminate that user’s access to some or all of the university’s computer systems and information resources and (2) to take additional disciplinary actions as deemed necessary or appropriate. Repeat offenders will be sanctioned and their privileges terminated.

Registration and Withdrawal

If you choose to withdraw from this course, you must complete the appropriate University form and turn the form in before the deadline. If you stop attending the course and doing the coursework without doing the required paperwork, your grade will be calculated with missed homework and examination grades entered as zero. This could result in receiving a grade of F in the course. Deadlines are shown in the Academic Calendar, which is available from the Office of the Registrar.

Student Grievances

In addition to any policies outlined related to submitting an informal or formal grievance by your professor in the Course Syllabus in the online classroom, please review the Graduate Student Handbook for more information about the process of submitting a formal grievance.