Course Introduction

This course is designed to give students the nature and effects of specific drugs from all major classes on human beings from the physiological, psychological, and sociological viewpoints.

Course Outcomes

By the end of this course students will be equipped to become valuable health promotion resources by their ability to:

1. Differentiate the major classes of drugs with examples including pharmacology, drug names, and regulation.
2. Give examples of different types of drugs from each major classification including history and use/misuse today.
3. Differentiate the risks and benefits of each drug example.
4. Identify the physiological and psychological effects of major drug types.
5. Explain the impacts of drug use/addiction/dependency on individuals, society, and country.

Grading Schemes

Standard BYU-Idaho Grading Scale
93-100%	A		90-92.9%	A-		87-89.9%	B+
83-86.9%	B		80-82.9%	B-		77-79.9%	C+
73-76.9%	C		70-72.9%	C-		67-69.9%	D+
63-66.9%	D		60-62.9%	D-		Below 60%	F

Don’t expect your final grade to be rounded up. You have all semester to earn your grade; therefore, do not email your instructor at the end of the semester asking to round up your grade. Your grade will be determined by dividing the number of points you earn out of the total possible points for the course and multiplying them by 100. That percentage will determine your final letter grade using the grading scale listed below.

Course Overview and Expectations

Resources & Information Presented:

• All resources provided for this course have been researched and reviewed from several credible sources. I attend conferences and attend webinars to stay up to date on trends each semester. The topics are changing constantly and there are a ton of viewpoints. It is your responsibility to continue your research to stay current with the changing landscape of drug use, misuse, and abuse. This class is not intended to be a “just say no to drugs” nor is it a class of information according to my opinion. I will give you the history, pros, and cons of each drug.

Preparation: Navigating the Course

• Please spend some time after reading the syllabus to go over the “Preparation: Navigating the Course” module in Canvas. This will give you instructions on the layout of the course and how each module is organized (Introduction, Assignments, Lectures, and Exams).

Assignments:

• There are several assignments throughout the semester and all of them are tied to the course outcomes. Each assignment should be done with thought and show understanding of the material.

• Due Date & End Date: All assignments have a due date and time which on Canvas is notified as the DUE DATE. There will also be an END DATE and time notified as four days past the DUE DATE. Assignments are due on the DUE DATE but you will have four grace days to turn in the assignment with no penalty. After the END DATE has passed the assignment will be counted as a zero. I understand that emergencies happen, so please contact me. We are covering a lot of material and it is important to stay up on the assignments and lectures.
• Foundation Resources & Assignments: Most of the modules contain a foundation assignment designed for accountability to the preparation material. There will be videos, articles, and additional material to better prepare you for participation in the class lectures. The information found in the resources are your responsibility to understand and take notes on.
• Preparation: “Always come to class prepared to be taught and to teach… Think about what you have done to be ready to explain what you have learned and what you think.” President Kim B. Clark, Devotional Address, September 5, 2006. You will need to come to class prepared to discuss topics by reading articles, viewing videos, or any other preparation material.
• Discussion Board: There will be periodic discussion board questions posted on I-learn. This gives you all a chance to share any thoughts and comments on different topics. Make sure you look for the opening and closing date and times.
• Lectures - Guided Notes: Data is always changing, and I am updating the information in real time. I do not post the lecture notes in their entirety but post what I call "Guided Notes" (parts of the notes are missing). You can either print them out and fill them in during the lecture or use your laptop to type them in during the lecture. If you miss class it is your responsibility to get the notes from one of your peers.
• Exams: There will be four exams taken through I-Learn with an approximate time limit of 75 minutes. Each exam will be open for approximately 48 hours and cover all the readings, guided notes, and supplemental material located in the modules. Once an exam has closed it cannot be made up or opened back up. Student who are taking this class on-line, the exams will administered through Proctorio.  

Instructor Communication:

• Please get in touch with me if you have questions. We can set up appointments in person, communicate through email, visit over the phone, or set up a Zoom meeting. If there are changes to the schedule, I will let you know in class, on Canvas Announcements, or through e-mail.

Personal Experiences:

• Please do not share personal experiences. There may be several of you who are currently struggling with addiction, have taken drugs/alcohol in the past, or know someone personally who has taken drugs. The information in this course or the discussions in class can be personal. For this purpose, I would ask you to NOT share personal experiences using the first-person during class. Form your experience into a question or state you “know someone who...” I encourage you to ask questions and avoid assumptions about the material.

• Respect: Addiction and naivety to the topics are real issues for a lot of people. You will have the opportunity to understand what addiction is and how to deal with your own vices in life. This class is not a forum to condemn those who suffer from addiction of any form or is it a support group. If you feel that you need additional help with issues brought up in class, please contact me outside of class or seek the appropriate help from professionals.

DISCLAIMER:

• Drug abuse is not pretty. You will see and hear information that for some is unbelievable. My intention in this class is not to offend, shock, or gross you out. Certain drugs affect people mentally, physically, emotionally, and socially. If any of the topics relating to addiction are too personal at this time, then this might not be the right semester to be taking this course. Please be aware of your own limits and triggers.

Course Materials

I will be using multiple textbooks, articles, journals, and videos in this course. The portions of them will be posted as PDF documents in specific modules. There are no required textbooks to purchase.

Course Standards

Learning Model Architecture

Prepare

As you complete the preparation activities, prime your mind to learn and teach others. Your weekly preparation begins by reading the overview and supplemental documents. You will then read and ponder the foundation material, which sets the correct paradigm for the lesson. After studying the foundation material, you will then be ready to study the readings from the textbook. The relevant information will help you make meaningful connections to the lesson content.

Teach One Another

Teaching your classmates gives you, a prepared student, the opportunity to act for yourself and to develop a deeper understanding of the course materials. You will have many opportunities to work with others as you complete the group assignments throughout the semester. Along with teaching your classmates in formal group activities, look for informal means of teaching and helping one another as you interact with your classmates.

Ponder/Prove

You will extend and solidify your learning by pondering and proving new knowledge. Ponder and prove activities are the application activities in which you will combine lesson principles with application to your own health program design. You will generally complete one application activity in each lesson.

Prerequisites

None

University Policies 

• Honor Code
• Following the Honor Code is of great importance as you strive to be a disciple of Christ. Academic honesty and integrity are expected of all BYU-I students. To copy someone else’s work from the Internet, a book, or from any other source, and claiming it to be your own work, is plagiarism. Posting notes, assignments, or test questions online is also prohibited.  Read the official definitions of plagiarism and cheating from the Academic Honesty portion of the Honor Code. Each case of plagiarism or cheating will be dealt with by the instructor. When working on a group project, you have the responsibility to assure that others in the group do not plagiarize. Any academic dishonesty issue will be referred to the BYU-I Dean of Students, if necessary. Even though you are taking this course online, BYU-Idaho's Dress and Grooming standards still apply. By adhering to the Honor Code you will create a learning environment, “consistent with the ideals and principles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” (Honor Code webpage) 
• Academic Honesty 
• Academic honesty is required in every part of our department and its programs. Students are expected to be academically honest in their study habits and, especially, in the taking of quizzes and examinations. As followers of Christ, all BYU–Idaho on-campus or on-line students, staff, and faculty are expected to be honest in all their dealings. This also applies and extends to behavior and actions related to academic work. It is critical for students to understand the seriousness of academic dishonesty and misconduct, which are not tolerated by the University, and strive to produce and submit only the results of their own effort and original work. 

Please refer to BYU-Idaho’s Academic Honesty Policy from the link below:

 BYUI Academic Honesty Policy 

To copy another person’s work from the Internet, a book, or from any other source and claiming it to be your own work, is plagiarism. One of the most common forms of plagiarism or cheating is called cloning. Cloning is the copying of text from a source and then pasting the copy into your own work without citing where the information came from.

We do not permit the use of any electronic devices to access outside materials during an exam or quiz. Do not seek answers from on-line sources during an exam. During a test/exam/quiz, you are to perform strictly from your memory. Do not prepare answers using outside sources and then paste or copy them into your exam.

It is worth remembering that while students are encouraged to work with one another and share ideas, the sharing of text, code, or anything like that is inappropriate. When working on a group project, you have the responsibility to assure that others in the group do not plagiarize. Remember: there is never an acceptable excuse for plagiarism or cheating.

Although the Academic Honesty section of the University Policies explains what constitutes each of the many forms of academic dishonesty as well as procedures and guidelines for handling such incidents, specific application of consequences are left up to each individual instructor.

Penalties for Academic Dishonesty may include on or more of the following:

• Reprimanding the student orally or in writing.
• Requiring work affected by academic dishonesty to be redone.
• Administering a lower or failing grade on the affected assignment, test, or course.
• Referring the student to the Dean of Students for honor violation.
• Work with the Dean of Students to remove the student from the course.
• Recommending to the Dean of Students that the student be put on probation or dismissed.  (BYUI Academic Honest Policy)

 

USING ELECTRONIC STUDY MATERIALS

Academic honesty is required in every class offered by or used in the Health Services Department. Students are expected to be academically honest in their study habits and, especially, in the taking of quizzes and examinations. With that in mind, we advise you that all examinations and quizzes are to be taken without the aid of any outside materials.

Many students have turned to electronic learning tools to help them prepare for quizzes and examinations. These websites can be very helpful. However, YOU MAY NOT POST ANY QUIZ, TEST OR CLASS MATERIALS FROM THESE SITES IN ANY CLASS IN OUR PROGRAM (see above link to BYUI Academic Honesty Policy).  Doing so violates academic integrity, not only for you, but for anyone else who uses that material. Please be aware that YOU MAY NOT use other people’s materials on this site either. Study from your OWN efforts.

Be aware that all BYU-Idaho course materials, quizzes, exams, and tests are copyrighted. The textbooks that we use are also copyrighted. It is unlawful to copy test questions or content from any examination into electronic learning tools. It is also unlawful to copy any textbook content or verbiage into these sites. We hereby inform you that plagiarism is illegal and that it is a violation of the BYU- Idaho Honor Code. Copyright violations are similarly illegal and a violation of the Honor Code.

Turnitin

Turnitin is a Web-based service that identifies passages in submitted papers or class assignments that match passages in other sources, such as websites, articles in scholarly journals, and other student papers. Turnitin then generates an Originality Report, which highlights passages of matching text. This allows faculty to determine whether a paper contains plagiarized material (Oregon State University 2021).

Faculty members teaching classes offered by the Health Services Department at BYUI may incorporate the use of Turnitin to monitor students’ use of plagiarism in their course. 

The following links will help you to become familiar with how the Turnitin process works.

Turnitin student view

Turnitin Teacher View

If Turnitin is being used in a class you are enrolled in, please take the time to insure you fully understand how the teacher has incorporated Turnitin into their class. Students who are flagged by Turnitin may be subject to penalties for academic dishonesty.

Copyright violations are similarly illegal and a violation of the Honor Code. So…the moral of the story is to cite your sources using the American Psychological Association (APA) format for all assessment/accountability quizzes.

• Dress and Grooming
• Student Support
• Sexual Harassment
• Students with Disabilities
• ADA Statement
  In compliance with applicable disability law, qualified students with a disability may be entitled to “reasonable accommodation.” It is your responsibility as a student to disclose to the instructor any special need you may have by the end of the first week of the semester and provide a letter from the Disability Services office.

 

Additional Information

Tutoring

Tutoring options for online students are available through the Academic Support Centers. There are tutors available to help you with your writing questions and there might be course-specific tutoring available. Check the Academic Support Center's web page for more details.

Disclaimer

This syllabus and the course schedule may be changed at any time prior to or during the semester as the need arises based upon circumstances. Any changes will be available to view on the course documents.