The North Central Texas College (NCTC) Course Syllabus provides the following as required by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB): (1) a brief description of the course including each major course requirement, assignment and examination; (2) the learning objectives for the course; (3) a general description of the subject matter of each lecture or discussion; and (4) any required or recommended readings.  Contact information for the instructor is also provided. The Course Syllabus also provides institutional information to indicate how this course supports NCTC’s purpose and mission. Information specific to a particular section of the course will be included in the Class Syllabus and distributed to enrolled students.

REQUIRED OR RECOMMENDED COURSE MATERIALS

   There is no required text for this class. All reading material for the course will be instructor-generated (my notes) or assigned web sites.  If you would feel more comfortable with a written text, Wardlaw’s Contemporary Nutrition; Smith, Anne M. and Collene, Angela L. ; Tenth Edition; Pearson Publishing, is available at all NCTC campus bookstores.  All supplemental and resource material is provided on the CANVAS page for our course. NCTC open computer labs have suitable systems to complete all online work.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS, EVALUATION METHODS AND GRADING CRITERIA

 Of the 700 total points, 89.5 % (627 points) and above is an A; 79.5 % (557points) and above is a B; 69.5% (487 points) and above is a C; 59.5 % (417 points) and above is a D; and below 59.5% (417 points) is an F.

• All assignments are to be turned in by 11:59 PM on the day due. No credit will be given for assignments not turned in on time. Exams may be taken at a different time than assigned with a written excuse from a medical professional or if the instructor is notified before the time of the exam and permission granted to take the exam at a different time than the rest of the class.
• Makeup exams and “on-campus” written exams may be in a different format than the exam taken by the class at the regular time but will cover the same material.
• An optional final exam is offered and may take the place of one previous exam grade. The final exam will be comprehensive and will be made up of questions similar to questions on previous exams. It must be taken online on the Wednesday of final exam week (May 10th).
• Exams will be timed and will be comprised of questions in true/false, multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank format, plus definitions and descriptions. All material on tests will have been covered in the reading materials assigned. A comprehensive review for each chapter will be made available prior to each test.
• If taking a timed online exam in which you will be asked to answer 33 questions in 18 minutes is not something you feel you can be successful at and if you cannot take the on-campus test as an alternative, do not take this course.

Failure to complete three assignments or tests by the due date may result in dismissal from this course. Students will not be notified prior to being dropped and are responsible for initiating all withdrawal procedures.

If a student cannot complete the requirements of this course due to illness or unavoidable conflict, they must request, in writing, a grade of “I” (incomplete) to be eligible to complete the course at a later date. The instructor must reply in writing, outlining what must be done to complete the course. If an Incomplete is not granted, the student will receive a grade based on their total points at the end of the semester in which they were enrolled. 

              Tentative  Description of subject matter and dates for each week.

INSTITUTIONAL LEARNING GOALS

x          A quality general education curriculum in all associate degree programs.

x          Quality freshman and sophomore level courses in arts and sciences which parallel the lower division offerings of four-year colleges and universities.

o           Quality technical programs leading directly to careers in semi-skilled and skilled occupations, and quality technical education programs up to two years in length leading to certificates and associate degrees.

o           Quality programs and services in support of adult literacy and basic skills development as a mean of workforce enhancement and expanding access to higher education.

PROGRAM PURPOSE STATEMENT

NCTC seeks to implement its goal of offering quality general education curriculum in all associate degrees by offering a core of general education courses designed to help students achieve academic, career and lifelong goals.  Acquiring knowledge, thinking critically, and utilizing the methodologies of various disciplines exposed students to experiences that serve to advance their personal growth.  The chief focus of the General Education Core Curriculum at NCTC is to emphasize Exemplary Educational Objectives and Basic Intellectual Competencies.

DEPARTMENTAL PURPOSE STATEMENT

The purpose of the Science Department is to provide instruction in the areas of chemistry and biology as these disciplines relate to the overall mission of NCTC, and to provide a qualified, competent faculty, and staff to ensure that the delivery of the instruction of these courses is consistently of high quality.

STATEMENT OF SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE EXPECTED OF NCTC GRADUATES

NCTC seeks to implement its goal of offering a core of general education courses designed to help students achieve academic, career and lifelong goals. The chief focus of the General Education Core Courses at NCTC is to emphasize basic intellectual competencies and broad intellectual perspectives.

CORE CURRICULUM COMPONENT AREA

The overall objectives of the Wellness component area, which is an Institutionally Designated Option (IDO), is to enable students to experience benefits related to physical activity and to increase their knowledge of concepts of physical well being. 

WELLNESS: EXEMPLARY EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES (EEOs)

o   (IDO1)       To demonstrate an understanding of wellness concepts.

x (IDO2)       To experience course curriculum that promotes healthy lifestyles through diet

                        and exercise.

o   (IDO3)       To accomplish immediate physical fitness objectives through individualized

                        physical tests and measurements.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

BASIC INTELLECTUAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS COURSE

x READING – Reading at the college level means the ability to analyze and interpret a variety of printed materials – books, articles and documents.  A core curriculum should offer student the opportunity to master both general methods of analyzing printed materials and specific methods for analyzing the subject matter of individual disciplines.

x  WRITING – Competency in writing is the ability to produce clear, correct, and coherent prose adapted to purpose, occasion, and audience.  Although correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation are each a sine qua non in any composition, they do not automatically ensure that the composition itself makes sense or that the writer has much of anything to say.  Students need to be familiar with the writing process including how to discover a topic and how to develop and organize it, how to phrase it effectively for their audience.  These abilities can be acquired only through practice and reflection.

o   SPEAKING – Competence in speaking is the ability to communicate orally in clear, coherent, and persuasive language appropriate to purpose, occasion, and audience.  Developing this competency includes acquiring poise and developing control of the language through experience in making presentations to small groups, to large groups, and through the media.

x  LISTENING – Listening at the college level means the ability to analyze and interpret various forms of spoken communication.

x  CRITICAL THINKING – Critical thinking embraces methods for applying both qualitative and quantitative skills analytically and creatively to subject matter in order to evaluate arguments and to construct alternative strategies.  Problem solving is one of the applications of critical thinking, used to address an identified task.

x  COMPUTER LITERACY – Computer literacy at the college level means the ability to use computer-based technology in communicating, solving problems, and acquiring information.  Core-educated students should have an understanding of the limits, problems, and possibilities associated with the use of technology, and should have the tools necessary to evaluate and learn new technologies as they become available.

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES