Current trends and issues relating to nutrition, food, and food products are examined. Topics may include the organic movement, nutrition and health related product trends in modern society, food and the economy, food politics and food labeling. Global food systems and trends will be explored. Socio-cultural and socioeconomic impacts on food behaviors and health will be discussed. Students will apply course concepts to their practice and/or area of study and expertise.
Students in this course will meet the following program-specific competencies, learning how to:
Develop and utilize nutrition concepts and best-practices for nutrition and health promotion initiatives.
Interpret and modify explanations of complex nutrition concepts for various audiences
Develop communications and collaboration strategies with representatives from government, non-profit, community, and business entities regarding nutrition initiatives
Students in this course will learn how to:
Assess arguments posed by relevant scholarly literature
Convey discipline-specific information to a diverse audience
Identify current trends and issues within the field of nutrition
Posit evidence-based solutions to nutrition-related issues and controversies
Describe the relationship between food and society
6 Checkpoint Assignments: A series of short reflection papers and activities intended to build skills necessary to succeed in the key assessments
Key Assessment 1: Position Paper
Key Assessment 2: Blog Post
Discussion Board:
You will be required to participate in discussions. Initial posts are due on Sundays, and responses are due by Wednesday. If the initial post and response are not submitted within the discussion week you will be given a zero. Posts submitted after the discussion week will not be graded.
Your success in the course relies on robust discussion, critical thinking, and peer-response. Weekly posts responding to prompts posed are meant to facilitate a deeper understanding of the broader themes of the course as well as enrich the readings, handouts, and lectures. Your initial response should be no less than 400 words. Peer-responses should be no less than 200 words and must be thoughtful, contain compliment as well as constructive criticism, and maintain a professional tone.
Furthermore, in regard to all assignments, please observe the following:
As professionals in the field, you will consistently be expected to clearly and concisely articulate advanced concepts for diverse audiences at a variety of educational levels.
Graduate students are expected to produce their best quality work, including screening their work prior to submission for clarity, grammatical, spelling, formatting and mechanical issues.
While there is often a portion of each assignment’s rubric dedicated specifically to grammar, spelling, mechanics, and formatting, it is critical to understand that failure to submit work that has been adequately proofed may result in a reduction of points in other areas of the rubric. These may include, but are not limited to metrics rating professionalism or content knowledge and synthesis; work submitted in graduate courses should provide evidence of strategic reading, writing, and academic speaking skills essential for success in the discipline.
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
6 Checkpoint Assignments | 30 (5 points each) |
Discussion Board | 32 (4 points each) |
Key Assessment 1: The Position Paper | 22 |
Key Assessment 2: The Blog Post | 16 |
Total | 100 |
Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
Week One: 8/31 – 9/7
Week Two: 9/7 – 9/14
Week Three: 9/14 – 9/21
Week Four: 9/21 – 9/28
Week Five: 9/28 – 10/5
Week Six: 10/5 – 10/19
Week Seven: 10-12 – 10/19
Week Eight: 10/26 – 10/30
Weekly Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
Lectures
Lecture 1: Food and Society
Video Tutorial: How to Find Articles in the Library Databases
Required Readings
Recommended Readings
Recommended Videos
Assignments
Checkpoint Assignment 1: Food and Your Identity Reflection
Discussions
Introduce Yourself! Please share information about yourself with your classmates.
Weekly Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to:
Lectures:
Required Readings
Recommended Readings
For Checkpoint Assignment
Assignments
Checkpoint Assignment 2: Reading and Interpreting Scholarly Articles
Discussions
Find the website for a popular chain restaurant (Chili’s, Applebees, Red Lobster, Ruby Tuesday, etc.) Take a close look at the site. Share the link in this discussion post and answer the required questions.
Please also email the instructor your topic for the position paper.
Weekly Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
Lectures
Required Readings
Recommended
Assignments
Checkpoint Assignment 3: Choose a Dietary Restriction
Discussions
After reviewing the guidelines for SNAP funding please identify what a family of three on a poverty line income would get from SNAP. Then think about how you would feed yourself or your family if SNAP benefits were your only food budget.
Weekly Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
Lectures
No lectures this week. Please use this time to finesse and complete your position paper.
Optional Videos
Required Readings
The only required readings are those needed for your weekly discussion post.
Recommended
Assignments
Key Assessment 1 Position Paper Due
Discussions
Hot Topic Discussion: In the weekly announcements a hot topic will be provided. You will investigate the topic and form an opinion backed by credible sources and describe why you took that position.
Weekly Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
Lectures
Required Readings
Recommended
Recommended Videos
Assignments
Checkpoint Assignment 4: Practicing Your Web Writing Skills
Discussions
Clashing Views Discussion: Read the article about the 2015 dietary guidelines. Do you think the guidelines are adequate to promote health? Why or why not? You should find a credible source to support your opinion. Please respond to at least one other post.
Weekly Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
Lectures
Lecture 6: Industrialization: Is It the Monster People Think It Is?
Required Readings
Recommended
Assignments
Checkpoint Assignment 5: The Fruits of Globalization Reflection
Discussions
Weekly Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
Lectures
Required Readings
Recommended
Required Videos
Assignments
Key Assessment 2 Blog Post Due
Discussions
Clashing Views Discussion: Each of you will be organized into groups of two and will be given, by the instructor, a controversial topic in nutrition.
Weekly Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
Lectures
Required Readings
Assignments
Checkpoint Assignment 6: Course Reflection and Portfolio Piece
Discussions
Think about how you want to make a contribution to the field of applied nutrition. What topics in the course inspired you? Where do you feel you could make a meaningful intervention?
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Visit the Student Support Applied Nutrition page
The Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a range of services to support your academic achievement, including tutoring, writing support, test prep and studying strategies, learning style consultations, and many online resources. To make an appointment for tutoring, writing support, or a learning specialist consultation, go to une.tutortrac.com. To access our online resources, including links, guides, and video tutorials, please visit:
Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.
Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.
Students should notify their Student Support Specialist and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.
ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.
The College of Professional Studies supports its online students and alumni in their career journey!
The Career Ready Program provides tools and resources to help students explore and hone in on their career goals, search for jobs, create and improve professional documents, build professional network, learn interview skills, grow as a professional, and more. Come back often, at any time, as you move through your journey from career readiness as a student to career growth, satisfaction, and success as alumni.
In keeping with the requirements of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, the American Medical Association (AMA) Manual of Style, 11th edition is the required writing format for this course and is available at both UNE libraries under the title "AMA Manual." Additional support for academic writing and AMA format is provided throughout the coursework as well as at the UNE Portal for Online Students.
Online resources: AMA Style Guide
The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.
Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in AMA citation and academic writing.
You can learn more about Turnitin in the guide on how to navigate your Similarity Report.
Assignments: Assignments submitted after the due date and time will receive a deduction of 10% of the total possible grade for each day it is late. After three days, the assignment will not be accepted. No assignments will be accepted after the course ends.
Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, acceptance of the discussion board is at the discretion of the faculty. Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded (does not apply to practicum).
Students are encouraged to make every effort ahead of time to contact their instructor and their student support specialist if they are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements
Course surveys are one of the most important tools that University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.
8 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.
16 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Friday at 11:59 pm ET of the second week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.
Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.