Syllabus
Master of Science in Applied Nutrition
APN 717: Food Justice and Advocacy (Fall B 2023)
Credits - 3
Description
Food access, food sovereignty, and the economics of food will be investigated. Local and international social justice and food advocacy initiatives will be investigated. Social feeding programs, community needs assessments and funding for food advocacy programs will be examined. Topics include access to food, the impacts of income inequality, discrimination, regional conflict and sanctions on parity in food choice and food availability, and food deserts.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
Program Objectives
- Develop communications and collaboration strategies with representatives from government, non-profit, community, and business entities regarding nutrition initiatives
- Interpret and modify explanations of complex nutrition concepts for various audiences
Course Outcomes
- Students will evaluate food justice and food sovereignty, how they are related to broader justice issues, and their own role in relation to food justice issues.
- Students will identify and critique government agencies and nongovernmental organizations with a food justice focus.
- Students will analyze the origins of food injustice issues along with associated obstacles to their resolution.
- Students will propose and defend a grant proposal for governance, advocacy, and direct services solutions to a food justice issue.
Assignments
Food Systems Assessment
Key Assessment Part 1 – Identification of Food Justice Issue
Key Assessment Part 2 – Review of Programs
Key Assessment Part 3 – Selection of Advisory Committees
Key Assessment Part 4 – Justification for Grant Proposal
Key Assessment Part 5 – Review of Justifications
Key Assessment Part 6 – Submit Grant Proposal
Open Book Essay Exam
Discussion Board
You will be required to participate in discussions. Initial posts are due on Sundays, and responses are due by Tuesday. 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 compliments as well as constructive criticism, and maintain a professional tone.
Furthermore, in regard to all assignments, please observe the following:
- All assignments must be completed using AMA formatting where appropriate.
- All times refer to Eastern Time (ET).
- All questions about assignments and all questions, in general, should be sent through email.
Writing Statement
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.
Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Assignment: | Point Value: |
|---|---|
| Discussions | 7 Discussions, 4 points each = 28 points |
| Food Systems Assessment | 5 |
| Key Assessment - Identification of food justice Issue | 5 |
| Key Assessment - Review of Programs | 10 |
| Key Assessment - Selection of Advisory Committees | 2 |
| Key Assessment - Justification for Grant Proposal | 10 |
| Open Book Essay Exam | 20 |
| Key Assessment - Review of Justifications | 5 |
| Key Assessment - Submit Grant Proposal | 15 |
| Total | 100 |
Grade Scale
| 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 |
Schedule
Weekly Dates
Week 1: Oct 25 – Oct 31
Week 2: Nov 1 – Nov 7
Week 3: Nov 8 – Nov 14
Week 4: Nov 15 – Nov 21
Week 5: Nov 22 – Nov 28
Week 6: Nov 29 – Dec 5
Week 7: Dec 6 – Dec 12
Week 8: Dec 13 – Dec 17
Week 1: Systems level overview of Food Justice
Please note all due date times are according to Eastern Time. If you have questions or concerns, please contact your instructor.
Weekly Learning Outcomes
- Explain food justice at a systems level
- Evaluate the relationships among food justice and other justice and environmental issues
- Discuss the limitations in appraising food justice issues and predicting the results of implemented solutions
Lectures
Required Reading
- Textbook: Introduction, Chapters 5, 10
- Hayes CR, Carbone ET. Food Justice: What is it? Where has it been? Where is it going? Journal of Nutritional Disorders & Therapy. 2015;05(04).
- Glennie C, Alkon AH. Food justice: cultivating the field. Environmental Research Letters. 2018;13(7):073003.
Assignments
Food Systems Assessment
Discussions
Week 2: Food Security
Weekly Learning Outcomes
- Explain the ways in which an individual or community may become food insecure
- Critique federally funded programs that impact food security
- Propose solutions to improve food security locally and globally
Lectures
Required Reading
- Textbook: Chapters 8, 11, 12, 16
- Prosekov AY, Ivanova SA. Food security: The challenge of the present. Geoforum 2018; 91:73-77.
Assignments
Key Assessment – Identification of food justice Issue
Discussions
Week 3: Food Sovereignty
Weekly Learning Outcomes
- Examine the role of socioeconomic status on food sovereignty
- Propose novel solutions to address food sovereignty issues
- Evaluate the impact of the global food system on food sovereignty
Lectures
Required Reading
- Textbook: Chapter 2, 9
- Bell-Sheeter A, A-dae Romero V, Segrest V, Foxworth, R. Food sovereignty assessment tool. Fredericksburg, VA: First Nations Development Institute. 2015
- Leventon J, Laudan J. Local food sovereignty for global food security? Highlighting interplay challenges. Geoforum. 2017;85:23-26.
Assignments
Key Assessment – Review of Programs
Discussions
Week 4: How do we solve food justice problems?
Weekly Learning Outcomes
- Highlight the complexity of solving food justice problems
- Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses related to solving food justice problems
Lectures
Required Reading
- van Berkum S, Dengerink J, Ruben R. The Food Systems Approach: Sustainable Solutions for a Sufficient Supply of Healthy Food. Wageningen Economic Research; 2018.
- Podcast: Food is no longer the hunger solution.
- Mumford MD, Zaccaro SJ, Harding FD, Jacobs TO, Fleishman EA. Leadership skills for a changing world: Solving complex social problems. The Leadership Quarterly. 2000; 11 (1):11–35.
Assignments
Key Assessment – Selection of Advisory Committees
Discussions
Week 5: Food justice solutions – Direct Services
Weekly Learning Outcomes
- Evaluate direct services focused on addressing food justice issues
- Assess the role of urban food programs within the food justice movement
- Justify the value of the proposed food justice program
Lectures
Required Reading
- Textbook: Chapters 4, 15
- Review the Food Justice Page on Food Tank’s website.
- Clendenning J, Dressler WH, Richards C. Food justice or food sovereignty? Understanding the rise of urban food movements in the USA. Agriculture and Human Values. 2015;33(1):165-177.
- Miller ER, Crews DC. Disparities in Diet Quality. JAMA Network Open. 2018;1(2).
Assignments
Key Assessment – Justification for your grant proposal
Discussions
Week 6: Food justice solutions – Research and Advocacy
Weekly Learning Outcomes
- Analyze advocacy principles as applied to a food justice issue
- Relate research and advocacy
- Critique food justice project justifications as part of an advisory committee
Lectures
Required Reading
- Textbook: Chapters 17, 18
- London M. Understanding social advocacy. Journal of Management Development. 2010; 29:224-245.
- Hertel S. Hungry for justice: social mobilization on the right to food in India. Development and Change. 2014; 46:72-94.
- Glennie C, Alkon AH. Food justice: cultivating the field. Environ Res Lett. 2018; 13:
- Croog R, Hayes-Conroy A, Gutierrez-Velez VH, Montoya AS. Real world food justice and the enigma of the scholar-activist label: A reflection on research values. ACME: An International Journal for Critical Geographies, 2018; 17(4):1024-1044.
Assignments
Key Assessment – Review of Justifications
Discussions
Week 7: Food justice solutions – Governance
Weekly Learning Outcomes
- Summarize the ways in which governance is vital to achieving food justice
- Develop and submit a food justice grant proposal
Lectures
Required Reading
- Textbook: Chapter 14
- Wekerle GR. Food Justice Movements. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 2004; 23(4), 378–386.
- Food for Thought.
Assignments
Open Book Essay Exam
Key Assessment – Submit Grant Proposal
Week 8: The Future of Food Justice & Jobs in Food Justice
Weekly Learning Outcomes
- Compose a food justice job description
- Cite the qualifications and requirements for a career focused on food justice
Lectures
Required Reading
- Textbook: Conclusion
- Building Power to Transform our Food and Farm Systems. Heal Food Alliance.
Assignments
No Assignments this week
Discussions
Student Resources
Online Student Support
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
UNE Libraries:
- Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Blackboard/Brightspace.
- Applied Nutrition Database
- Library Tutorial: Find an article
- Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.
UNE Student Academic Success Center
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:
Information Technology Services (ITS)
- ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673
Accommodations
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.
Policies
AMA Writing Style Statement
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
Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool
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 Turnitin Student quick start guide.
Technology Requirements
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements
Course Evaluation Policy
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.
Attendance Policy
Online students are required to submit a graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. If a student does not submit a posting to the graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET, the student will be automatically dropped from the course for non-participation. Review the full attendance policy.
Late Policy
Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.
Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.
Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.
UNE Course Withdrawal
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.
Academic Integrity
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:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.
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.