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Syllabus

Master of Science in Applied Nutrition

APN 760 Micronutrients: Nutrition and Functional Applications – Fall A 2020

Credits - 3

Description

This course examines the role of micronutrients and micronutrient metabolism in human health and nutrition, specifically the digestion, absorption, transport, storage and excretion of vitamins and minerals. Homeostatic mechanisms and micronutrient interactions with dietary, organic and inorganic compounds will be explored. Topics will include micronutrients and medical nutrition therapy, micronutrient toxicity and deficiency, bioavailability of micronutrients and clinical implications of micronutrient status.

Materials

Required Materials

Required course readings will be assigned weekly with each course module. These readings may be accessed through the UNE Library. Articles and other readings not available through the UNE Library will be posted within Blackboard. The course does not require any additional course materials.

Recommended Materials

The following materials are recommended, but not required, for the course.

  • Gropper SAS, Smith JL, Carr TP. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism. Boston, MA: Cengage; 2018.
  • Institute of Medicine of The National Academies. DRI Nutrient Reports.
  • Linus Pauling Micronutrient Information Center. Oregon State University.
    • Access articles on specific micronutrients via top navigation bar > Articles > Vitamins or > Articles > Minerals or Articles > Other Nutrients.
  • Office of Dietary Supplements. National Institutes of Health. Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Program Objectives

  • Develop and utilize nutrition concepts and best-practices for nutrition and health promotion initiatives
  • Apply core research principles to measure the nutrition status and environment of individuals and communities
  • Interpret and modify explanations of complex nutrition concepts for various audiences
  • Research, develop and disseminate evidence-based and theory driven educational materials and work-products at an audience appropriate level for topics related to nutrition and health promotion

Course Outcomes

  • Evaluate the role of genetics, growth, lifestyle, diet, nutrition status, health status, disease, socioeconomic factors, and environment in vitamin and mineral requirements, bioavailability, digestion, absorption, transport, storage, metabolism, utilization, and excretion.
  • Integrate current knowledge of micronutrient sources, interactions, biochemistry, physiologic demand, deficiency/toxicity, and assessment into nutrition practice.
  • Construct and effectively communicate scientifically sound responses to consumer and professional questions regarding the role and therapeutic mechanisms of micronutrients in human health.
  • Systematically analyze, evaluate, and synthesize current research regarding therapeutic applications of vitamins and minerals in health promotion, deficiency/toxicity prevention, and disease management.
  • Deconstruct current methods, challenges, and opportunities of assessing, diagnosing, monitoring, and evaluating vitamin and mineral nutriture in humans.
  • Select appropriate evidence-based opportunities for recommending vitamin, mineral, or multivitamin mineral supplementation to meet nutrient requirements of patients and clients depending on their health status and goals.

Assignments

Lectures

This course is lecture-based; please see each week’s module for required, supplemental and optional viewing as applicable.

Key Assessment: Systematic Review Project in 8 Parts

You will complete five template worksheets submitted at weekly intervals that relate to each of the steps of the systematic review process. These templates will be used to write the systematic review manuscript and develop the systematic review presentation. You will prepare a 1-page visual abstract illustrating the key elements and answer to your systematic review nutrition question. You will prepare and deliver a 20 to 30 minute narrated professional presentation based on the information in your systematic review manuscript. You will write a systematic review manuscript of no more than 20 pages following Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior author guidelines that explores the role of at least one micronutrient intervention in the prevention, management or treatment of an acute or chronic disease.

Reflection/ePortfolio

This piece will eventually end up as part of the final capstone assessment, so please also include it in the Google Drive folder you have created for your portfolio.

Discussion Boards

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 compliment 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

Regular Discussions (1 per week; 8 weeks)3.75 * 8 = 30
Syllabus and Final Project Contract1
Week 1 - Topic and Research Question Template5
Week 2 - Methodology Template5
Week 3 - Literature Selection Template5
Week 4 - Instructor-Student Conference3
Week 4 - Study Overview Table Template5
Week 5 - Summary of Findings Template5
Week 6 - Systematic Review Visual Abstract6
Week 7 - Systematic Review Presentation15
Week 7 - Systematic Review Manuscript15
Week 8 - Reflection/ePortfolio5
Total100

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: Aug 26 – Sep 1

Week 2: Sep 2 – Sep 8

Week 3: Sep 9 – Sep 15

Week 4: Sep 16 – Sep 22

Week 5: Sep 23 – Sep 29

Week 6: Sep 30 – Oct 6

Week 7: Oct 7 – Oct 13

Week 8: Oct 14 – Oct 18

Week One: Systematic Review of Micronutrients

Weekly Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  1. Conduct an effective and efficient literature search in PubMed and other scientific literature databases to locate research pertinent to answering a nutrition question.
  2. Analyze the components of a primary research article to identify strengths and limitations for answering a nutrition question.
  3. Evaluate study design to determine the quality of research.
  4. Synthesize study design and outcomes across multiple studies to answer a nutrition question.
  5. Translate findings gathered from the analysis and evaluation of multiple studies to nutrition policy and practice.

Lectures

Required Readings

  1. McKeever L, Nguyen V, Peterson SJ, Gomez-Perez S, Braunschweig C. Demystifying the search button: A comprehensive PubMed search strategy for performing an exhaustive literature review. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2015;39(6): 622-635.
  2. Lipman TO. Critical reading and critical thinking—study design and methodology: A personal approach on how to read the clinical literature. Nutr Clin Pract. 2013;28(2):158-164.
  3. Pannucci CJ, Wilkins EG. Identifying and avoiding bias in research. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2010;126(2):619-625.
  4. Koretz RL, Lipman TO. Understanding systematic reviews and meta-analyses. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2017;41(3):316-323.
  5. Handu D, Moloney L, Wolfram T, Ziegler P, Acosta A, Steiber A. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Methodology for Conducting Systematic Reviews for the Evidence Analysis Library. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016;116(2):311-318.

Assignment

  • Final Project, Part 1: Topic and Research Question Template

Discussion

Week Two: B Vitamins

Weekly Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  1. Define good dietary sources of the B vitamins.
  2. Outline key synergistic roles of the B vitamins in human metabolism.
  3. Apply current evidence-based literature and clinical practice guidelines to prevent, assess, and manage B vitamins deficiencies including beriberi, Wernicke’s encephalopathy, ariboflavinosis, pellagra, biotinidase deficiency.
  4. Analyze, evaluate, and synthesize current research regarding therapeutic uses of the B vitamins for chronic disease prevention and management including heart failure (thiamin), migraine headaches (riboflavin), hypercholesterolemia (niacin and pantothenic acid), wound healing (pantothenic acid), brittle nails and alopecia (biotin).
  5. Critique health benefits versus risks of B vitamin food enrichment and fortification programs nationally and internationally.

Lectures

Required Readings

  1. Thiamin. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  2. Riboflavin. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  3. Niacin. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  4. Pantothenic Acid. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  5. Biotin. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  6. Sechi G, Sech E, Fois C, Kumar N. Advances in clinical determinants and neurological manifestations of B vitamin deficiency in adults. Nutr Rev. 2016;74(5):281-300.
  7. Frank LL. Thiamin in clinical practice. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2015;39(5):503-520.
  8. Dwyer JT, Wiemer KL, Dary O, et al. Fortification and health: challenges and opportunities. Adv Nutr. 2015;6:124-131.

See course for additional readings.

Assignment

  • Final Project, Part 2: Methodology Template

Discussion

Week Three – Micronutrients and Blood Health

Weekly Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  1. Define good dietary sources of folate/folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, iron.
  2. Distinguish dietary form, food sources, bioavailability, metabolism, and physiologic function between folate and folic acid as well as heme and non-heme iron.
  3. Analyze when and where vitamin B12 and iron digestion and absorption may be compromised given patient/client diet preferences, health status, and medical history.
  4. Outline key synergistic roles of folate, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, iron in human metabolism and red blood cell formation, structure, and function.
  5. Differentiate between nutrition-related microcytic and macrocytic anemias given hematologic biomarkers.
  6. Apply current evidence-based literature and clinical practice guidelines to prevent, assess, and manage nutrition-related anemias including folate-deficiency anemia, microcytic anemia, vitamin B12-deficiency anemia, pernicious anemia, and iron-deficiency anemia.
  7. Analyze, evaluate, and synthesize current research regarding therapeutic uses of folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 for chronic disease prevention and management including neural tube defects (folate), morning sickness (vitamin B6), and cardiovascular disease (folate and vitamin B12).

Lectures

Required Readings

  1. Vitamin B6. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  2. Folate. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  3. Vitamin B12. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  4. Iron. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  5. US Preventative Services Task Force. Folic acid supplementation for the prevention of neural tube defects: U.S. Preventative Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2017;317(2):183-189.
  6. Langan RC, Zawistoski KJ. Update on vitamin B12 deficiency. Am Fam Physician. 2011;83(12):1425-1430.
  7. Short MW, Domagalski JE. Iron deficiency anemia: evaluation and management. Am Fam Physician. 2013;87(2):98-104.

See course for additional readings.

Assignment

  • Final Project, Part 3: Literature Selection Template

Discussion

Week Four: Antioxidants

Weekly Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  1. Define good dietary sources of vitamins A, C, E and the minerals selenium and zinc.
  2. Distinguish dietary form, food sources, bioavailability, metabolism, and physiologic function between the retinoids and carotenoids (for vitamin A).
  3. Distinguish dietary form, food sources, bioavailability, metabolism, and physiologic function between the tocopherols and tocotrienols (for vitamin E).
  4. Outline key synergistic roles of vitamins A, C, E, and minerals selenium and zinc in oxidative stress.
  5. Analyze, evaluate, and synthesize current research regarding therapeutic uses of vitamins A, C, E and minerals selenium and zinc for acute and chronic disease prevention and management including the common cold (vitamin C and zinc), pressure injuries (vitamin C and zinc), cardiovascular disease (all), cancer (all), and age-related macular degeneration (all).
  6. Critique health benefits versus risks of antioxidant supplementation.

Lectures

Required Readings

  1. Vitamin A. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  2. Vitamin C. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  3. Vitamin E. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  4. Selenium. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  5. Zinc. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  6. Moyer VA. Vitamin, minerals, and multivitamin supplements for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer: U.S. Preventative Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. Ann Intern Med. 2014;160:558-564.
  7. Virtamo J, Taylor PR, Kontto J, et al. Effects of α-tocopherol and β-carotene supplementation on cancer incidence and mortality: 18-year post-intervention follow-up of the alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene cancer prevention (ATBC) study. Int J Cancer. 2014;135(1):178-185.
  8. Nicastro HL, Dunn BK. Selenium and prostate cancer prevention: insights from the selenium and vitamin E cancer prevention trial (SELECT). Nutrients. 2013;5:1122-1148.
  9. McCusker MM, Durrani K, Payette MJ, Suchecki. An eye on nutrition: the role of vitamins, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants in age-related macular degeneration, dry eye syndrome, and cataract. Clin Dermatol. 2016;34(2):276-285.
  10. Corbo MD, Lam J. Zinc deficiency and its management in the pediatric population: a literature review and proposed etiologic classification. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2013;69:616-624.
  11. Prasad AS. Discovery of human zinc deficiency: its impact on human health and disease. Adv Nutr. 2013;4:176-190.

See course for additional readings.

Assignment

  • Final Project, Part 4: Study Overview Table Template

Discussion

Instructor-Student Conference

Week Five: Micronutrients and Bone Health

Weekly Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  1. Define good dietary sources of vitamin D, vitamin K, calcium, phosphorus, and fluoride.
  2. Distinguish dietary form, food sources, bioavailability, metabolism, and physiologic function between animal-based and plant-based sources of calcium.
  3. Distinguish bioavailability, metabolism, and physiologic function among dietary supplement forms of calcium.
  4. Distinguish dietary form, food sources, bioavailability, metabolism, physiologic function, and health implications between natural versus food additive sources of phosphorus.
  5. Outline key synergistic roles of vitamin D, vitamin K, calcium, phosphorus, and fluoride in bone mineralization.
  6. Outline the role of calcitriol, parathyroid hormone, FGF-23, estrogen, and androgens in regulating bone mineralization.
  7. Analyze, evaluate, and synthesize current research regarding therapeutic uses of vitamin D, vitamin K, calcium, phosphorus, and fluoride for acute and chronic disease prevention and management including inflammation/immunity (D), osteoporosis (D, K, Ca, P, F), dental caries (F), blood pressure (Ca), chronic kidney disease (P).
  8. Critique health benefits versus risks of vitamin D and calcium supplementation.

Lectures

Required Readings

  1. Vitamin K. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  2. Calcium. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  3. Vitamin D. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  4. Phosphorus. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  5. Fluoride. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  6. Shearer MJ, Fu X, Booth SL. Vitamin K nutrition, metabolism, and requirements: current concepts and future research. Adv Nutr. 2012;3:182-195.
  7. Overview of Calcium. IN: Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2010.
  8. Weaver CM, Plawecki KL. Dietary calcium: adequacy of a vegetarian diet. Am J Clin Nutr. 1994;59:1238S-1241S.
  9. Noori N, Sims JJ, Kopple JD, et al. Organic and inorganic dietary phosphorus and its management in chronic kidney disease. Iran J Kidney Dis. 2010;4(2):89-100.
  10. Calvo MS, Moshfegh AJ, Tucker KL. Assessing the health impact of phosphorus in the food supply: issues and considerations. Adv Nutr. 2014;5:104-113.
  11. Cosman F, de Beur SJ, LeBoff MS, Lewiecki EM, Tanner B, Randall S, Lindsay R. Clinician’s guide to prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis Int. 2014;25(10):2359-2381.
  12. Weaver CM. Calcium supplementation: Is protecting against osteoporosis counter to protecting against cardiovascular disease? Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2014;12:211-218.
  13. Holick MF, Binkley NC, Bischoff-Ferrari HA, et al. Evaluation, treatment, and prevention of vitamin D deficiency: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011;96:1911-1930.
  14. Martinez-Mier EA. Fluoride: Its metabolism, toxicity, and role in dental health. J Evid Based Complement Altern Med. 2012;17(1):28-32.

See course for additional readings.

Assignment

  • Final Project, Part 5: Summary of Findings Template

Discussion

Week Six: Electrolytes and Mineral Cofactors

Weekly Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  1. Define good dietary sources of magnesium, potassium, sodium, iodine, copper, and chromium.
  2. Outline key metabolic roles of magnesium, potassium, sodium, iodine, copper and chromium within the human body.
  3. Analyze, evaluate, and synthesize current research regarding therapeutic regulation/uses of magnesium, potassium, sodium, iodine, copper, chromium for disease prevention and management including chronic kidney disease (K, Na), hypertension (Mg, K, Na), migraine headaches (Mg), asthma (Mg), diabetes (Mg, Cr), goiter (I), cretinism and reproductive health (I, Cu), and anemia (Cu).
  4. Critique the role of dietary intake of magnesium, potassium, and sodium for the prevention and management of high blood pressure.
  5. Outline the role of electrolyte dysregulation in the onset and management of refeeding syndrome.

Lectures

Required Readings

  1. Magnesium. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  2. Potassium. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  3. Sodium (Chloride). Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  4. Copper. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  5. Iodine. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  6. Chromium. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
  7. Boateng AA, Sriram K, Meguid MM, Crook M. Refeeding syndrome: treatment considerations based on collective analysis of literature case reports. Nutrition. 2010;26:156-167.
  8. Crook MA. Refeeding syndrome: problems with definition and management. Nutrition. 2014;30:1448-1455.
  9. Obeid OA, Hachem DH, Ayoub JJ. Refeeding and metabolic syndromes: two sides of the same coin. Nutr Diabetes. 2014;4:e120.
  10. Prohaska JR. Impact of copper deficiency in humans. Ann N Y Acd Sci. 2014;1314:1-5.
  11. Rhoner F, Zimmermann M, Jooste P, et al. Biomarkers of nutrition for development—iodine review. J Nutr. 2014;144(8):1322S-1342S.

See course for additional readings.

Assignment

  • Final Project, Part 6: Systematic Review Visual Abstract

Discussion

Week Seven: Systematic Review Project Presentations

Weekly Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  1. Develop a focused nutrition review question.
  2. Implement a systematic methodology for searching and screening the scientific literature.
  3. Appraise the peer-reviewed scientific literature regarding the role of one or more micronutrient interventions in health maintenance, nutrient deficiency prevention, disease prevention, or disease management/intervention.
  4. Evaluate outcomes data across multiple studies to draw evidence-based conclusions.
  5. Construct a professional visual abstract, presentation, and manuscript to disseminate evidence-based findings to colleagues.
  6. Translate evidence-based findings to nutrition policy and practice

Assignments

  • Final Project, Part 7: Systematic Review Presentation
  • Final Project, Part 8: Systematic Review Manuscript

Discussion

Week Eight: Micronutrient Assessment and Supplementation

Weekly Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  1. Differentiate valid versus invalid methods for assessing micronutrient nutriture status in humans.
  2. Evaluate the clinical utility of methods for assessing micronutrient nutriture status in humans in order to identify and treat deficiencies.
  3. Explain the role of dietary supplements in maintaining health, preventing micronutrient deficiencies, and treating disease.
  4. Distinguish attributes of dietary supplements that are and are not by the FDA under DSHEA (1994).
  5. Critique the contents, safety, health risks versus benefits of micronutrient supplementation in light of information presented on the dietary supplement label and evidence-based nutrition research.

Lectures

Required Readings

  1. Murphy SP, Yates AA, Atkinson SA, Barr SI, Dwyer J. History of nutrition: the long road leading to the dietary reference intakes for the United States and Canada. Adv Nutr. 2016;7:157-168.
  2. Raghavan R, Ashour FS, Bailey R. A review of cutoffs for nutritional biomarkers. Adv Nutr. 2016;7:112-120.
  3. Giovannucci E. Nutrient biomarkers are not always simple markers of nutrient intake. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013;97(3):657-659.
  4. Esper DH. Utilization of nutrition-focused physical assessment in identifying micronutrient deficiencies. Nutr Clin Pract. 2015;30:194-202.
  5. Akabas SR, Vannice G, Atwater JB, Cooperman T, Cotter R, Thomas L. Quality certification programs for dietary supplements. 2016;116(9):1370-1379.
  6. Rogovik AL, Vohra S, Goldman RD. Safety considerations and potential interactions of vitamins: should vitamins be considered drugs? Ann Pharmacother. 2010;44(2):311-324.

See course for additional readings.

Assignment

  • Reflection/ePortfolio

Discussion

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:

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 Online Student 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:

  1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
  2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
  3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
  4. Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
  5. 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.