Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Marital Problems and Solutions (Face-to-Face)

FLHD 4250-01

Course: FLHD 4250-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: FLHD
CRN: 31185

Course Description

This course discusses common marital problems and issues along with techniques and the theories used in relationship interventions.

Required Texts

  • Markman, H. J., Stanley, S. M. & Blumberg, S. L. (2010). Fighting for your Marriage (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
  • Van Epp, J. (2007). How to Avoid Falling in Love with a Jerk: The Foolproof Way to Follow Your Heart Without Losing Your Mind. New York: McGraw Hill.

Learning Outcomes

By faithfully completing the course requirements (readings, class discussions, written assignments, presentations and the final exam) by the end of the semester you should be able to obtain the following outcomes:

  • Recognize the impact of personality and communication styles (Aligns with NCFR #5a)
  • Recognize the developmental stages of relationships (Aligns with NCFR #5b)
  • Analyze interpersonal relationships using various theoretical perspectives (Aligns with NCFR #5c)
  • Develop and implement relationship enhancement and enrichment strategies (Aligns with NCFR #5d)
  • Develop and implement effective communication, problem solving, and anger and conflict management strategies (Aligns with NCFR #5e)
  • Recognize the impact of violence and coercion in interpersonal relationships (Aligns with NCFR #5f)
  • Recognize the influence of unhealthy coping strategies (e.g., substance use, disordered eating, avoidance) on interpersonal relationships (Aligns with NCFR #5g)

Course Requirements

  1. 1.  Attendance: (15% of your grade)

    Each of you is important to the success of this class and have something to offer.  To encourage attendance, daily attendance will be taken at some point during the class. Students are allowed three absences without any penalty to their grade.  With a few exceptions, any additional absences will hurt your grade. Please note that this class will not be broadcast or filmed for later viewing.   

  2. 2.  Learning Activities (10% of your grade)

    Throughout the semester there will  be brief assignments mostly in class, but a few out of class as well.

  3. 3.  Quizzes: 10 points each (15% of your grade) Due weekly

    To encourage reading retention, each chapter will have an open book quiz.

  4. 4.  Relational Self-Improvement Assignment: 160 points (10% of your grade)

    In this two-part assignment you will chose a quality to improve upon that would help you in your relationships.  For the first part, you will carefully choose a trait and envision what that change will look like in you, along with what you'll need to achieve it.  For the second part, you will turn a tracking of your progress along with a personal reflection.

  5. 5.  Relationship Problem Solution List: 105 points (20% of your grade)

    To help you better understand the field of research, each of you will choose a course-related topic (trauma, remarriage, sexual concerns, parenting, etc.) and create a list of solutions that you will in turn share with other members of your group.  After that, you will meet in groups to share what you've learned and create other assignments based on this.

  6. 6.  Relationship Analysis Paper: 30 points (10% of your grade)

    For this paper you will be analyzing and applying principles learned in this course to a couple from a specific TV show/movie that will be shown in class.

  7. 7.  Exams: 2 x 50 points:100 points (20% of your grade) 

    The midterm will be a series of multiple choice questions with a few short answer questions.  The final two parts: 1) A written portion consisting of multiple-choice questions and short answer questions taken individually and 2) A small group portion with short answer taken orally.  Both exams will pull both from the reading and class lecture.  Study guides will be provided.

Grading

Assignments will be carefully assessed and given a letter grade. Work that exceeds expectations will receive an A grade; work that is competent and correct, a B; work that meets the minimum requirements, a C; and work that is poorly executed or incomplete, a D. Students’ final grades will be calculated based on the following weights for individual assignments and the following grading scale:

I will inform you when grades are posted.  Once a grade is posted you have seven days to dispute the grade.  Once that time has passed, all grades are final and cannot be disputed.  

Course Outline

(Schedule subject to change with advance notice)

DateTopicReading & Assignments
1/9Introductions & Course Overview
1/14Benefits of MarriageJerk 1 & 2
1/16Why we choose poorlyRelational Self-Improvement pt. 1
1/21Why we choose poorlyJerk 3 & 4
1/23Couple Theory
1/28Couple TheoryJerk 5 & 6
1/30Creating Connection
2/04Couple Processes that Keep Couples Stuck (Hold Me Tight)Jerk 7 & 8
2/06Couple Processes continuedSolution List Due
2/11Couple CommunicationJerk 9 & 10
2/13Analyzing Couple Communication
2/18Causes of Couple ConflictJerk 11 & 12
2/20Resolving Couple ConflictSelf-Improvement Pt. 2 Due
2/25Couple AnalysisJerk  13
2/27Midterm
3/4Infidelity: Causes and PreventionFighting 1 & 2
3/6Infidelity: Healing After the Affair
3/09 – 3/15Spring Break: No Class
3/18Solution Share ListFighting 3, 4 & 5
3/20Addiction: Relationship SolutionsGroup List Due
3/25Addiction: Relationship SolutionsFighting Chapter 6, 7 & 8
3/29Group Solution Re-Share
4/01Festival of Excellence: No ClassFighting 9, 10 & 11
4/03Interpersonal Violence: Getting InRe-Share Due
4/08Interpersonal Violence: Getting InFighting 12, 13 & 14
4/10Relationship Enhancement
4/15Couple Analysis: Force MajeureFighting 15 & 16
4/17Couple Analysis: Force MajeureRelationship Analysis Due

Final on Tues, April 22 at 1pm

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late assignments will be accepted one week after the assignment is due, after which no assignments will be accepted. Ten percent will be deducted for each day an assignment is late, up to 50%.  In the event of an emergency, students need to contact the professor before the assignment is due, and an extension might be granted. However, such an extension will only be granted once per semester.

If the wrong assignment or the wrong draft is submitted in Canvas, 10% will be deducted from the final grade.

Attendance Policy

Each of you is important to the success of this class and have something to offer.  To encourage attendance, daily attendance will be taken at some point during the class. Students are allowed three absences without any penalty to their grade.  With a few exceptions, any additional absences will hurt your grade. Please note that this class will not be broadcast or filmed for later viewing.   

Outcome-to-Assessment Alignment

Students completing the course will be able to:Reading and Reading LogsLearning ActivitiesRelationship Problem Solution ListRelational Self-Improvement AssignmentFinal
Objective #1XXXX
Objective #2XX
Objective #3X
Objective #4XX
Objective #5XXXX
Objective #6XXXX
Objective #7XXXXX

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.