Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Capstone Project I (Face-to-Face)

NFS 6991-02

Course: NFS 6991-02
Credits: 1
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: ASNS
CRN: 33219

Course Description

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course (SEMINAR) emphasizes skills to conduct and interpret nutrition research. Emphasis is given to study design, instrumentation, analysis, and research ethics. Components include:

  • Assessment and critical analysis of current research papers in nutrition and dietetics
  • Identification of a project
  • Completion of a literature review
  • Participation in a mentoring participation

A minimum grade of “B-” or higher must be earned in this course for the Dietetics Program. (Fall) Dietetic students only.

PREREQUISITES: Research methods course.

Required Texts

Course Materials

Required Textbook: N/A
Supplementary materials will be provided. You may subscribe to Dr. David Allison’s Listserv, Obesity and Energetics Offerings at https://obesityandenergetics.org/subscription. He sends weekly summaries on current topics on obesity and metabolism (if this is of interest to you).
Lecture Slides, recordings, articles, and all materials can be found in Canvas under the "Modules" section.
SUU Library APA resource link: https://www.suu.edu/library/citation-help.html

Learning Outcomes

Course Outcomes

ACEND Learning Outcomes:

  • Research methodology, interpretation of research literature and integration of research principles into evidence-based practice
  • Communication and documentation skills sufficient for entry into professional practice

After completing the course, students who are successful in this class will be able to do the following:

  • Select a topic for your research project, complete a literature review, and present your research proposal.

Course Requirements

Course Requirements

Class: This course meets on Wednesdays from 1:00 - 1:50 pm in GC 407.
Most weekly assignments will be due on Friday at 5:00 pm.
Class attendance and participation is required.
Grading Policy
Although you will be provided with a final letter grade, this will be translated to a P/F for this course. You must earn at least a B- for a passing grade (P). Failing this course could disrupt your academic standing in the Master's Dietetic Program. Please review your graded assignments regularly and let me know if you have any questions.
Incomplete Grades: A grade of Incomplete (I) may be given at the instructor's discretion to a student unable to complete the course requirements due to a serious interruption not caused by the student’s negligence.
Assignment Weights
Class attendance/participation | 100 pts.
CITI certificate | 25 pts.
Three topics (1) | 25 pts.
Three topics (2) | 25 pts.
Three topics (3) | 25 pts.
Research project topic proposal | 50 pts.
Literature review outline | 50 pts.
Literature review draft | 100 pts.
Annotated bibliography | 100 pts.
Literature review final | 100 pts.
Final topic presentation | 100 pts.
Total points | 700 pts.

Percentage Grades:
100 - 95.0       A                              
<94.9 - 90.0    A-                             
<89.9 - 87.0   B+                            
<86.9 - 84.0   B                              
<83.5 - 80.0  B-                             
<80%            F 

Course Outline

Course Schedule

Week (dates)TopicsAssignments
Week 1: 8/27 | Intro to Course | Start three topics (1)
Week 2: 9/3 | Visit with Phil Roche, Library Director | Three topics (1) due 9/5 @ 5 pm.
Week 3: 9/10 | Discuss three topics (1) | Three topics (2) due 9/10 @ 5 pm.
Week 4: 9/17 | Discuss three topics (2) | Three topics (3) due 9/19 @ 5 pm.
Week 5: 9/24 | Discuss three topics (3) | Topic proposal due 9/28 @ 5 pm. (note this is a Sunday)
Week 6: 10/1 | Mentoring by 2nd Year Students @ 12:00 TBD; Topic proposals in class (1) | Start literature review
Week 7: 10/8 | Literature review tips & tricks | Continue literature review
Week 8: 10/15 | Individual meetings during class time | Literature review outline due Friday, 10/17 @ 5 pm.
Week 9: 10/22 | Individual meetings during class time | Annotated Bibliography Due 10/24 @ 5 pm.
Week 10: 10/29 | OPEN session – discuss presentations | Work on your literature review
Week 11: 11/5 | Project presentations (1) | Literature review draft 10/31/25 @ 5 pm.
Week 12: 11/12 | Project presentations (2) |  Literature review with AB due 11/14 @ 5 pm 
Week 13: 11/19 | Project presentations (3) | 
Week 14: 11/26 | Happy Thanksgiving | 
Week 15: 12/3 | Project presentations (4) | Attend the COHS research event on 12/5

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

LATE/MAKE-UP WORK

Late Work: Work turned in late will receive a zero (except for extenuating circumstances). Most assignment due dates will be Friday at 5 PM. Your assignments needs to legible and typed on a computer. No handwritten assignments will be accepted. 
Makeup Work or In-Class Activities: No make-ups without medical or equivalent (e.g., school excused) reasons or under extreme circumstances.
In an extreme circumstance (e.g., COVID, illness), arrangements for make-up should be made with the instructor within a week of the missed class or exam.
For school-excused activities, arrangements for making up in-class work must be made before the date of absence. According to Policy 6.30, you must inform the instructor of the dates you will miss class due to school-related activities prior to the anticipated absence. For activities whose schedules are known prior to the start of the semester, you must provide the instructors a written schedule during the first week of the semester showing days you expect to miss class. For other university-excused absences, you must provide the instructor with the earliest advanced written notice of the classes you will miss.

Attendance Policy

Attendance

Attendance is required. Please be prompt for class. Being late for class is disruptive and unacceptable.

Custom

Instructor Information

Instructor Name: Suzanne Young, Ph.D., MBA, MPH, MS, ACSM EP, ACSM EIM
Department: Agriculture & Nutrition Science
Office Number: GC 203
Office Hours: Tuesday 9:30 - 11:30 AM and 2-4 PM; Monday 3-4 PM (or by appointment)
Office Zoom Meeting link: Zoom Link
Phone: 435-586-7797
Email/Canvas Inbox: suzanneyoung1@suu.edu

Instructor's Response Time & Feedback

I will respond within 24 hours during the week and 48 hours on the weekend to messages sent to me. Feedback is an important part of learning, so please look for feedback on your assignments that I have provided. An exception is during SUU's scheduled holiday breaks.

Instructor Bio

Hi class! This is my third year at SUU. My background is in both nutrition and exercise science. Before SUU, I was an Assistant Visiting Professor of Kinesiology at New England College in Henniker, NH. With over ten years in higher education, I have also taught at the University of New Hampshire, UNLV, and Quincy College. I started my career in the fitness industry. I transitioned my career by earning an MBA and finding a healthcare technology consulting niche. My research areas include:
  • Hydration and endurance athletes, specifically overhydration and EAH
  • Sarcopenia prevention, with a focus on middle-aged adults
  • Muscle and brain health prevention through diet and exercise

Student Communication

All student communication (oral and written) must be professional. Professional emails must be written. "Hey, professor" is not considered professional, and you may not receive a response.
Detailed instructions and rubrics for assignments, quizzes, and exams are found in Canvas. Please check Canvas first before emailing me with a question. Emails will be answered within 24 hours during weekdays.
See assignment instructions for Writing Center/Fellows requirements.

Plan Your Work

Throughout the semester, in-class activities will provide the opportunity to learn, practice, and master the skills and abilities of research. Due dates for assignments represent the latest time they may be submitted. You should start working on them before the due date and you can even turn them in early. You will be expected to attend class on time with your book (if applicable) and the needed materials.

Cell Phone Policy

Cell phones need to be turned off during class unless otherwise specified. Cell phones are great technology and we will use them occasionally as part of class activities. If you have an emergency, please use your phone in the hallway. The ringing/buzzing/vibrating of a cell phone in class is disruptive and negatively affects your learning and those around you.

SUU Campus Resources and Services

ADA Statement Regarding Special Needs: Students with medical, psychological, learning or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Southern Utah University Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD), in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center, or phone (435) 865-8022. SSD determines eligibility for and authorizes the provisions of services.

Zoom Etiquette

In the event that we need to use the Zoom online conference system, you will need to have a webcam/microphone or a smartphone with the Zoom app. We will adopt the same rules and norms as in a physical classroom:
  • Join the course in a quiet, distraction-free location
  • Be aware of your background
  • Turn on your video
  • Mute your microphone unless you are speaking
  • Close browser tabs and software not required for participating in class
  • Remember that our classes are in the Mountain Time zone

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.