Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Wellness Dynamics (Online)

PE 1098-30I

Course: PE 1098-30I
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: PEHP
CRN: 31468

Course Description

The assessment and promotion of healthy lifestyles will be the primary focus. Behavior change concepts and strategies as well as how to evaluate health and fitness claims as a consumer in society will also be addressed.

Prerequisites: None

Required Texts

Required and Recommended Texts and Materials

All required research articles and supplementary readings will be provided via Canvas. Students are expected to access and review these materials prior to each class discussion as outlined in the course schedule.

Learning Outcomes

Course Learning Outcomes

  • Identify problem behaviors as they relate to personal wellness and healthy living.
  • Design, evaluate, and implement strategies to achieve the desired goal of optimal personal wellness.
  • Demonstrate knowledge in developing personal wellness goals interventions targeting the five components of wellness covered.
USHE Essential Learning Outcomes for Social & Behavioral Sciences (GE Courses)
  • Demonstrate understanding of social and behavioral science methods, concepts, and theories;
  • Formulate basic questions about social behavior and phenomena through interpretive and systematic analyses;
  • Develop empirically-derived and theoretically-informed explanations of human behavior in both its individual and collective dimensions; or
  • Demonstrate a critically-reasoned understanding of social patterns and individual variations congruent with and divergent from those patterns.

Course Requirements

Assessment / Evaluation / Grading

Your final grade will be based on six components designed to support your overall wellness, engagement, and learning in the course:

  • Discussion Participation - 20%
    Regular participation is essential. Being present supports your growth and contributes to the classroom community.
  • Weekly Wellness Check-ins (WWC) – 15%
    Weekly self-assessments to reflect on your wellness state and habits.
  • Wellness Walkabouts – 10%
    Movement-based assignments that promote connection to wellness resources and exploration outside the classroom.
  • Quizzes – 15%
    Brief assessments on course concepts, to promote knowledge acquisition and retention.
  • Midterm Project – 20%
    A critical project analyzing wellness information perpetuated through social media for truth and accuracy. This project promotes research, critical thinking and creativity.
  • Final Individual Wellness Plan – 20%
    A personalized plan demonstrating your understanding of wellness principles and how you’ll apply them beyond the course.
Grade Scale
A93%–100%
A-90%–92.9%
B+87%–89.9%
B83%–86.9%
B-80%–82.9%
C+77%–79.9%
C73%–76.9%
C-70%–72.9%
D+67%–69.9%
D63%–66.9%
D60%–62.9%
F0%–59.9%

Course Outline

Course Outline

DatesTopicAssignment/AssessmentELO (Essential Learning Outcome)
Week 1: 8/27–8/31Introduction to Wellness & Syllabus OverviewWeekly Wellness Check-In (WWC), Discussion & Quiz4.5.1
9/1/2025LABOR DAY–NO CLASS
Week 2: 9/2–9/7Defining WellnessWWC, Discussion & Quiz1, 2, 3, 4.5.1, 4.5.2, 4.5.3, 4.5.4
Week 3: 9/8–9/14Behavior Change: Transtheoretical ModelWWC, Discussion & Quiz1, 2, 3, 4.5.1, 4.5.2, 4.5.3, 4.5.4
Week 4: 9/15–9/21Physical WellnessWWC, Discussion & Wellness Walkabout1, 2, 3, 4.5.1, 4.5.2, 4.5.3, 4.5.4
Week 5: 9/22–9/28Physical WellnessWWC, Discussion & Quiz1, 2, 3, 4.5.1, 4.5.2, 4.5.3, 4.5.4
Week 6: 9/29–10/5Physical WellnessWWC, Discussion & Quiz1, 2, 3, 4.5.1, 4.5.2, 4.5.3, 4.5.4
Week 7: 10/6–10/12Critical Analysis: Evaluating Wellness Information and Fitness Influencers on Social Media PlatformsSubmit Presentations1, 2, 3, 4.5.1, 4.5.2, 4.5.3, 4.5.4
10/13–10/14FALL BREAK–NO CLASS
Week 8: 10/15–10/19Social WellnessWWC, Discussion & Wellness Walkabout1, 2, 3, 4.5.1, 4.5.2, 4.5.3, 4.5.4
Week 9: 10/20–10/26Social WellnessWWC, Discussion & Quiz1, 2, 3, 4.5.1, 4.5.2, 4.5.3, 4.5.4
Week 10: 10/27–11/2Mental/Emotional WellnessWWC, Discussion & Quiz1, 2, 3, 4.5.1, 4.5.2, 4.5.3, 4.5.4
Week 11: 11/3–11/9Mental/Emotional WellnessWWC, Discussion & Wellness Walkabout1, 2, 3, 4.5.1, 4.5.2, 4.5.3, 4.5.4
Week 12: 11/10–11/16Financial WellnessWWC, Quiz, Discussion & Wellness Walkabout1, 2, 3, 4.5.1, 4.5.2, 4.5.3, 4.5.4
Week 13: 11/17–11/23Spiritual WellnessWWC, Quiz, Discussion & Wellness Walkabout1, 2, 3, 4.5.1, 4.5.2, 4.5.3, 4.5.4
11/24–11/30THANKSGIVING BREAK–NO CLASSES
Week 14: 12/1–12/7Final Project Outline & QuestionsFINAL: Individualized Wellness Plan1, 2, 3, 4.5.1, 4.5.2, 4.5.3, 4.5.4
Finals Week: 12/8–12/11FINALS WEEK–NO CLASSES

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

Late Work/Make-up Work

Timely submission of work is essential to your success in this course and helps ensure fairness to all students. As such, late work will not be accepted, and make-up quizzes or assignments will not be offered.
  • One (1) assignment will be dropped (the lowest grade will be automatically excluded from your final average).
  • One (1) quiz will be dropped (the lowest quiz score will not count toward your final grade).
  • One (1) discussion will be dropped (the lowest grade will be automatically excluded from your final average).
These drops are intended to provide flexibility and do not require documentation. Use them wisely. No additional make-up work will be provided for missed deadlines.

Attendance Policy

Attendance

Attendance, in the form of weekly discussion boards, is mandatory and counts for 20% of your final grade. As a discipline grounded in wellness and personal development, being present is a critical part of the learning process. You cannot outsource your well-being—you must show up for yourself to grow stronger, healthier, and more aware. Being present is key to your growth and success.
Missing discussions will lower your participation grade. If you miss a discussion due to illness or emergencies, notify Professor Despain promptly and provide documentation if needed. Please manage your time and energy in a way that supports consistent participation.

Course Fees

Course Fees: $22.50 Course Fee

Custom

Instructor Information

Instructor: Amie Despain
Office: PEB 219
Student Office Hours: M/W 9–11 am, F 9–10 am
E-mail: amiedespain@suu.edu
Phone: (435) 586-7816

Acceptable and Unacceptable Use of AI

AI tools (like ChatGPT or Grammarly) may be used as helpful aids for brainstorming, clarifying concepts, and improving writing. However, all submitted work must be your own and reflect your understanding.
Allowed: Using AI to generate ideas, check grammar, or get explanations.
Not allowed: Submitting AI-generated work without your input, using AI for quizzes/exams, or presenting AI content as solely your own.
You’re responsible for reviewing and revising any AI-assisted work to ensure it’s accurate and original. Use AI as a tool to support learning—not replace it.

Statement of Safety or Risk Assumption

This course includes or could include a laboratory, physical activity, personal travel, or field trips. Participation in the course may expose me to certain foreseeable and unforeseeable risks of injury such as, but not limited to illness, injury or even death. Knowing of these risks, I freely and voluntarily participate in the course and hereby agree to assume and accept any and all associated risks.

Southern Utah University Syllabus Policy Statements

SUU Syllabus Policy Statements
{Academic Integrity}
{ADA Statement}
{Emergency Management Statement}
{HEOA Compliance Statement}
{Link Statement}
{SUUSA Statement}
{Zoom Etiquette}

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.

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.