Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Finding Success Animal Service (Online)

PRDV 5000-18

Course: PRDV 5000-18
Credits: 6
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: LIB
CRN: 33884

Course Description

The Finding Success in Animal Services course covers the proven policies, programs, and procedures necessary for a lifesaving animal services organization. The course layouts what an effective animal services department looks like programmatically and operationally and presents an opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of what professional excellence is in this field.

Required Texts

Humane Animal Control: Effective Enforcement, Shelter Management, Local Government Support and Community Engagement Best Friends Network Partner Resources (Vol. 1), Best Friends Animal Society, Retrieved 2022 

Conflict Resolution for the Animal Welfare Field. Karen Green, Retrieved 2023.   

Learning Outcomes

  • Identify barriers to pet lifesaving in shelters 
  • Create understanding of how to increase pet lifesaving in a community
  • Acquire the skills and knowledge to implement what is learned in the course as relevant to the profession 
  • Understand the value of and participate in networking, building coalitions/partnerships and working together to save lives.  

Course Requirements

During the 7 week program, participants will: 
  • Complete all 7 comprehensive modules  
  • Actively participate in all online discussions
  • Complete all assignments 
  • Anticipate spending about 45 total hours on all of the above
  • Understand why data is crucial to lifesaving decision making 
  • Complete a professional portfolio

Modules 
The cornerstone of this course are asynchronous self-study modules. Each one will take between 60 - 90 minutes. Full completion is required to earn full credit. 

Discussions 
During this course, you will have weekly opportunities to discuss ideas gained from the modules online. This is a great forum in which to share strategies and learn from one another. Please make an initial post and respond to at least one classmate's post. Full completion is required to earn full credit. 

Assignments 
For assignments, it is up to you to decide how to share your thoughts. You can submit a more traditional paper (1 - 2 paragraphs), a brief video or audio recording, etc. When a template or document is required, they should be completed per individual instructions. Full completion is required to earn full credit. 

Please note: All assignment submissions must be original and created by the submitter specifically for this course.  

Quizzes 
These are designed as knowledge checks. You are welcome to use your notes and/or the module itself while taking the quiz. Each quiz contains 5 questions worth 1 point each. 

This course is pass/fail, with 80% required to pass.

Course Outline

Animal Services Organizations and Careers - Week 1
  • Scope: This module provides an overview of career pathways and advancement opportunities across the field of animal services and sheltering.
  • Learning Objective: After completion of this module, participants will have a greater awareness of professional opportunities in animal welfare and be able to execute methods that advance their current career and/or facilitate entry into the field of animal services as a new professional.  
 
Lifesaving Programs - Week 2
  • Scope: This module provides an overview of the programs that support lifesaving work at animal services organizations and how community engagement is crucial to the success of these programs.  
  • Learning Objective: After completion of this module, participants will be able to demonstrate how lifesaving programs support positive outcomes for pets in shelters and the community and identify community engagement strategies that empower animal services programs.

Understanding the Importance of Data - Week 3
  • Scope: This module defines key data metrics in animal services and how this data is used to measure outcomes and communicate with stakeholders in a way that builds support for programs and operations. 
  • Learning Objective: After completion of this module, participants will be able to interpret key animal services metrics and how they relate to measuring outcomes of animal services programs and operations. Participants will also be able to practice basic methods of using data in communication and outreach.  

Finance and Advocacy - Week 4 
  • Scope: This module explores funding sources for each of the specific types of animal services organizations and outlines the importance of advocating for resources amid the challenges animal shelters and other organizations face.  
  • Learning Objective: After completion of this module, participants will be able to classify animal services revenue sources, describe tactics for strengthening advocacy efforts and demonstrate basic skills in advocating to stakeholders for further resources.

Working Together - Week 5
  • Scope: This module explores the many ways that animal services can engage with other organizations and the public to amplify the positive impact on pets in the community and save more lives.  
  • Learning Objective: After completion of this module, participants will be able to identify ways to partner with other animal services organizations, promote programs or processes that increase community engagement and outreach, and repair previous relationships as needed. Participants will also form an understanding of community-supported sheltering and how it affects pets in their care.

Well-being in Animal Services   - Week 6
  • Scope: This module outlines factors that affect personal and team well-being in the field of animal services as well as strategies for cultivating resilience and positive workplace culture. 
  • Learning Objective: After completion of this module, participants will be able to identify potential symptoms of work-related burnout or compassion fatigue, practice techniques that build resilience and describe effective methods for conflict resolution.

Leading Change – Week 7
  • Scope: This module explores using data, examining current legislation and garnering stakeholder buy-in to become champions of lifesaving and sustainable change in your community.  
  • Learning Objective: Upon completion of this module, participants will also be able to recognize the importance of data and how to use it to identify gaps in current lifesaving policy, procedures and programming and present this information to decision makers.

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

Assignment due dates are designed to help the student with time management. Late assignments will be eligible for full credit when completed prior to the end of course.

Attendance Policy

Attendance is required for online course discussions.

Course Fees

There are no additional fees for this course.

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.