Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Graduate Acculturation (Online)

SUU 1020-33I

Course: SUU 1020-33I
Credits: 2
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: INDS
CRN: 33524

Course Description

The Acculturation Course is designed to help international students adapt to life at SUU. Course materials will address immigration regulations, SUU programs, on-campus and off-campus opportunities, US culture, local culture/history, and SUU academic expectations.

Required Texts

Required Materials

There are no required texts or materials for this course. All material and information will be posted on Canvas.

Learning Outcomes

This course is designed to aid international students with the acculturation process. At the completion of this course, international students will be able to:

  • Prepare for and address the challenges of culture shock.
  • Plan for academic and personal success at SUU.
  • Demonstrate understanding of immigration laws and regulations affecting international students.
  • Identify and engage in opportunities for involvement at SUU and in the community.
  • Understand the cultural significance of the local landscape. SUU is the University of the Parks…
  • Locate and utilize various on-campus resources.
  • Better understand aspects of US, Utah, Cedar City, and SUU culture.

Course Requirements

Grading Policy

Grades will be determined by a combination of: quizzes, homework, involvement, an individual project, a final project and exam. Each category accounts for a percentage of your final grade.

AssignmentQtyPointsPercentage
Quizzes1010020%
Homework1010020%
Group Project15010%
Involvement510020%
Creative Project110020%
Final Exam15010%
Total500100%
Grade Scale
FD-DD+C-CC+B-BB+A-A
0-5960-6263-6667-6970-7273-7677-7980-8283-8687-8990-9293-100
Assignments
Quizzes

Quizzes will be posted by the Monday of each week (unless otherwise noted). Each quiz will cover the topics and information discussed during class that week. All quizzes will be posted on Canvas and are due Sundays at 11:59 pm. Quizzes are open-book and open-note, but only one attempt is allowed and they have a 30 minute time limit. The lowest quiz grade will be dropped.

Homework

Homework assignments are designed to expand upon your understanding of important course topics. These assignments are in the form of group discussions, reflection assignments, small activities, etc. Homework is due by 11:59 pm on the assigned day.

Involvement

Students are required to attend a minimum of five SUU campus events throughout the semester. Specifics on the events you must attend will be gone over in one of the first modules. You should attend as many as possible, but only need to include five in your passport. Getting involved provides great opportunities for you to connect with both domestic and international students, develop friendships, get connected to SUU and the community, learn about other cultures, and support our programs. Attendance at these events will be verified via journal entries in the Involvement Passport which is discussed in the modules.

Final Project & Exam

Students are required to produce a final creative video highlighting their first semester at SUU. Additional details and video examples will be provided as this assignment gets closer. The creative project is due Sunday, December 7th at 11:59 PM. A comprehensive final exam will be given at the end of the semester to ensure that you have learned all essential information. The final exam will cover topics and information discussed during the entire semester. A study guide will be provided.

The final exam will be held in the testing center during the last week per the finals testing schedule 12/8/2025-12/10/2025.

Course Outline

WeekDatesTopic
Week 18/27 - 8/29Welcome
Week 29/1 - 9/5Campus Resources, Culture Shock and Mental Health
Week 39/8 - 9/12SUU Involvement, Sports and Health & Wellness
Week 49/15 - 9/19Immigration, SEVIS, Employment, Drivers Licenses, and Local Laws
Week 59/22 - 9/26Roommates, Housekeeping, Communication, Etiquette and Academic Integrity
Week 69/29 - 10/3American Holidays, Individual Project, and Final Projects
Week 710/6 - 10/10Financial Wellness and Graduate Writing Center
Week 810/13 - 10/17No Class - Fall Break
Week 910/20 - 10/24Individual Online Presentation Project
Week 1010/27 - 10/31Public Speaking Center and Utah History
Week 1111/3 - 11/7SUU Police, Southern Utah Museum of Art, and Registration
Week 1211/10 - 11/14Gratitude and Stress Management
Week 1311/17 - 11/21I20 Maintenance and Housing
Week 1411/24 - 11/28No Class - Thanksgiving Break
Week 1512/1 - 12/5FINAL PROJECTS
Week 1612/8 - 12/12FINAL EXAM
  • Schedule is subject to change

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

Late Work

Late work is accepted. However, it will be graded at the professor’s discretion based on advance notice, student initiative, number of days late, etc. A minimum of 1/2 letter grade will be deducted from late coursework.

Extra Credit

Extra credit opportunities will be announced throughout the semester. It is more important that you learn the material, not necessarily earn a good grade. However, understanding that grades are still important, extra credit is offered as an opportunity to all students.

Attendance Policy

Must complete modules on time.  There are some assignments that require you to visit campus.

Course Fees

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Term Dates

Fall 2025

August 27th - December 11th

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.