Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Scientific Foundations of Human Nutrition (Hybrid)

NFS 1020-33Y

Course: NFS 1020-33Y
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: ASNS
CRN: 10071

Course Description

An introduction to the science of nutrition and the relationship of food intake and health. Nutrient requirements and food selection to meet those requirements are discussed. Students evaluate their own food intake and eating behaviors and learn to be informed consumers of food and nutrition information. A minimum grade of “C” (2.0) or above must be earned in this course before it can be counted in a Human Nutrition major or minor or as a prerequisite for any other nutrition course. (Fall, Spring, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Registration Restriction(s): Intensive English Program majors may not enroll General Education Category: Life Sciences

Required Texts

The text book is recommended but not required.
Scientific American Nutrition for a Changing World: second edition, Jamie Pope • Steve Nizielski • Alison McCook. 

Learning Outcomes

Essential Learning Outcomes:

·         Critical Thinking: Students will demonstrate disciplines processes of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating nutrition information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.

·         Teamwork: Students will design, evaluate, and implement strategies to answer open-ended nutrition questions or achieve a desired nutrition goal.

·         Lifelong Learning: Students will demonstrate that they possess the skills and dispositions that are necessary for a self-sufficient learner to engage in purposeful, ongoing learning activities with the aim of improving nutrition knowledge, skills and competence.

Course Requirements

Grading

Point Breakdown:
4 Exams 100 pts. each (The lowest exam score may be replaced by the final exam score if the final score is a higher score)
Final Exam 100 pts.
Audio class tour, syllabus, how the quizzes work, and calendar quiz assignment 20 pts.
Dietary Analysis 5 5 pts.   
Macronutrients 35 pts.
Micronutrients 65 pts.
Quizzes 77 pts. (no late work accepted on this assignment) 7 pts per quiz
TOTAL 752 pts.

Grading Scale: (based on percent)
A > 93, A- > 90
B+ > 87, B > 83, B- > 80
C+ > 77, C > 73, C- > 70
D+ > 67, D > 63, D- > 60
F <60%

Additional information
1.  Quiz assignment: This quiz assignment is described in Canvas in the module section. It is your responsibility to read it. Quizzes cannot be taken late for points.

2.  Examinations: There will be five exams during the semester. Exams will be taken on the dates scheduled in the syllabus. All exams will be taken in the testing center. Please note that all exam must be taken in SUU Testing Center. Online testing programs like Honorlock will not be used. Exams will be multiple choice.

You will not be allowed to take an exam after the scheduled date. If you cannot take the test on the scheduled date, you will need to make prior arrangements with me. You need to let me know at least a week in advance of the day that you want to take the exam. This will have to be done in email. In that email, make sure to put the day you would like to take the exam and what section you are in. Also, provide a reason why the test needs to be taken earlier. Do not email me more than one week before you need to take the exam. If your request is earlier than I can accommodate you, then I may have to give you an older version of the exam. That older exam may not always reflect the material that we are covering. Sometimes I may not be able to accommodate your request. 

Sometimes you cannot plan certain things happening, which may affect you taking the exam on the scheduled day. For example, emergencies such as being admitted to the hospital, giving birth, etc. If this happens, you may need to provide proof of the event and work with the DRC. If you are sick on the day of an exam, you must contact me as soon as possible, and you must have proof from a doctor that you are too sick to attend.

3.  Emailing me: I will respond to emails within 48 hours. If received on the weekend I will respond on Monday. Make sure to email me at schmidt@suu.edu not Canvas! If it is an emergency I will try to contact you as fast as possible.  

4.      Office hours: All my office hours are on Zoom. Here is the link for those office hours: 

            Monday and Wednesday office hours (11 am- 1 pm):https://suu-edu.zoom.us/j/83503118918?pwd=3qYqKpFvgLaCQEJ3WfaJ54miVX5NSc.1

            Tuesday office hour (1-2 pm):https://suu-edu.zoom.us/j/82458290735?pwd=PSLbzatKjnpRynw14uaSJx0CMjrE7Q.1

            Read before attending office hours: You will be put into a waiting room when you enter. There may be others in front of you, and Zoom does not let you know that, so you just have to be patient. I will get to you when I can.  There will be times that I will have to miss office hours due to other university commitments. This does not happen too often, but I apologize in advance. 

            After each exam, you cannot look over the older exams, just the one that was taken. For example, when you have taken exam 2, you can no longer look over exam 1. If you want to come in and look over your exam, you will need to email me 24 hours prior so that I can get it ready for you. Thanks.

Course Outline

Class dates: January 7th – April 23rd

Assignments: (all assignments will be submitted on Canvas)
• Audio class tour, syllabus, how the quizzes work, and calendar quiz assignment
o January 10th     
• Diet Analysis
o January 23rd     
• Macronutrient assignment (carbohydrates, fats, and protein)
o February 13th
• Micronutrient assignment (vitamins and minerals)
o April 3rd   

Exams and Quizzes (no late work accepted for exams and quizzes):
• Exam 1 (Take exam on January 29th – 30th) 
o Exam 1 covers: Chapters 1-3
 All quizzes must be finished by January 28th before they close
 Chapter 1 Quiz
 Chapter 2 Quiz
 Chapter 3 Quiz

• Exam 2 (Take exam on Feb 23rd – 24th) 
o Exam 2 covers: Carbohydrates and Lipids/Fat
 All quizzes must be finished by February 22nd  before they close
 Carbohydrates Quiz
 Lipids/fat Quiz

• Exam 3 (Take exam on March 19th – 20th)
o Exam 3 covers: Protein, Water/Electrolytes, & Water-soluble vitamins
 All quizzes must be finished by March 18th before they close
 Protein Quiz
 Water/electrolytes Quiz
 Water-soluble vitamins Quiz

• Exam 4 (Take exam on April 9th – 10th) 
o Exam 4 covers: Bone health & Antioxidants and Free radicals
 All quizzes must be finished by April 8th  before they close
 Bone health Quiz
 Antioxidants and free radicals Quiz

• Exam 5 (Take exam on April 21st – 22nd) 
o Exam 5 covers: Energy balance and all the other chapters
 The last quiz must be finished by April 20th  before they close
 Energy balance Quiz
o Please note that this is a comprehensive exam

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

Assignment:    All your assignments will be described in Canvas.  Your assignments will be submitted to Canvas. Warning do not submit your assignments with the Canvas App; Canvas Support told me that it is not always reliable. Assignment due dates are in the calendar. You can find the calendar in Canvas. The assignment dates are also found in the assignment section of Canvas. Late assignments will receive a 20% reduction. After 4 days, late assignments will not be accepted.  If an assignment is a minute late it is late so plan accordingly and give yourself plenty of time. No late work is accepted for the quiz assignment.    

Chapter quizzes: These quizzes are due a day before each exam. For more detail on these quizzes read the information provided in Canvas. Look under modules for: Quizzes (assignment) Very important read carefully! No late work accepted for the quizzes.

Attendance Policy

Attendance is not required; however, it is highly recommended. Grade in the class is highly correlated with attendance. 

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.