Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2026

Nutrition in the Life Cycle (Hybrid)

NFS 2020-31Y

Course: NFS 2020-31Y
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2026
Department: Agriculture Sci/Nutritonal Sci
CRN: 30074

Course Description

Application of nutrition principles to the human life cycle: nutrient functions, needs, sources, and alterations during pregnancy; lactation; growth; development; maturation; and aging. 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 [As Needed) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): NFS 1020 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C Registration Restriction(s): None

Required Texts

Recommended Text: 1.  Nutrition Through the Life Cycle 8th edition by Judith E. Brown 

Learning Outcomes

Course Objectives and Learning Objectives:

A.   Students will learn fundamental nutritional principles as well as gaining factual knowledge, (terminology, classifications, methods, and trends).

B.    Students will learn how to apply course material (to improve thinking, diet, and health). 

1.             Understand the role of nutrition and changes in nutritional requirements that occur during the life cycle in humans.  

2.             Discuss nutrient needs that change during each stage of the life cycle.

3.             Identify major areas of nutritional concern in each stage of the life cycle, including impact of physiological and developmental changes.

4.             Identify nutritional risk factors that may lead to chronic disease through case studies of individuals/families at various stages of the life cycle.

5.             Interpret research literature related to nutrition in the life cycle.

Course Requirements

Grading will be based on the following point breakdown:
Exam #1, 2, and Final 300 (each test is worth 100 pts.)
Infancy and Toddler Nutrition test (40 questions)
Elderly Assignment 45 pts.
Infancy Quiz Assignment (no late work accepted for this assignment) 30 pts.
Practice question sets  (7 total) (taken on Canvas)  63 pts (no late work accepted) (9 pts/question set)
TOTAL 438 pts.

Grading Scale: (This is 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%

1.         Exams

            There will be three tests during the semester.  Exams 1-3 have 100 questions each. Tests will be taken on the dates scheduled in the syllabus. All exams will be taken in the testing center. Please note that all tests must be taken in the SUU’s Testing Center. Online testing programs like Honorlock will not be used. Tests will be multiple choice. There is also an infant and toddler test also taken in the SUU’s testing center. It has 40 questions. The infant and toddler test is unique from the other three tests because you can use the PowerPoint lecture when taking it. After you take the 2nd exam you will see instructions for the infant and toddler test. 

            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 that 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 me and the DRC. 

For information and instructions on the infant and toddler nutrition test please refer to Modules in Canvas.


2.         Practice Questions Assignment: This assignment is described in Canvas in the module section. It is your responsibility to read it. Practice questions cannot be taken late for points. 

3.         Assignment: All your assignments will be described in Canvas. Warning: do not submit your assignments with the Canvas App, Canvas Support told me that it is not always reliable. The elderly assignment is the only assignment that can be turned in late for reduced points. Late assignments will be penalized. Assignments that are not turned in by the due date are considered late, and a 30% reduction will be entailed. After three days, late assignments will not be accepted. 

4.         Elderly assignment: This assignment must be typed, and answers need to be in blue font. The instructions and due date are found in Canvas. The due date can also be found in the calendar section. To find it, go to Canvas and look under the syllabus section or modules. This assignment is available early, so you have plenty of time to work on it ahead of time. The assignment must be turned in as a Word document. The elder assignment must stay in the same format. If an assignment is a minute late, it is late, so plan accordingly and give yourself plenty of time. Group work and the use of artificial intelligence on the assignment are not permitted. Doing such is considered cheating. More information on AI is found later in this syllabus.

5.         Lectures and practice questions. 

Deadlines apply to all lectures and practice questions to keep the class engaged and on schedule. These deadlines are final, and closed items will not reopen. Lectures will not be opened earlier than that scheduled date so please plan accordingly. 

          Key Rules

·  Strict deadlines: Practice question sets and lectures close on set dates.

·  No extensions: Items stay closed once their due date passes.

·  Pace yourself: Stay on track to handle difficult topics.

6.         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. Again, please do not contact me through Canvas. 
 
7.         Office hours: All my office hours are on Zoom. Here is the link for those office hours: 

            Monday and Wednesday office hours (10 am- 12 pm): https://suu-edu.zoom.us/j/82417451764?pwd=7aurcfH3jZ5ay8i1axJ6Gkxy2UEoFD.1

            Thursday office hour (11 am-12 pm): https://suu-edu.zoom.us/j/81656284578?pwd=X5SOug8FKBBOfppUKEVaOHuK90UCMq.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 must 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. 

            You can only review your most recent exam; previous exams are no longer accessible. To review an exam, please email me at least 24 hours in advance. Depending on your score or the number of students present, we may not be able to review every missed question with me. 

8.       The following only applies to face-to-face classes and hybrid courses. Talking in class when I am talking, trying to start a lecture, or restarting the lecture more than 2-3 times will result in a zero on any earned extra credit or future extra credit. This includes small talk. This also applies to distracting behaviors during class or on Zoom. Students who continue to talk will be asked to leave class. Please consider the rights of other students. 

Course Outline

Summary of how the class works:

Class Details
·         Format: Hybrid setup with independent lecture listening.

o    Please review all the lectures independently prior to our meeting.
·         Meeting Time: Tuesday at 10:00 AM on Zoom (skipped on holidays).
·         Duration: 60 minutes. 

o    If no one joins within the first 10 minutes, I will close the Zoom meeting for the day.
·         Zoom link: Provided later
·         Attendance: Optional.

Zoom Session Activities

·         Review current challenging topics.
·         Help review for upcoming exams
·         Answer questions on current chapters.
·         Practice teaching each other in groups.
·         ETC.

Class dates: September 2nd – December 17th

 Class dates: September 2nd – December 17th
 
Assignments: (all of assignments are submitted on Canvas) 
• Practice questions for each subject Practice questions cannot be taken late for points
o Preconception Nutrition practice questions need to be completed on 26th of September
o Pregnancy part 1 practice questions need to be completed on 5th  of October
o Pregnancy part 2 practice questions need to be completed on 28th of October
o Lactation Nutrition practice questions need to be completed on 9th of November
o Childhood Nutrition practice questions need to be completed on 1st of December
o Adolescent Nutrition practice questions need to be completed on 8th of December
o Elderly Nutrition practice questions need to be completed on 15th of December
o Dates can also be found under the exam section
• Lab 2 Elderly
o December 10th    

Exams: (All exams are in the SUU’s Testing Center)
• Exam 1 (Take exam on October 6th-7th) 
• Exam 1 covers: Preconception Nutrition lectures & Pregnancy part 1 lecture
o Video Lecture (Preconception Nutrition part 1) closes on the 10th of September (please note that when a lecture closes it will not open again)
o Video Lecture (Preconception Nutrition part 2) closes on the 18th of September
o Video Lecture (Preconception Nutrition part 3) closes on the 26th of September
 Preconception Nutrition practice questions need to be completed on 26th of September
o Video Lecture (Pregnancy Nutrition Part 1) closes on the 5th of October
 Pregnancy part 1 practice questions need to be completed on 5th of October

• Exam 2 (Take exam on November 10th - 11th) 
• Exam 2 covers: Pregnancy part 2 Lectures & Lactation Lecture
o Video Lecture (Pregnancy Nutrition Part 2 (First Half)) closes on the 18th of October
o Video Lecture (Pregnancy Nutrition Part 2 (Second Half)) closes on the 28th of October
 Pregnancy part 2 practice questions need to be completed on 28th of October
o Video Lecture (Lactation Nutrition) closes on the 9th of November
 Lactation practice questions need to be completed on 9th of November

• Infancy and Toddler Nutrition Test
• This test covers Infancy and Toddler Nutrition Lecture
o November 16th – 17th 

• Exam 3 (Take exam on December 16th- 17th) 
• Exam 3 covers: Childhood Nutrition, Adolescents Nutrition & Elderly Nutrition Lectures
o Video Lecture (Childhood Nutrition) closes on the 1st of December
 Childhood Nutrition practice questions need to be completed on 1st of December
o Video Lecture (Adolescent Nutrition) closes on the 8th of December
 Adolescent Nutrition practice questions need to be completed on 8th of December
o Video Lecture (Elderly Nutrition) closes on the 15th of December
 Elderly Nutrition practice questions need to be completed on 15th of December

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

Practice Questions Assignment: This assignment is described in Canvas in the module section. It is your responsibility to read it. Practice questions cannot be taken late for points.

The elderly assignment is the only assignment that can be turned in late for reduced points. Late assignments will be penalized. Assignments that are not turned in by the due date are considered late, and a 30% reduction will be entailed. After three days, late assignments will not be accepted. 

Attendance Policy

Attendance is recommended but not required. 

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.

Religious / Conscience Belief Accommodation

RELIGIOUS / CONSCIENCE BELIEF ACCOMMODATION: In accordance with SUU Policy 6.7 Student Belief Accommodation, students may request, in writing, that their faculty accommodate their sincerely held religious or conscience beliefs. Students should provide their faculty with sufficient advanced notice, if possible within the first five (5) business days of the semester or session, or thereafter with good cause for requesting an accommodation after the first five (5) business days.

Faculty must provide a schedule accommodation or excuse an absence, in any course, for students to observe or participate in religious holidays or an organized activity conducted under the auspices of the student’s religious tradition or religious organization.

In courses that are required for graduation or for an academic major, a faculty member may accommodate a religious or conscience belief by modifying an assignment or examination if its content conflicts with the student’s belief. Faculty may decline the accommodation if it would fundamentally alter the course requirements. If declined, the student may request review by a neutral arbiter using the Belief Accommodation Request Form: https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv&layout_id=5

Questions go to Assistant Provost Jake Johnson at johnsonj@suu.edu.

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.