Syllabus • Summer 2012
Instructor: Sandra Eames, Ed.D
Office: RGC 223, 1212 Rio Grande Austin TX 78701
Phone: 512-444-0530
Email: seames@austin.rr.com
Website: www.sandraeames.com
Office Hours: E-mail for office hours
Course Purpose: This course is designed to help students gain a general knowledge of alcohol and other drugs in the context of individual and cultural use. The course will cover the basic pharmacology of various substances, the prevalence of use in American culture, and issues related to prevention and treatment of addiction. Competencies and requirements for licensure as a Chemical Dependency Counselor in Texas will also be discussed.
Textbook: Drugs, Behavior and Modern Society, 7th edition by Charles Levinthal.
Course Objectives: Upon successful completion of this course students will:
• Identify historical, cultural, and legal considerations relevant to controlled substances.
• Explain the basic pharmacology of popular psychoactive substances.
• Demonstrate an understanding of current prevention, intervention and treatment options.
• Be familiar with the licensure process for Chemical Dependency Counselors in Texas.
Course Access: The course is accessed through the ACC distance learning web site at http://acconline.austincc.edu. To access the course, you will need a user name and password. For further instructions go to http://itdl.austincc.edu/blackboard/stlogin.htm . If you are taking this course through another college (Virtual College of Texas), your user name and password will be provided by VCT.
All students must complete an online orientation for the course before starting the assignments. The orientation is located in the Course Information section of the course on the Blackboard page.
Course Structure: This course is taught online, via the Internet. Students must have basic computer skills and Internet access/skills. A personal, not shared, e-mail address is required. The use of the most current web browser(s) is essential for proper transmission of course materials.
Lessons: There are 11 lessons for this course. Lessons consist of reading assignments in the textbook, online reading and research, quizzes and a discussion board. Students should read the lesson objectives and complete the reading assignments prior to answering the quizzes and discussion boards for each lesson.
Grading: Your grade in the course will be based on the sum of all the points you have earned on the required assignments. There are a total of 530 possible points for this course. Grade assignments will be based on the following point system:
- A = 477-530
- B = 423-476
- C = 369-422
- D = 315-368
- F = Less than 315
Exam: One final exam will test your cumulative knowledge of the material. The exam will be essay and you may use any materials you wish to complete it but you must reference the material used and put anything but your own words in quotes. Check Course Outline for due dates. Submission may be either through the e-mail attachment, Digital Drop box in a Word document, or received in my campus mailbox. (1212 Rio Grande, Austin TX 78701). The exam is worth 100 points. NO late exams will be accepted.
Completion of Quizzes: Each lesson has quizzes that are part of the lesson. Each quiz is worth 20 points. There are 11 quizzes (the Orientation Quiz does not count toward your grade). Total possible points = 220. Quizzes must be completed by the deadline posted on the Course Outline. Late quizzes will be worth half the scored value (maximum of 10 points).
Supplemental Assignments: There are 4 supplemental assignments that are part of the course and built into the lessons. In each case, you are asked to discuss these assignments in the Discussion Board. In addition to points earned from Discussion Board postings, these supplemental assignments are worth 25 points each. Total possible points for supplemental assignments is 100 points and must be submitted by the posted deadline for that lesson. All assignments must be typed, using 12 point font – no hand written papers will be accepted. Late assignments /papers are worth half points. The assignments are:
Rent or watch television or movie that depicts the use of any illegal drug. Write a (2 page) movie review discussing the portrayal of the drugs and the messages young people might get from watching this movie.
Attend one support group meeting (such as Alanon) for family and friends of those with an alcohol or drug problem. Write a short (2 page) reaction paper discussing your feelings about the meeting.
Attend one OPEN support group meeting (such as AA) for someone with an alcohol or drug problem. Note: meetings are designated as Open or Closed, and you may not attend a Closed meeting unless you are seeking help for your own alcohol or drug issues. When attending an open meeting, if asked, simply say “I’m here to learn more about alcohol (or drugs)” or something similar. You do not need to say “I have to be here because of a class assignment.” Write a short (2 page) reaction paper discussing your feelings about the meeting.
Select one substance (caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, etc), food (chocolate, cookies, etc) or behavior (television, gambling, shopping) and abstain for 1 week. Journal your experience each day. Did you relapse? Was it difficult to abstain? Who helped you? Who sabotaged your efforts? Submit your journal.
Discussion Board Postings: Students are required to participate in each lesson’s discussion board during the semester. The topics for discussion boards vary depending on the lesson. Students are required to post their comments on the discussion topic, as well as to respond to comments posted by at least 2 other students. Discussion boards are designed like an online bulletin board or “chat room”, although they are only accessible to students in this class and can be accessed at any time. The discussion boards are located under the Communications button of the course web page. Each Discussion Board counts for up to 10 points. While you are welcome to continue posting comments past the deadline (you may have an interesting discussion going), only postings made by the deadline will be counted for points. Total possible points for Discussion Board is 110 points.
Discussion guidelines:
• You are expected to actively participate in the discussion with postings submitted in a timely fashion while that discussion is in progress.
• You are expected to post a minimum of 3 times in each lesson (don’t wait until the deadline to post all 3 of your comments). One posting should be a substantive response to each of the discussion questions and two postings should be a substantive response to other classmates.
• Your comments are expected to be substantive in nature and to reference the assigned readings or professional literature as appropriate. When responding to other classmates’ comments, it may not be as relevant to support your comments with references from your readings, especially if you are offering a personal opinion. What is important, however, is that comments are more than “me too” or “I agree”.
• If you expect to be away from a computer for a week or more, you should contact me.
• Never post, transmit, promote, or distribute information that is known to be illegal.
• Never post harassing, threatening, or embarrassing comments. If you disagree with someone, respond to the subject, not the person.
• Never post content that is harmful, abusive; racially ethnically, or religiously offensive, vulgar; sexually explicit; or otherwise potentially offensive.
• Do not use all capital letters in your postings – this is the equivalent to shouting.
• Spell and grammar check your postings
• Never share anything that you are concerned about becoming public knowledge. The College does not guarantee the confidentiality of information shared by participants in the course environment
• The instructor reserves the right to remove any postings that are deemed inappropriate for the classroom environment. Postings that are removed are not given any grade points.
Very Important: I check papers to see if they are the student’s own work – do not take work off the internet and turn it as your own. Those papers will result in a zero and possibly an F in the course. Always cite your sources.
Extra Credit: Students may earn extra credit points by attending professional workshops in your local community that are alcohol/drug related. For every hour of attendance at a professional workshop, one extra credit point may be earned. Up to 10 points of extra credit can be earned during the semester. The student must mail or scan proof of attendance to the instructor to receive the credit. (Proof must be received at least 5 days before the end of the course).
Course Policies:
Academic Freedom: Each student is expected to participate in classroom discussion boards. In any discussion there are bound to be many differing viewpoints. These differences enhance the learning experience and create an atmosphere where students and instructors alike will be encouraged to think and learn. On sensitive and volatile topics, students may sometimes disagree not only with each other but also with the instructor. It is expected and faculty and students will respect the views of others when expressed in online classroom discussions. Postings that contain language or content inappropriate for the classroom environment will be removed by the instructor and the student will not be given credit for that posting. Disciplinary proceedings may be initiated. This same policy applies to email exchanges among students related to the course.
Incomplete grade: Students are expected to complete this course within the semester. An incomplete (I) will only be given in cases of emergencies after the last day to withdraw has passed and if the student has completed at least 2/3 of the lessons and has a C average.
Withdrawals: Students are expected to withdraw themselves from the class if they choose to no longer participate. Withdrawing requires completing a form in the Admissions and Records office by the College deadline. Failure to withdraw from the course will result in a performance grade (A-F) being assigned. Students who fail to complete the online orientation by the second week of the semester in which they are enrolled will be withdrawn by the instructor and removed from the Blackboard course access.
Scholastic Dishonesty: Acts prohibited by the college for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work. Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought, research or self-expression and must be written in their own words. You may quote authors but you must provide references if you do. Academic work is defined as, but not limited to tests, quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom presentations, and homework. (Student Handbook) The penalty for violating the policy will be a withdrawal from the course and assigned a grade of F.
Office for Students with Disabilities: Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities. Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Office for Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes. Students are encouraged to do this three weeks before the start of the semester. (Student Handbook)