Course Syllabus

Summer 2026 | BIO-1030-VU01 - Introduction to Nutrition

In Person Class

Standard courses meet in person at CCV centers, typically once each week for the duration of the semester.

Faculty

Mary Kathryn Edwards
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Jen Guarino

General Education Requirements

Natural Science

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

This course introduces students to the physiological basis of nutrition and evaluates dietary requirements. Emphasis is placed on metabolism, digestion, and nutrients used in the human body and the nutrition involved in health, disease, and aging.

Essential Objectives

1. Utilize the scientific method to distinguish between well-researched evidence on nutrition and some of the basic fallacies and myths in this field.
2. Discuss how Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) are established and how they compare for individuals based on nutrition, disease, and aging.
3. Outline dietary strategies now recommended to minimize the risks of disease and describe the nutritional and caloric needs of individuals throughout the lifecycle.
4. Describe the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids with an emphasis on organs, hormones, and enzymes.
5. Evaluate and discuss the biological role of vitamins and minerals in maintaining homeostasis.
6. Analyze how carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are broken down to harvest energy and describe the conditions by which each of these molecules is metabolized.
7. Examine, record, and evaluate diets for nutritional and caloric adequacy and safety.
8. Demonstrate proficiency in understanding, interpreting, evaluating and applying quantitative data and information.
9. Explain how knowledge created in the natural sciences has contributed to the creation, maintenance and dismantling of social inequalities and discuss the impacts of diversity and inclusion on scientific research and practice.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV computer recommendations Support page.

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

This course only uses free Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials. For details, see the Canvas Site for this class.

Methods

The teaching methods for this course will vary by class but it will be a combination of: multimedia presentations and resources small and large group discussions interactive projects and activities readings, writing, and inquiry-based research case studies and other professional learning simulations

Evaluation Criteria

Grading

This course will be graded using a points system. There are a total of 1500 points available. They will be broken down into categories detailed below.

Final grades are assigned an A, B, C, D, F overall course grade based on the total number of points earned.

It is my job to provide you with a clear understanding of what is expected for each assignment, and it is your job to produce work in a timely manner that meets those expectations based on what grade you want to earn in the class.

Point Totals Per Grading Category

Attendance (weekly) 180 points = 12%

Participation (weekly) 240 points =16%

HW quizzes (weekly) 300 points = 20%

Reading Labels (5 parts) 150 points = 10%

Diet Composition (5 parts) 210 points = 15%

Diet presentation 120 points = 8%

Exams (100 pts per exam) 300 points = 20%

TOTAL = 1500

Assignments:

Attendance (180 points)

Please come to class. You have chosen to register for an in-person class, and it is critical to your success that you attend class. If you need to miss class, it is your responsibility to get the notes from a classmate. Summer courses are shorter; it is important that you attend.

Regular attendance in classes is essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student’s failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness, or early departure may jeopardize a student’s ability to learn and earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student’s final grade.

Participation (180 points)

Each week, we will interact with each other. You will get to know your classmates and me. Together, we will discuss and debate many fun topics related to nutrition. You will also be invited to post on Canvas (not every week, but a few assignments will ask you to post online). If you are not in class to participate, you will not be able to make up in-class assignments. Attendance is paramount.

Past debate and discussion topics have included:

• Is RFK right? Is sugar poison?
• Nutrition & Mental Health
• Microbiome
• Vegan Athletes: Gamechangers
• Supplements & Safety
• Obesity Epidemic/The Biggest Loser
• Minnesota Starvation Study
• Fad diets/Diet Culture

Reading Labels Assignment (150 points)

This assignment is divided into 5 parts. Using food labels from popular foods you will use your investigative skills to answer a set of questions and compare the items on the label. You will also detail the digestion of the macronutrients in the food and detail your personal dietary macronutrient needs. In the submission, include each of the components listed on the assignment. Details to follow.

Diet Composition Analysis (210 points)

You will capture 3 days of dietary intake for your or someone you know. Using an online tool (to be discussed in class), you will evaluate your macronutrient and micronutrient intakes. Compare your diet to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Recommended Dietary Allowances for protein, fats, carbs, vitamins, and minerals. Discuss why you did/did not meet recommendations. Add suggestions or a plan for meeting recommendations.

Diet Poster Presentation (120 points)

This 3-minute presentation is a visual representation of a dietary pattern. The presentations will be completed during the final class. Elements to include on the poster include: the name of the diet, what a typical day of meals would like, and the desired macronutrient percentages. Other items to consider include: when it was developed, why it was developed, and celebrities that endorse the diet. Specific details to follow.

Exams (300 points)

Exams will be cumulative, in-class, and consist of multiple-choice, true/false, short-answer, and fill-in-the-blank questions. Often, exams include 5-10 points of extra credit. Use the study guide and the weekly reading quizzes to guide your study habits.

Grade Tiers:

If you desire to earn anA you will need greater than 1,350 points.

Bgreater than 1,200

Cgreater than 1,050

Communicating with Me:

1. Email is the best: my email is mke03090@vsc.edu. I generally answer emails throughout the week; however, I may not respond in a timely manner in the evenings or on weekends. I will do my best to get back to you within 1 working day. If you send me an email on Monday, expect to hear back from me Tuesday. If you send me an email on Friday, expect to hear back from me on Monday.

2. Canvas is second best: Using the Canvas inbox and other discussion tools works, but you may not get the quickest response. I will do my best to check these, but my response might be delayed. If you need a quick answer or would like to schedule time with me, please email me.

3. How to write a professional email: Using professional communication is important and this class is a good chance to practice. Start each email with a greeting such as “Hi” or “Dear” and then include my name such as “Dear Mary Kathryn” or “Hi Ms. Edwards.” Non-professional salutations would be “hey” or “what’s up.” After your greeting, please state your question or issue succinctly. If you would like to meet with me, include three meeting times that would work for you. Then close the email with your name.

4. When to communicate with me: It is my job to provide clear instructions on expectations and to help guide your learning of nutrition. Please contact me IF:

a. Something is not clear for an assignment or on a nutrition topic.

b. See something on Canvas that does not make sense.

c. You find that any of the ground rules have been violated.

d. You are not able to meet your assignment deadlines.

e. You want to know more about a certain topic and the material isn’t sufficient.

f. You want to meet with me. We can schedule a virtual meeting.

Missing, Unsatisfactory, and Late Work Policy

“LIFE HAPPENS”

You will have two “life happens” extensions for assignments. If you choose to use your “life happens” extensions, please send me an email letting me know using the words “Life Happens” in the subject line. For missing or late work, you have a 3-day extension from the due date. For unsatisfactory work, you will have 3 days from the date it is returned to you to redo and resubmit the work for full credit.

If you need more than a “life happens” extension, late work is accepted on a conditional basis. Please reach out to me if you are not able to turn in your work on time. Extensions will be granted only in extenuating circumstances.

Students who know they will not have access to the course materials for any reason should make arrangements with me to complete assignments.

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student’s failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

- In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness, or early departure may jeopardize a student’s ability to learn and earn a satisfactory final grade.

- Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting.

- Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student’s final grade.

Missing & Late Work Policy

Missing, Unsatisfactory, and Late Work Policy

“LIFE HAPPENS”

You will have two “life happens” extensions for assignments. If you choose to use your “life happens” extensions, please send me an email letting me know using the words “Life Happens” in the subject line. For missing or late work, you have a 3-day extension from the due date. For unsatisfactory work, you will have 3 days from the date it is returned to you to redo and resubmit the work for full credit.

If you need more than a “life happens” extension, late work is accepted on a conditional basis. Please reach out to me if you are not able to turn in your work on time. Extensions will be granted only in extenuating circumstances.

Students who know they will not have access to the course materials for any reason should make arrangements with me to complete assignments.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/student-support/accessibility-services/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity

Apply Now for this semester.