BIOL/HEED/PSYC 3303 DRUGS AND BEHAVIOR FALL 2010 Instructor: Dr. Perry Fuchs ([email protected]) Office and Hrs: 509LS, T 10 – 11 or by appointment, 817-272-3427. Course description: 3303. Drugs and Behavior (3-0) 3 hours credit. Psychoactive agents, their therapeutic uses, and social abuses. Alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, narcotics, hallucinogens, stimulants, and tranquilizers. Time and Place of Class Meetings: Tuesday/Thursday, 12:30 – 1:50 PM, University Hall Room 108 Course notes: For information about health education certification, see your catalog. BIOL 3303 cannot be used to satisfy degree requirements toward a major in biology, microbiology, or medical technology. Text: Levinthal, C. F. Drugs, Behavior, and Modern Society, 6th ed., Allyn and Bacon, Boston. Examinations and Grading: There will be four multiple-choice examinations. You are required to take all 4 exams. If you miss an exam, a grade of zero will be given. The final course grade will be determined by dividing the total number of correct answers by the total number of questions asked (each exam will count approximately 25% towards the final course grade). A>85, B: 84 - 75, C: 74 - 65, D: 64 - 55 and F<55%. Grade information will be available via WebCT. Note: Make-up exams will only be given to those with University-approved excuses (see Catalog) or at the discretion of the instructor. Written documentation of a death in the family, personal illness, or accident will be required. Due to the large size of this class, individual make-up exam times will not be arranged. Rather, the class time on the final lecture day (Dec 9th) will be used to schedule all make-up exams. Students are expected to supply their own scantron, (form # 4521). Scholastic Dishonesty: It is the philosophy of The University of Texas at Arlington that academic dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in any form. All persons involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations and procedures. Discipline many include suspension or expulsion for the University. “Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts.” (Regents’ Rules and Regulations, Part One, Chapter VI, Section 3, Subsection 3.2 Subdivision 3.22) Americans With Disabilities Act: The University of Texas at Arlington is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation; reference to Public Law 93112 – The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. With the passage of new federal legislation entitled Americans with Disabilities Act – (ADA), pursuant to section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, there is renewed focus on providing this population with the same opportunities enjoyed by all citizens. As a faculty member, I am required by law to provide “reasonable accommodation” to students with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability. Student responsibility primarily rests with informing faculty at the beginning of the semester and in providing authorized documentation through designated administrative channels. Drop Policy: Students may drop or swap (adding and dropping a class concurrently) classes through self-service in MyMav from the beginning of the registration period through the late registration period. After the late registration period, students must see their academic advisor to drop a class or withdraw. Undeclared students must see an advisor in the University Advising Center. Drops can continue through a point two-thirds of the way through the term or session. It is the student's responsibility to officially withdraw if they do not plan to attend after registering. Students will not be automatically dropped for non-attendance. Repayment of certain types of financial aid administered through the University may be required as the result of dropping classes or withdrawing. Contact the Financial Aid Office for more information. Student Support Services Available: The University of Texas at Arlington provides a variety of resources and programs designed to help students develop academic skills, deal with personal situations, and better understand concepts and information related to their courses. These resources include tutoring, major-based learning centers, developmental education, advising and mentoring, personal counseling, and federally funded programs. For individualized referrals to resources for any reason, students may contact the Maverick Resource Hotline at 817-272-6107 or visit www.uta.edu/resources for more information. Electronic Communication Policy: The University of Texas at Arlington has adopted the University “MavMail” address as the sole official means of communication with students. MavMail is used to remind students of important deadlines, advertise events and activities, and permit the University to conduct official transactions exclusively by electronic means. For example, important information concerning registration, financial aid, payment of bills, and graduation are now sent to students through the MavMail system. All students are assigned a MavMail account. Students are responsible for checking their MavMail regularly. Information about activating and using MavMail is available at http://www.uta.edu/oit/email/. There is no additional charge to students for using this account, and it remains active even after they graduate from UT Arlington.To obtain your NetID or for logon assistance, visit https://webapps.uta.edu/oit/selfservice/. If you are unable to resolve your issue from the Self-Service website, contact the Helpdesk at [email protected]. Student Learning Outcomes and Course Goals: One goal of this course is to survey the major categories of drugs and to describe their intended and unintended effects (main and side effects, respectively). Another goal is to understand drug-taking behaviors including use, misuse and abuse. A final goal is to describe the means by which we can become better consumers of information about drugs. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to identify, describe and explain psychoactive agents, their therapeutic