GHTH 100: Personal Wellness
Dr. Gail Brook Arthur
Section 008: MWF 9:05am -9:55 am
Section 0010: MWF 12:20pm – 1:10 pm
Contact Information:
E-mail: [email protected] (preferred)
Phone: 568-8824
Office: HHS Building, Room 3116
Office Hours:
MW: 4 pm – 5pm, T 10 am -11 am
Additional office hours by appointment and students may “drop-in” the halfhour before lecture. I am usually in my office at that time.
Course Information:
Website: http://wellness.cisat.jmu.edu/
Graduate Assistant: Jessica Agee, [email protected]
Student Assistant: Lauren Gambrill, [email protected]
Course Description: This course is designed to introduce students to the lifestyle behaviors that contribute to
health promotion and disease prevention. Factors affecting health status will be identified and suggestions will be
made as to how health-related behaviors, self-care, and individual decisions contribute to health and wellness.
Cluster Five Objectives: At the completion of the course, students will be able to demonstrate through testing,
discussion, and personal experience, the following:




Understand the dimensions of wellness, the various factors affecting each dimension, and how
dimensions are interrelated
Understand the relationship between personal behaviors and lifelong health and wellness
Assess their own levels of health and wellness and understand how these levels impact their quality of life
Identify and implement strategies to improve their wellness
Course Objectives: At the completion of the course, students will be able to demonstrate through testing, lecture,
discussion, and personal experience, the following:


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


Identify the dimensions of wellness, as well as the impact of heredity, lifestyle, and environment on wellbeing
Gain knowledge about health and its utilization in making meaningful decisions throughout life
Examine personal behaviors related to health and wellness
Assess and interpret one’s state of overall wellness as well as the development and implementation of a
personal wellness plan
Develop the ability to use reputable resources to learn about and evaluate current societal trends in
health and social behavior
Recognize solutions for common health problems
Required Text:
th
Insel, Paul M. and Roth Walton T. (2014). Connect Core Concepts in Health BRIEF. (13 Ed.) McGraw Hill
Publishing.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Examinations (4 worth 100 points each)
o There will be four exams given over the course of the semester, specific dates are provided on
the tentative course outline. Exam questions will cover text and lecture material. The final exam
will not be comprehensive.
o Students must be present for all exams unless prior arrangements have been made with the
instructor.
o Make-up exams may be scheduled with the instructor. Make-up exams should be arranged in
the week following the originally scheduled exam.
o After 2 weeks, the instructor may refuse to allow a make-up exam or provide an alternative exam
in order to for the exam results to be reviewed with the class.

Pre and Post Health Assessment and Behavior Change Assignment (35 point)
o Due January 29, 2014 and April 14, 2014
o All GHTH 100 students must complete a pre- and post-wellness assignment, which will be further
discussed in class and are described in the course manual.
o Pre-Wellness Assessment is worth 15 points, Post-Wellness Assessment is worth 20 points
o The Pre-Wellness Assessment is necessary to complete the Post-Wellness Assessment!

Wellness Passport Assignment (40 points)
2 due Monday, February 24, 20014; 2 due April 14, 2014. Assignments may be turned in during the
previous class period but are due no later than noon on the due date at my office.
o This assignment provides students with the opportunity to experience health enhancing
activities, programs, and services offered to all JMU students, as well as programs
designed specifically for GHTH 100 students.
o The assignment is a combination of three responsibilities:
1. Attendance at four different Wellness Passport events.
2. Having Wellness Passport forms stamped from each event attended.
Assignments must be submitted only on the official verification form. These
forms are available for purchase in the HHSB Copy Center in room 1002 for
$.15 each.
3. Completing the Passport assignment forms to submit to your instructor by the
dates listed above.
o A list of pre-selected and approved events will be posted throughout the semester at
http://wellness.cisat.jmu.edu/eventscalendar.htm. In order to receive full credit, each
student must attend four Passport events, each of which must be from a DIFFERENT
dimension of wellness: intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual/environmental, and
occupational.
o Students must attend an intellectual, emotional, or social event. For the fourth
passport, students may choose either a spiritual or environmental or occupational
wellness program.
o For further instructions please go to the Personal Wellness website page:
http://wellness.cisat.jmu.edu/

Physical Wellness Assignment (25 points)
Mid-term log due Monday, March 3, 2014
Final log due Monday, April 21, 2014
o This project allows students to construct their own physical wellness plan, and allows
them to become more familiar with activities related to physical wellness that are
available on the JMU campus.
o Specific instructions can be found and the official wellness log at
http://wellness.cisat.jmu.edu/assessment.html
o This activity will be further discussed in class. The student is responsible for keeping his
own fitness log and turning it in to the instructor to indicate completion of this
assignment.


Video/ Reflections Journal (35 points)
o Throughout this course, the student will view video material, related articles, or Ted
talks to reinforce what is discussed in class. The student will view 7 videos or other
related material worth 5 points each and record a summary and his/her response to the
video online in a journal on blackboard.
o This assignment will be discussed further in class.
o Each assignment will be graded as follows:
 Title of Material
1 pt.
 Wellness Dimension(s) represented in the material 1 pt.
 Brief Summary of viewed material
2 pts
 Commentary/reaction to material (positive
Or negative)
2 pts
Total
5 pts
Nutritional Assessment (15 points)
o Due April 1, 2014
o Students will complete a nutritional analysis and submit a meal plan during the section
on nutrition and fitness during the course. This assignment will be discussed further in
class.
Point Distribution:
Grades:
Pre- and Post- Wellness Assessments
35
90% of total points = A-
Wellness Passport Assignments
40
80% of total points = B-
Individual Physical Wellness Assignment
25
70% of total points = C-
Video Journal
35
60% of total points = D-
Nutritional Assessment
15
<60% of total points = F
Exams (4 @ 100 pts each) ________
400
Total:
550
The +/- system is used at the discretion of the instructor. The instructor DOES NOT round to the nearest whole
number, so students must receive the appropriate number of points to receive a desired grade.
Based on the points for the course, grading should be as follows:
A
514-550pts
C+
423.5-439.9
A-
495-513.9pts
C
404-423.4
B+
478.5-494.9
C-
385-403.9
B
459-478.4
D+
368.5-384.9
B-
440-458.9
D
349-367.9
COURSE POLICIES
This course follows all established JMU course policies. For additional information, please review these policies at
http://www.jmu.edu/syllabus/.
Attendance and Participation
Although attendance will not be recorded, it is highly recommended. You need to be in class to complete the
notes, and your participation in class will be reflected in the completion of assignments and your grade. Absence
from class during an assignment will result in a zero for that assignment.
In order to facilitate class discussion, it is recommended that students read assigned material prior to coming to
class.
Religious Observance Accommodations
I will be happy to accommodate religious absences but I require one week’s notice prior to these absences or the student
risks a zero grade if there is an assignment during their absence.
Accommodation Requests
Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require special arrangements in order to meet course
requirements should contact the Office of Disability Services (x6705, Wilson 107) as soon as possible. The student
must provide a current Letter of Disability Accommodation as a prerequisite for receiving accommodations in this
course within the first two weeks of class.
Academic Honesty
Making references to the work of others strengthens your own work by granting you greater authority and by showing that
you are part of a discussion located within an intellectual community. When you make references to the ideas of others, it
is essential to provide proper attribution and citation. Failing to do so is considered academically dishonest, as is copying or
paraphrasing someone else’s work. The consequences of such behavior will lead to consequences ranging from failure on
an assignment to failure in the course to dismissal from the university. Because the disciplines of the Health Science value
collaborative work, you will be encouraged to share ideas and to include the ideas of others in our assignments. Please ask
if you are in doubt about the use of a citation. Honest mistakes can always be corrected or prevented.
Each examination, paper, and other written or electronic assignment will be submitted pursuant to the JMU Honor
Code. Please familiarize yourself with the latest version of the JMU Honor Code at
https://www.jmu.edu/honor/code.shtml. Any form of cheating or plagiarism will result in automatic failure of the
assignment and potential failure of the course. Plagiarism is defined as using another person’s writing or ideas and
presenting them as one’s own. When you make a reference to work that is taken from another source, it is
essential to paraphrase in your own words and provide an appropriate citation. If plagiarism is suspected, the
instructor reserves the right to submit the assignment to a plagiarism detection site. Please ask if you are in doubt
about the use of a citation.
Inclement Weather
Give JMU’s cancellation policy (http://www.jmu.edu/JMUpolicy/1309.shtml). Include additional information specific to the
class or to your commuting situation.
Class Conduct:
In order for all students to benefit, everyone must behave in a mature, professional manner.
1. All cell phones and pagers must be turned to vibrate or silent during class time. If a student feels it necessary
to answer a phone or open a text during class time, that student must exit the classroom to do so. The
instructor of the class will determine if a student’s pattern of responding to a phone or text is becoming
problematic.
2. If laptop use is desired, the student must secure permission from the instructor before using a laptop during
class time. If permission is granted, the laptop must be used for class-related activities ONLY.
3. All pre-class activities must cease by the official class start time.
4. Talking, other than asking a question, during the class period is considered disruptive.
5. Additional descriptions of disruptive behavior include, but are not limited to:
 eating in class
 monopolizing discussions
 failure to respect others
 chatting
 constant questioning
 overt inattentiveness
 sleeping
 reading the newspaper
 using laptops for non-class-related activities
 using phones
 texting on phones
 doing work not related to class



6.
7.
creating excessive noise
leaving class early
poor personal hygiene
Additional rules and regulations associated with student conduct are detailed in the Student Handbook.
Failure to abide by all of these rules and regulations may lead to a variety of disciplinary actions including but
not limited to:
a. a failing grade
b. removal from this class
c. a summons to appear before the Judiciary Council
d. being placed on probation
e. and/or expulsion from the university.
Course Schedule: GHTH 100: Personal Wellness
Spring 2014
Dr. Gail Brook Arthur
Please Note: Due to inclement weather or unanticipated events this may be subject to change.
Week 1
Chapter 1
1/ 13 – 1/ 17
Introduction to Personal
Wellness and Behavior
Change
Week 2
No Class Jan. 20
Chapter 2
1/ 20 – 1/ 24
Guest Speaker Jan. 22
Stress the Constant Change
Week 3
Stress the Constant Change
Chapter 2 & 3
1/27 – 1/31
Psychological Health
Week 4
Pre-Health Assessment and
Behavior Change Assignment
Due January 29
Addiction
Chapters 7
2/3 – 2/7
Alcohol and Tobacco
Chapters 8
Week 5
Alcohol and Tobacco
Chapter 8
2/10 – 2/ 14
Exam 1: February 12, 2014
Chapters 1, 2, 3 and 7
Week 6
Intimate Relationships and
Communication
Chapter 4
2/17 – 2/21
Personal Safety
Week 7
2/24 – 2/28
Sexuality, Pregnancy and
Childbirth
2 Passports due February 24
at noon
Taking Charge of Your Health
Chapter 16
Chapter 5
Week 8
Contraception and Abortion
3/3 – 3/7
Mid-Term Physical Log due
Monday, March 3,2014
Chapters 6
Chapters 8, 4, 5, and 16
Exam 2: March 5, 2014
STDs
Chapter 13
March 10-14
Spring Break No Class
Week 9
Infectious Disease
Chapter 13
3/17 – 3/21
Nutrition and Physical Fitness
Chapters 9 and 10
Week 10
Nutrition and Physical Fitness
Chapters 9 and 10
Nutrition and Physical Fitness
Body Image and Weight
Chapters 9,10 and 11
3/24 – 3/28
Week 11
3/31 – 4/4
Nutrition Assessment due
April 4, 2014
Exam 3: April 4, 2014
Chapters 6, 12, 9, 10, and 11
Week 12
Cardiovascular Disease
Chapter 12
Week 13
Cancer Topics
Chapter 12
4/14 – 4/ 18
Environmental Health
Chapter 14
4/7 – 4/11
2 Passports due April 14
Post-Health Assessment and
Behavior Change Assignment
due April 14
Week 14
Health Bytes
4/21 – 4/25
Physical Wellness Log due April
21
Week 15
No Class Friday May 2
4/28 – 4/30
Health Bytes
Final Exam: April 30, 2014
Exam on Chapters 12, 14,