Department of
Physiology, Pharmacology & Toxicology

Sample Syllabus

Expected Learning Outcomes     

Students are expected to develop a solid understanding of the principles by which drugs produce effects in the human system. As such, they will:

  1. Understand fundamental principles of drug action, including basic pharmacokinetics, dose-response relationships, and receptor binding.
  2. Become familiar with the therapeutic uses and routes of administration of the major classes of drugs.
  3. Understand the mechanism of action of each of the major classes of drugs at the molecular/cellular and organ/organ system level.
  4. Use their knowledge of drug mechanisms of action to predict therapeutic and adverse effects.
  5. Know common side effects associated with major classes of drugs and their implications for patient management.
  6. Develop critical thinking skills in which they apply knowledge of drug action to the pharmacotherapeutic management of disease.
  7. Retrieve and evaluate new information related to topics above, and communicate it in written form.
     

Grading

All students enrolled in Pharmacology 260 will receive a letter grade unless other arrangements have been made.

Grades will be calculated on the basis of the following:

  • 4 exams (100 points each)
  • 1 final exam (160 points = 40 points new material + 120 points comprehensive*)
  • 8 question sets (25 points each, 200 points total)
  • Total 760 points

*The comprehensive portion of the final exam will consist of questions that focus on the most important information found in the topics covered by the first four exams.
 

Bonus Points

Nine bonus points are also available:

  • About This Course Quiz (+3 bonus for scoring 90% or higher. Note - 5 points will be subtracted from your point total for scoring less than 70%)
     
  • Startup Survey (+3 bonus for completing it)
     
  • Anonymous Course Evaluation (+3 bonus for completing it at the end of the semester) These bonus points are added onto your point total and are NOT percentage points added onto your final percentage grade!
     

These bonus points are added onto your point total and are NOT percentage points added onto your final percentage grade!! The Startup Survey and the About this Course quiz must be completed by 9 AM, Tuesday May 26. The Course Evaluation survey must be completed by Friday, July 24.
 

Grading Scale     

The course grade is calculated as a percentage of the total points:

Percentage grade = points scored/760 x 100

  • 100%-98%: A+
  • 97%-92%: A
  • 91%-90%: A-
  • 89%-88%: B+
  • 87%-82%: B
  • 81%-80%: B-
  • 79%-78%: C+
  • 77%-72%: C
  • 71%-70%: C-
  • 69%-68%: D+
  • 67%-62%: D
  • 61%-60%: D-
  • Below 60%: F


All exams are conducted online via a secure server (SOLE). All exams are closed book, with no consultation of web sites (other than the exam on SOLE), computer files, notes, texts, or other individuals allowed.Exam and Question Set Policies

If you experience a technical problem during an exam (e.g. computer problem, power or internet outage), please contact your instructor immediately. If you feel that a question was confusing or otherwise unacceptable, please email the instructor after the exam.

Exams are available to be taken at 8 PM Eastern Time on dates listed in the "start up information" and the schedule. Exams are timed and must be completed in 1 hour for regular exams and 2 hours for the final. If you require rescheduling of an exam due to illness, work, or other hardship, please contact the instructor.

A total of 9 bonus points are possible for completing additional assignments designated by the instructor throughout the term. No additional bonus points or extra credit will be awarded. No grades will be dropped and there are no alternatives to the course grades by which a student can receive extra credit.

Any examination or question set missed for legitimate reasons (e.g. illness, family emergency, etc., as determined by the course instructor) must be made up within one week or no credit will be given and may result in a grade of incomplete (I) in the course. Exams may be re-scheduled in advance for significant conflicts such as work, school, and family responsibilities. Changes in exam grades will be considered only for a period of one week following the grading of the individual exam.

If a student fails to submit more than 3 question sets, his/her grade will drop by one whole letter grade. A maximum of two letter grades can be lost in this manner. Question sets will not be accepted more than 3 days after the due date and a grade of zero will be recorded for the missing question set(s). Three points per day will be deducted for late questions sets. Question sets will be considered 1 day late if they are submitted after 9 AM on the due date, 2 days late if submitted after 9 AM on the day following the due date, etc. Extensions will be granted in cases of illness, family emergency, etc.

On Wednesday and Thursday July 15 and July 16, students will have the opportunity to retake up to three question sets of their choice in an attempt to improve their grade. The instructor must be notified before noon on Wednesday if students will be retaking question sets, and which one(s). The grade achieved on the second attempt will count towards the final grade, even if it is lower than the original attempt. Question sets that received a zero due to plagiarization will not be allowed to be retaken.

Question sets that contain plagiarized information will receive a grade of zero. Copying and pasting information from the online lecture notes or another web site or re-typing textbook information without quoting and citing is plagiarism plagiarism, as is copying your answers from another student's assignment! Sources of information outside of the class textbook and notes should be cited; however, question sets which contains a significant amount of someone else's wording, even if it is put it in quotes and cited, will lose significant points. Please put everything into your own words. Do not copy another student's answers; if you work together, be sure to put everything in your own words. Because there are limited numbers of ways one can state factual information (e.g. "diuretics can cause dehydration"), this type of minor overlap with other people's writing will not be seen as plagiarism; however, copying whole, complex sentences word-for-word is not allowed. See the WVU Academic Dishonesty policy below.


Academic Dishonesty

West Virginia University expects that every member of its academic community shares the historic and traditional commitment to honesty, integrity, and the search for truth. Academic dishonesty is defined to include but is not limited to any of the following:

  1. Plagiarism: Plagiarism is defined in terms of proscribed acts. Students are expected to understand that such practices constitute academic dishonesty regardless of motive. Those who deny deceitful intent, claim not to have known that the act constituted plagiarism, or maintain that what they did was inadvertent are nevertheless subject to penalties when plagiarism has been confirmed. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to: submitting, without appropriate acknowledgment, a report, notebook, speech, outline, theme, thesis, dissertation, or other written, visual, or oral material that has been copied in whole or in part from the work of others, whether such source is published or not, including (but not limited to) another individual's academic composition, compilation, or other product, or commercially prepared paper.
     
  2. Cheating and dishonest practices in connection with examinations, papers, and projects, including but not limited to:
    1. Obtaining help from another student during examinations.
    2. Knowingly giving help to another student during examinations, taking an examination or doing academic work for another student, or providing one's own work for another student to copy and submit as his/her own.
    3. The unauthorized use of notes, books, or other sources of information during examinations.
    4. Obtaining without authorization an examination or any part thereof.

     
  3. Forgery, misrepresentation, or fraud:
    1. Forging or altering, or causing to be altered, the record of any grade in a grade book or other educational record.
    2. Use of University documents or instruments of identification with intent to defraud.
    3. Presenting false data or intentionally misrepresenting one's records for admission, registration, or withdrawal from the University or from a University course.
    4. Knowingly presenting false data or intentionally misrepresenting one's records for personal gain.
    5. Knowingly furnishing the results of research projects or experiments for the inclusion in another's work without proper citation.
    6. Knowingly furnishing false statements in any University academic proceeding.

     

Any acts of academic dishonesty will result in a grade of zero (0) being assigned for the relevant work. WVU's policy on academic dishonesty is available at: http://studentlife.wvu.edu/r/download/180235


Social Justice

West Virginia University is committed to social justice. The instructors in the course concur with that commitment and expect to maintain a positive learning environment based upon open communication, mutual respect, and non-discrimination. Our University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age, disability, veteran status, religion, sexual orientation, color or national origin. Any suggestions as to how to further such a positive and open environment in this class will be appreciated and given serious consideration.

If you are a person with a disability and anticipate needing any type of accommodation in order to participate in this class, please advise us and make appropriate arrangements with Disability Services (304-293-6700).

Days of Special Concern

WVU recognizes the diversity of its students and the needs of those who wish to be absent from class to participate in Days of Special Concern, which are listed in the Schedule of Courses. Students should notify their instructors by the end of the second week of classes or prior to the first Day of Special Concern, whichever is earlier, regarding Day of Special Concern observances that will affect their attendance. Further, students must abide by the attendance policy of their instructors as stated on their syllabi. Faculty will make reasonable accommodation for tests or field trips that a student misses as a result of observing a Day of Special Concern.