Course Syllabus

Gonstead - AT 4123
James R. Fuller, BA, BS, DC

TRIMESTER: Spring 2007	TRIMESTER CREDIT HOURS:  3
LECTURE HOURS PER WEEK:  2	LAB HOURS PER WEEK:  2
CONTACT HOURS PER TRI: 60	OFFICE LOCATION: Suite 200 E, East  Building  Center for Chiropractic Sciences
OFFICE HOURS: Monday Wednesday  Thursday Friday 9:00am - 9:50 am 10:00am  -  10:50 am 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm 12:00 - 12:50 pm 12:00 - 12:50 pm	OFFICE TELEPHONE:  (972) 438-6932 ext. 7205  CLASSROOM LOCATION:  106 East LAB LOCATION:  207South (yes - I said SOUTH)

PREREQUISITES: Palpation I

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course introduces the student to the Full-Spine System of analyzing and adjusting spinal subluxations as developed by Dr. Clarence S. Gonstead.  His system of X-ray analysis, philosophy and specific Chiropractic adjusting of the entire spine is presented.  The student is introduced to the use of the cervical chair, knee chest table and pelvic bench.

COURSE OBJECTIVE:
Basic Knowledge of the Gonstead System of adjustment and analysis

REQUIRED TEXT(S):
Gonstead Chiropractic Science and Art, Herbst
Gonstead Technique Notes - Collection of notes by the instructor.

A note regrarding the above Technique Notes: THESE ARE NOT A LECTURE OUTLINE, THESE ARE A QUICK REFERENCE. They are designed for you to go to when you want particular information concerning a topic. Don't look for them to follow my lectures as I expect you to take your own notes as part of the learning process. If you want to know what's coming up next, check the class schedule.

You will be required to have a rolling ruler for your x-ray line analysis.  It is not possible to properly perform the analysis if you do not have one, therefore their use is mandatory.  If you do not have one at the time of quizzes or exams, you may not be permitted to take that quiz or exam.

You will also be required to have a Thuli board for lab. You will also use this in your Upper Cervical course, so you should go ahead and get it now. It is an invaluable tool for developing coordination, strength and speed for the Gonstead adjustments. We will drill with the Thuli, primarily during the first half of the trimester.

SUGGESTED READING:
Textbook of Clinical Chiropractic - A Specific Biomechanical Approach by:  Gregory Plaugher
The Master's Touch, Goble (in the Library)

DISCLAIMER

 

This is a generic disclaimer as my notes are a quick reference and not designed to be lecture outlines.

 

The lecture outlines contained in the lecture booklet are NOT intended to represent the entire content of the course.  A lecture outline is intended to be a guide to the lecture.  The responsibility of the instructor is to follow the outline, expand the concepts and give explanation and illustrations to clarify content.  The role of the student is to attend lecture and take notes over material presented by the lecturer that explains and illustrates the material listed in the outline.  It is also the responsibility of the student to question the instructor if explanations and illustrations are not clearly presented or understood.

 

The instructors take no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of old notes, quiz questions or exam questions  that students may purchase or may be given by previous students in Emergency Care.

COURSE MECHANICS

 

NOTE:Grades are rounded up from the nearest .5 %, so an 89.45% is rounded to 90% automatically. If you have an 89.44, I'm sorry, but it's an 89.

Diagnostic Workups :

All students will be required to complete diagnostic workup sheets during our labs together. These are worth a total of 100 points and that total will be averaged in as 5% of your grade. Most of your workups should be on different students to receive credit. I will accept up to 3 on the same student (depending on class size), and I will usually only accept 1 workup per lab. The total number is dependent on scheduling. We'll try for a total of 10, but if your lab only meets 9 times, you'll only be required to complete 8. Under those cirucumstances, each sheet will be worth more. Most labs will have the opportunity to turn in 11 of them through the trimester, with one of those 11 being extra for makeup. As a backup to unforseen absences, I will accept 2 workups for 2 labs only - that's for any 2 labs you choose, you can turn in 2 workups as makeup for a missed lab.

In order for all students to properly complete these workups and begin developing the diagnostic skills necessary for the Gonstead protocol, it is necessary that all students' backs be exposed during lab. All students will, therefore, be required to either have the shirt removed, or wear a gown or other appropriate clothing to allow access to the back for each lab. I find that a T-shirt with a simple slit down the back, leaving the collar and waist-band intact works quite well.

Class/Lab Participation

Part of the education and training at Parker College of Chiropractic will include participation in laboratory classes. Students will have the opportunity to practice chiropractic techniques on other students. Labs are conducted under the supervision of at least one Faculty Member. The procedures to be followed and any risk associated with those procedures will be fully disclosed. The purpose of these classes are merely instructional, and no doctor/patient relationship will be created with either the students or the Faculty Members. Consequently, there is no duty to provide any diagnosis or treatment. A student is expected to conduct themself with the utmost professionalism during such classes. When in the role of the doctor, a student will maintain professional demeanor, follow the proper procedures including appropriate draping, and refrain from any offensive or inappropriate behavior or statments. When in the role of a patient, the student will advise the student in the role of doctor and/or the Faculty Member supervising the lab if any offensive or inappropriate conduct occurs. Sexual harassment, including jokes, inappropriate or embarrassing statements or comments, or other offensive conduct is prohibited and may be grounds for dismissal from Parker College.

Attendance:

A professional education at Parker College requires a full time commitment by the student. Classes are demanding and academic standards are high. Students must expect to spend a significant part of each day in and out of class to successfully complete the program. Full realization of the learning process is reliant upon the fact that students are expected to attend and be attentive and participatory in all lecture and laboratory classes. Students must attend classes on a regular basis to attain the skill, training and expertise they will need to become successful Doctors of Chiropractic. It is in this light that Parker College of Chiropractic considers classroom attendance to be mandatory in all scheduled classes and laboratory sessions and failure of the student to attend classes and/or laboratory sessions could result in poor academic performance by the student, possible grade reduction and/or the student receiving a failing grade in the class.

At the discretion of the individual faculty member, student attendance in lectures, laboratory sessions and/or scheduled academic conferences may be a factor in deriving a student’s grade.

Students who fail to attend 50% of the lectures and/or the labs will automatically fail the course.

Students who are repeating a course because of previous academic failure are required by the Dean of Academic Affairs to attend all lectures and labs of the course in question. A student on Academic Probation is required to attend all lectures, laboratory sessions and scheduled academic conferences. If a faculty member in a department finds that a student is not meeting this attendance requirement, the student will be notified in writing with a copy of the letter sent to the office of the Dean of Academic Affairs.

The student is responsible for obtaining and learning subject materials presented during an absence. When the period of absence is known and may be planned, the student must confer with the appropriate course director and determine a plan of action for that absence. Absence from any examination (lecture or lab) must be accompanied by a written excuse documenting the extenuating circumstance which prevented the student from sitting the examination. If the excuse is considered valid by the course director then arrangements to sit exam must be made with the course director within 5 days of returning to class.

The licensing requirements of the states vary widely. Some state boards require a specific number of classroom hours in order to obtain a license to practice as a Doctor of Chiropractic in their respective states. It is the student's responsibility to determine, fulfill and document the requirements of the state(s) in which they are planning to apply for licensure. These requirements are available from the individual state boards and kept in the Office of the Registrar for the student to review.

Tardiness is disruptive to the class. Each student should make every attempt to get to class on time. A professor may refuse to allow to a tardy student to enter the classroom. A student who is tardy to a class may be counted absent for that class period.

Grading System:
Evaluation is an integral part of the educational process and is used as an educational tool to help students identify problem areas, to recognize and reqard achievement, and to identify students who are unable to meet the rigors of the curriculum.  Final course grades and their interpretation are listed below:
 

 

*Secretary staff members are not allowed to give a student his/her grades either in person or over the telephone.*

Examinations:

Make-up Exams/ Lab Practicals
There are NO makeup lecture exams or lab practicals barring any unforeseen emergencies or extra-ordinary circumstances the student might encounter. Each case of a missed exam is judged on an individual basis and the determination as to whether to give or not to give a make up exam to any given student at any given time is at the sole discretion of the course director. You must be on time for the Exam or Lab Practical as no Exams are passed out once the first student leaves the exam room. Vacation, leisure travel and seminar attendance do not constitute extra ordinary circumstances.

Exams/Lab Practicals are scheduled well in advance. If a student must be absent from an exam/lab practical, it is the student's responsibility to notify the Course Director no later than the scheduled starting time of the exam/lab practical. Failure to notify the Course Director could result in the student receiving a grade of "0" for the missed exam/lab practical.

Exam dates are set before each trimester and coordinated so that there should be no more than one exam on any given date. Exam dates can only be changed by the course director, under the direct guidance of the trimester faculty coordinator.

Students must be on time for all examinations. However, if a student is late, and no one has left the examination room, they will be allowed to take the examination, but no additional time will be allowed. If a student comes in late for an exam and another student taking the exam has already left the classroom, the late student will not be allowed to sit the exam, and will receive a grade of "0".

Following is the Department of Academics Policy on Missed Exams

If a student has to miss an exam, the course director must be notified PRIOR to the exam unless the student is physically incapable of notifying the course director and then written documentation must be provided to this effect. Notification of the course director should be done by email or a phone call to that faculty member. If a student fails to notify the course director before the exam (or in the case of documented physical incapacitation within a 24-hour period of a missed exam) the exam grade will be calculated as a zero.

With documentation of extenuating circumstances for missing a written exam, faculty may either give a written make-up (multiple choice, true/false, essay, etc.) or move the points to the final exam.  The make-up exam (which will be a different exam and may or may not be of the same level of difficulty as the exam given to the rest of the class) must be taken within 5 business days of the missed exam unless the student is physically incapable of doing so or unless other arrangements are made by the course director. The exam time will be scheduled at the discretion of the course director.

With documentation of extenuating circumstances for missing a lab practical, points may be moved to the final lab practical or student must take a make-up lab practical (which will be a different lab practical and may or may not be of the same level of difficulty as the lab practical given to the rest of the class) within 5 business days unless the student is physically incapable of doing so or unless other arrangements are made by the course director. The time of the make up lab practical will be scheduled at the discretion of the course director.

VACATION, LEISURE TRAVEL, SEMINAR ATTENDANCE, OVER SLEEPING, etc. DO NOT CONSTITUTE EXTRA ORDINARY OR EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES FOR MISSING AN EXAM.  The course director should be contacted prior to an exam if a student has any questions about the validity of an excuse to miss an exam or lab practical. The determination of extenuating circumstances is under the sole discretion of the individual faculty member. Faculty members have the right to grant or deny any make up exam/lab practical based upon their individual determination of the circumstances surrounding the student’s absence.

Absences for religious holidays

Parker College will excuse students from attending classes and other required activities for the observance of religious holidays, including travel for that purpose.

A religious holiday means a day of observance by a religion whose places of worship is exempt from property taxation under Section 11.20 of the Texas Tax Code (or would be exempt if the place of worship was located in Texas).

A student whose absence is excused under this policy may not be penalized. Those students will be allowed to take examinations or complete any assignments they missed due to observance of the religious holy day (see missed exam policy). With the student’s agreement, the course director may move the points from the missed examination or assignment to the final exam in that course or make other arrangements to make up the missed exam or work. A student may be required to show written documentation.

 A student who will miss an examination or assignment for the observance of a religious holy day should notify the course directors of all courses affected prior to the absence.

 If a student and faculty member disagree about whether an absence is for the observance of a religious holy day or whether the faculty member has allowed the student a reasonable time to complete any missed examinations or assignments (see missed exam policy), the faculty member or the student may request a ruling from the Dean of Academic Affairs. The student and the faculty member will abide by the decision of the Dean of Academic Affairs.

Examinations:

Because some students are on special schedules an exception will be made only with documentation of a conflicting Final examination. In this case the student will be required to take the exams back to back. Arrangements must be made at least 24 hours in advance of the scheduled time of the final exam.

Students must be on time for all examinations. However, if a student is late, and no one has left the examination room, they will be allowed to take the examination, but no additional time will be allowed.

If a student comes in late for an exam and another student taking the exam has already left the classroom, the late student will not be allowed to sit the exam, and will receive a grade of "0".

However, if the late student can provide valid documentation of an extra ordinary circumstance, arrangements can be made to take the missed exam. At the Course Directors discretion, the make-up exam will be an essay style, an oral exam. or an exam of the course director's choosing.

Lecture Exam Review:
The review period for each exam will begin after the posting of the grades and last for five working days only, excluding weekends and holidays. Questions about the final exam and/or final course grades must be reviewed with the Course Director by 3:00 p.m. the third day of the new trimester.

Academic Dishonesty:
Cheating will not be tolerated. If you are caught cheating, you will receive a "0" on that exam and disciplinary action will be taken which could result in your dismissal from Parker College. If you are suspected of cheating on an exam you may be singled out and required to sit in the front of the classroom so that you can be clearly watched. The cheating policy includes lecture exams, lab quizzes and lab practicals.

Professional Decorum:
Students are expected to behave in a professional manner at all times. Positive contributions to the learning environment and participation in classroom learning activities are expected. Students should demonstrate courtesy to the instructor, to special guest speakers, and to other classmates. Focusing your attention on anything other than pertinent classroom material could be considered discourteous. Any person who is discourteous or disrupts the class with unprofessional conduct may be asked to leave the classroom and will be counted absent for that class period. Cell phones and pagers should be turned off while in the classroom.

Computer Use:
Students are encouraged to utilize personal computers in the classroom for taking notes, following the lecture outlines or reference materials, etc. Other uses unrelated to the lecture topic are not allowed. As an example, surfing the Internet or playing games during lecture or lab time is strictly prohibited and will result in the student being asked to discontinue use of their computers. Also, the student may be asked to leave the classroom and will be counted absent for that class period.

Email:
When I need to transmit important information to the class or an individual student, i.e. grades, schedule changes, etc., I will contact you via your Parker email address. As a Parker student you are responsible to periodically check your email. If you do not know your Parker email address, or how to log on to collect your email messages, contact Information Services at ext. 7450. If you experience an adverse outcome from missing important information, "I don't check my email" will not be considered a valid excuse.

Audio/Video Taping:
Since the courts have ruled that a professor's voice and physical image are their personal property, the prerogative of the audio taping and/or video recording of lectures/laboratories is a right specifically reserved to faculty. Should you wish to record, using any device you must obtain the permission the respective instructor in all classes.

Important Note:
The provisions contained in this syllabus do not constitute a contract between the students and Parker College of Chiropractic. These provisions may be changed at any time for any reason at the discretion of the course director. When necessary, in the view of the college, appropriated notice of such changes will be given to the student.