Legal and Regulatory Considerations

Course Details

Course Number: 5023 Section Number: 10

Spring 2012

Location: Bridwell Hall

Classroom Number: 204

Days & Times:

First meeting January 21st-22nd 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Second Meeting April 27th 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Course Attachments

Textbooks

MSU Faculty Member

Dr. James Johnston
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Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, a student will be able to:

Discuss legal issues, concepts, laws and regulations such as malpractice, standards of care, scopes of practice, tort and contract liability, accreditation, academic freedom and tenure.
Perform basic legal research to find relevant laws and court decisions.
Identify important areas of legal concern in clinical practice and education.
Demonstrate the ability to read, understand, and synthesize existing research, laws, and legal precedents and apply them to current problems.

Course Expectations

Expert Witness Case Study - 30%

For this assignment students will review a case as an expert witness. A case will be introduced and each student will review legal documents, answer questions, and formulate a report. This assignment will be in two parts. This assignment will be released on the course homepage (WebCT).

Due dates are listed in the chart at the end of the syllabus

Electronic Discussion - 10%

Due: Throughout the Semester

Each student must introduce at least one new workplace related legal topic for discussion during the semester. At minimum, each student should log in to the discussion forum at least once each week. While each student does not have to make comments on each topic, but at minimum each student must make comments on at least half (50%) of the topics presented for discussion. Open discussion is encouraged.

(To make this discussion format work smoothly, students should become familiar with techniques to follow existing electronic discussion threads and to open new discussion threads using the WebCT Discussion Tool.)

“Take Issue” Assignment 25%

“Take Issue” topics must be related to legal issues affecting Education, Administration, or Clinical Practice (preferably in the student’s current Radiologic Sciences workplace and preferably linked to one of the textbook chapters). Topics must be approved by the instructor (first come – first serve). See the chart at the end of the syllabus for due dates. Students will present their topics to the class during the second class weekend.

The assignment should use the standard MSU Title Page and be written in APA format. It should be approximately 2-5 pages in length, not counting the title page, reference page, and any appendices. The assignment will include the following headings:

"Take Issue" Topic and Background: in this section introduce the topic and provide textbook reference (if applicable) as well as all background information necessary to understand the situation at hand.
Legal and Regulatory Implications: in this section provide the legal/regulatory information regarding the topic such as laws related to the topic, punishment or fines for noncompliance, regulatory agencies involved (punishment or fines for noncompliance).
Personnel Impact: in this section describe the effects of compliance or noncompliance on professionals, patients, students, public, etc that may be impacted by this issue.
Financial Impact: in this section discuss the monitory costs of compliance or noncompliance as well as annual costs to the healthcare, system, legal system, or educational system as applicable.
Solutions: in this section discuss the possible solutions to the issue and how each may be implemented. Include costs/benefit analysis of solutions and any legal or regulatory changes that may be needed.

The assignment should be:

appropriately referenced and formatted using the CURRENT APA Style Manual
include appropriate APA in-text citations to original legal cases and statutes (if applicable)
and submitted as a Word document email attachment (compliant with the guidelines listed earlier) by the due date in the chart at the end of the syllabus.

"Take Issue" Presentation 20%

Each student will develop and lead a presentation on his / her “Take Issue” topic. Each presentation will be at least fifteen (15) minutes and not more than twenty (20) minutes in length. Presentations will occur during the second class weekend.

Students should NOT read their assignment to the class. Presentations should be informative AND interactive. Students may use PowerPoint, but they are not required to use PowerPoint. Students must incorporate a group activity to reinforce their topic. Examples include: role-playing, before class assignments, audiovisual technology, handouts, games, competitions, and discussion. Students may provide classmates with preparatory reading materials before the class period if necessary. Students MUST provide handouts with reference materials for the class prior to their presentation in class.

Group Activities & Class Participation 15%

Each student is expected to prepare and to participate in class discussions and activities on each topic. The quality, relevancy, and consistency of each student's participation will be evaluated by the instructor according to the following factors:

Verbal and nonverbal participation
Awareness of group dynamics and supportive behavior towards others encouraging discussion and clarifying issues
Evidence of familiarity with the issues involved in each topic scheduled for discussion
Contribution of relevant observations from personal, professional, and/or academic experiences

Summary Table of Course Deadlines:

Activity	Submit to	Due Date
Group Activities & First Class Participation		January 21st and 22nd
Expert Witness Batch One Released	Johnston	January 23rd
Electronic Board Discussion	Killion	Every Week (Last day to post April 22nd)
"Take Issue" Topics Due (2 week)	Killion	February 5th
Expert Witness Part One Due (5 weeks)	Johnston	February 26th
Expert Witness Batch Two Released	Johnston	February 27th
Expert Witness Part Two Due (9 weeks)	Johnston	March 25th
“Take Issue” Assignment Due (12 weeks)	Killion	April 15th
Second Class Participation & "Take Issue" Presentations (14 weeks)		April 27th

Grading Standards

Evaluation:

Expert Witness case study 30%

Electronic Discussion Board Participation 10%

“Take Issue” Assignment 25%

“Take Issue” Presentation 20%

Group Activities & Class Participation 15%

Grade Scale

A = 100 - 90

B = 89 - 80

C = 79 - 70

D = 69 - 60

F = 59 and below

Final Exam5/4/2012 n/a

Submission Format Policy

Any assignments submitted electronically as a Word document email attachment should follow these guidelines:

IBM compatible format

Word 2003 or newer version (Microsoft WORKS is not acceptable)

Times New Roman or other typical legible font (10 or 12 point for bulk of text)

(more next page)

1” margins on all sides

Standard MSU Title Page

Note: You may not submit a paper for a grade in this class that already has been (or will be) submitted for a grade in another course, unless you obtain the explicit written permission of me and the other instructor involved in advance.

Late Paper Policy

Late assignments will be dropped one letter grade per week and will not be accepted 3 weeks past the deadline

Plagiarism Policy Plagiarism is the use of someone else's thoughts, words, ideas, or lines of argument in your own work without appropriate documentation (a parenthetical citation at the end and a listing in "Works Cited")-whether you use that material in a quote, paraphrase, or summary. It is a theft of intellectual property and will not be tolerated, whether intentional or not.

Student Honor Creed

As an MSU Student, I pledge not to lie, cheat, steal, or help anyone else do so."

As students at MSU, we recognize that any great society must be composed of empowered, responsible citizens. We also recognize universities play an important role in helping mold these responsible citizens. We believe students themselves play an important part in developing responsible citizenship by maintaining a community where integrity and honorable character are the norm, not the exception. Thus, We, the Students of Midwestern State University, resolve to uphold the honor of the University by affirming our commitment to complete academic honesty. We resolve not only to be honest but also to hold our peers accountable for complete honesty in all university matters. We consider it dishonest to ask for, give, or receive help in examinations or quizzes, to use any unauthorized material in examinations, or to present, as one's own, work or ideas which are not entirely one's own. We recognize that any instructor has the right to expect that all student work is honest, original work. We accept and acknowledge that responsibility for lying, cheating, stealing, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty fundamentally rests within each individual student. We expect of ourselves academic integrity, personal professionalism, and ethical character. We appreciate steps taken by University officials to protect the honor of the University against any who would disgrace the MSU student body by violating the spirit of this creed. Written and adopted by the 2002-2003 MSU Student Senate.

Students with Disabilities The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Disability Support Services in Room 168 of the Clark Student Center, 397-4140.

Safe Zones Statement The professor considers this classroom to be a place where you will be treated with respect as a human being - regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, political beliefs, age, or ability. Additionally, diversity of thought is appreciated and encouraged, provided you can agree to disagree. It is the professor's expectation that ALL students consider the classroom a safe environment.

Contacting your Instructor All instructors in the Department have voicemail in their offices and MWSU e-mail addresses. Make sure you add your instructor's phone number and e-mail address to both email and cell phone lists of contacts.

Attendance Requirements

Without exception, students MUST attend and participate in both graduate seminar weekends to receive credit for this course.

Other Policies

n/a

Writing Proficiency Requirement All students seeking a Bachelor's degree from Midwestern State University must satisfy a writing proficiency requirement once they've 1) passed English 1113 and English 1123 and 2) earned 60 hours. You may meet this requirement by passing either the Writing Proficiency Exam or English 2113. Please keep in mind that, once you've earned over 90 hours, you lose the opportunity to take the $25 exam and have no option but to enroll in the three-credit hour course. If you have any questions about the exam, visit the Writing Proficiency Office website at http://academics.mwsu.edu/wpr, or call 397-4131.