SYLLABUS
School of Health Administration
COURSE NUMBER HS 4327
COURSE NAME
Legal Concepts in
TEACHING FACULTY
Healthcare
Joseph Topinka, JD, MBA, MHA, LLM
DATE REVIEWED August 2019
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course provides an overview of legal, regulatory, and ethical issues in healthcare. Topics
include patient consent, privacy, confidentiality, torts, contract law, corporate liability,
employment, labor, malpractice, antitrust, fraud and abuse, and key federal regulations.
COURSE RATIONALE
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to legal issues in present in the healthcare
environment. Basic legal principles underlying the legal system, governmental regulation,
development of legal rules, and how to interact effectively with the legal system as a health
practitioner will be explored. This course has two main purposes: first, to examine the legal
context of the relationship between the individual and the community; and second, to understand
public health regulation in the context of a market-driven system.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Describe the basics of the American Legal system, including the sources of law and the
three branches of government.
2. Understand the constitutional foundation of public health measures in the U.S. and be
able to describe legal theories applicable to regulation of individual behavior.
3. Describe the current structure of the U.S. healthcare system and how it has evolved over
time.
4. Demonstrate basics skills of legal research methods.
5. Be familiar with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and its impact on our
U.S. healthcare system.
6. Understand proper medical record information management, privacy, and confidentiality
requirements of state and federal laws.
7. Understand how the laws of contracts, torts, and criminal law apply to the healthcare
system.
8. Describe the liability issues encountered by physicians and corporate healthcare
institutions.
9. Identify ethical and legal implications of end-of-life issues
10. Identify the various laws and government regulatory programs applicable to human
resource and labor relations.
11. Describe ethical principles applicable to government public health programs and the
healthcare industry.
12. Demonstrate written business communication skills by researching a case and writing a
legal memorandum.
13. Demonstrate oral communication skills by participating in class activities involving legal
healthcare case applications.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK(S)
Pozgar, G. D. (2018). Legal Aspects of Health Care Administration (w/Nav2 Advantage ACC)
(13th ed). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. ISBN 9781284127171
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association (7th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological
Association, ISBN 9781433832154
OUR MISSION
Texas State University is a doctoral-granting, student-centered institution dedicated to excellence
and innovation in teaching, research, including creative expression, and service. The university
strives to create new knowledge, to embrace a diversity of people and ideas, to foster cultural and
economic development, and to prepare its graduates to participate fully and freely as citizens of
Texas, the nation, and the world.
OUR SHARED VALUES
In pursuing our mission, we, the faculty, staff, and students of Texas State University, are guided
by a shared collection of values:
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Teaching and learning based on research, student involvement, and the free exchange of
ideas in a supportive environment;
Research and creative activities that encompass the full range of academic disciplines—
research with relevance, from the sciences to the arts, from the theoretical to the applied;
The cultivation of character, integrity, honesty, civility, compassion, fairness, respect,
and ethical behavior in all members of our university community;
A diversity of people and ideas, a spirit of inclusiveness, a global perspective, and a sense
of community as essential conditions for campus life;
A commitment to service and leadership for the public good;
Responsible stewardship of our resources and environment; and
Continued reflection and evaluation to ensure that our strengths as a community always
benefit those we serve.
UNIVERSITY HONOR CODE
The Honor Code for Texas State University can be found in the Student Handbook and is
explained in detail by UPPS 07.10.01. It reads as follows:
As members of a community dedicated to learning, inquiry, and creation, the
students, faculty, and administration of our university live by the principles in this
Honor Code. These principles require all members of this community to be
conscientious, respectful, and honest.
WE ARE CONSCIENTIOUS. We complete our work on time and make every
effort to do it right. We come to class and meetings prepared and are willing to
demonstrate it. We hold ourselves to doing what is required, embrace rigor, and
shun mediocrity, special requests, and excuses.
WE ARE RESPECTFUL. We act civilly toward one another and we cooperate with
each other. We will strive to create an environment in which people respect and
listen to one another, speaking when appropriate, and permitting other people to
participate and express their views.
WE ARE HONEST. We do our own work and are honest with one another in all
matters. We understand how various acts of dishonesty, like plagiarizing, falsifying
data, and giving or receiving assistance to which one is not entitled, conflict as much
with academic achievement as with the values of honesty and integrity.
THE PLEDGE FOR STUDENTS
Students at our university recognize that, to ensure honest conduct, more is needed
than an expectation of academic honesty, and we therefore adopt the practice of
affixing the following pledge of honesty to the work we submit for evaluation:
I pledge to uphold the principles of honesty and responsibility at our university.
Students have the right to appeal all charges of violating the Honor Code (see Student
Handbook-Academic Procedures and Policy and/or PPS 7.10.01) for the appeals process.
STATEMENT ON CIVILITY AND COMPLIANCE IN THE CLASSROOM
Civility in the classroom is very important for the educational process and it is everyone’s
responsibility. If you have questions about appropriate behavior in a particular class, please
address them with your instructor first. Disciplinary procedures may be implemented for
refusing to follow an instructor’s directive, refusing to leave the classroom, not following the
university’s requirement to wear a cloth face covering, not complying with social distancing or
sneeze and cough etiquette, and refusing to implement other health and safety measures as
required by the university. Additionally, the instructor, in consultation with the department
chair/school director, may refer the student to the Office of the Dean of Students for further
disciplinary review. Such reviews may result in consequences ranging from warnings to
sanctions from the university. For more information regarding conduct in the classroom, please
review the following policies at AA/PPS 02.03.02, Section 03: Courteous and Civil Learning
Environment, and Code of Student Conduct, number II, Responsibilities of Students, Section
02.02: Conduct Prohibited.
COURSE DELIVERY AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
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With proper notice, I reserve the right to modify the delivery of the course contents or the
modus operandi of the exams as they fit the situation: e.g., COVID-19. The students will
be informed about any change in the syllabus by e-mail or in person.
Our university has chosen to use Canvas as its learning management system (LMS)
because Canvas is both robust and secure. It is not my responsibility to teach you our
LMS. If you are not familiar with the university LMS, seek help through ITAC or by
calling (512) 245-4822.
When using email, please only correspond with professors/instructors/TAs with your
university (txstate.edu) email. ITAC discourages us from responding to private email
addresses because they are less secure, easily spoofed, and contain active content.
I intend to promote academic integrity at all times. This is fair. This is just. Please be
mindful of the University Honor Code. The existence of such sites such as CourseHero,
Chegg, Scribd, OPPapers, Slideshare, Sparknotes (the list is endless) does not constitute
cheating, but certain use of them can blur the lines of academic integrity: Please make
deliberate choices. Remember, you are here to learn in pursuit of a degree – not to just
obtain a diploma. The struggle to work out an answer is part of the learning process.
Please do not cheat yourself, or others, of this opportunity.
STUDENT DEPORTMENT IN CLASS
As specified in University Policy & Procedure 4.02, the School of Health Administration expects
students to treat faculty, staff, and other students in a courteous and civil manner at all times and
expects students to refrain from disruptive behavior during class. Examples of disruptive student
behavior during class include, but are not limited to, "repeatedly leaving and entering class
including coming to class late and leaving class early; speaking without being recognized by the
instructor; using cell phones [including texting] or other electronic devices during class without
authorization; and reading or working on other non-course specific materials during class; using
computer or other technology in class on activities not related to the class" (Paragraph 10). If
students behave in a disruptive manner, faculty [including graduate assistants] are authorized to
request that such students desist and/or request that such students leave the classroom (Paragraph
5).
ZOOM ETIQUETTE
We are introducing Zoom etiquette into our practices in order to prepare our students for the
workplace. Students should be mindful of how their presence and action appears to those sitting
in the boardroom. Not everyone has the luxury of working from home, and there may be some
resentment harbored due to a perception of inequality. Limit the effects by managing
perceptions. Everything you do on Zoom should mimic the face-to-face or in-person
environment.
1. Turn on your camera. Turning the camera off for a short bathroom break is fine, but this
should only occur with the same frequency and duration as in a face-to-face environment.
Leaving your camera off is called “lurking” and can be perceived as rude, inattentive, or
absent. If you must turn off video due to bandwidth, notify the host.
2. Stage your video area:
a. Position your camera at or slightly above eye level. Position yourself in the frame
appropriately. The picture should include your face and shoulders. It should
neither completely fill the screen, nor be very small. It should fill approximately
75% of the screen.
b. Position your computer so that it creates a professional environment. Give those
sitting in the boardroom the impression that you are in your office (NOT your
bedroom). Worst case, position yourself in front of a blank wall.
c. Check the lighting in your workspace. It should mimic the work environment.
You should not be directly in front of a sunny window (backlighting is bad).
Position lights so they portray you appropriately. Light your face. More light is
usually better – not enough light is problematic.
d. The work area should be clean and work appropriate.
e. Do not use distracting, trendy, or political virtual backgrounds.
f. Do not walk around with your laptop/device during the meeting (“Blair Witch”
style).
3. Limit distractions. We do not 100% control who (or what) walks into the room, but make
an effort to establish boundaries with everyone in your house/apartment.
4. Dress for the job you have. You should not wear your sweats, work-out attire, or
pajamas. If you wouldn’t wear it to work, don’t wear it during a Zoom meeting.
5. Mute your microphone until you have something to say and have been called upon.
6. If you are multi-tasking for THIS meeting/class, that is fine, but still give the appearance
that you are an attentive listener. Mute your mic so others do not hear you typing.
7. Prepare your material in advance. Be prepared for this meeting/class in the same way that
you would do in the office/classroom.
8. If you are presenting, look into the camera instead of the faces of those on screen. This
gives the appearance of eye contact.
9. Rehearse. At home, you are your tech team. Ensure slides present properly. Ensure you
know where they are.
10. Unless eating is allowed in the workplace/classroom, do not eat on Zoom. If the meeting
disrupted your usual schedule, mention it to the host and agree to the solution (eat quietly
or with the camera off, or delay your meal).
11. Use the chat feature sparingly. If it does not contribute to the meeting, do not use it.
12. Know your audience and use only the same familiarity over Zoom that you would use in
the office.
13. Put your phone down.
14. Arrive on time whenever possible. Entering the Zoom room 10 minutes late can distract
everyone. If you are going to be late, coordinate it with the host and determine how you
should enter (quietly or with an announcement).
15. Only those part of the meeting/class should be present. Do not arbitrarily include your
roommate, significant other, or nanna.
16. Consider using headphones with a mic to ensure your voice is clear to everyone else and
to avoid feedback or echo.
17. Ask permission before you take a screenshot or record.
18. Cut the host a few breaks. Hosting is stressful: That person is managing a complex
environment for multiple people.
19. If you are the host, cut participants some slack. Assume they are doing the best they can
to limit distractions, but the FedEx driver did not get the message.
20. If you are the host, you should be the last to leave.
TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY POLICY FOR STUDENTS WITH A DISABILITY
If you are a student with a disability who will require an accommodation (s) to participate in this
course, please contact the instructor as soon as possible. Students with a disability and will be
using an accommodation(s), will be asked to provide documentation from the Office of
Disability Services (ODS) in the form of the ODS Accommodation Letter. Failure to contact the
instructor in a timely manner may delay the use of needed accommodation(s).
FACULTY RETENTION OF STUDENT MATERIALS
Faculty are required to keep grade books (showing what students made on each assignment in the
course and what the student made in the course) for two years dated from the end of the semester
(PPS 4.01, ¶32). In some cases faculty will return graded materials to students during the
semester. In other cases faculty will retain graded materials (final exams, multiple choice tests,
etc.) but will allow students access to the graded materials during the semester and for eight
weeks dated from the end of the semester.
SEXUAL MISCONDUCT REPORTING (SB 212)
Effective January 2, 2020, state law (SB 212) requires all university employees, acting in the
course and scope of employment, who witness or receive information concerning an incident of
sexual misconduct involving an enrolled student or employee to report all relevant information
known about the incident to the university's Title IX Coordinator or Deputy Title IX coordinator.
According to SB 212, employees who knowingly fail to report or knowingly file a false report
shall be terminated in accordance with university policy and The Texas State University System
Rules and Regulations.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
In the event of an emergency, students, faculty, and staff should monitor the Safety and
Emergency Communications web page. This page will be updated with the latest information
available to the university, in addition to providing links to information concerning safety
resources and emergency procedures. Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to sign up for
the TXState Alert system.
EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND THE STUDENT’S CONTROL
Occasionally students may experience extenuating circumstances beyond their control (extended
illness, death in the family, etc) that may affect their academic performance. There are academic
policies designed to remedy these situations. Before pursuing any of these remedies, students
should always consult with their faculty and/or program directors to fully understand the impact
of these remedies.
Automatic “W”s—students may drop a course during the first 60% of the semester
(while faculty may announce the automatic “W” deadline in their course outline or in
class, it is the student’s responsibility to know the deadline—students are never permitted
to drop a course after the automatic “W” deadline). Students who drop a course by the
automatic “W” deadline will receive a “W” in the course.
Withdrawing from the university—students may withdraw from the university (go to
zero hours). The withdrawal deadline is two weeks prior to final examinations and it is
the student’s responsibility to know the deadline—students are never permitted to
withdraw from the university after the withdrawing from the university deadline.
Students who withdraw from the university before the automatic “W” deadline will
receive a “W” in each enrolled course; students who withdraw from the university after
the automatic “W” deadline will receive a “W” if passing at the time of the withdrawal
from the university or will receive an “F” if failing at the time of the withdrawal from the
university.
Requesting an “I” or Incomplete from the instructor—students may request an
incomplete from the instructor if a substantial portion of the course has been completed
and the extenuating circumstance prohibits the student from completing the course. In
such cases the instructor will ask for documentation of the extenuating circumstances and
if in agreement, the instructor will complete, and the student will sign, an Incomplete
Report specifying what needs to be completed by the student and a deadline for
completion. Incompletes will never be awarded after the student completes the course.
SCHOOL OF HEALTH ADMINISTRATION POLICY FOR STUDENTS USING
ACADEMIC TESTING FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (ATSD)
After ODS approves your disability and testing accommodation, you have the option of taking
your in-class tests/quizzes with accommodation(s) in the Academic Testing for Students with
Disabilities (ATSD) office or taking tests/quizzes without accommodation(s) in the classroom.
If you choose to take your tests/quizzes in the ATSD office, you must schedule your
tests/quizzes at the same time as the class is taking the tests/quizzes (or seek an exception from
the instructor). If you choose to take your tests/quizzes with the class, you do so without the use
of your approved accommodations. If you schedule a test/quiz with ATSD and later decide to
take the test with the class, you should notify both the ATSH office and your instructor of the
change.
FACULTY EXPECTATIONS FOR SOHA STUDENTS
Introduction
A goal of the School of Heath Administration at Texas State is to prepare you for entry-level
positions in a wide variety of health care settings (see the School of Health Administration
website). In order to meet this goal, the faculty offer learning opportunities that enable you to
acquire the appropriate profession-related knowledge, attitudes, and skills. As part of their
partnership in your learning, the faculty maintain currency in their fields through research and
continuing education. If the goal is to be met, you must also share in the learning process by
being a learning partner. As evidence of your commitment to the partnership, the faculty have
the following expectations.
Knowledge
1. Students will be prepared for each class which includes reading and comprehending the
assignments. Preparation involves an average of three hours of outside preparation for
every one hour of class time.
2. Students will enhance their ability to gain knowledge by taking appropriate notes during
class sessions.
3. Students will demonstrate their commitment to gaining the essential knowledge in their
fields by asking questions in class and in groups.
4. Students will actively participate in both class and group activities.
Attitudes
1. Students will demonstrate a positive attitude toward their profession by attending class.
2. Students who work while in a SOHA program of study will demonstrate respect for their
profession by making class attendance a priority. Work commitments will not be a
legitimate excuse for missing class.
3. Students will demonstrate a positive attitude toward of their profession by being punctual
for every class, meeting, and field placement activity.
4. Students will demonstrate a positive attitude towards their profession by remaining
attentive in class.
5. Students will demonstrate respect for their profession through their attire and class
demeanor.
6. Students will demonstrate respect for their profession through their actions towards their
professors and their classmates.
7. Students will demonstrate respect for their profession by adhering to the ACHE code of
ethics.
8. Students will demonstrate respect for their profession by attending educational sessions
sponsored by professional organizations including the Health Leadership Coalition.
9. Students will demonstrate respect for their profession by their service to their community
which includes the university, school, program, and city of residence.
Skills
1. Students will demonstrate their learning partnership by providing written work that is
grammatically correct, concisely written, and complies with the appropriate style
guidelines.
2. Students will demonstrate their learning partnership by communicating effectively with
faculty. This includes being prepared for meetings and creating effective written and
verbal communication (i.e., e-mails, voice mails).
3. Students will demonstrate their learning partnership by completing all practice problems
and increasing their computational skills.
4. Students will demonstrate their learning partnership by adequately preparing for all class
presentations.
5. Students will demonstrate their learning partnership by working effectively in groups.
6. Students will demonstrate their learning partnership by being proficient in computer
skills.
COURSE OUTLINE (updated: 1.9.21)
HS 4327 (Spring 2022)
Days: Monday and Wednesday
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 3:20 p.m.
Location: Encino Hall Room 230
(Zoom for the first two weeks of class:
https://txstate.zoom.us/j/94803926612)
Class
1
Date
19-Jan
Assignment
xiii
Topic
Overview of Course, Case Preparation,
and Legal Research
2
24-Jan
xiii
Sample Case Review, Research Paper
Group Organizing, and Research Paper
Expectations
3
26-Jan
Chapter 2
Government, Law, and EthicsLegislative Branch
4
31-Jan
Chapter 2
Government, Law, and EthicsExecutive Branch
5
2-Feb
Chapter 2
Government, Law, and Ethics-Judicial
Branch
6
7-Feb
7
9-Feb
Chapters 3 and Negligence and Intentional Torts
4
Chapters 3 and Negligence and Intentional Torts
4
8
14-Feb
9
16-Feb
Chapters 5 and Tort Reform, Risk Reduction, and
6
Criminal Aspects of Health Care
Chapters 5 and Tort Reform, Risk Reduction, and
6
Criminal Aspects of Health Care
Comment
-Review
syllabus and
review APA
Publication
Manual
-Come to
class with a
research
paper topic
-Watch
video(s) of
the week
-Reflection
due (1)
-Watch
video(s) of
the week
-Reflection
due (2)
-Watch
video(s) of
the week
-Reflection
due (3)
-Watch
video(s) of
the week
-Reflection
18-Feb
Optional Tour
State Capitol-Austin
10
11
21-Feb
23-Feb
Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Contracts and Antitrust
Contracts and Antitrust
12
13
28-Feb
2-Mar
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Corporation Structure and Legal Issues
Medical Staff Organization and
Malpractice
14
7-Mar
Chapter 13
Information Management and Patient
Records
15
16
9 Mar
14-18 Mar
21-Mar
Chapter 13
SPRING
Chapter 14
17
23-Mar
Chapter 15
Midterm
BREAK
Patient Consent, Rights, and
Responsibilities
Healthcare Ethics
18
19
28-Mar
30-Mar
20
21
4-Apr
6-Apr
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Healthcare Ethics
Procreation and Ethical Dilemmas
22
23
11-Apr
13-Apr
Chapter 17
Chapter 17
and 18
End of Life Decisions
End of Life Issues and Legal Reporting
Requirements
due (4)
Max 30
people total
from HA
4318 and HS
4327
-Watch
video(s) of
the week
-Reflection
due (5)
-Watch
video(s) of
the week
-Reflection
due (6)
-Draft 1 of
group
research
paper due
-Watch
video(s) of
the week
-Reflection
due (7)
Movie Day-My Cousin Vinny (part 1)
Movie Day-My Cousin Vinny (part 2)
-Watch
video(s) of
the week
-Reflection
due (8)
Watch
video(s) of
the week
15-Apr
Optional Tour
Municipal Office Locations
24
18-Apr
Chapter 19
Labor Relations
25
20-Apr
Chapters 19
and 20
Labor Relations; Employment at Will,
Rights, and Responsibilities
26
25-Apr
Chapter 20
27
27-Apr
Chapters 21
and 22
28
2-May
Employment at Will, Rights, and
Responsibilities
Professional Liability Insurance;
Managed Care, and National Health
Insurance
Public Health Law
-Reflection
due (9)
Max 30
people total
from HA
4318 and HS
4327
-Draft 2 of
group
research
paper due
Watch
video(s) of
the week
-Reflection
due (10)
-Final group
research
paper due
FINAL EXAM: Monday, May 9, 2022, 2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. (Through Canvas)
COURSE POLICIES:
Attendance and Class Participation.
Participation is a part of the overall grade in this class. Only university excused absences will be
recognized, and assignments due during an excused absence must be submitted prior to the
absence. If you must be absent from class, get notes from peers. In-class activities cannot be
“made up” if you are absent. Work is not an excused absence, plan accordingly. With that said,
the professor recognizes that, as adults, you have other obligations (i.e., family, work) that might
prevent you from attending a class. If you must miss class, please e-mail your professor. The
understanding of your professor about obligations is based on unique situations – having
work/family emergencies on a continuous basis is not acceptable. Attendance will be taken
during the first five minutes of class. The instructor recognizes that there may be a time when
students are unable to come to class. For that reason, students will be allowed four (4) absences.
After four absences, grades will reflect lack of attendance in the following manner:
5-6 absences 10-point reduction from final grade points
7-8 absences 20-point reduction from final grade points
Classes begin on time; you should not disrupt class by entering late. If you must leave during
class, please be discreet when you leave/return. Students should read the assigned chapters
before coming to class and know the subject matter and the facts of the cases within those
assigned chapters. All Power Point presentations will be posted on Canvas, and students should
review those presentations prior to class. All students will begin the course with 10 discussion
points. One point will be deducted when students are not prepared with at least some knowledge
of a case or topic. Points can be removed or added based on the performance of students.
CASE BRIEFING FORMAT FOR CLASS PARTICIPATION:
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Background: Student should know the facts of a case to include the courts where the
case was heard.
•
Issue: Every case has a major issue to address. Some have multiple issues. The student
should identify the major issues(s) and form the issue(s) into a question.
•
Rationale: When a court makes a decision or ruling, it normally has a rationale or
reason for its decision. The student should identify that rationale.
•
Application: The student should understand how the case applies to the real world and
describe how the case has impacted the student’s perspective on the particular issue (s)
identified in the case.
•
Conclusion: What does the student think about the case? Hard to understand? Difficult
to read? The conclusion is the most fun element of the brief format because it allows the
student to open discussion with the rest of the class and the professor.
Discussions. Students will be responsible for submitting 10 weekly discussions through Canvas,
each valued at 1 point. They will reflect your readings, lectures, videos, and handouts. Please
note that students may have to access a video through some service like Netflix, Hulu, or
Amazon Prime as the professor or university cannot provide them free due to copyright
restrictions. My hope is that one student discussion submission will encourage other student
submissions and so on. You will be given a week to complete your submission and any
responses to other student submissions.
Tests. There will be two objective tests in the course, for a total of 120 points. Tests will cover
reading assignments, class notes, class discussion, in-class activities, and hand-outs. All tests
will be individual work unless otherwise specified by the professor. The tests will be
administered through Canvas.
Paper. Students will be broken down into groups. Each group will then be responsible for
researching and producing a journal grade article in collaboration with the course professor.
Policy on Punctuation/Usage/Spelling/Grammar (PUG) and APA Compliance. PUG is
important in this course and in the real world. HIGH LEVELS of mastery of your punctuation,
usage, and grammar are expected. As an undergraduate student, you are also expected to comply
with the American Psychological Association (APA), Edition 7, Style Manual.
Overall grade scheme.
Grades will be determined on the following basis:
Class Participation
10 points
Test 1
60 points
Test 2
60 points
Written Discussions 10 points
Group Research Paper 60 points
TOTAL
200 points
Rules, and other such stuff.
a. With proper notice, I reserve the right to modify the delivery of the course contents or
the modus operandi of the exams as they fit the situation: e.g., COVID-19. You will be
informed about any change in the syllabus by e-mail or through Zoom meetings.
b. Our university has chosen to use Canvas as its learning management system (LMS)
because Canvas is both robust and secure. It is not my responsibility to teach you our LMS. If
you are not familiar with the university LMS, seek help through ITAC
(https://itac.txstate.edu/support/canvas) or by calling (512) 245-4822.
c. When using email, please only correspond with me with your university (txstate.edu)
email. ITAC discourages us from responding to private email addresses because they are less
secure, easily spoofed, and contain active content.
d. I intend to promote academic integrity at all times. This is fair. This is just. Please be
mindful of the University Honor Code. The existence of such sites such as Course Hero, Chegg,
Scribd, OPPapers, Slideshare, Sparknotes (the list is endless) does not constitute cheating, but
certain use of them can blur the lines of academic integrity; please make deliberate
choices. Remember, you are here to learn in pursuit of a degree – not to just obtain a
diploma. The struggle to work out an answer is part of the learning process. Please do not cheat
yourself, or others, of this opportunity.
e. All discussions will be made by the date and time they are due on Canvas. Please be
mindful that a computer is quite literal: when I set the due time at 7:00 p.m., the computer reads
this as 7:00:00 p.m. (one second past that is marked late, so start the submission process a little
before then). Failure to do any of the above will result in a grade of zero. All reflection scores
will be entered into the gradebook in Canvas. Grades will not be discussed by email for the
security reasons previously mentioned.
f. Group writing projects are group oriented. If members of a group do not contribute
and are removed from the group by its membership, those removed members must still meet
deadlines as per this syllabus.
g. If at any time there are disruptions to the planned weekly lectures, students will be
notified through announcements in Canvas.
FACULTY CONTACT INFORMATION.
Joseph Baar Topinka, LLM, JD, MBA, MHA
Associate Professor of Practice
School of Health Administration
Encino Hall, Room 266
512-245-9079
Mobile Phone: 253-414-7466 (no texting please)
E-mail: j_t311@txstate.edu (josephtopinka@txstate.edu)
Office hours: Monday:
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Wednesday: 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Unless otherwise stated in class or in an announcement, these office hours will be
in the lab room, Encino Room 308, in order to encourage social distancing.
Tuesday: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
These office hours are virtual. Advance registration is required:
https://txstate.zoom.us/meeting/register/v5ApceCtrjMrgR5u9rj6zKRKsd67_UUm
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(Students will be seen based on their order in the Zoom queue.)
Please note that I will work with you for alternative times if necessary especially
for writing groups, and I am available after class.