Intro to medical technology Essay Example for Free

Intro to medical technology Essay This course will introduce students to the role, ethics, conduct, certification, education, employment, and fundamental knowledge and skills related to Clinical Laboratory Science. There will also be discussions on the more common laboratory tests associated with diseases of organ systems and how the results are utilized in diagnosis. Selected laboratory exercises from major disciplines in Clinical Laboratory Science will be performed. Course Learning Outcomes Upon completion of the course the student will be able to: 1. Appreciate the important role of the Medical Technologist in the saving of lives and relate that to the role of Jesus in the saving of souls. 2. Describe the different designations of laboratory professionals, the major job functions, and the education requirements for entry into the profession. 3. Discuss the various aspects related to proper techniques, safety and interpretation of procedures presented. 4. Perform laboratory procedures taught utilizing correct techniques. 5. Discuss proper specimen collection techniques. Possess an introductory knowledge of the scope of testing performed in each of the following sections of the Clinical Laboratory: a. Haematology e. Microbiology b. Immunology f. Coagulation c. Immunohaematology g. Mycology d. Clinical Chemistry 7. Contribute to the overall improvement of the healthcare system. Instructional Procedures There will be one 80 minute lecture and a three-hour laboratory session weekly for approximately fifteen weeks. A short devotion will be conducted at the beginning of each class period. There will be written tests, assignments, reading reports and one final comprehensive exam. In the case of absence, the University’s absence policy applies (See NCU Bulletin). Students with excused absences who have missed assignments or tests must make them up within one week of returning to class. The laboratory component of this course will carry a Pass/Fail designation. Failure of the laboratory component results in an automatic failure of the course which must be repeated. A failing laboratory grade will not be included in the calculation of the overall grade for this course. In this course, mastery is the goal, and the student is responsible for the information from assignments, text, manual, class discussion, other reading and laboratory procedures. No assignment should be placed beneath the office door unless otherwise specified by the instructor. In the case of absence, the University’s absence policy applies (See NCU Bulletin). Students with excused absences who have missed assignments or tests must make them up within one week of returning to class. Quizzes cannot be made up. Integration of Faith and Learning Outcomes: 1. Demonstrate the fulfilment of God’s manifestation in our lives as the study the of Clinical Laboratory Science highlights the amazing design of the human machinery and the God given skills required to thoroughly investigate it. 2. Exhibit behaviours that reflect an appreciation of health and wellness as tokens from God to be cherished and a commitment to assist others experiencing ill health through by our skills. Knowledge is power, but it is a power for good only when united with true piety. It must be vitalized by the Spirit of God, in order to serve the noblest purposes. CPT p. 38. NCU Values and Attitudes: Focus 1. Christlikeness 2. Integrity 3. Justice Christlikeness: I, Fabian Pitkin and all the students of MTCH: 106 Introduction to Medical Technology Laboratory class, commit to exercising the highest levels of Christlikeness in all actions during this semester in relation to the following: 1 Handling student issues in a fair and equitable manner 2 Displaying honesty with submitted work 3 Displaying kindness to each other 4 Displaying humility, compassion and unselfishness to each other 5 Showing confidence in all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13) Integrity: The facilitator and students will undertake learning experiences that exercise the highest levels of integrity such as: Honouring deadlines in submission of assignments Practising academic honesty with respect to the use of published works and other intellectual property Participating equally in group work and activities Good stewardship of tools, equipment and other resources in the teaching learning environment Give fair evaluation to student work Display proper deportment and conduct. Justice: The facilitator and all students will exercise the highest level of justice and fairness in all actions related to this course in the areas of: Fair grading for tasks submitted for evaluation Timely feedback and redress of inquiries, challenges, issues, grouses Impartial treatment of all students regardless of race, age, religious affiliation, nationality or ethnicity. Access to Computer and Internet Resources: Completing these course requirements necessitates regular access to computer technology and the Internet. If a student does not have a personal computer with Internet access, computers on the University’s Main Campus and Extension Sites are available for student use. Civility, Courtesy and Respect: As professionals, mutual respect is required; the instructor expects all class members to communicate in a professional and courteous manner. While everyone may feel passionate about a particular subject and is entitled to his/her opinions, classroom discourse must always be conducted in a respectful and civil tone. No disrespectful or disparaging comments about gender, ethnicity, religion, et cetera will be tolerated. Honour Code: Regulations on plagiarism and other forms of cheating are strictly enforced. Since engaging in either activity may result in very serious penalties, including failing grades, or dismissal from the University, you should endeavour to avoid such activities. Any assignment or work submitted for this course must not have been submitted for any other course. No written or digitally authored work may be submitted for academic credit more than once. If you have questions about how this may apply to an assignment you are considering for this course, please ask the facilitator for clarification. Students with a Disabling Condition: Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements, should communicate with the instructor in a timely manner, to seek such special considerations. Students should present appropriate verification from the relevant administrative office at the University. There is no guideline indicating that special considerations be given prior to completion of the existing university verification process. Course Content Lecture 1. Introduction to the Profession and Fundamentals of the Clinical Laboratory No. Of Hours: One hour Instructional Objectives: At the end of the lecture the students will be able to: 1. Describe the evolution of Clinical Laboratory Science 2. Draw and describe the organizational structure of a healthcare organization 3. Name the departments of a clinical laboratory 4. Describe the various sites for laboratory testing 5. Describe the importance of regulations concerning the quality and reliability of laboratory work. 6. Describe the various categories of personnel in the clinical laboratory 7. Name and describe non-analytical and analytical factors in quality assessment. 8. Describe proficiency testing. 9. Name three medical-legal issues and discuss issues associated with each. 10. Discuss the future directions for laboratory medicine. Content: 1. Functions of the clinical laboratory 2. Organization with the clinical laboratory 3. Regulatory bodies (OSHA, CLIA, etc) 4. Introduction to speciality areas of the clinical laboratory 5. Credentialing 6. Professional organizations 7. Quality Assessment Activities: 1. Group work (Think/pair/share) – What is Medical Technology? What does it entail? 2. Discussion – How important/ integral is this profession to the health care delivery system? Primary resource: Turgeon, Mary Louise. Clinical Laboratory Science 5th Edition. Missouri: Mosby Elsevier 2007 pg. 4 -20 Lecture 2. Safety in the clinical laboratory, Specimen Collection, Transportation Handling Laboratory No. of Hours: One hour Instructional Objectives: At the end of the lecture the students will be able to: 1. Describe the basic aspects of infection control policies, including how and when to use PPEs and the reasons for using Standard Precautions. 2. Describe the procedure for decontaminating a work area and the steps to be employed when cleaning up hazardous spills. 3. Describe the basic steps if first aid. 4. Identify seven factors that should be monitored by quality assessment methods. 5. Demonstrate and describe the skills needed to interact with patients in the collection of specimens 6. Describe the principles and applications of Standard Precautions 7. Discuss general specimen preparation guidelines 8. Identify unacceptable laboratory specimens 9. Explain the chain of custody in specimen handling 10. Describe relevant medical-legal issues related to specimen collection Content: 1. Occupational Safety and Health Administration Acts and Standards 2. Handwashing Immunization 4. Prophylaxis 5. Exposure control 6. Laboratory Hazards 7. General Infection control Activities: 1. Group work (Think/pair/share) – Why is it so important to be immunized prior to entering into the clinical laboratory? 2. Discussion – What is the value of proper sample collection and handling to the generation of quality patient results? Primary resource: Turgeon, Mary Louise. Clinical Laboratory Science 5th Edition. Missouri: Mosby Elsevier 2007 pg. 21-72 Assessment # 1: This assesses knowledge, comprehension, and synthesis of facts and principles outline in the lecture. Assessment tools- Matching, Short Answers and Short essays. Content Knowledge Comprehension Synthesis Total Lecture 1 10 20 20 50 Lecture 2 10 20 20 50 Total 20 40 40 100 Lecture 3. Systems of measurement, Laboratory Equipment, and Reagents; The Microscope; Measurement Techniques in the Clinical Laboratory No. of Hours: One hour Instructional Objectives: At the end of the lecture the students will be able to: 1. Convert metric units of measurement for weight, volume, and temperature to English units and metric units or metric units to English units. 2. Convert temperature from degrees Celsius to degrees Fahrenheit or Kelvin. Describe the various types and uses of laboratory volumetric glassware, the techniques for their use, and the various types of glass used to manufacture them. 4. Describe types and uses of laboratory centrifuges. 5. Compare various forms and grades of water used in the laboratory and how each is each. 6. Demonstrate how to properly label a container used to store a laboratory reagent or solution. 7. Identify the parts of the microscope. 8. Explain the difference between magnification and resolution. 9. Define alignment, and describe the process of aligning a microscope. 10. Describe the procedure for correct light adjustment to obtain maximum resolution with sufficient contrast. 11. Identify the four basic measurement techniques. 12. Describe the principle of absorbance spectrophotometry. 13. Explain how the intensity of colour in a substance can be used to measure its concentration. 14. Define Beer’s Law. 15. Name the components of the spectrophotometer. Identify three quality control tests for the spectrophotometers. 17. Describe the principle of nephelometry. Content: 1. International Systems 2. Laboratory plasticware and glassware 3. Laboratory balances 4. Laboratory centrifuges 5. Laboratory reagent water 6. Reagents used in laboratory assays 7. Use of the microscope 8. Photometry 9. Absorbance spectrophotometry 10. Nephelometry 11. Electrochemical methods Activities: 1. Group work (Think/pair/share) – Problem solving; converting Fahrenheit to Celsius to Kelvin and finding unknown concentrations using the Beer’s law. Primary resource: Turgeon, Mary Louise. Clinical Laboratory Science 5th Edition. Missouri: Mosby Elsevier 2007 pg. 78 147 Lecture 4. Quality Assessment Quality Control in the Clinical Laboratory, Central Laboratory Automation Point-of-Care Testing, and Laboratory Information Systems No. Of Hours: One hour Instructional Objectives: At the end of the lecture the students will be able to: 1. Discuss how professional regulations require the implementation of quality assessment programs in the clinical laboratory. 2. Identify the components necessary to a laboratory’s quality assessment program, including its quality control program and the use of control specimens 3. Assess the diagnostic usefulness of results reported, which requires an understanding of accuracy and precision as well as specificity and sensitivity, for laboratory tests and methodologies. 4. Explain the sources of variance in a laboratory procedure 5. Explain the importance of a quality control program, including the use of control samples, the determination of the control range, and the use of quality control charts 6. Describe the use of reference values, including the use of the mean and the standard deviation in determination of the reference range. 7. Explain the major benefits of laboratory automation 8. Describe the five steps in automated analysis 9. Compare the major advantages and disadvantages of point-of-care testing 10. Identify the four categories of Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA ’88) test procedures 11. Provide examples of instrument-based point-of-care testing 12. Identify at least six characteristics to consider when selecting a point-of-care instrument. 13. Describe overall product and functions of laboratory information systems 14. List and describe components of a computer system 15. Define the abbreviations LAN and WAN 16. Define and give examples of preanalytical and postanalytical testing 17. Identify and describe five Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) standards for design, compatibility, and integration of automated clinical laboratory systems. Content: 1. Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments 2. Accrediting Organizations 3. Quality assessment consideration 4. Quality assessment descriptors 5. Quality control statistics 6. Monitoring quality control Activities: 1. Group work (Think/pair/share) – Problem solving: Laboratory statistics and generation of Levy Jennings chart. 2. Discussion – Practical ways of ensuring quality in the clinical laboratory Primary resource: Turgeon, Mary Louise. Clinical Laboratory Science 5th Edition. Missouri: Mosby Elsevier 2007 pg. 161 -194 Lecture 5. Laboratory Mathematics and Introduction to Clinical Chemistry No. Of Hours: One hour Instructional Objectives: At the end of the lecture the students will be able to: 1. Calculate proportions and ratios 2. Calculate the requirements for solutions of a given volume and molarity 3. Describe the procedures for making a single dilution and a serial dilution 4. Calculate the amount of one solution needed to make a solution of a lesser concentration from it. 5. Differentiate the expressions of solution concentration weight per unit weight and weight per unit volume. 6. Prepare a percent solution 7. Compare the pathophysiology of types I and II diabetes. 8. Describe the symptoms of diabetes. 9. Identify the four major electrolytes found in blood and body fluids. 10. Name and compare renal function assays. 11. List the major lipid fractions. 12. List the major cardiac markers. 13. Describe liver and pancreatic assays and their significance. 14. Compare the clinical significance of various types of tumours markers. 15. Describe therapeutic drug assays and identify drugs of abuse. Content: 1. Density and specific gravity 2. Expressions of solution concentration 3. Proportions and ratios 4. Concentration of solutions 5. Dilutions 6. Diabetes 7. Electrolytes Acid-base balance 9. Renal function and other organ markers 10. Lipids 11. Hormone assays 12. Tumour markers Activities: 1. Group work (Think/pair/share) – Problem solving in serial dilution, creatinine clearance determination. 2. Discussion – Does automation in the clinical chemistry department render the department the most relaxing environment? Primary resource: Turgeon, Mary Louise. Clinical Laboratory Science 5th Edition. Missouri: Mosby Elsevier 2007 pg. 151 -159; 200 232 Sectional # 2- This assesses knowledge, comprehension, and application of facts and principles outline in the lecture. Assessment tools-Calculations, Matching, and Short essays. Content Knowledge Comprehension Synthesis Total Lecture 3 10 10 10 30 Lecture 4 10 10 15 35 Lecture 5 10 10 15 35 Total 30 30 40 100 Lecture 6. Introduction to Haematology Haemostasis; Introduction to Blood Banking No. of Hours: One hour Instructional Objectives: At the end of the lecture the students will be able to: 1. Describe the composition of blood 2. Explain the proper processing and testing of haematological samples 3. Discuss the significance of a complete blood count 4. Describe and perform a differential blood count 5. Discuss the common laboratory tests used for coagulation and haemostasis. 6. Define the terms immunohaematology, blood banking, and transfusion medicine 7. Explain the role of antigens and antibodies in immunohaematology 8. Compare ABO red blood cell and serum typing procedures 9. List and explain the components of compatibility testing, including identification, ABO and Rh typing, screening for unexpected antibodies and cross matching 10. Identify and describe the various red blood cell components and derivatives used for transfusion including packed red blood cells, plasma, and platelets, and explain the reason for transfusion of each. Content: 1. Haemoglobin 2. Haematocrit 3. Red blood cell indices 4. Blood cell counts 5. Examination of the peripheral smear 6. Blood cell alterations 7. Haemostatic mechanism 8. Tests for haemostasis Activities: 1. Case study – Case review on anaemia Primary resource: Turgeon, Mary Louise. Clinical Laboratory Science 5th Edition. Missouri: Mosby Elsevier 2007 pg. 238 – 342; 543 565 Lecture 7. Renal physiology and urinalysis, Introduction to the examination of Body Fluids No. of Hours: One hour Instructional Objectives: At the end of the lecture the students will be able to: 1. Define routine urinalysis, and describe its three main components. 2. Explain the clinical usefulness of urinalysis. 3. Describe the basic anatomic components of the urinary system and the function of each. 4. Define cerebrospinal fluid and describe the components of the routine examination. 5. Define synovial fluid 6. Discus the clinical significance of tests for faecal occult blood. 7. Describe the component of a semen analysis. Content: 1. Renal anatomy and physiology 2. Composition of urine 3. Physical, chemical and microscopic examination of urine 4. Faecal occult blood Activities: 1. Group work (Think/pair/share) – Microscopic mapping the production of urine Primary resource: Turgeon, Mary Louise. Clinical Laboratory Science 5th Edition. Missouri: Mosby Elsevier 2007 pg. 351 414 Assessment # 3- This assesses knowledge, comprehension, application and basic analysis of facts and principles outline in the lecture. Assessment tools- multiple choice, Short Answers and Short essays. Content Knowledge Comprehension Synthesis Total Lecture 6 10 20 20 50 Lecture 7 10 20 20 50 Total 20 40 40 100 Lecture 8. Introduction to Microbiology No. of Hours: One hour Instructional Objectives: At the end of the lecture the students will be able to: 1. Define the terms: microorganisms, normal and abnormal flora. 2. Discuss basic equipment and techniques used in Microbiology. 3. Discuss steps taken in bacterial identification. 4. Explain the process and purpose of antimicrobial susceptibility testing. 5. Describe the requirement for bacterial cultivation and the common types of media. Content: 1. Introduction to micro-organisms 2. Classification of micro-organisms 3. Basic equipment and techniques used in microbiology 4. Types of specimens 5. Culture and sensitivity 6. Fungi and parasite testing Activities: 1. Group work (Think/pair/share) – Media classification and identification Primary resource: Turgeon, Mary Louise. Clinical Laboratory Science 5th Edition. Missouri: Mosby Elsevier 2007 pg. 447 -500 Lecture 9. Introduction to Immunology Serology No. of Hours: One hour Instructional Objectives: At the end of the lecture the students will be able to: 1. Define the term immunology. 2. Define the terms antigen and antibody. 3. Describe the general characteristics of antigens and antibodies. 4. Describe the characteristics of agglutination. 5. Compare the grading of agglutination reactions. 6. Name and compare the principles of latex agglutination, coagglutination, liposome-mediated agglutination, direct, bacterial agglutination, and haemagglutination. 7. Briefly describe the applications of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Southern blot, Northern blot, Western blot and DNA chip technology. Content: 1. Overview immunology and serology 2. Antigens and antibodies 3. Specimens for serology and immunology 4. Common immunologic and serologic tests Activities: 1. Group work (Think/pair/share) – Confidentially and HIV reports 2. Group revision – Brief review of the lecture Primary resource: Turgeon, Mary Louise. Clinical Laboratory Science 5th Edition. Missouri: Mosby Elsevier 2007 pg. 505 530 Assessment # 4- This assesses knowledge, comprehension, application and basic analysis of facts and principles outline in the lecture. Assessment tools- multiple choice, matching and short essays. Content Knowledge Comprehension Synthesis Total Lecture 8 10 20 20 50 Lecture 9 10 20 20 50 Total 20 40 40 100 LECTURE SCHEDULE Modes of Teaching and Learning Student Evaluation A final grade will be assigned on the basis of the student’s performance on tests, assignments, reading reports, labs and the final comprehensive examination. B 70-74 B- 65-69 C+ 60-64 C 55-59 C- 50-54 D 0-49 F Grading system Grades are assigned numerical values as follows: GRADE Quality Points Definition A 4. 00 Superior A- 3. 67 Superior B+ 3. 33 Superior B 3. 00 Above Average B- 2. 67 Above Average C+ 2. 33 Above Average C 2. 00 Average C- 1. 67 Average D+ 1. 33 Below Average D 1. 00 Below Average F 0. 00 Below Average Expectations: 1. Attend all lectures, labs and tests. 2. Read assigned material before each lecture or lab session in order to participate meaningfully in class discussions and to better understand what is expected for the laboratory exercise. Present all labs and assignments on time and in a neat format. No late work will be accepted. No overdue assignment will be accepted at the end of the semester. 4. Submit a one-page (250-300 words) reading report on the last Thursday of each month. Reading reports should be done from journal articles pertaining to any discipline of Medical Technology. Source should have been published within the last two years and cited according to the CBE format. A copy of the article read should be attached to the report upon submission. Topics for each month are: September – Accreditation for Clinical Laboratories October – Quality Assessment in the Clinical Laboratory November– choose one of the major disciplines of Medical Technology (Clinical Microbiology, Haematology, Immunohaematology, Clinical Chemistry) and report on what was read from a scientific journal article. 5. Submit a written assignment specified Wednesdays following a lecture. Each assignment is gear towards cementing principles and facts as taught in lecture and as such evaluates knowledge, comprehension and synthesis of information. 6. Use the lab objectives as a study review guide for examinations. All cellular phones and any other electronic or mechanical gadgets should be turned off during class and laboratory sessions. Disturbance of the class session will result in suspension from the class. 8. Take responsibility for your tenure at Northern Caribbean University and display a professional attitude befitting that of the Medical Technology profession, always bearing in mind that patients’ lives are in your hands. 9. Give at least five (5) hours to the community in voluntary service within the discipline of Medical Technology. This may be organized or arranged by the teacher in the form of a health fair or it may be done through the students’ own initiative which may be reported to and reviewed by the teacher prior to initiation and or completion. REFERENCE MATERIAL Rubrics for Evaluating Oral Presentations ONLINE RULES/POLICIES: All papers and assignments submitted should include a certificate of authorship digitally signed by the student. Be aware that any submitted work for this course may be subjected to detection of plagiarism and breach of copyright. Participation students are required to login at least twice per week to the course website where assignments and announcements will be posted and accepted. An audit/tracking feature embedded in the eLearning system ? orion DL, will be utilized to monitor student activity. Conduct within the Online Learning Environment the same guidelines that apply to traditional classes should be observed in the eLearning environment. Please use proper netiquette when interacting with class members and the course instructor. ONLINE COURSE ACCESS Students will use their ? orion user account credentials to login to the course through the ? Orion Learning Management System (? orion LMS): http://aeorionde. ncu. edu. jm/. For assistance or further details regarding access to online courses please visit: https://aeorionde. ncu. edu. jm/corp/help. aspx For first time users or those requiring further familiarity with the eLearning system, please visit http://aeorionde. ncu. edu. jm/ and click on the orientation link. University Information Systems Services (UNISS) provides technical support between the hours of 8:00AM and 10:00PM Mondays through Thursdays and 8:00AM to 1:30PM on Fridays. The help desk may be reached at (1-876-523-2064) or online chat for immediate assistance. Email service requests can be directed to: [emailprotected] edu. jm POLICY ON SERVER UNAVAILABILITY OR OTHER TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES The university is committed to providing a reliable online course system to all users. However, in the event of any unexpected server outage or any unusual technical difficulty which prevents students from completing a time sensitive assessment activity, the instructor will provide an appropriate accommodation based on the situation. Students should immediately report any problems to the instructor and also contact the UNISS eLearning Help Desk: http://uniss. Ncu. edu. jm/elearninghelp , 1-876-523-2064. The instructor and the UNISS eLearning Help Desk will work with the student to resolve any issues at the earliest possible time. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS In addition to a competent level of computer and Internet literacy, there are some minimum technical requirements must be met to enable a successful learning experience. Please review the important technical requirements and the web browser configuration information at http://aeorionde. ncu. edu. jm/ to ensure that your personal computer meets the outlined requirements. This course has integrated communication tools that may be used to facilitate interaction and communication. Other communication mediasuch as email, instant messaging and web conferencing tools may also be utilized throughout the course. For more details please visit http://aeorionde. ncu. edu. jm/features . Interaction with Instructor: The instructor will communicate with students primarily using the Announcements and Discussions tools. Students may send personal concerns or questions to the instructor via email or using the course messaging module. The instructor will as much as possible reply to student’s queries within a week. LIBRARY SERVICES Distance Learners will need an ? orion user account to access all of the library’s electronic resources (reserves, journal articles, ebooks and search online databases) from off campus. For NCU students living close to one of our extension campuses, a valid NCU ID card is required to check out materials from the Library. For more information on library resources go to http://www. ncu. edu. jm/library/ ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION Please use the Assignments link on the course menu or see the icon on the designated page to upload assignments. You may click on the link for each assignment and follow the on-screen instructions to upload and submit your file(s). Bear in mind that you may only submit each assignment once, after which you should receive an onscreen confirmation. Please refer to the Help menu for more information on using this tool. Please note: each assignment link will be deactivated after the assignment due time. Additionally, unless stated otherwise, assignments are typically due at 11:59 PM on the specified date. After your submission is graded, you may click each assignment’s â€Å"Graded† tab to check the results and feedback. If necessary drafts of work for mastery learning may be sent via email to the instructor for review prior to submission. For team project assignments, one group member will submit the assignment for the group and all group members will be able to view the results and feedback once it’s been graded. Assignment Submission Instructions using Turnitin: Assignment(s) will be submitted and inspected via Turnitin, which is an integrated eLearning tool for plagiarism detection. To submit your assignments, click on the Turnitin icon located on the assignment submission web page. Next, click the submit icon. After which you will need to upload your assignment file please note that only one file may be submitted. To submit your assignment, click on â€Å"Browse† and locate your file then click the Submit button. You will be able to review before confirming your submission. You may return at a later time when the report is available, typically within 24 hours, to review the Originality Report which indicates the sources detected and how similar the assignment is to these sources. Please note it may take some time for Turnitin to generate the originality report. For further information on using Turnitin, please go to: http://www. Turnitin. com/static/training. html. COURSE EVALUATION You are required to complete an evaluation of the course at the end of the semester/module. These evaluations are used to garner valuable feedback that helps to improve the quality of instruction. Online course evaluations will be made accessible around the end of the semester/module and students will be informed via email or internal messages when they become available. NCU EMAIL Northern Caribbean University is aware of the efficiency, effectiveness and overall importance of communication between students and faculty/staff through electronic mail. At the same time, e-mail raises some issues concerning security and the identity of each individual in an e-mail exchange. The university encourages all official student email correspondence to be sent only to a student’s NCU e-mail address and that faculty or staff consider email from students official only if it originates from a NCU student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the identity of all individual corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. NCU furnishes each student with a free e-m