Attendance is required at scheduled activities including labs/tutorials to complete and receive credit for components of the course.

Lectures will be available as recordings but in person attendance is highly advisable. Other learning activities including labs will not be available as recordings.

The course unlikely to will include live online events including group discussions/tutorials.

Attendance on campus is required for the test/exam.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

For each lecture we have provided specific course objectives to help focus your study. We have a recommended text to assist in revision of basic cardiovascular physiology. If this text does not work for you, the library holds many more that may better suit. The more detailed knowledge required for the course will be found in specialist literature: books, reviews and original scientific papers. A list of starter references are provided for each lecture or module, but students are expected to read more widely. 

Resources

Recommended Text for Medsci 311 is: Berne RM & Levy MN. Physiology. 6th Edition Mosby Year Book Inc., 2007 but we highly recommend reading latest scientific papers presented during the lectures or suggested in the readings. You will have a much better outcome if you expand from what is presented in the Medsci 311 lectures.

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license. You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

We have designed the MEDSCI 311 lecture series in specific modules, which allow you to focus on specific learning objectives for that module.

• Module A: Cardiac Function and Pathophysiology
• Module B: Cardiac Pharmacology and Devices
• Module C: Cardiovascular Control
• Module D: Fetal Physiology

However, each module provides important information which can be incorporated into your study of the other modules. For example, the determinants of blood pressure are cardiac output and vascular resistance. Thus knowing how normal blood pressure is regulated and the factors which lead to dysfunction (hypertension) requires you to know about both cardiac and vascular structure and function. From this you can then build a stronger understanding about how our cardiovascular system responds to clinical treatment, and how compromising the foundation of cardiovascular structure in fetal life can radically change our understanding about functional control and responses to clinical treatment.

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

• Honesty - in all aspects of research work
• Accountability - in the conduct of research
• Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
• Good stewardship – on behalf of others
• Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
• Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

We are currently reviewing our policy on GenAI use in assessments, and you will be informed about our expectations at the start of the semester.

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. Further information can be obtained from: http://www.auckland.ac.nz/teachingandlearning/ (Students - Plagiarism and Cheating section).If you are under pressure or stressed by deadlines, discuss this with the Course co-ordinators. We are here to help you.

As per Bachelor of Science regulations-Practical Requirements 6 In any course that includes assessed practical work as well as other assessed work, it may be required that a student must obtain passes in both the practical and the other work in order to pass that course as a whole. Where this is specified a student who passes the practical work but who fails the other work may, at the discretion of the Academic Head, have the result for the practical work carried forward when the course is retaken.

To pass Medsci 311 course, you are required to pass both the theory (Final exam and Mid Term Test) and practical component of the course. 

(i) Final exam: you need to obtain at least 20% out of 40%.

(ii) Final exam + mid term test: you need to obtain 27.5% out of 55%

Specifically for practical component, you need to:

(ii) Attend and actively participate in the laboratory practical sessions.

(iii) Submit all the TWO practical lab based assessments + Poster presentation participation (unless a valid reason for missing the poster session provided).

(iv) Receive a minimum mark of 15% out of 30% in the laboratory course component.

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Based on the SET feedback around the lab report assessments we have increased the weighing of this assessment to truly reflect the associated workload along with extra cardiovascular function lab online tutorial. We will also be providing more feedback on mid term test.

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor. Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.