This course will review the socio-ecological model and systems science, and discuss how we, as individuals, interact with our social, cultural and political environments to make decisions surrounding our weight-related behaviors. Students will be graded on individual assignments and discussion board posts. The course will be structured according to the socio-ecological model, focusing on variations, influences, and interactions between the individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy levels.
In this course, you will learn how:
Discussion Board: Each week you will be asked to respond to a prompt, and foster discussion by responding to at least one response by a classmate.This is intended to help you think more critically about the readings and lectures. Your initial response should be approximately 250 words.
Please post your initial post by Sunday at 11:59 pm. Your response should be posted by Wednesday at 11:59 pm.
Reflection Papers: For the first six weeks you will be asked to complete a two-page (approx. 350 – 500 words) Reflection Paper. These short assignments are intended to help you test ideas, gather research, and build the skills necessary to complete the Policy Brief.
Policy Brief: The Policy Brief is the final project for the course. It is a ten-page document intended to be a synthesis of the knowledge gained and research completed throughout the course. It also offers you a chance to master a type of writing you will encounter often in the field of public health.
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Discussion Board | 40% (5% each week) |
Reflection Paper | 30% (5% each week) |
Final Paper | 30% |
Total | 100% |
Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
Week 1: March 2nd – March 9th
Week 2: March 9th – March 16th
Week 3: March 16th – March 23rd
Week 4: March 23rd – March 30th
Week 5: March 30th – April 6th
Week 6: April 6th – April 13th
Week 7: April 13th – April 20th
Week 8: April 20th – April 24th
In this module, you will learn how to:
Lectures:
Readings:
Required
Recommended
Assignments:
Introduction
Discussion Post and Response
Week One Reflection Paper
In this module, you will learn how to:
Lectures:
Readings:
Required
Recommended
Assignments:
Discussion Post and Response
Week Two Reflection Paper
In this module, you will learn how to:
Lectures:
Week Three Lecture
Tina Pettingill, MPH: Obesity Policy Information and Planning
Readings:
Required
Ingredients of the Food System
History of Food
Hunger and Food Security
Recommended
Assignments:
Discussion Post and Response
Week Three Reflection Paper
In this module, you will learn how to:
Lectures:
Week Four Lecture
Readings:
Required
Diet and Influences on Food Choice
Food Marketing and Labeling
Recommended
Assignments:
Discussion Post and Response
Week Four Reflection Paper
Optional Policy Brief Rough Draft
In this module, you will learn how to:
Lectures:
Week Five Lecture
Alison Tovar, PhD, MPH: Environmental influences on diet: Role of parents | Slides
Advice for the Final Assignment
Readings:
Required
Recommended
Assignments:
Discussion Post and Response
Week Five Reflection Paper
In this module, you will learn how to:
Lectures:
Readings:
Required
Recommended
Assignments:
Discussion Post and Response
Week Six Reflection Paper
In this module, you will learn how to:
Lectures:
Week Seven Lecture
Advice for the Final Assignment
Readings:
Required
Assignments:
Discussion Post and Response
Obesity Policy Brief Final Assignment
In this module, you will learn how to:
Lectures:
Week Eight Concluding Thoughts
Readings:
No assigned required readings this week.
Recommended
Assignments:
Discussion Post and Response
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Visit the Student Support Public Health page
UNE's Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a range of free online services to support your academic achievement. Writing support, ESOL support, study strategy and learning style consultations, as well as downloadable resources, are available to all matriculating students. The SASC also offers tutoring for GPH 712 Epidemiology, GPH 716 Biostatistics, GPH 717 Applied Epidemiology, GPH 718 Biostatistics II, and GPH 719 Research Methods. To make an appointment for any of these services, go to une.tutortrac.com. For more information and to view and download writing and studying resources, please visit:
Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.
Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.
Students should notify their Student Support Specialist and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.
ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.
The College of Professional Studies supports its online students and alumni in their career journey!
The Career Ready Program provides tools and resources to help students explore and hone in on their career goals, search for jobs, create and improve professional documents, build professional network, learn interview skills, grow as a professional, and more. Come back often, at any time, as you move through your journey from career readiness as a student to career growth, satisfaction, and success as alumni.
The American Medical Association Manual (AMA) of Style, 11th edition is the required writing format for this course. Additional support for academic writing and AMA format is provided throughout the coursework as well as at the UNE Portal for Online Students.
Online resources: AMA Style Guide
The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.
Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.
You can learn more about Turnitin in the guide on how to navigate your Similarity Report.
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements
Course surveys are one of the most important tools that University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.
Students are responsible for submitting work by the date indicated in Brightspace.
Quizzes and Tests: Quizzes and tests must be completed by the due date. They will not be accepted after the due date.
Assignments: Unless otherwise specified, assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.
Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.
Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.
Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit https://www.une.edu/studentlife/plagiarism.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.
8 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.
16 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Friday at 11:59 pm ET of the second week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.
Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.