Syllabus

Schedule

Each week opens on Wednesday at 12:01 AM Eastern Time. Each week closes on Wednesday at 11:59 pm ET, with the exception of Week 8, which ends on Sunday. 

Week 1	April 29 – May 6
Week 2	May 6 – May 13
Week 3	May 13 – May 20
Week 4	May 20 – May 27
Week 5	May 27 – June 3
Week 6	June 3 – June 10
Week 7	June 10 – June 17
Week 8	June 17 – June 21 (Sunday)

Week 1: Abstract Writing and Reflection on Advanced Elective

*See Blackboard for required and suggested weekly readings.

Weekly Outcomes

• Clearly articulate your Advanced Elective experience and share your lessons learned using specific examples
• Identify key components of an abstract
• Write an abstract using APHA guidelines

Lecture

• Week 1 Lecture and Overview

Reading

• APHA guidelines for abstract writing and submission.
• You are encouraged to:
  • Review scholarly public health articles in your field of interest to become familiar with abstract writing.
  • Reach out to UNE’s Student Academic Success Center and use available resources at the writing center to assist you with finalizing your high quality written product (due in week 4), and further development of your professional writing skills. Visit the SASC page to schedule an appointment.

Assignments:

• Week 1 Discussion: Please introduce yourself to your fellow students, discuss your educational journey, and why you choose to pursue a graduate degree in public health.
  • Also briefly describe the focus of your Advanced Elective (751, 752 or 753), and talk a little bit about your AE-experiences (good and bad!) and the lessons you learned. Try to limit your discussion to 300-500 words.
    Respond to the prompt by 11:59 PM on Sunday.
  • Respond to 2 fellow students and discuss similar AE experiences you may have had, and or ask additional questions about their AE experience, and or share advice on how you approached similar experiences. Post responses to classmates by 11:59 PM Wednesday.
• Please let us know what days and times may work best for you in Week 8 to do your final presentation. We will go over the presentation details next week, but plan at least an hour of your time for the presentation (15 min preparation + 15 min. presentation + 15 min. for Q&A). Use the link in the course.
• Submit an informative abstract (using APHA guidelines of 250 words or less) for your AE high-quality product. Submit the assignment no later than 11:59 PM on Wednesday.

Week 2: Oral Presentation and Assessment of Competencies

Weekly Outcomes

• Define the purpose of an oral presentation
• Describe the key components of an oral presentation
• Create an outline for your presentation 
• Clearly articulate how your Advanced Elective experience supported your selected competencies.

Lectures

• Week 2: Oral presentation and assessment of selected competencies
• Willis R. (2011). Presentation and public speaking tips

Assignments

• Week 2 Discussion

  • Initial Post: For the initial post, please elaborate on how through your AE experience you were able to achieve your selected competencies. Provide 2 or 3 examples within each selected competency on how your AE experiences helped you achieve the competency.
    Note: if changes to your competencies are needed as a result of unanticipated changes/barriers be sure to discuss any proposed competency changes with your ILE supervisor.
    Title your post with AE course number and selected competency numbers, e.g., GPH 753 Foundational Competencies: 1,2.3…; Program Competencies: 1,2.3.

    Response Posts: For your responses to others, review the initial post of two peers who achieved different competencies than you. Review and ask meaningful questions about the importance/relevance of the selected competencies for the peer’s personal and professional development.

    Initial posts are due Sunday by 11:59 pm ET, and the response to peers is due Wednesday by 11:59 pm ET. Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.

• Initial submission of your final paper: By the end of this course week, please submit your paper from your AE. Please review feedback received on your draft in your Advanced Elective and make necessary edits; consider having another person (besides your advisor) review your paper for additional feedback.

Week 3: Conferences

Weekly Outcomes

• Describe the purpose of a conference,
• Define the different types of APHA conference abstracts.

Lecture 

• Week 3: Conferences

Assignments

• Week 3 Discussion:
  • Initial post: choose either of the prompts to address:
    Identify 3 professional conferences you have attended. Specify if they were national, regional or local conferences, and what agenda items motivated you to attend those conferences, e.g., the keynote speaker, specific breakout sessions, or round table discussions. In addition, share your experiences of the conferences you attended (what you learned, what connections you made, what changes you made as a result of what you learned, etc.).
    OR
    If you have not attended any professional conference to date, please identify 3 conferences in your field you would like to attend and why (what sessions you would like to go to at those conferences, what do you hope to learn, what connections you hope to make, etc.).
    Respond to the prompt by 11:59 PM on Wednesday. Responses to peers are not required for this week’s discussion.

Week 4: Submission of Final Paper and Presentation Preparation

Weekly Outcome

• Create an effective PowerPoint presentation

Lectures

• How to give an awesome (PowerPoint) presentation (Whiteboard animation explainer video).

Assignments

• Week 4 Final Report and Abstract Submission: Submit your final paper and abstract.

Week 5: Poster Presentations

Weekly Outcomes

• Compare the new APHA recommended poster format and the traditional APHA poster format,
• Create a poster for your AE report using the APHA recommended “better-poster” format.

Lecture and Tutorials

• Morrison M. How to create a better research poster in less time. 2019.
• How do I create a QR code for my poster?

Assignments

• Week 5 Discussion: This week, please include the following elements in your discussion post by 11:59 PM ET on Sunday:
  • Share your poster. Include a link to your poster (either as a link to the Drive document with permissions for anyone to view or upload here as attachment in PDF or PPT format) for other students to see. You will also submit the same poster for grading through the assignment link.
  • Together with the link to your poster, review the new APHA-recommended poster format and compare it to the traditional poster format style. What are the advantages of the new format? Please elaborate and critique the two formats; include and explain your own preferences.
• Week 5 Poster Assignment Submission: Submit a poster of your AE paper (using APHA’s “better-poster” guidelines) no later than 11:59 PM on Sunday for instructor feedback. Remember to also share your poster in the discussion forum for this week.
• Week 5 Poster Feedback Submission: You will use the GPH 744 Poster presentation feedback form to capture your feedback. Please fill out the form for the posters of 2 fellow students and discuss what you find effective, and or what you would have done differently.  You will submit your completed feedback forms to the instructor for grading and you will email a copy to each of the poster presenters as well. This assignment is due by 11:59 PM ET on Wednesday.

Week 6: Journal Search and Publication

Weekly Outcomes

• Find two journals for possible publication,
• Reflect on the writing process and the value of course assignments.

Lecture

• Week 6: Journal search and publication

Reading

• How to get your research published… and then noticed. (Elsevier). Pages 1-12

Assignments

• Week 6 Discussion: Identify two journals to which you may be interested in submitting your AE scholarly work. Explain why these journals are a good fit for your work. Respond to the prompt by 11:59 PM on Sunday. Responses to peers are not required for this week’s discussion.
• Week 6 Presentation Slides: Submit the PowerPoint slides for your oral presentation for review and feedback. You will need to use one of the three UNE PowerPoint templates for your presentation. Submit your slides by 11:59 PM on Sunday.

Week 7: Reflection

Weekly Outcomes

• Clearly articulate your Advanced Elective experience and share your lessons learned using specific examples

Assignment

• Week 7 Reflection: Looking back at the writing process of your final AE paper, discuss what has been the most helpful section in this ILE course (learn how to write an abstract, create a poster presentation, report preparation and presentation). Submit your reflection by 11:59 PM on Wednesday.

Week 8: Oral Presentations – Constructive Feedback/Peer Review

Weekly Outcomes

• Conduct an oral presentation
• Provide critical feedback to peers.

Assignments

• Oral Presentation: As scheduled, you will deliver your own polished and well-rehearsed oral presentation and attend at least 2 (two) presentations by your peers.
• Oral Presentation Reviews: Attend 2 presentations and provide constructive feedback to the presenter by using the Oral Presentation Peer Review Form. Complete the Oral Presentation Peer Review form and upload it as part of your assignment within 2 days of attending the presentations – and not later than the end of the course. Your review will be graded and a copy will be shared with the presenter.

Student Resources

Online Student Support

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 Libraries:

• Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Brightspace.
• Public Health Databases: https://library.une.edu/library-materials/find/research-by-subject/public-health/
• Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.

UNE Student Academic Success Center

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:

• UNE Student Academic Success Center

Information Technology Services (ITS)

• ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673

Accommodations

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.

Online Peer Support

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.

Information Technology Services (ITS)

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.

Career Ready Program

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.

Policies

AMA Writing Style Statement

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

Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool

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.

Technology Requirements

Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements

Course Evaluation Policy

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.

Late Policy

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.

Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures

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.

Student Handbook

UNE Course Withdrawal

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.

Academic Integrity

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:

1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
4. Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
5. Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

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.