Syllabus
Graduate Programs in Public Health
GPH 714 Principles of Public Health – Spring A 2016
Credits - 3
Description
This course will examine public health principles and concepts. It will provide a broad framework for understanding public health’s role in community health, prevention, and medicine. Using the five core public health knowledge areas and the ten essential public health services as a foundation, students will explore public health infrastructure, surveillance, social determinants of health, policy, and emerging issues. In addition, the course will weave public health areas such as chronic disease, infectious disease, environmental health, maternal and child health, and injury into discussions and assignments.
Course Format
This course is facilitated through Blackboard, UNE’s online learning management system. The course will be delivered in 8 weekly online modules, with each module beginning on Wednesday at 12:01 am and ending the following Wednesday at 11:59 pm, except for the last week (Week 8), which will begin on Wednesday and end on Sunday. Students will watch online lectures produced by the course instructor and field experts, engage in readings and other media provided by instructors, and will learn from one another through the discussion board and written assignments. Each section of this course will be facilitated by an instructor with significant professional and academic expertise in the area of study. Individual meetings with the course instructor will be up to the student to schedule.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
This course will meet the following public health competencies based on the model developed by the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice. Course learning objectives are mapped to each of these competencies. Achievement of competencies and learning objectives will be assessed through relevant learning activities including discussion board posts, assignments leading up to a final research project, quizzes and exams.
1A1. Describes factors affecting the health of a community (e.g., equity, income, education, environment)
- Learning Objective: Define public health
1A2. Identifies quantitative and qualitative data and information (e.g., vital statistics, electronic health records, transportation patterns, unemployment rates, community input, health equity impact assessments) that can be used for assessing the health of a community
- Learning Objective: Identify examples of public health data and describe how it is used
2A3. Describes organizational strategic plan (e.g., includes measurable objectives and targets; relationship to community health improvement plan, workforce development plan, quality improvement plan, and other plans)
- Learning Objective: Summarize how public health priorities are determined
2A5. Identifies current trends (e.g., health, fiscal, social, political, environmental) affecting the health of a community
- Learning Objective: Identify examples of emerging public health issues
3A8. Describes the roles of governmental public health, health care, and other partners in improving the health of a community
- Learning Objective: Describe the linkages between public health and medicine/healthcare
3B8. Communicates the roles of governmental public health, health care, and other partners in improving the health of a community
- Learning Objective: Identify an opportunity for public health as it moves into the future
5A2. Recognizes relationships that are affecting health in a community (e.g., relationships among health departments, hospitals, community health centers, primary care providers, schools, community-based organizations, and other types of organizations)
- Learning Objective: Describe how social, behavioral, policy, and environmental factors influence health
6B1. Discusses the scientific foundation of the field of public health
- Learning Objective: Identify key events and people in the history of public health
- Learning Objective: List and describe the 5 core public health knowledge areas and 10 essential public health services
6B3. Applies public health sciences (e.g., biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health sciences, health services administration, social and behavioral sciences, and public health informatics) in the delivery of the 10 Essential Public Health Services
- Learning Objective: Provide an example of a challenge facing public health and an approach to address it
Assignments
Students are expected to complete all course requirements outlined below. Each course is worth 100 points, and student work is evaluated based on achievement of learning objectives as measured by criteria outlined in the respective scoring rubrics for assignments and discussion boards.
Class Discussions: Weekly discussion forums are an essential part of the online course experience. Discussion prompts build on readings, lectures and course content, and allow students to contribute to the learning experience through collaboration with the instructor and peers.
Initial discussion postings to the class website must be submitted by Sunday at 11:59 pm. These postings will generally be a response to a question and will require that you have viewed the lecture and done the reading. You may also have to do some additional research for these postings. Full credit will be given only to those who have developed thoughtful responses that demonstrate they have viewed the lecture and understand the topic. You will be expected to contribute original thought and insight.
Follow-up postings/responses must be completed by Wednesday at 11:59 pm of the week the question is assigned. These postings are intended to be a response to one of your classmates and are essential for exchanging ideas and learning from each other. For full credit, students must develop a thoughtful response, bringing something new to the discussion. Posts that ask questions, extend the breadth of the discussion, or use additional information from the literature or readings to argue a point are encouraged. Short responses that do not add to the discussion will not receive full credit. Students are welcome to respond to more than one classmate, but emphasis should be placed on quality (not quantity) of posts. Note: All assignments/discussions for Week 8 should be posted by Sunday at 11:59 pm.
Weekly Assignments: Most weeks you will be exploring the various aspects and applications of public health through a weekly assignment. Each assignment will ask you to engage with the practice of public health, giving you insight into the profession and its many applications. They will draw upon material presented in the lecture, readings from the textbook, and readings from assigned articles. These written assignments are intended to be a way for you to keep up with the material in the course. The assignments take on many different formats including: scenario-based problem-solving exercises, short papers, critiques of articles, or brief essays. Assignments are due by Wednesday at 11:59 pm of the week they are assigned.
Quiz: In week 5 you will take a quiz that will allow you to demonstrate what you have learned in the course. This quiz will cover the material presented in the previous weeks of the course.
Late Assignments: During weeks 1-7 assignments submitted after the due date will receive a 5% penalty for each day the assignment late. Late papers will not be accepted after 5 days. In week 8, the same penalty applies, however late assignments will not be accepted after the course end date on Sunday at 11:59 pm. 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. Your instructor may grant an extension without penalty for extenuating circumstances such as emergencies, serious illness, power outages etc.
Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Assignment | Points/Percent of Grade |
|---|---|
| Class Discussions | 25 |
| Weekly Assignments | 55 |
| Quiz | 20 |
| Total | 100 |
Grade Scale
| 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 |
Schedule
Course Weeks
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.
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Week 1 |
May 4 – May 11 |
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Week 2 |
May 11 - May 18 |
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Week 3 |
May 18 - May 25 |
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Week 4 |
May 25 - June 1 |
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Week 5 |
June 1 - June 8 |
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Week 6 |
June 8 – June 15 |
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Week 7 |
June 15 – June 22 |
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Week 8 |
June 22 – June 26 (Sunday) |
Specific due dates can be found within the Blackboard Calendar feature in your Global Navigation. For more information, review the following article:
https://help.blackboard.com/en-us/Learn/9.1_SP_12_and_SP_13/Student/110_Nav_My_Blackboard
Week 1
Week 1 Topics: Course introductions; define public health; basic history of public health; core functions; 10 Essential Public Health Services
Learning Objectives:
- Define public health.
- Identify key events and people in the history of public health.
- List and describe the core public health knowledge areas and 10 essential public health services.
- Learn essential skills pertaining to writing research papers and referencing in AMA format.
Readings:
- Textbook Chapters 1, 2
- A Day in the Life of Public Health
- Issac SL, Shroeder SA. Where the public good prevailed. The American Prospect, June 4, 2001:26-30.
- CDC website for ten essential services www.cdc.gov/od/ocphp/nphpsp/EssentialPHServices.htm
- Review the core functions, ten essential services, and background information www.health.gov/phfunctions/public.htm
- Watch Video: Healthiest Nation in One Generation
- Watch Videos: http://www.thisispublichealth.org/video.html
- This is Public Health
- Cause and Effect
- ASPPH Core Competencies (attached document)
Lecture:
- Introduction to Public Health (Gunderman)
Workshop:
- See link on the course page for the writing workshops for Week 1.
Discussion Board Question 1:
Post original contribution by 11:59PM Sunday.
- Post a short autobiography on the discussion board labeled INTRODUCTIONS. Tell us a little about yourself. What is your name? Where do you live/work? A favorite hobby? Something interesting about yourself?
Discussion Board Question 2:
Post original contribution by 11:59PM Sunday and response post by 11:59PM Wednesday.
- After watching the “This is Public Health” video, create your own red sign. Place/stick/tape your “This is Public Health” sign on something you see as public health. Take a picture. On the discussion board, attach your picture, and describe why it is an example of public health. Respond to another student’s post.
Week 2
Week 2 Topics: Connection between public health, healthcare, and medicine; public health systems; infrastructure
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the differences as well as linkages between public health and medicine/healthcare.
- Summarize the infrastructure through which public health is administered at federal, state, and local levels.
- Learn and apply essential elements of writing research papers at a graduate level.
Readings:
- Textbook Chapters 3, 26, 27
- NACCHO reporting local health departments: See PDF
- View an example of infrastructure in Maine: http://health.fireflyhost.org/
- State public health assessment instrument: www.cdc.gov/nphpsp/documents/state/state.bookletA.pdf
- Local public health assessment instrument: www.cdc.gov/nphpsp/documents/local/Local.BookletA.pdf
Lectures:
- The Public Health System (Gunderman)
- Primary Care + Public Health, Institute of Medicine: http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2012/Primary-Care-and-Public-Health/Video.aspx
Discussion Board Question:
Post original contribution by 11:59PM Sunday and response post by 11:59PM Wednesday.
- For Assignment 1 you interviewed someone in a governmental public health agency or someone working in healthcare (clinician, hospital administrator, etc). Post 1 thing you learned from your interview with someone working in public health or healthcare on the discussion board.
Choose your topic (worth 0 points, but still must submit):
Pick a public health topic that interests you. You will be researching and exploring this topic for the remainder of the course. For the purpose of this assignment, a good topic is one that there is plentiful information on from reliable sources (CDC, NIH, etc.). One way to determine a topic is to go to CDC’s list of health topics. A topic could be a health issue (food security) or a specific disease (MRSA). Submit via Blackboard your chosen topic and 3 sentences to describe the reasons you chose it. Submit the assignment via Blackboard by 11:59PM Wednesday.
Written Assignment #1:
Interview someone in a governmental public health agency or someone working in healthcare (clinician, hospital administrator, etc). Summarize your interview. Include challenges, strengths, and other information you found important/interesting. See the template for guidance. Submit the assignment via Blackboard by 11:59PM Wednesday. This assignment is not due until week 2, but you are being informed of it in week 1 in order to have time to schedule the interview.
Week 3
Week 3 Topics: Social and behavioral health introduction; ecological model; determinants of health
Learning Objectives:
- Describe how social and behavioral factors influence health.
- Recognize the ecological model.
- Describe social determinants of health.
Readings:
- Textbook Chapters 13, 14, 18
- Fielding JE, Teutsch S, Breslow L. A framework for public health in the United States. Public Health Reviews 2010; 32:174-189
Lectures:
- Putting Social and Behavioral Health into Practice (Polacsek)
Discussion Board Question:
Post original contribution by 11:59PM Sunday and response post by 11:59PM Wednesday.
- What is an example of a health inequality that you have observed in your community? As a public health professional what is 1 recommendation to address the inequity?
Written Assignment #2:
Apply the Ecological Model to your chosen health topic. Use the template to complete this assignment. Submit the assignment via Blackboard by 11:59PM Wednesday.
Week 4
Week 4 Topics: Public health data; surveillance; epidemiology; biostatistics
Learning Objectives:
- Identify examples of public health data and describe how it is used.
- Identify concepts and terms used in epidemiology and biostatistics.
Readings:
- Textbook Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8
- Go to: http://www.cdc.gov/datastatistics/. Pick one topic and read about its statistics.
- Go to: http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/. Read about the county where you live. If you live outside of the United States, pick any county.
Lectures:
- Public Health Data: An Introduction (Gunderman)
- Working with Public Health Data (Kinner)
Discussion Board Question:
Post original contribution by 11:59PM Sunday and response post by 11:59PM Wednesday.
- Watch “The Miniature Earth” at http://www.miniature-earth.com/
Why is this data important in public health? If you could add 1 public health related statistic to the video what would it be? Why?
Written Assignment #3:
Research data about your public health issue. Use the template to complete this assignment. Submit the assignment by 11:59PM Wednesday.
Week 5
Week 5 Topic: Environmental health
Learning Objectives:
- Describe how the environment impacts health.
Readings:
- Textbook Chapters 20, 21, 22, 25
Lectures:
- Environmental Health Across the Globe (Gunderman)
- What Do People Working in Environmental Health Do? (Most)
Discussion Board Question:
Post original contribution by 11:59PM Sunday and response post by 11:59PM Wednesday.
- What do you think is the most pressing environmental health issue in your community? Why? Please use data and other reliable information to support your perspective.
Quiz:
Complete the quiz. You will be asked questions pertaining to the materials in weeks 1-5. It must be completed by Wednesday at 11:59PM.
Voluntary Live Chat Session with faculty. This is an opportunity to review material, discuss public health issues, and engage with students and instructors. This is not mandatory and participation does not count towards your final grade. The link to join the live session will be posted in a Blackboard announcement.
Week 6
Week 6 Topics: Public health policy and management overview
Learning Objectives:
- Describe how policy influences health.
Readings:
- Textbook Chapters 15, 24
Lectures:
- Public Health Policy: An Introduction (Gunderman)
- Public Health Law Center, an example: http://publichealthlawcenter.org/webinar/public-health-law-center-helping-kansas-communities
Discussion Board Question:
Post original contribution by 11:59PM Sunday and response post by 11:59PM Wednesday.
- Identify a public health policy in your state or local community that addresses a public health issue. Explain if you think it has been effective and why.
Written Assignment #4:
Research policies that affect your public health issue. Make recommendations for policy that would create positive environmental change. Use the template to complete the assignment. Submit the assignment by 11:59PM Wednesday.
Week 7
Week 7 Topics: Setting priorities in public health; emerging public health issues
Learning Objectives:
- Describe how policy influences health.
Readings:
- Explore Healthy People 2020 website: http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/default.aspx
- Read about US Winnable Battles: http://www.cdc.gov/winnablebattles/
- Read about Millennium Develop Goals: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
- Read about 1 example of priority setting: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK45361/
Lectures:
- How Do We Set Priorities in Public Health? (Gunderman)
- Help Stop the Next Pandemic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNhiHf84P9c
- Emerging Issue in Public Health: TBD
Discussion Board Question:
Post original contribution by 11:59PM Sunday and response post by 11:59PM Wednesday.
- What do you see as the challenges and opportunities for setting public health priorities?
Written Assignment #5:
You are applying for a $100,000 grant to implement a strategy focused on your chosen topic. See the template for responding to this grant. Submit the assignment by 11:59PM Wednesday.
Week 8
Week 8 Topic: Future of public health
Learning Objectives:
- Identify an opportunity for improving public health as it moves into the future.
Reading:
- Textbook Chapter 31
Lecture:
- Final Thoughts (Gunderman)
Discussion Board Question:
Post initial post and response by 11:59PM Sunday.
- See the lecture and slides for this week. Post how you would complete this sentence: “You know if you are a public health nerd if you…”
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 Blackboard/Brightspace.
- Public Health Databases: https://library.une.edu/library-materials/find/research-by-subject/public-health/
- Library Tutorial: Find an article
- 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:
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.
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 Turnitin Student quick start guide.
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.
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:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- 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.
Attendance Policy
Online students are required to submit a graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. If a student does not submit a posting to the graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET, the student will be automatically dropped from the course for non-participation. Review the full attendance policy.
Late Policy
Assignments: Late 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.
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 UNE Plagiarism Policies.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- 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.