Course Syllabus

Instructor Information

Sarah McKune, PhD, MPH

Email: Through Sakai

Phone: 352-294-5495

Office Hours: By Appointment

Krishna Vaddiparti, PhD, MPE, MSW

Email: Through Sakai

Phone: 352-273-5746

Office Hours: By Appointment

Teaching Assistant

Hannah Crooke

Email: Email through Sakai

Office Hours: By Appointment

or Via Skype (h.crooke) on

Thursdays between 3 and 5 pm.

Scheduled Course Time:

This is a 3-credit course that will be conducted solely online via the Sakai Course Management system

at http://lss.at.ufl.edu. You must have a valid Gatorlink ID and password. For assistance, call the UF

Help Desk at 392-HELP. We will make lectures available to you every Monday by 9am. All quizzes and

discussion boards are conducted online and assignments are to be submitted through Sakai. There will

be two tests (Test 1 and Test 2) during this course; these tests will be scheduled on campus. These are

the only times that your physical attendance will be required for the course.

Course Description

This is an upper level course intended to introduce undergraduate students in a variety of disciplines to

the basic tenets and applications of public health, including integrating public health with other health

professions. This course explores the Nation's health challenges, the epidemiologic basis of the public's

health, the organization and financing of health services in the United States, and current strategies for

advancing the public’s health. The course introduces students to a range of topics, issues, and

frameworks to help understand current public health issues and modern public health systems, policies,

and practices.

The lectures posted on Sakai are pre-recorded by Drs. Vaddiparti and McKune, guest faculty members,

and graduate trainees of the department of Epidemiology. Students are expected to view all lectures and

complete required readings and assignments.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to identify the basic fields of public health, read

public health graphs, understand public health models and health behaviors, compute relative risks and

odds ratios, and understand the nation’s health care system. The student will also have a thorough

knowledge on the differences between health and health care. Successful completion of this course

requires a grade of ‘C’ or better.

Prerequisites Junior class status and one statistics course, or permission of the instructor

College of Public Health and Health Professions

Public Health Concepts

PHC 4101

Section 1C24

Spring 2014

PHC 4101, Fall 2014 Page 2 of 12

Course Competencies with Objectives

1. Identify public health monitoring systems to identify and solve community health problems

a. List and describe the core functions of public health

b. Describe the three levels of prevention

c. List and describe major surveillance and data collection efforts in the US

2. Recognize health problems and health hazards in the community using an ecological framework

a. Describe the levels of the ecological model

b. Identify the level of the ecological model an intervention is designed to target

3. Identify appropriate methods for assessing the determinants of health problems

a. List and describe basic epidemiologic measures (rate, prevalence, incidence, etc.) and

quantitative study designs (ecological, cross-sectional, cohort, case control, randomized

trial)

4. Be familiar with agencies that protect health and ensure safety

a. Identify purpose and actions of US public health agencies (EPA, FDA, CDC, etc.)

b. Identify reliable sources of public health information

In addition, upon completion of this course, students will be able to

1. Articulate the goal of public health and its integration with other fields.

2. Name and identify various components that comprise the nation’s health system.

3. Identify public health models that are essential in population based health studies.

4. Apply and interpret commonly used terminology and findings in public health studies.

5. Discuss the historical contributions of public health to the well-being of the world’s population.

6. Recognize the distinction between infectious and chronic diseases and public health’s approach

to both.

7. Discuss the social determinants of health and how they are related to health disparities.

8. Articulate how federal legislation has supported public health.

To get started

• Go to the Syllabus tab in Sakai and download and print the full Course Syllabus

• The Course Syllabus contains all of the information for the course except for standalone items such as

lectures, videos, slides, readings, assignment handouts, and assessments.

• Take the Syllabus Quiz in Sakai. You should take this quiz until you receive a 100% score – this is an

online course, and it is VERY important that you fully understand the syllabus requirements for this

course. You will not receive a grade for this quiz, but it is a mandatory requirement of the course. You

will earn 2 course bonus points if you score a 100% on your first attempt.

• Videos, slides and related information are found under the Weekly Modules link in the left column of

the course site.

• Go to the Discussions link and find the first message from us.

• Post your own brief bio

Online Course Format:

This online course is designed to be completed within 15 weeks. Each week starts on Monday 12:05 AM

and ends on Sunday 11:55 PM (Eastern Time).

Please see the course schedule at the end of this syllabus for due dates and times for all the 15 weeks for

this semester.

PHC 4101, Fall 2014 Page 3 of 12

Since attendance is asynchronous (not in real time), you may log-in at any time of the day. However,

you are expected to participate in the virtual classroom on a weekly basis and complete all readings,

discussion requirements, quizzes, assignments, and exams (see Instructor Expectations below for more

information).

If you have any concerns or questions about the course or assignments/exams, please contact your

instructors and/or teaching assistant BEFORE the due date or exam date. Or check the Discussion Board

“Project” to see if other students have asked your questions and had them answered.

Instructor Expectations

Here are a few expectations we would like you to know about as we begin this course:

Emailing Instructors and TA: If you have questions, please feel free to email us through the eMail

function of Sakai. For all course related matters, doubts and clarifications please email to your TA

through Sakai; for all content related matters, please email the instructors. You will select the recipient

Instructor Role or Teaching Assistant within the Sakai email function. Also, remember to check the

checkbox with the cc option that reads “send a copy of this message to recipients' email

address(es)”; this will ensure a timely response to your question. Please contact the UF HelpDesk if

you have access questions or technical issues with the course: (352) 392-HELP (4357) or

helpdesk@ufl.edu or in the HUB, room 132.

Responses to your Emails: We will be in the online classroom at least four days per week. We will

respond to questions within 48 hours. All work will be graded within seven days of the original due date.

Submission of Assignments: Please keep a copy of all assignments and work submitted. Sakai will

issue an email receipt when assignments are submitted. Please check your submission to be sure it was

properly submitted and that you attached the correct file. You will NOT be excused from a late

submission penalty if you submit the wrong attachment or do not submit any attachment.

Print the syllabus for your reference. It is your responsibility to be aware of all assignments, due

dates and guidelines.

Required Resources:

Introduction to Public Health, 4th edition, 2013

Mary-Jane Schneider.

Jones & Bartlett Publishers

ISBN: 978-1-4496-9736-5

The textbook may be purchased from www.amazon.com

Additional readings may be posted in the Weekly Modules as identified by the Instructors.

Technology/Equipment

Requirements:

• Computer with audio capabilities

• High speed, broadband Internet connection — preferred browsers: FireFox, Explorer, Safari

• Microphone

• Webcam (preferred, but not required)

The UF HelpDesk will be able to assist you with access questions.

Grading

PHC 4101, Fall 2014 Page 4 of 12

Grades are assigned based on the criteria below. All work will be graded within seven days of the due

date. A full explanation of content, discussion questions, assignments and other course components are

completely described in the appropriate weekly pages of this syllabus.

All grades will be posted on the course website under Gradebook. If you notice a discrepancy in any

grade as it appears online, you must contact the course instructors within one week of the posting date in

order to have the problem addressed. Students may not wait until the end of the semester to contest a

grade.

Course Requirements/Evaluation/Grade Components: Points %

1 Discussion Board and Participation

7 points each, ten discussion boards

3 points for discussion post

2 points each for two comments on others posts

70 points 11.7

2 Quizzes

10 points each, Quizzes 3-12

100 points 16.7

3 Test 1

120 points for Test 1

120 points 20.0

4 Research Proposal Project

Research Question and Hypothesis (15 points)

Background and Significance (30 points)

Study Design (30 points)

Final Paper (60 points)

Participation, as assessed by partner (15 points)

150 points 25.0

5 Test 2

160 points for Test 2

160 points 26.7

6 Extra Credit

Quiz 1: 2 points bonus for 100% on first attempt for Quiz 1 on

Syllabus.

Quiz 2: Quiz 2 on Plagiarism – Take it as many times you want

until you get 100% and receive 10 extra points added. Note: you

need to get 100% to receive 10 extra points credit.

Total 600 points 100%

Discussion boards (7 points per week, total 70 points, 11.7%):

There are 10 discussion boards in this semester and you are expected to participate in all the discussion

boards. We have chosen general public health topics for the discussion boards and not necessarily

topics/themes directly from your lectures or readings. However, the lectures and readings will help you

in responding to the discussion topics. You should make the commitment to post one original discussion

post + make two comments on posts by other students. Your postings should incorporate responses to

your peers, your opinions, pertinent information from things that you’ve read, and examples from your

experience. Your responses should include more than phrases such as "I agree with that" or "Interesting

comment." The distinguishing feature of a well done posting might include an objective and critical

analysis of what you read, what you experienced; or, possibly a short synopsis of a chapter or a related

assignment from another course.

Your posts should feature good writing, correct spelling and mechanics. We often assess one another

substantially by the quality, clarity and depth of writing. Communication should be professional and use

PHC 4101, Fall 2014 Page 5 of 12

good etiquette. In the spirit of scholarly discussion, we expect responses that agree and disagree with

others as long as they apply to the topic and are respectful.

Quizzes (10 quizzes, 10 points each, total 100 points, 16.7%):

There will be a total of 12 online quizzes in this course. Quizzes must be completed before 11:55PM by

the last day of the week (Sunday).

Syllabus Quiz - Quiz 1 will be based on the course syllabus and will not be figured into your

course grade. However, it is mandatory and should be retaken until you receive a 100% score.

You will receive 2 course bonus points if you receive a 100% on your first attempt for Quiz 1.

Plagiarism Quiz - Quiz 2 will be based on materials from Marston Science Library’s Avoid

Plagiarism Guide for Students (http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/msl/07b/students.html). Quiz 2 is also

mandatory. This quiz can be retaken until you receive a 100% score. Though your grade will not

be factored into your course grade, if/when you receive 100% score, you will receive 10 points

of extra credit, which will be added to the final course grade calculations.

Quizzes 3-12 – All remaining quizzes will be based on in-class lectures and reading assignments

(e.g. textbook, supplemental readings, etc.). These graded quizzes (3-12) will collectively

constitute 16.7% of your final grade and will be conducted through Sakai’s “Tests & Quizzes”

tool. They are comprised of ten or fewer questions, and you will have 30 minutes to complete

each quiz. You may take Quizzes 3-12 only one time.

Please note: all quizzes should be completed on a computer that is hardwired to the Internet. Wireless

connections are unreliable; if connection/signal strength changes during your assessment, you may be

kicked out of your session. You will not be allowed to retake the assessment, despite time running out

due to technical problems, if you are relying on a wireless connection.

Quizzes will CLOSE at 11:55PM on the last day for the quiz, if you start your quiz after 11:25PM on

Sunday it will close before your full 30-minutes and you will not have an opportunity to retake this quiz.

Research proposal project (total 150 points, 25.0%):

For your research proposal assignment, we will randomly pair you with another student at the beginning

of the semester. The two of you will be responsible for coming up with a research proposal over the

course of the semester. We have provided a list of topics; you may choose one that is of most interest to

you. To select your research topic for the project, click on the Sign-Up tab on the course site in Sakai

and sign-up for ONLY ONE topic. You will need to put both individual’s names under the sign up list.

If you see a topic has been taken already, then pick another one from the remaining topics. If you and

your partner prefer to work on a topic that is not listed, you can suggest the topic and get instructors’

approval before you pursue working on that topic. Each week, you will work together to complete

research proposal project assignments, each building on the last, and each applying concepts from

class to your selected topic. The assignment components will be critically evaluated and students in each

pair will receive the same number of points, except for the final component of participation. For that,

your partner will rate your participation in the research proposal project, and you will receive points for

participation depending on how your participation was reviewed by your partner.

The research proposal project assignment will consist of several components and deadlines throughout

the semester. A separate assignment sheet with guidelines, attached in the Assignment tab in Sakai,

describes the details of each component.

Test 1 (120 points, 20%) and Test 2 (160 points, 26.7%):

There will be two tests during the semester comprised of multiple choice questions. Test 1 is worth 120

points and the Test 2 is worth 160 points of the course’s 600 points. Exam questions are based on both

the lectures as well as the material covered in the textbook. Both exams will be conducted on campus

PHC 4101, Fall 2014 Page 6 of 12

and must be completed in person. Testing time will be scheduled early in the semester. In January,

please watch for an announcement regarding the scheduling of Test 1.

The grading scale for this course consists of the standard scale below:

93 - 100% = A 73 - 76% = C

90 - 92% = A- 70 - 72% = C-

87 - 89% = B+ 67 - 69% = D+

83 - 86% = B 63 - 66% = D

80 - 82% = B- 60 - 62% = D-

77 - 79% = C+ Below 60% = F

Make-up Tests and Work

If you miss a test or submission of an assignment for an acceptable reason (as noted below) and have

given prior notification to the instructor and TA, when possible, you will be given adequate time to

make up any coursework missed. This does NOT apply to quizzes or discussion board activities, given

that one week is given to complete those assignments. Missed or late work will receive a grade of zero.

Make-up exams will be provided only in cases of excused absences and MUST be discussed with the

instructors in advance. Make-up tests will differ from those regularly scheduled. Note: Only for excused

absences will students be allowed to make up missed activities.

Acceptable reasons for tardy or missed work, with documentation, include illness, serious family

emergencies, special curricular requirements (e.g., judging trips, field trips, professional conferences),

military obligation, severe weather conditions, religious holidays and participation in official University

activities such as music performances, athletic competition or debate.

Absences for court-imposed legal obligations (e.g., jury duty or subpoena) must be excused. Remember

that, when possible (i.e. extracurricular activities, official University activities, and religious holidays),

prior notification of absence is required if the student plans to be given an extension on assignments or

be excused from a class deadline. This notification must be sent to both the instructor and TA.

Weekly Schedule

Week Dates Topic Readings Assignments

1

Jan 6 Course Introduction (Dr. Sarah

McKune)

Syllabus Quiz 1 – Syllabus quiz – due 1/12 before 11:55PM –

retake to get 100%

Quiz 2 – Plagiarism – due 1/12 before 11:55PM (30

min) retake to get 100%

Week 1 Discussion Board

Introductions – due 1/12 before 11:55PM

Choose the topic area along with your partner for

your research project assignment - due by 1/12 before

11:55PM

2

Jan 13 History of Public Health and PH

Structure (Dr. Sarah McKune)

Ch. 1-3 Quiz 3- due 1/19 before 11:55pm (30 min) take only

one time

Week 2 Discussion Board - due 1/19 before

11:55PM

Project Topic – due 1/19 before 11:55PM

3

Jan 20 Intro to Epidemiology, Statistics, and

Research Question Activity (TA,

Hannah Crooke)

Ch.4, 5 (pg. 65-70)

Ch. 7

Quiz 4 – due 1/26 before 11:55PM (30 min) take

only one time

Week 3 Discussion Board - due 1/26 before

11:55PM

4

Jan 27 Observational Study Designs – 2

lectures

Designing a study

Ch. 5

Quiz 5– due 2/2 before 11:55PM (30 min) take only

one time

Week 4 Discussion Board– due 2/2 before 11:55PM

Research Question and Hypothesis - due 2/2 before

PHC 4101, Fall 2014 Page 8 of 12

11:55PM

5

Feb 3 Experimental Study Designs/Clinical

Trials (Guest Lecture, Xingdi Hu)

Ch. 6

Quiz6– due 3/9 before 11:55PM (30 min) take only

one time

6

Feb 10 Infectious Disease (Guest Lecture,

Robert Cook)

Ch. 9,10 Quiz 7 – due 2/16 before 11:55PM (30 min) take

only one time

Week 6 Discussion Board – due 2/16 before

11:55PM

7

Feb 17 Chronic Disease Ch. 11 Quiz 8 – due 2/23 before 11:55PM (30 min) take

only one time

Week7 Discussion Board – due 2/23 before

11:55PM

8 Feb 24 Test 1 – Chapters covered until now

Rooms TBA

Spring Break

PHC 4101, Fall 2014 Page 9 of 12

9

Mar 10 Social and Behavioral Health

Dr. Krishna Vaddiparti

Health Disparities

Guest Lecture - Abenaa Acheampong

Ch. 13, 14 Quiz 9 – due 3/16 before 11:55PM (30 min) take

only one time

Week 9 Discussion Board – due 3/16 before

11:55PM

Background and Significance – due 3/16 before

11:55PM

10

Mar 17

Environmental Health – 2 lectures Ch. 19, 20

21, 22, 23

Quiz10 – due 3/23 before 11:55PM (30 min) take

only one time

Week10 Discussion Board – due 3/23 before

11:55PM

11

Mar 24 Global Health –

Dr. Sarah McKune

Video: TED: Hans Roling on HIV

Ch. 25

12

Mar 31 Public Health Surveillance

Guest Lecture – Abenaa Acheampong

Public Health Preparedness

Guest Lecture – Xingdi Hu

Ch. 30 Quiz11 – due 4/6 before 11:55PM (30 min) take only

one time

Week12 Discussion Board – due 4/6 before

11:55PM

Study Design – due 4/6 before 11:55PM

PHC 4101, Fall 2014 Page 10 of 12

13

Apr 7 Mental Health: Public Health includes

healthy minds

Dr. Krishna Vaddiparti

Ch. 19 FINAL PAPER – due before 4/13 before 11:55PM

Week13 Discussion Board – due 4/13 before

11:55PM

14

Apr 14 Health Policy and Management

Guest Lecture – Daniel Estrada

Public Health Law and Ethics

Guest Lecture – Philip Cox

Ch. 26 Quiz12 – due 4/20 before 11:55PM (30 min) take

only one time

Week14 Discussion Board - due 4/20 before

11:55PM

15 Apr 21 Test 2 – Chapters covered after Test 1 until now

Rooms TBA

University Honor Code

We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the

highest standards of honesty and integrity. On all work submitted by students at the

University, the following pledge is implied: "On my honor, I have neither given nor received

unauthorized aid in doing this assignment." Plagiarism and cheating are serious offenses and will be

dealt with as such; any student found plagiarizing or cheating on coursework or exams will receive a

failing grade on the assignment and potentially in the course, and will be routed through the appropriate

judicial process through the Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution office. Students are expected to

complete all coursework on their own, unless specifically instructed to do otherwise. More information

about plagiarism and proper citation will be presented in class. We will use turnitin.com for some

written projects in this class. If you have questions, please see the course instructors.

Online Conduct

We hope to engage the class in discussions and encourage you to ask questions of the instructors via our

discussion boards. Please keep all personal discussion conversations confined to the Social Discussion

board. Ask for technical assistance via the Technical Assistance discussion board.

Please treat all individuals in the class with respect at all times, including fellow students,

instructors, and guests. Discussion postings that are deemed inappropriate will be removed from the

course site.

Use of tablets, cell phones, etc. is not permitted during tests.

Please be sure to print this syllabus and plan adequate time each week to view your lectures, read,

complete your assignments, and study for your exams. Please plan your time accordingly and ask

questions if you are not clear on a lecture or assignment before they are due, versus after it is due.

Please do not wait until the last day to submit your assignments as something will inevitably come

up to prevent your submission and you will have no time to correct the situation. So please submit

EARLY!

Please verify that you submitted (1) the right assignment paper (not your biology assignment paper,

or version 1 of the assignment); (2) that you submitted ANY attachment to your assignment. You

may go into the Assignment tool and check this immediately after you submit an assignment.

Submitting the wrong assignment paper, or no paper attachment, will not waive the late penalty for

assignments. So check once, check twice if you have to, and be sure that you sent in what you

intended to send in.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Support services for students with disabilities are coordinated by the Disability Resource Center

(http://dso.ufl.edu/drp/) in the Dean of Students Office. All support services provided for

University of Florida students are individualized to meet the needs of students with disabilities.

To obtain individual support services, each student must meet with one of the support coordinators in

the Disability Resources Program and collaboratively develop appropriate support strategies.

Appropriate documentation regarding the student's disability is necessary to obtain any reasonable

accommodation or support service.

University Counseling and Mental Health Services

Students are encouraged to utilize the various group and individual programs and services available at

the Counseling Center and Student Mental Health.

PHC 4101, Fall 2014 Page 12 of 12

University Counseling Services: P301 Peabody Hall, 392-1575

http://www.counsel.ufl.edu/

Student Mental Health Services: Student Health Care Center Room 245, 392-1171

http://shcc.ufl.edu/smhs/

Dr. Krishna Vaddiparti, PhD, MPE, MSW

Assistant Professor

Department of Epidemiology

College of Public Health and Health Professions and

College of Medicine

University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Phone: 352-273-5746

Dr. Sarah McKune, PhD, MPH

Assistant Professor

Department of Epidemiology

College of Public Health and Health Professions and

College of Medicine

University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Phone: 352-294-5495