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Syllabus

The information contained on this page is designed to give students a representative example of material covered in the course. Any information related to course assignments, dates, or course materials is illustrative only. For a definitive list of materials, please check the online catalog 3-4 weeks before the course start date.

PHP 510: Public Health Preparedness for Disaster and Terrorism Emergencies II (3) A public health perspective on the preparation necessary to develop a coordinated response to a disaster or terrorist emergency. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor

 

Overview | Course Structure | Objectives | Staying in Touch | Google | VSee | Netiquette | Document File Formats | Documenting References | Google Scholar | Obtaining Transcripts | Registering for Future Courses | Participation Points | Interacting with the Course TA | Response Time | Materials | Technical Requirements | Rubric | Week One Grading | Privacy Notice | General Discussion Forum | Format for Papers | Final Exam | Late Penalties | Course Schedule | Grading | Unsatisfactory Grades | Academic Integrity | Policies
Overview

The objective of this course is to provide students with an advanced understanding of the preparation involved in a coordinated response to potential disaster and terrorist emergencies.

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Course Structure
This course is structured into two roughly equal halves. The first half covers foundational material for the course and includes the following topics:
  • Leadership in Public Health Preparedness
  • Disaster Response and Preparedness for Emergency Medical Services
  • Disaster Response and Preparedness for Hospitals
  • Federal, State, and Local Disaster Planning and Coordination
  • [Essay]
  • Urban Search and Rescue
  • Public Policy and Economics of Disasters and Terrorism
The second provides one-lesson introductions to further courses in the program:
  • Research in Public Health Preparedness
  • Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response
  • [Project]
  • Disaster Communication
  • Protecting the Food and Water Supply
  • Critical Infrastructure Protection
  • Psychological and Social Consequences of Disasters and Terrorism
  • [Final Exam]
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Course Objectives

At the end of this course, learners should be able to:

  • Appreciate the complexities involved in developing and executing a disaster plan for both EMS and hospitals
  • Describe the coordination involved in integrating these plans with existing federal and state personnel and resources
  • Explain the role of various domestic and economic policies on the planning for and recovery from disasters and terrorist emergencies
  • Identify the key psychological and social consequences of disasters and terrorism that must be addressed in disaster planning and response
  • Outline specific issues unique to urban search and rescue, disaster communication, agricultural biosecurity, and critical infrastructure protection
  • Recall fundamental research methodologies in the study of disasters
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Staying in Touch

The online course format offers a number of ways to stay in touch. Here is a quick summary:

Medium Type of Message Notes
Course Announcements General course announcements from instructor to class Resources tab > Course Announcements
General Course Discussion Forum Questions related to course logistics, functionality, etc. Lessons tab > General Course Discussion Forum
Weekly Team Discussion Areas Communications around specific weekly team activities Lessons tab > [Weekly Lessons]
Student Lounge Chat Room Option for live chats among class members (Students can set up times to chat whenever) Communicate tab > Student Lounge
Course E-mail Individual communications between class participants and/or instructor Communicate tab > Course Mail
VSee Group communications between class participants and/or instructor vsee.com
Google Map Location of classmates & situational awareness Course Homepage and Lesson 1

 

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Google - Online Collaboration
This course will use a number of Google's online collaborative tools, such as Google Drive (formerly Googledocs), Google Calendar and Google Maps. If you do not already have a personal Gmail account, you will need to create one. Go to Create a New Google Account to do this. This is a required tool for the course. To learn more, watch this video about Google Drive.
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VSee
VSee is a free video conferencing and screensharing program that functions on both Windows and Mac platforms. This tool will be used during the course. Go to VSee.com to create an account. To learn more about how the program works, watch the VSee Livetour video.
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Netiquette
Netiquette ("[inter]net" + "etiquette") is a special set of personal conduct rules for online communication and a topic worth reviewing. Remember, it is inappropriate to send offensive e-mail, chain letters or items that interfere with others' work. See these tips for guidance on the content of your postings and other online communications in this course.
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Document File Formats

When submitting documents electronically, please ensure that you use either the .DOC format or the .RTF format.

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Documenting References

Please note that APA style is preferred for documenting references in your assignments for this course. You can find information on APA formatting at Citing your Sources

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Google Scholar

As you research various course topics, you may find a Google search tool particularly useful:

"What is Google Scholar?
Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature. From one place, you can search across many disciplines and sources: peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts and articles, from academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories, universities and other scholarly organizations. Google Scholar helps you identify the most relevant research across the world of scholarly research."

Feel free to explore the tool at http://scholar.google.com

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Obtaining Transcripts

Students can access all of their Penn State administrative information (e.g. schedule, grades, tuition bill, etc.) online at eLion (http://www.registrar.psu.edu/).  If you need hard copies of your grades, you may also request this through eLion.

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Registering for Future Courses

For more information on upcoming courses in the program see the Penn State World Campus online catalog at http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/CourseCatalog.woa. If you have further questions regarding registration, you can contact Penn State World Campus Student Services at http://student.worldcampus.psu.edu/contacts-help-current-students.

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Participation Points

In calculating each student's participation points, the instructor will take into consideration the following:

  • Total number of hours logged
  • Total number of log-ins
  • E-mail activity
    • Number of e-mails initiated
    • Number of e-mails replied to
  • Total number of discussion forum posts
  • Peer evaluation results.

At the end of the course, students will be ranked from first to last for each category (i.e. worst to best). The number of participation points allocated will then be based on each student's overall relative ranking score.

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Interacting with the Course TA

The course TA interacts with teams and individual students through discussion forums, e-mail, or E-Live. He/She provides guidance and feedback, as needed, with respect to team and individual activity assignments. Finally, he/she serves as a resource to students for general questions regarding lesson content and regarding preparation for the essay, research proposal, and final exam.

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Response Time
The instructor will attempt to respond to all e-mail within 24 to 48 hours. Please feel free to also send a SMS Text Message to the instructor as a follow-up.

 

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Required Course Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.
Library Reserves

This course requires that you access Penn State library materials specifically reserved for this course. You can access these materials by selecting Library Resources in your course navigation, or by accessing the Library E-Reserves Search and search for your instructor's last name.

Using the Library

Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can

  • access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
  • borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
  • get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
  • much more. 

You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service.  The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.

 

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Rubric
Assignment Format Lessons Calculation Total Points
Team Activities Team 1-4, 6-8, 11-14 11 x 15 points * 165
Individual Activities Individual 1-4, 6-8, 11-14 11 x 10 points 110
Essay Individual 5 1 x 150 points 150
Case Study Individual 9 1 x 50 points 50
Project Individual 10 1 x 275 points 275
Multiple Choice Exam Individual 15 1 x 175 points 175
Participation Individual [Ongoing] 1 x 75 points 75
GRAND TOTAL       1000

*See the exception to Week One Grading of team assignment.

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Technical Requirements

For this course we recommend the minimum World Campus technical requirements listed below:

Technical Requirements
Operating System Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8*; Mac OS X 10.5 or higher
*Windows 8 support excludes the tablet only RT version
Processor 2 GHz or higher
Memory 1 GB of RAM
Hard Drive Space 20 GB free disk space
Browser We recommend the latest ANGEL-supported version of Firefox or Internet Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criterion, and for advice on downloading a supported version, please refer to the following ITS knowledge base article: Supported Browsers and Recommended Computers.
Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled. Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows
from Penn State websites.

Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching,
older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work with our courses.
Plug-ins Adobe Reader [Download from Adobe]
Flash Player (v7.0 or later) [Download from Adobe]
Additional Software Microsoft Office (2007 or later)
Internet Connection Broadband (cable or DSL) connection required
Printer Access to graphics-capable printer
DVD-ROM Required
Sound Card, Microphone, and Speakers Required
Monitor Capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution

Outreach Helpdesk

If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.

For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!

 

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Privacy Notice
For your privacy, the World Campus has chosen to limit course access to only those individuals that have a direct impact on your educational experience. In addition to the instructor, a teaching assistant may be assigned to the course to insure optimal faculty availability and access. At times, your course instructor may invite a guest lecturer in order to meet a specific educational goal or objective. Each course has one or two instructional designers to assist the instructor in managing both the course content and the online delivery. Finally, the Program Chair has course access for administrative and educational purposes. The Program Chair can serve as a valuable resource and mentor to both faculty and students. The Program Chair, in collaboration with your instructor, is ultimately responsible for overall course quality and for making sure that the academic integrity of the course is consistent with University and Program policies.
 
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General Course Discussion Forum

Traditionally many of the team and individual assignments in HLS/PHP 510 are of high quality and thought-provoking. Students are encouraged to submit their work in the General Course Discussion Forum Folder found under the Lessons tab. Student submissions often invoke topics or discussions that are within the scope of the lesson but are "value added.” The submissions posted have generally introduced material and ideas that were not specifically discussed in the lesson, and may contain content that is in some way provocative or innovative.

Submitting team and individual work for public review and discussion is therefore worthwhile because your work has the potential to stimulate interesting public discussion. Students are encouraged to ngage in a constructive academic exchange of ideas and opinions related to these posts.

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Week One Grading

*Please note the following exception to the syllabus with regards to Week One grading:

  1. Academic Integrity Form - 1 point (Equivalent to a pass/fail grade)
  2. Team Introductions and Team Leadership Assignments - 9 points
  3. Katrina Leadership reflection - 15 points
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Format for Papers

The preferred formatting for papers is Times New Roman, 12 point font size, 1.5 line spacing, and one inch margins. The exception is the Lesson 8 Grant Project in which double-spacing is preferred. APA style is suggested for citing references. Points are not specifically deducted for deviations in these recommendations. However, difficult to read papers tend to detract from the overall quality of the presentation and therefore the grade.

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Grading of Final Exam

Please note that the instructor reserves the right to assign grades for the Final Exam based on a curve.

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Late Penalties

Weekly Team Activities are awarded a maxium of 15 points a piece and are due by 2:59 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the first Monday after the week of the Lesson. Late penalties are as follows:

  • One day late – 2 points off
  • Two days late – 4 points off
  • Three days late – 15 points off

Weekly Individual Activities are awarded a maximum of 10 points total per week and are due by 2:59 a.m. Eastern (ET) on the first Monday after the week of the Lesson. Late penalties are as follows:

  • One day late – 1 point off
  • Two days late – 2 points off
  • Three days late – 10 points off
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Course Schedule
Course Schedule

 

1: Leadership in Public Health Preparedness
  • Initial Team Assignment (T, P/F) --> 9 points
  • Academic Integrity Form (I, P/F) --> 1 points
  • Katrina Leadership Reflection (I, P/F) --> 15 points
2: Disaster Response and Preparedness for Emergency Medical Services
  • Team Activity (T, P/F) --> 15 points
  • Lesson Review Worksheet (I, P/F) --> 10 points
3: Disaster Response and Preparedness for Hospitals
  • Team Activity (T, P/F) --> 15 points
  • Lesson Review Worksheet (I, P/F) --> 10 points
4: Federal, State, and Local Disaster Planning and Coordination
  • Team Activity (T, P/F) --> 15 points
  • Individual Activity (T, P/F) --> 10 points
5: Essay
  • Essay Assignment (I, G) --> 150 points
6: Urban Search and Rescue
  • Team Activity (T, P/F) --> 15 points
  • New Technologies  (I, P/F) --> 10 points
7: Public Policy and Economics of Disasters and Terrorism
  • Team Activity (T, P/F) --> 15 points
  • National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Activity (I, P/F) --> 10 points
8: Research in Public Health Preparedness
  • Team Activity (T, P/F) --> 15 points
  • Research Terminology Review Worksheets (I, P/F) --> 6 points
  • Identify Potential Funding Sources (I, P/F) --> 4 points
9: Predictive Values Quiz
  • Predictive Values Quiz (I, G) --> 50 points
10: Project
  • Project (Part 3) (I, G) --> 275 points
11: Disaster Communication
  • Team Activity (T, P/F) --> 15 points
  • 9-11 Transcript Analysis (I, P/F) --> 10 points
12: Protecting the Food and Water Supply
  • Team Activity (T, P/F) --> 15 points
  • GAO Report Analysis (I, P/F) --> 10 points
13: Critical Infrastructure Protection
  • Team Activity (T, P/F) --> 15 points
  • Report Updates (I, P/F) --> 10 points
14: Psychological and Social Consequences of Disasters and Terrorism
  • Team Activity (T, P/F) --> 15 points
  • Traumatic Stress Disorder Activity (I, P/F) --> 10 points
15: Final Exam
  • Final Exam (I, G) --> 175 points

Course Access

Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.

 

Graduation

Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.

 

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Grading
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Graduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.

 

If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.

For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.

 

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Unsatisfactory Grades

Unsatisfactory Grades All degree-seeking students in the MHS program who receive an F in the course will be reviewed by the Committee on Admissions and Academic Affairs, which has the final say regarding continued progress toward the degree, and under what conditions.

 

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Academic Integrity

According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.

Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.

How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and others, as well as a civil community.

In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.

All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .

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University Policies

Deferred Grades
If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.

For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.

Accommodating Disabilities

Graduation
Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.

Military

Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or dependents with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.

Time Zone

Note: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).

Additional Policies

For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.

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Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.


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