Welcome! It’s a pleasure to have you in this course. My name is Shaon (it rhymes with ‘brown’). I’m originally from India and also grew up in Oman. I will be your instructor for this course. You may address me as Shaon. Please download this file and store it in your course folder on your computer or in a cloud folder (e.g. on OneDrive, Box, Dropbox). This will allow you to use the navigation bar on the right. You can open it in any browser. If you prefer reading in dark mode, please click the tiny little button on the very top right of this document.
Skip to: Outline of Classes
Listen to chill Latin guitar music while you read the syllabus:
artist: Dan Barracuda
1 Course Details
Course Title: Health Promotion Planning and Evaluation
Instructor: Shaon Lahiri, PhD, MPH (he/him)
Course Instructor Email: lahiris@cofc.edu
Course Number and CRN:
HEAL 325.01 - 20242
HEAL 325.03 - 21050
Course Meeting Times and Location:
HEAL 325.01 - T/R, 9:25am - 10:40am, Johnson 206
HEAL 325.03 - T/R, 3:05pm - 4:20pm, Silcox 409
Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): HEAL 215, HEAL 216, and Junior Status
Co-requisite(s): None
Course Term: Spring 2025 (1/08/2025 - 4/30/2025)
Office Hours: By appointment (email me). Can meet in person or on Zoom.
Professor’s Office: Silcox 224.
2 Course Description
The course is designed to provide students with an overview on how to identify population-based health needs and develop culturally competent public health programs to address those needs. Students will learn and apply the process and tools used for public health programming, including needs assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Applications of these concepts in a variety of settings, including but not limited to schools, worksites, health care organizations, and communities will be considered.
3 Course Objectives
- Describe the historical origins of health promotion in the US.
- Describe the core elements of program planning in public health, including assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
- Discuss the ethical considerations involved in planning and delivering health promotion programs.
- Explain the purpose of and identify qualitative and quantitative data collection methods for conducting a health needs assessment
- Identify behavioral, social, and environmental determinants of health and explain how they can be addressed in health promotion programs.
- Demonstrate the ability to write program goals and measurable program objectives.
- Identify and develop a theory- and evidence-based health promotion interventions at individual, organizational, community, and policy levels.
- Identify and utilize health promotion related resources for program planning and implementation
- Describe methods and tools for process, impact, and outcome evaluation of health promotion programs.
- Explain the importance of cultural competence in health promotion.
4 Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to communicate public health information in written forms (CEPH1 Foundational Competency 1). This will be assessed with the Health Advocacy Letter assignment via a rubric.
- Students will be able to synthesize public health information (CEPH Foundational Competency 2). This will be assessed with the Health Promotion Program Proposal assignment via a rubric.
A more detailed breakdown of specific foundational competencies gained from this course tied to specific course assignments or activities in provided in Table 1 below.
| General Domain | Specific Area(s) | Related Assignment or Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 4. Role and Importance of Data in Public Health: Address the basic concepts, methods, and tools of public health data collection, use, and analysis and why evidence-based approaches are an essential part of public health practice. | Evidence-based Approaches | Health Promotion Advocacy Letter |
| 5. Identifying and Addressing Population Health Challenges: Address the concepts of population health, and the basic processes, approaches, and interventions that identify and address the major health-related needs and concerns of populations. | Introduction to Processes and Approaches to Identify Needs and Concerns of Populations | Health Promotion Program Proposal: Needs Assessments |
| 5. Identifying and Addressing Population Health Challenges: Address the concepts of population health, and the basic processes, approaches, and interventions that identify and address the major health-related needs and concerns of populations. | Introduction to Approaches and Interventions to Address Needs and Concerns of Populations | Health Promotion Program Proposal: Policies and Interventions |
| 6. Human Health: Address the underlying science of human health and disease including opportunities for promoting and protecting health across the life course | Health Promotion | Health Promotion Program Proposal |
| 7. Determinants of Health: Address the socio-economic, behavioral, biological, environmental, and other factors that impact human health and contribute to health disparities. | Socio-economic Impacts on Human Health and Health Disparities | Health Determinants in-class activity |
| 7. Determinants of Health: Address the socio-economic, behavioral, biological, environmental, and other factors that impact human health and contribute to health disparities | Environmental Factors Impacts on Human Health and Health Disparities | Health Determinants in-class activity |
| 8. Project Implementation: Address the fundamental concepts and features of project implementation, including planning, assessment, and evaluation | Introduction to Planning Concepts and Features | Health Promotion Program Proposal: Policies and Interventions |
| 8. Project Implementation: Address the fundamental concepts and features of project implementation, including planning, assessment, and evaluation | Introduction to Assessment Concepts and Features | Health Promotion Program Proposal: Needs Assessments |
| 8. Project Implementation: Address the fundamental concepts and features of project implementation, including planning, assessment, and evaluation | Introduction to Evaluation Concepts and Features | Health Promotion Program Proposal: Program Evaluation |
| 11. Health Communications: Address the basic concepts of public health-specific communication, including technical and professional writing and the use of mass media and electronic technology | Technical writing | Health Promotion Program Proposal |
5 Course Requirements
This course has several assessed components which are summarized in Table 2 below, and then expanded upon in the following subsections.
| Course Requirement | Brief Summary | Final Grade % |
|---|---|---|
| Health Promotion Program Proposal | Individual project in which you will address a specific health issue in a specific target population through a theory- and evidence-based health promotion program. This proposal will also detail the implementation and evaluation plan for the program. Split into four equally weighted components. | 40% |
| Class Participation | Attendance and active engagement in class activities. | 20% |
| Quizzes | Four in-class quizzes taken throughout the semester on course content, administered on OAKS in class. Lowest quiz score dropped at the end of the semester. | 20% |
| Media Communication Assignment | A group-based or individual project involving the creation of three short TikTok-style or Reels-style videos communicating a specific health promotion topic. This component includes a presentation with Q&A. | 10% |
| Health Promotion Advocacy Letter | An evidence-based letter to a key stakeholder or leader advocating for a particular health issue among a specific target population. This is an individual assignment. | 10% |
5.1 Class participation (20%)
Active participation is expected, in the form of questions, comments, reflections, and engagement in activities. I want you to think about how the material applies to your life, your local environment, and your world at large. Thinking about each week’s content through the lens of your own lived experiences and interests will be crucial during discussions and activities. I tend to cold call on students frequently in order to create a stimulating, informal, and warm atmosphere. If I cold call on you and you are unsure or confused, please say so, and we shall move toward clarifying the issues. In essence, if I call on you to answer a question and you don’t know, please say “I don’t know.” It’s perfectly fine to do so, and I would prefer that you try and think through the question first before saying you don’t know. Most students are going to be thinking the same thing as you, so rather than pretend the material is 100% comprehensible at first glance, we’re going to be real about it and work through it together.
Everyone receives three Excused Absences which entitles them to miss any class session, except classes in which we have a quiz or presentation, with no questions asked. To use an Excused Absence, simply don’t show up (except for quiz days and presentation days), and I will count that toward your limit of three Excused Absences. However, it is entirely your responsibility to catch up on the missed content by reviewing the materials and checking in with a classmate. I will not deliver the lecture again to you, but am available to answer any specific questions on the material.
To achieve an ‘A’ for Participation, you must not miss more than three (3) classes (except for religious holidays, illnesses, and emergencies) and actively participate in class activities. If you miss class for one of these three sanctioned reasons (i.e. religious holiday, illness, emergency), do not send me any documentation. We are all adults here and I trust you. Simply email me ahead of time, and let me know which reason you are using to miss class (i.e. illness, religious holiday, or emergency). No further details are needed. Unless there is a serious emergency or illness preventing you from responding within 24 hours of the missed class, if you do not email me ahead of time, your absence will not be excused. Please note that vacations or travel during the semester are not an excusable absence. If you anticipate travel during the semester, use one or more of your three Excused Absences.
Importantly, if you feel sick, please do not come to class. Instead, please email me and we can set up a time to meet if you have any questions about the course material. I will not deliver the lecture again, but will be available to answer questions. It is entirely your responsibility to ensure you are up-to-date with course content and assignments.
Beyond the sanctioned absences, each missed class will decrease your Class Participation grade by 10%. Arriving more than 10 minutes after class has begun constitutes a missed class, and leaving before class is over also constitutes a missed class. Additionally, a laptop is required for all class sessions. Students must remove all headphones and earphones during class.
5.2 Quizzes (20%)
At four points throughout the semester, students will spend approximately 30 minutes of class taking a short quiz with approximately 10-15 multiple choice, matching, and short answer questions. Each quiz will be administered on OAKS, but students will complete it in class. Students can use their notes, course content, the internet, and slides as resources when taking the quiz, but must work independently. The quizzes are not cumulative; they will only cover content since the last quiz. At the end of the semester, the lowest quiz score is dropped when calculating the final grade for the quiz component of this course. Each quiz has equal weight. After each quiz, an answer key will be released. Students who would like to dispute their quiz grade must pursue the following process:
- Wait for quiz answer key to be released, and review the answer key and explanations.
- If you believe that a question was incorrectly graded, despite the rationale provided in the answer key, you have two business days after the quiz key is released to submit your rationale over email to me.
- If you submit your rationale over email to me within the two business day period, I will review your rationale and render my final judgment on the matter. You must accept the final judgment.
I do not judge the fairness of quiz questions based on individual opinions, as this is highly subjective and unreliable. Rather, I go by the following rule: if \(\geq51\%\) of the class gets a question wrong, then it is a bad question, and everyone receives credit for it. Partial credit is awarded at my discretion and there are no make-ups or extra credit opportunities for quizzes. The reasoning is that if you are keeping up with the content, then quiz questions will not come as any surprise. If you are disappointed with your quiz grade, please feel free to attend office hours and/or reach out to me to discuss quiz taking strategies. Typically, I find that the class performs relatively worse on the first quiz, and much better on subsequent quizzes as they become familiar with the question style.
The quizzes will be take place in class on the following dates:
- Quiz 1 - January 28th. Covers content from Weeks 1-3.
- Quiz 2 - February 18th. Covers content from Weeks 4-6.
- Quiz 3 - March 18th. Covers content from Weeks 7-9.
- Quiz 4 - April 15th. Covers content from Weeks 10-13.
5.3 Health Promotion Program Proposal (40%)
The main output of this class seminar is a realistic and robust Health Promotion Program Proposal (hereafter ‘H3P’) to to address specific health needs in a specific community somewhere in the world. A brief description of each component along with due dates is provided below. Please note all components constitute graded assignments, and must be submitted. Guidelines and a rubric for each component will be provided on OAKS. I strongly recommend using Zotero to manage and handle your citations and references for these assignments.
Background and Needs Assessment (10%). This component details the significance of the health needs and context of the chosen community. This should ideally be targeted at a county level or the equivalent. You will discuss the health risks, needs, and assets for addressing them in the community. You will also highlight any necessary data you will need to collect prior to the start of your program.
- Due on February 13th by 11:59pm ET on OAKS.
Program Plan (10%). This component will outline your Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound (SMART) objectives for the program. You should also provide a diagram in the form of a Logic Model or Theory of Change to illustrate how your inputs and activities will result short, medium, and long-term outcomes. Finally, the program plan should also discuss how the program will be carried out (implementation), along with a timeline.
- Due on March 20th by 11:59pm ET on OAKS.
Evaluation Plan (10%). This component will outline your data collection and evaluation plan for your health program. This includes clearly defining the timing, study design, data collection methods, and analysis techniques of your evaluations.
- Due on April 10th by 11:59pm ET on OAKS.
Final Proposal (10%). This component will put all the previous components together in a cohesive manner. It will also include a unique conclusion paragraph and a full set of References in APA format.
- Due on May 1st by 11:59pm ET on OAKS.
We will work together to develop your H3P over the course of the semester. It’s always a good idea to discuss your H3P with me at any time during the semester during office hours or after class. I have found that students tend to do best when they check in with me regularly. Please note that for all assignments, students must submit a .docx file (no PDFs please) written in 12-point Times New Roman font and double-spaced. In-text citations and References should follow APA format. For all assignments, please submit a ‘clean’ version that contains no comments, no footnotes, no directions, and no font or spacing changes. For all components, I do not review full drafts before submission, but can answer specific questions and help you think through your work.
5.4 Health Promotion Advocacy Letter (10%)
As an individual assignment, you will first reflect on a health issue (e.g. policy, program, disease, positive health outcome) in a specific community that matters to you. Then, you will develop an argument advocating for a particular course of action based on evidence from credible sources such as peer-reviewed journal articles and credible health websites (e.g. CDC, WHO, local health authority). You will then write a letter to a specific person or group advocating for your course of action, which will be submitted on OAKS. A rubric and examples will be provided on OAKS.
Due by March 13th by 11:59pm ET on OAKS.
5.5 Media Communication Assignment (10%)
In groups or alone, you will create three short TikTok-style or Instagram Reels-style videos communicating a health promotion topic to youth audiences (\(\leq\) 25 years). You do not have to post the videos publicly. Your videos should focus on ONE of the following topics:
- Physical activity promotion.
- Reducing vaping or other tobacco use.
- Reducing harmful alcohol consumption.
You can do one video per topic, or focus all of them on one topic. If you would like to do a different topic than the ones listed above, you must get it approved by me before you begin the project. Individuals and groups will deliver a short presentation to the class on their videos, and will also submit a a written description of their videos on OAKS. Guidelines and a rubric will be provided on OAKS.
If you work as a group, you are entirely responsible for your group’s timely submission of the videos. If someone in the group is not doing their share, that is entirely your responsibility. Everyone in the group will receive the same grade on this assignment. If you don’t want to work with a group, then work on this assignment alone.
Materials and Presentation due April 10th on OAKS by class time.
5.6 Submitting on Time
For all H3P components and the Health Promotion Advocacy Letter, if you miss the due date, your grade will decrease by 10% each day up to three calendar days. It is your responsibility to make regular progress on the components, as I will not accept any last-minute ‘tech’ glitches or other excuses why submission was not possible (except in the case of medical/family emergency). For example, being ‘confused’ about deadlines is not an excuse for not submitting on time. It is your responsibility to check with me to avoid confusion. All individual written assignments MUST be submitted on OAKS and not emailed to me, so that they go through the plagiarism checker. It is your responsibility to check that what you submitted is the correct file, as I will not accept any excuses as to incorrect files being submitted. I recommend submitting early. Multiple submissions are allowed up to the deadline.
5.7 Extension Policy
An extension of three calendar days is available for all four H3P assignments - the Needs Assessment, Program Plan, Evaluation Plan, and Final Proposal. The same extension is available for the Health Advocacy Letter. To get the extension, email me at least a day before the deadline, and say you want the extension. No reasons need to be provided as to why you need the extension. You can simply email me at least one day before the deadline and say “Hi Shaon, I’d like the extension for the Needs Assessment please. Thanks.”
No extensions are possible for the Media Communication Assignment, the Quizzes, nor the in-class activities.
6 Email Policy
You can communicate with me outside of class via email (lahiris@cofc.edu). Please keep all emails professional in tone, and being with a greeting (e.g. “Hi Shaon”, “Dear Shaon”). If you prefer formality you can say “Hi Professor Lahiri” or “Dear Dr Lahiri.” Please use my name instead of the impersonal “Good Afternoon” or “Hello” (I really don’t like impersonal emails). Please also check that autocorrect doesn’t change ‘Shaon’ to ‘Sharon’ or ‘Shannon.’ Please allow me up to two business days (i.e. M-F except holidays) to get back to your emails. In most cases, I will get back to you as soon as possible. If I haven’t replied to you in two business days, please follow-up. I stick to traditional work hours (i.e 9am - 5pm) when responding to emails. Please email me if you have any questions about course material, assignments, or if there is anything I can do to help you succeed in the course. It is your responsibility to ensure that you understand the course content and assignments, and to be proactive in emailing me if you do not. I am here to support your growth and nurture your interests. Additionally, if anything at all in the course does not sit right with you at any point, please get in touch.
7 Office Hours
The term Office Hours refers to non-mandatory meeting times that an instructor sets aside to meet with students outside of class. Students attend office hours to discuss course material, clarify doubts, get extra help, or just chat with the professor. They are not the place to dispute grades, or beg for a higher grade (that does not work with me at all). In my experience, the students who tend to perform the best are the ones that tend to come to office hours. Rather than setting specific hours, if you want to meet with me, please email me and we can set up a time either in-person or on Zoom. I would be happy to meet with you.
8 Course Grading Scale
| Percentage | Letter Grade | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 90-100% | A | Outstanding work. Meets all expectations of the assignment with excellent command of material. |
| 88-89% | A- | High-quality work. Meets nearly all expectations of the assignment, but is lacking in 1-2 areas. |
| 85-87% | B+ | Good work. Meets most expectations of the assignment, but is lacking in 3 or more areas. |
| 80-84% | B | Adequate work. Meets the majority of expectations of the assignment, but is weak in 1-2 areas. |
| 78-79% | B- | Below average work. Meets some expectations of the assignment, but is weak in 3 or more areas. |
| 75-77% | C+ | Did not meet the expectations of the assignment. Please meet with me. |
| 70-74% | C | Did not meet the expectations of the assignment. Please meet with me. |
| 68-69% | C- | Did not meet the expectations of the assignment. Please meet with me. |
| 66-67% | D+ | Did not meet the expectations of the assignment. Please meet with me. |
| 64-65% | D | Did not meet the expectations of the assignment. Please meet with me. |
| 62-63% | D- | Did not meet the expectations of the assignment. Please meet with me. |
| <62% | F | Did not meet the expectations of the assignment. Please meet with me. |
All grades in this course are earned, and not negotiated. Grades will be calculated using standard rounding rules, in which a number in the tenths decimal place will be rounded down to the nearest integer if it is between 0-4, and rounded up to the nearest integer if it is between 5-9. For example, a grade of 89.4% will be rounded to 89%, and a grade of 89.5% will be rounded to 90%. I provide a rubric for all assignments, and a detailed answer key for all quizzes. I do not offer extra credit opportunities for this course to make up a poor grade, nor do I simply increase a grade for whatever reason.
9 Course Materials
9.1 Textbook
There is no required textbook for this course and all materials will be provided on OAKS.
9.2 Optional Advanced Readings
In some weeks, you will see one or more readings listed under the heading “Optional Advanced Readings.” These readings are not required, and you will not be assessed on them, nor expected to use them in assignments. They are entirely optional, and you will not receive any extra credit if you read them.
So why even read them? If you would like to challenge yourself with graduate-level content, reading these will be good conditioning for your ability to understand and process more advanced material. This will be especially useful if you plan on going to graduate school, or if you plan on working in a research-based role in public health. They may also be interesting to you. If you would like to discuss any of the concepts in these readings with me, I would love that, but it is entirely optional.
9.3 Software
You must install the free software program Zotero, which is a free reference management software that also integrates with browsers and word processing software. We will be using Zotero to manage citations and references. Please do not pay any money when installing Zotero as we only need the free version. Email me if you are unsure. Please ensure that Zotero is installed on your personal computer before the end of the second week of class. If you have trouble installing it, please schedule a time with me to help you install it.
You need to install three things.
Zotero program: Install from this website https://www.zotero.org.
Zotero Connector for your internet browser.
If you use Safari, the Zotero Connector comes with the main program. However, you may need to adjust some settings. See the details here: https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/safari_compatibility
If you use the Chrome browser, please install the Zotero Connector for Chrome here: https://www.zotero.org/download/connectors. Once completed, it should be visible in your Extension list.
Zotero plug-in for Microsoft Word (if you use Word): https://www.zotero.org/support/word_processor_plugin_installation. If you use Google Docs for writing, then no need to do this step, as Step 2 includes integration for Google docs.
Want to see a video about how to install Zotero? See this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI3CABnWgts.
We will devote a class to using Zotero, but you can also refer to this video tutorial for details on how to use it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnbwKj6-pD8&t=456s. It’s quite comprehensive, so feel free to skip around with the time stamps in the video description.
10 Accessibility & Inclusion
I strive to create a welcoming environment for all, and have a zero tolerance policy regarding bullying, harassment, or threatening behavior. The diversity students bring to class is an essential resource and feature of university education. Thus, I aim to present materials and activities that are representative of diversity in various spaces. Part of creating an inclusive environment can involve occasionally hearing a viewpoint contrary to your own. I expect all of us to engage in respectful civil discourse, especially when disagreeing with one another. This is usually not an issue in my courses, but as we sometimes deal with sensitive subject matter, please remember it is encouraged to share your thoughts and opinions, but please accord the same respect to others as you would have them accord to you. If you feel at any point that I or someone in the class has violated that trust, please contact me as soon as possible. Additionally, please contact me if you ever just want to talk.
11 Names and Pronouns
It is essential that we refer to everyone by their names and pronouns. Pronouns can be a way to affirm someone’s gender identity, but they can also be unrelated to a person’s identity. They are simply a public way in which people are referred to in place of their name (e.g. ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘they’, or others). In my classroom, you are invited, but not required to, share the pronouns you want to use throughout the semester. I ask that all of us commit to being attentive to and using each other’s pronouns. If you accidentally misgender someone or use an incorrect pronoun for them, please simply correct yourself to their pronoun. If during the course, you would like to change the pronoun that we are using for you, please let me know.
12 Academic Integrity Statement
As members of the College of Charleston community, we affirm, embrace and hold ourselves accountable to the core values of integrity, academic excellence, liberal arts education, respect for the individual student, diversity, equity and inclusion, student centeredness, innovation and public mission. Congruent with these core values, the College of Charleston expects that every student and community member has a responsibility to uphold the standards of the honor code, as outlined in the Student Handbook, In pursuit of academic learning, you are expected to reference the work of other scholars, and complete your own academic work, while utilizing appropriate resources for assistance. Any acts of suspected academic dishonesty will be reported to the Office of the Dean of Students and addressed through the conduct process. Your adherence to these practices and expectations plays a vital role in fostering a campus culture that balances trust and the pursuit of knowledge while producing a strong foundation of academic excellence at the College of Charleston. Any questions regarding these expectations can be clarified by your instructor.
13 Generative Artificial Intelligence
In this course, the use of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) tools is permitted as a resource and co-collaborator. They may be used for brainstorming, outlining, proofreading, generating ideas, and collecting information about the basic understanding of a topic/idea. All uses of GAI must be cited in APA format. Please note that GAI tools are just that - tools. When I’ve tested them to create assignments for this course, using the raw GAI version results in a grade of a C- at best, because they tend to produce non-specific and/or incorrect content. Thus, think of them as a co-collaborator. You still have to steer the ship of your own thoughts, arguments, and creativity, but GAI tools can help with that.
Do not settle for the output from one prompt; tweak your prompts to get better results (e.g., “Ok, but now relate that specifically to the Theory of Planned Behavior”). GAI tools have become part of our world, and it’s important that we know how to use them effectively to co-produce content. Additionally, we have heard from employers that they want graduates to have experience with using GAI as a co-collaborator, so we will discuss some specific use cases in the courses.
Remember, you are ultimately responsible for the content you submit, even if it is with GAI. If there is any incorrect material (e.g. made-up references), or weird language, it is your responsibility to fix those errors. We will not be blaming AI for its faults in this course, and will always take personal responsibility for the final products.
Please note that you have free access to two paid GAI tools as a CofC student:
Copilot Enterprise. Copilot is a web-based AI-powered digital assistant designed to help people with a range of tasks and activities on their devices. It functions similar to ChatGPT. It can create drafts of content, suggest different ways to revise writing, suggest and insert images or banners, create PowerPoint presentations from Word documents to name a few. Available to all College of Charleston personnel at no additional charge, using CofC credentials at https://go.charleston.edu/copilot. I have personally found Copilot quite useful to think through issues. You can learn more about it here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot/for-individuals/?form=MA13FV.
Grammarly. Grammarly is an AI writing assistant used to assist with writing proficiency and to support writers’ reflection and growth in writing. Sign up for Grammarly using your College of Charleston credentials.
Additionally, please note that you can compare the results from different GAI tools using Poe.com. Different tools are better for different purposes. For example, you may want to compare ChatGPT with Claude or Gemini to see which results are better for you. I also recommend checking out Google Notebook LM. This one is useful to upload long or technical documents, and get answers to questions about the content. It also has a unique feature of generating a realistic two-person podcast about the document you upload.
14 Additional Policies
14.1 OAKS
OAKS, including Gradebook, will be used for this course throughout the semester to provide the syllabus and class materials and grades for each assignment, which will be regularly posted.
14.2 Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
The College of Charleston is committed to providing access and inclusion for all persons with disabilities. Students with disabilities who anticipate or experience disability-related barriers in the academic setting should notify their professor, and also initiate contact with the Center for Disability Services (CDS) to move forward with the college’s established accommodation process (email: snap@cofc.edu; phone: 843-953-1431; location: Lightsey Center 104). Students already connected with CDS for academic-related accommodations should share their Professor Notification Letter (PNL) with each professor as early in the semester as possible so that accommodations can be made in a timely manner. The PNL informs faculty of potential course access and accommodations that might be necessary and reasonable. It is the student’s responsibility to follow this process each semester.
14.3 Mental & Physical Well-Being
We take every students’ mental and physical well-being seriously. If you find yourself experiencing physical illnesses, please reach out to student health services (843.953.5520). And if you find yourself experiencing any mental health challenges (for example, anxiety, depression, stressful life events, sleep deprivation, and/or loneliness/homesickness) please consider contacting either the Counseling Center (professional counselors at CofC Counseling Center or 843.953.5640 3rd Floor of Robert Scott Small Building) or the Students 4 Support (certified volunteers through texting “4support” to 839863, or meet with them in person 411 (4th Floor) Stern Center). Learn more about Students 4 Support on CofC’s Hub. These services are there for you to help you cope with difficulties you may be experiencing and to maintain optimal physical and mental health.
14.4 Inclement Weather, Pandemic or Substantial Interruption of Instruction
If in-person classes are suspended, faculty will announce to their students a detailed plan for a change in modality to ensure the continuity of learning. All students must have access to a computer equipped with a web camera, microphone, and Internet access. Resources are available to provide students with these essential tools.
14.5 Land and Labor Acknowledgement
We are located on the traditional lands of the first people of Charleston: the Etiwan, Kiawah, Edisto Natchez Kusso, Santee, and Wassamassaw people (also known as Varner Town Indians). We acknowledge and honor all indigenous people who lived, labored and were faithful stewards of the land. We express our deep gratitude for the land and continued faithful stewardship to the next generations.
We also acknowledge the lives and labor of the Africans who were enslaved to build Charleston, South Carolina. On this campus and in this space, African and African-descended people used skilled labor in ornamental ironwork, historic architecture, and low country agriculture and food production. As a member of the College of Charleston community, I acknowledge the Black lives and labor that built our city and our campus.
15 Outline of Classes
Week 1 - January 9
Key topic(s):
- Course orientation and syllabus quiz.
Readings
- Course syllabus.
Week 2 - January 14, 16
Key topic(s):
- Health promotion fundamentals.
- Social determinants of health.
Readings and Videos:
- Fertman & Allensworth (2017) Chapter 1 - What are Health Promotion Programs?
- Video: Hans Rosling’s 200 Countries, 200 Years, 4 Minutes - The Joy of Stats - BBC Four. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jbkSRLYSojo?si=4OQEpuSFKcL_AL8N
- Video: How do social determinants impact public health? Episode 11 of “That’s Public Health.” Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/utBlfjihvAs?si=BdzvdN93FS9L4yhG
Week 3 - January 21, 23
Key topic(s):
- Health disparities.
- Social determinants of health continued.
- Socio-ecological model.
Readings and Videos:
- Fertman & Allensworth (2017) Chapter 2 - Advancing Equity and Eliminating Health Disparities.
- Five Infographics created by Healthy People 2030 (US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion).
- Video: Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems: 5 Forces Impacting Our Lives. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/g6pUQ4EDHeQ?si=ms3RsGvHnl-aVFxI
Week 4 - January 28, 30
Key topic(s):
- Needs assessment concepts and methods.
- Concepts of community.
Readings:
- McKenzie et al. (2022) Chapter 4 - Assessing Needs.
Week 5 - February 4, 6
Key topic(s):
- Models of program planning in health promotion.
- Engaging with communities.
Readings/Video:
Week 6 - February 11, 13
Key topic(s):
- Mission statement, goals, and objectives.
- Logic models and theory of change.
Readings:
- McKenzie et al. (2022) Chapter 6 - Mission Statement, Goals, and Objectives.
Week 7 - February 18, 20
Key topic(s):
- Theories of behavior change in health promotion.
Readings:
- Fertman & Allensworth (2017) Chapter 3 - Theory in Health Promotion Programs.
Optional Advanced Reading:
- Creswell & Creswell (2017) Chapter 3 - The use of theory.
Week 8 - February 25, 27
Key topic(s):
- Public health intervention and research ethics.
- Power, history, and unintended consequences.
Readings:
- Tulchinsky (2018)
Optional Advanced Reading:
- Rubenstein (2015)
Week 9 - March 11, 13
Key topic(s):
- Intervention design and strategies.
- Behavior change techniques and mechanisms of action.
Readings:
- McKenzie et al. (2022) Chapter 8 - Interventions.
Optional Advanced Readings:
Week 10 - March 18, 20
Key topic(s):
- Implementing health promotion programs.
Readings:
- Fertman & Allensworth (2017) Chapter 6 - Implementation Tools, Program Staff, and Budgets.
Optional Advanced Readings:
- Hill & Erickson (2019)
Week 11 - March 25, 27 (READING WEEK; NO CLASS)
Key topic(s):
- Fundamental concepts in measurement.
- Survey design.
Readings:
- Review the slides for this week even though we have no class.
- Pew Research Center - Writing Survey Questions: https://www.pewresearch.org/writing-survey-questions/ Read the full webpage and watch the embedded video.
Optional Advanced Readings:
- DeVellis & Thorpe (2021) Chapters 3-4
Week 12 - April 1, 3
Key topic(s):
- Evaluating health promotion programs I.
Readings and Videos:
- McKenzie et al. (2022) Chapter 14 - Evaluation Approaches and Designs
- Video: Evaluating Health Promotion Campaigns. Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vlyOH5pSvg.
Week 13 - April 8, 10
Key topic(s):
- Evaluating health promotion programs II.
Readings:
- Tulane University School of Public Health (2024) Read whole blog on website: https://publichealth.tulane.edu/blog/public-health-program-evaluation/
Optional Advanced Readings:
Week 14 - April 15, 17
Key topic(s):
- Evaluating health promotion programs III.
Readings:
- Budig et al. (2018)
Optional Advanced Readings:
- Noyes et al. (2019)
Week 15 - April 22
Key topic(s):
- Final Proposal writing workshop (Optional).
References
Footnotes
Student learning outcomes are tied to specific CEPH domains. The numbers refer to foundational domains listed in the CEPH Accreditation Criteria (amended August 2021), section D9.↩︎