Senior faculty present public health topics of current interest, such as health problems of industrialized and developing nations, health promotion and disease prevention, health care delivery systems, environmental problems and the spectrum of factors influencing the health status of populations and communities.

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Have an expanded perspective on four major current issues in public health. This will include knowledge of the magnitude of the problem, recent relevant research findings, and intervention strategies.

This course is offered in each of the four academic terms, and students may enroll in any of these one-unit offerings.

Every eight-week term will have four modules, each two weeks long. Each module has a lecture in the first week, followed by a LiveTalk and short assignment in the second week. Students are asked to post LiveTalk-related questions on the BBS prior to the session. (Students are encouraged to ask questions during the LiveTalk session as well.)

Students will be evaluated on their “attendance/completion” of the online lectures, participation in the four LiveTalks, active and high-quality participation in the BBS, and performance on two written assignments. The weighting of these components are as follows:

• Active participation in the lectures, LiveTalks, and BBS………...30%
• Two written assignments………………………………………..70% (35% each)

You are required to participate in the course LiveTalks. If you cannot attend a LiveTalk during the allotted period, please let a TA know ahead of time about your absence and then listen to the archived LiveTalk.

You are encouraged to submit LiveTalk discussion questions to the BBS for the guest faculty speaker. For each module, we will open a separate BBS folder specifically reserved for posting LiveTalk questions. We will use these questions to guide each LiveTalk session. Please submit your questions at least 24 hours before the LiveTalk, as we will give these questions priority during the session. You may also post questions to the chat box during the LiveTalk itself, and we will do our best to respond to these as well.

We will post a written assignment for each of the four modules in the course: you must complete two of the four assignments and submit your chosen assignments by the end of their respective modules. For example, if you elect to submit papers for Modules 1 and 3, you must submit them by the last day of Module 1 and 3, respectively (specific deadlines are indicated on the Course Schedule).

• Good: You demonstrated critical thought in answering all portions of the question(s). The assignment was well written and submitted on time.
• Satisfactory: You completely answered all portions of the questions.
• Rewrite: You did not demonstrate a clear understanding of the topic, did not answer all portions of the questions, or your assignment was poorly written. You will be given the chance to resubmit your assignment within five days of receiving your original grade. Rewritten assignments can be rewritten up to a grade of Satisfactory.

Formatting: Please submit assignments using Microsoft Word. Your work should be 3-4 pages long, with double-spacing, one-inch margins, and 12-point Times New Roman. Please include your name and the assignment number in the upper-left corner of each page. We will return for reformatting any submissions that do not meet these specifications.

Every speaker is encouraged to provide additional readings for students who are interested in obtaining a deeper understanding of the topic. These readings will be provided generally in the form of a reading list; occasionally, the speaker will provide documents for download.

Course Coordinator Edyth H. Schoenrich, MD, MPH Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health 615 North Wolfe Street Baltimore. MD 21205 (410) 955-1291 eschoenr@jhsph.edu Participating Faculty During each two-week module, students will have the opportunity to interact with the guest speaker through the bulletin board system (BBS) and the LiveTalk. Teaching Assistants Please feel free to contact one of your TAs whenever you have a question: Jennifer Mendel: jmendel@jhsph.edu (Lead TA) Olga Joos: ojoos@jhsph.edu Gregory Tung: gtung@jhsph.edu