HS 293 Leadership for Health Professionals
HS 293 LEADERSHIP TRAINING FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
Spring 2006
Time and Location
Fridays, 0900-1145
MH 324
Faculty
Kathleen Roe MH 407 408.924.2976
Dan Perales MH 4098 408.924.4695
Ed Mamary MH 41009 408.924.2986
Course Description
Preparation for leadership in public health with an emphasis in four areas: policy advocacy and the politics of health; ethics in public health education; final self-assessment of skills for practice and continuing education priorities, and preparation for professional leadership.
Prerequisite:
Final semester in MPH program or instructor consent.
Course Theme
This integrative seminar is the final step in MPH student preparation for professional leadership. The 12-week course is intended to review the historical and political influences that shape health policy in the United States, provide training in policy advocacy, and facilitate exploration of central tensions and ethical issues in health education and promotion. Designed as a capstone course for the MPH program, students have a final opportunity to review what they have learned, practice their skills, and identify areas for further professional development. As each group will be different in their needs and interests, the final course themes and schedule are developed at the first class meetings. The seminar will draw upon multidisciplinary readings, practical assignments, and participants’ network of resources and community contacts. The course is designed to provide a strong, reflective, and joyous point of departure for MPH-level professional practice.
Course Objectives
This seminar is designed to meet the following objectives:
1. To examine how health policy is made and the role of public health professionals in the process.
2. To explore late-breaking initiatives and policy priorities that will impact professional practice in the near future.
3. To provide a forum for the discussion of ethical issues and central tensions in health education and promotion.
4. To review what has been learned about the process, professions, challenges, opportunities, and priorities of public health, community health education, and health promotion, particularly integrating field and academic experiences.
5. To provide a forum for specific skill or content training on areas prioritized by the group.
6. To facilitate a serious, disciplined, confident, and joyous exit from the MPH program.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the semester, participants will be able to:
1. Identify, describe, and discuss the key concepts, definitions, challenges, and accomplishments of public health, health education, community organization, and community health promotion.*
2. Describe the basic biology, epidemiology, and prevention strategies of 8 salient health conditions.*
3. Describe the factors that influence health policy in the United States.*
4. Demonstrate effective methods for influencing the health policy-making process.*
5. Articulate current personal, professional, and public health contexts for leadership.*
6. Discuss the ethical responsibilities of practitioners in health education and promotion practice.*
7. Articulate the essential concepts, theorists, skills, and “take home messages” from their MPH courses.
8. Assess (again) professional skills and competencies for leadership, and create related professional development plans.*
Outcome Objectives
By the end of the semester, seminar participants will have:
1. Developed a chronology and stakeholder analysis of a health policy or ethical issue.
2. Practiced development of a policy resolution, policy-oriented testimony, a public service announcement, or media campaign (three of the four) on a current policy issue.
3. Planned, facilitated, and evaluated a professional-level workshop on a policy advocacy topic as part of a team.
4. Developed a Graduation Portfolio consisting of 6 homework assignments from the course and additional documents developed throughout the course of the MPH program.
5. Developed a personal artifact that will symbolize their MPH experience.
6. Developed an individual statement and participated in a group process to identify personal and shared commitments to the profession and public health upon graduation from the MPH program.
Note: The specific outcome products and assignments are described in separate handouts.
Class Format
This class is conducted as a highly interactive, graduate capstone seminar. Presentations by faculty, community guests, and class members are integrated with discussion of current events in public health and health education. The core of each class session is presentation and discussion of weekly topics, readings, and emerging issues. Weekly homework is critical and provides further opportunities for reflection on class discussions and application of leadership skills. Preparation for, attendance, and active participation in all class sessions are essential to success in this course. Note: Beginning with the second class session, this two unit course involves three weeks of class sessions followed by two weeks off. The final class session will be held on Friday, May 19.
HS 293 will be led by three MPH Core Faculty members:
Module 1 February 3 – 17 Dr. Kathleen Roe Module 2 March 10 – 24 Dr. Dan Perales
Module 3 April 14 – 28 Dr. Ed Mamary
All three faculty members will attend the final class session on May 19.
Class Breaks
HS 293 will have three breaks within the Spring 2006 semester:
Break 1 No seminar on February 24 or March 3
Break 2 No seminar on March 310 (SJSU Spring Break) or April 7
Break 3 No seminar on May 5 or 12 (Return for final session May 19)
Reading
Seminar reading comes from several sources, based on the set of policy issues and course priorities decided during the first class sessions. Readings will be specific for each module and each week. All reading will be distributed at least one week in advance.
All participants are expected to have completed and reviewed the reading before each class.
Assignments
Core assignments of HS 293 are briefly described below. Assignment details will be developed during the first class session and then available on individual assignment handouts.
1. Participants will work in teams to plan, implement, and evaluate a policy advocacy workshop for a professional health education audience (25%). Key elements of the workshop assignment include: development of participant learning objectives and related workshop activities; exploration of the chronological history of the issue; discussion of current debates and central tensions; policy advocacy skill-building activities for participants to be selected from among a) development of policy testimony, b) an organizational resolution, c) a public service announcement, or d) media campaign. (15% of semester grade will be assigned to the group, 10% will be an individual grade).
2. Weekly assignments will integrate reading, discussions, and reflection (40%).
3. Graduation Portfolio: The Portfolio is the culminating product of the MPH program. It consists of key papers and products that have been developed across the 45-unit course of study. Four to six papers and short assignments will be completed during HS 293 and included in the Portfolio. (10%).
4. Final Project- the MPH Artifact: Creation of something you will keep (or give to others) that highlights what has been particularly meaningful to you in your graduate program (10%).
5. Class Participation: Active participation and respectful engagement in class as evident by preparation, facilitation, contributions, connections, and reliability – as assessed by the instructors (15%).
Grading
Semester grades will be determined as follows:
Grades: A = 90 – 100%, B = 80 – 89, C = 70 – 79, D = 60 – 69, F = < 59%
Late Work and Extra Credit
No late work will be accepted. Assignments that are not submitted at the time indicated on the assignment sheet will not be evaluated and will not earn credit. There are no “extra credit” opportunities in HS 293.
Office Hours
During the modules they facilitate, faculty will have office hours from 12 noon – 1:00 p.m. in their MacQuarrie Hall offices. Other times are available by appointment. Contact information is on the first page of this syllabus.
SJSU Policy on Academic Integrity
(From SJSU Office of Judicial Affairs): “Your own commitment to learning, as evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose State University, and the University’s Academic Integrity Policy require you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty are required to report all infractions to the Office of Judicial Affairs. The policy on academic integrity can be found at http://www2.sjsu.edu/senate/S04-12.htm.”
SJSU Compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with the Disability Resource Center (924-6000, located in ADM 110) as soon as possible. Presidential Directive 97-03 requires that students with disabilities register with DRC to establish a record of their disability.
HS 293 LEADERSHIP TRAINING FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
Draft for first week discussion
Semester Schedule
1. The context for leadership
January 27
How Far We’ve Come: Introduction to course and participants, course planning, review of the basics
Part One: Perspective, Voice, and Courage for Leadership (Kathleen Roe)
February 3
Finding a Leader’s Voice: Insight, analysis, and inspiration
February 10
Sharing What We Know: Conference presentations, workshops, professional development and CE
February 17
The Power of Words: Reading, writing, speaking, listening, collaborating, and working for change
*************************HS 293 Break Return on March 10*************************
Part Two: Back to the Future: Reviewing the Basics to be Ready for What’s Ahead (Dan Perales)
March 10
Ethical Issues for our Time
March 17
Health Topics: Jeopardy, Scrabble, and DDR!
March 24
1 Minute Guide to the MPH Program: What we’ve learned and why it matters
****************************HS 293 Break Return on April 14******************
Part Three: Policy, Politics, and Public Health (Ed Mamary)
April 14
Policy Workshop 1 (Team):
April 21
Policy Workshop 2 (Team):
April 28
Policy Workshop 3 (Team):
*****************HS 293 Break Return for the last time on May 19***************
May 19 Celebration Brunch (all MPH Core faculty and graduating students)
Portfolios, artifacts, and celebrating the MPH journey
SJSU MPH Program, Spring 2006, 6