SYLLABUS: Introduction to Environmental and Occupational Health CPH 375 Fall 2012 Time: Monday and Wednesday 5:30 to 6:45 PM Location: Instructor: Roy P. Drachman Hall, Room A- 114 Mary Kay O Rourke, PhD Roy P. Drachman Hall, Room A- 233 (MKOR@email.arizona.edu) Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday from 3-4 PM or by Appointment Location & TA Office Hours* Teaching Assistants: Helen Bekris Group 1 hbekris@email.arizona.edu Drachman- 2 T 10-12:30, Th 10-11:30 Hannah Sassi Group 2 hsassi@email.arizona.edu Drachman- 2 M 11-1:30, W 10-11:30 Kerton Victory Group 3 kerton1@email.arizona.edu MRB 1- W T 2-4:00, Th 1-3:00 Jong sang Youn Group 4 jongsang@email.arizona.edu MRB 1- W M 12-2:00, Th 9-11:00 * TA s are responsible for grading papers of specific groups. However, you can see any TA with questions during any of the posted office hours. TA Office Hours and Locations: Posted on D2L in News Catalog Description: CPH 375 introduces students to physical, chemical and biological hazards found in the environment and health risks associated with workplace and community exposure to them. Risks to special populations and mechanisms of reducing or controlling these risks are discussed. Course Co- or Prerequisites: CPH 309 Introduction to Epidemiology CPH 376 Introduction to Health Sciences Statistics Course Learning Objectives: At the end of this course, students will be able to: 1. Recognize potential environmental and occupational risks from environmental hazards and solicit ways to mitigate the risk. 2. Describe factors that affect population susceptibility to adverse health outcomes following exposure to environmental hazards. 3. Discuss community sensitivity to issues of environmental justice and equity. 4. Recognize potential responses to selected environmental exposures. 5. Propose approaches to assess environmental insult. 6. Describe federal legislation that limits exposure in order to control environmental health issues. Courses Competencies: Undergraduate Competencies Addressed in CPH 375 1. Describe the historical development of public health systems and their role in society. 2. Use epidemiological principles to describe and analyze causes of disease and illness. 3. Use basic biostatistical approaches and other modern methodological frameworks to design and test hypotheses. 4. Appropriately incorporate determinants of health (environmental, social, cultural, behavioral and biological) when studying the causation of disease and access to health services. 6. Provide an environmental description for the major causes of communicable and non- communicable diseases and their pathology. 7. Write appropriately for an entry level position in the field of public health. 11. Construct and evaluate a community level intervention that addresses a current public health issue. 12. Describe and compare health care issues between low- income, middle- income and high- income countries. 13. Distinguish between the roles that morals, ethics and law have on public health. 14. Integrate public health theories into practice.
Course Notes: You are expected to take your own notes in class. Available materials will be placed on the course D2L website. Recommended Texts/Readings: Friss, R.L. (2012). Essentials of Environmental Health (2 nd edition). Jones and Bartlett. Sudbury, Massachusetts. pp 419. Course Requirements: You are expected to respond to questions, submit homework and assignments on time, take exams at the specified times (clear your calendar now), and successfully complete any unscheduled quizzes given during scheduled classes. You must have a University of Arizona e- mail address. Check your e- mail frequently. The point allocation/grading scheme is as follows: Task Potential Points % of Grade Grades Awarded Accumulated Point Range for Grade 3 Exams @ 100 points each 300 63% A >427 3 homework assignments @ 30 points 90 20% B 380 to <427 each 15 Reflection Summaries (assigned). 60 12% C 332 to <380 10 (6 points each) submissions required. (5 lowest dropped). Total points cannot exceed 60 (no extra credit). Class Participation 25 5% D 308 to <332 Pan Flu Extra Credit (Nov 27) *25 E <308 Total points 500 Examinations: Students will be expected to demonstrate that they have met the course objectives and attained competency through homework assignments, reflections and examinations. Three exams will be given (2 section exams and 1 non cumulative final). Exams will consist of multiple choice, short answer and short essay questions. Bring your laptop this is an online exam. It is your responsibility to clear your calendar and take the exam at the scheduled time and place. Except for emergency situations (e.g., medical and death, supported by appropriate documentation), make- up exams will not be given and zero credit will be awarded for the exam. Homework assignments: Homework will be assigned 2 weeks prior to the due date. Clarifications can be asked of the TAs and responses to questions will be rendered anonymous and posted in D2L news. Due Dates for assignments are designated on the syllabus; written assignments are due (in the D2L dropbox) by 11:59 PM (23:59) of the specified due date. All late assignments will be penalized at a minimum (meaning the instructor can assess more than this) rate of 10%. The rate will increase by 10% with each additional late week (.00001 to 7 days late = 10%, 8-14 days late = 20% etc). Reflection summaries consisting of a few sentences will be written in response to a question posed by the instructor near the end of each class. They are deposited in your specific TA s basket (based on your group number) at the end of each class. No late or make up submissions will be accepted. The lowest 6 scores will be thrown out. Class Participation: On the first day of class you will be given a multiple choice response placard for use in class. This saves you the expense of buying a clicker. Bring it to each class. The TAs will demonstrate how to use it on the first day of class. Questions will be posed during each lecture requiring use of the placard. Course Readings: Chapters from the text are assigned at the beginning of the semester for each topic. The reading should be completed prior to the lecture. *Extra Credit: The only extra credit offered for this class is attendance at the Pan Flu exercise on the morning of November 27 th. You must check in with any class TA at the beginning of the exercise and write a reflection at the end of the exercise and turn it into the TA to receive the credit. No other extra credit will be given. Class Attendance: You are expected to attend class and participate. All holidays or special events observed by organized religions will be honored for those students who show affiliation with that particular religion. Absences pre- approved by the UA Dean of Students (or Dean s designee) will be honored.
Week Date Topic Reading due preceding lecture 1 August 20 Session 1: Orientation/Expectations/Background Chapter 1 Risk Paradigm August 22 Session 2: What is environmental health? Chapter 1, 2 Week Date Topic Reading due preceding lecture 2 August 27 Session 3: Environmental Toxicology Chapter 3 Activity/ Papers Activity/ Papers August 29 Session 4: Workplace exposures & PPE IH September 3 Holiday 3 September 5 Session 5: Case Study Noise: an example of programs addressing worker protection Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Paper 1- - due Sept 10 Guest Lecturer: Stephanie Griffin MS CIH (PhD enrolled) 4 September 10 Session 6: Injury among special populations, Injury prevention and Chapter 14 Paper 1 Due Comparing Death Rates..the denominator issue September 12 Session 7: Exam I Note: Sunday, September 16 th is the last day to drop the class without the penalty of a W on your transcript. 5 September 17 Session 8: Environ Epidemiology & Community Studies Chapter 2 September 19 Session 9: Radiation Chapter 8 6 September 24 Session 10: Ecosystems and Disease Vectors Chapter 5 September 26 Session 11: Toxic metals and elements Chapter 6 7 October 1 Session 12: Pesticides & Endocrine Disruption Chapter 7 October 3 Session 13: Emerging contaminants & Developmental Concerns Chapter 7 8 October 8 Session 14: Water: Sources, Systems and Risks Chapter 9 October 10 Session 15: Water: Quantity and quality Chapter 9 9 October 15 Session 16: Water Research Guest Lecturer: Kerton Victory, MS (PhD enrolled) Guest Lecturer: Laura Suppes, MPH (PhD Candidate) October 17 Session 17: Wastewater Chapter 12 10 October 22 Session 18: Food Production and Chemical Hazards Chapter 11 Paper 2 Sat. Nov 3 October 24 Session 19: Food Nutrition and Microbial Hazards Chapter 11 Guest Lecturer: Kerton Victory, MS (PhD enrolled) 11 October 29 Session 20: No class- - Class Project/Paper 2 October 31 Session 21: Exam II Paper 2 due Sat. Nov 3 12 November 5 Session 22: Urban Development and livable space Chapter 1 pp 11-14 (suppl. See D2L) November 7 Session 23: Ambient Air pollutants Chapter 10 Guest Lecturer: Jong sang Youn, MS (PhD enrolled) 13 November 12 Holiday November 14 Session 24: Indoor Air Pollutants Chapter 10 14 November 19 Session 25: Public health and Disease Outbreaks Suppl. See Guest Lecture: Kristen Pogreba Brown, MPH PhD Candidate D2L November 21 No Class: Reading for Paper 3 See D2L for Paper 3 due choices December 3 15 November 26 Session 26: Air Pollution and Climate Change Suppl. See D2L
November 27 25 Points Extra Credit Pan Flu Exercise All Morning UAMC November 28 Session 27: Potential Health Effects of Climate Change Suppl. See D2L 16 December 3 Session 28: Solid and Hazardous Waste Chapter 12 Paper 3 due December 3 December 5 Session 29: Environmental Regulation and Policy Chapter 4 December 12 from 18:00 to 20:00 (6:00-8:00 PM) Final Exam (Material from Nov. 5 through Dec. 5) Meaning of Color Codes Color Meaning Important dates (Exams and Assignments) No Class- Holiday or Alternate Assignment Guest Speaker Special Announcement week Topics addressing occupational health week Topics for both occupational and community settings week Topics primarily related to communities All reading assignments should be completed prior to the class for which they are assigned; Required Statements: Communications: You are responsible for reading emails sent to your UA account from your professor and the announcements that are placed on the course web site. Information about readings, news events, your grades, assignments and other course related topics will be communicated to you with these electronic methods. The official policy can be found at: http://www.registrar.arizona.edu/emailpolicy.htm Disability Accommodation: If you anticipate issues related to the format or requirements of this course, please meet with me. I would like us to discuss ways to ensure your full participation in the course. If you determine that formal, disability- related accommodations are necessary, it is very important that you be registered with Disability Resources (621-3268; drc.arizona.edu) and notify me of your eligibility for reasonable accommodations. We can then plan how best to coordinate your accommodations. The official policy can be found at: http://catalog.arizona.edu/2012%2d13/policies/disability.htm Academic Integrity: All UA students are responsible for upholding the University of Arizona Code of Academic Integrity, available through the office of the Dean of Students and online: The official policy found at: http://deanofstudents.arizona.edu/codeofacademicintegrity Classroom Behavior: (Statement of expected behavior and respectful exchange of ideas) The Dean of Students has set up expected standards for student behaviors and has defined and identified what is disruptive and threatening behavior. This information is available at: http://deanofstudents.arizona.edu/disruptiveandthreateningstudentguidelines Students are expected to be familiar with the UA Policy on Disruptive and Threatening Student Behavior in an Instructional Setting found at: http://policy.arizona.edu/disruptive- behavior- instructional and the Policy on Threatening Behavior by Students found at: http://deanofstudents.arizona.edu/sites/deanofstudents.arizona.edu/files/disruptive_threat_bklt_2012.pdf Grievance Policy: Should a student feel he or she has been treated unfairly, there are a number of resources available. With few exceptions, students should first attempt to resolve difficulties informally by bringing those concerns directly to the person responsible for the action, or with the student's graduate advisor, Assistant Dean for Student and Alumni Affairs, department head, or the immediate supervisor of the person responsible for the action. If the problem cannot be resolved informally, the student may file a formal grievance using the Graduate College Grievance Policy found at: http://grad.arizona.edu/academics/policies/academic- policies/grievance- policy Grade Appeal Policy: http://catalog.arizona.edu/2012-13/policies/gradappeal.htm Syllabus Changes: Information contained in the course syllabus, other than the grade and absence policies, may be subject to change with reasonable advance notice, as deemed appropriate.
Please Note: You may need to copy the above URLs into the web browser. Telephone and Computer Use: Computers may be used during class ONLY to view and take notes on D2L posted material. The TAs will monitor your computer use. If asked to turn off your computer, comply immediately or lose a future computer privileges in class and participation points may be lost. Do not use cell phones or hand held devised in class. Turn them off. Plagiarism: What counts as plagiarism? Copying and pasting information from a web site or another source, and then revising it so that it sounds like your original idea. Doing an assignment/essay/take home test with a friend and then handing in separate assignments that contain the same ideas, language, phrases, etc. Quoting a passage without quotation marks or citations, so that it looks like your own. Paraphrasing a passage without citing it, so that it looks like your own. Hiring another person to do your work for you, or purchasing a paper through any of the on- or off- line sources. Plagiarism is academic misconduct and a form of cheating. At the least, cheating (of any kind) will result in a zero grade for the assignment, if a second cheating episode is detected, the student will be expelled from the class.