Graduate Curriculum Committee Course Proposal Form
For Courses Numbered 6000 and Higher
Note: Before completing this form, please carefully read the accompanying instructions.
1. Course prefix and number:
PSYC 8995
2. Date:
12/14/2009
3. Requested action:
New Course
X
Revision of Active Course
Revision & Unbanking of a Banked Course
Renumbering of an Existing Course from
from
to
#
#
4. Method(s) of delivery (check all boxes that apply for both current/proposed and expected
future delivery methods within the next three years):
Current or
Proposed Delivery
Method(s):
X
Expected
Future Delivery
Method(s):
On-campus (face to face)
X
Distance Course (face to face off campus)
Online (delivery of 50% or more of the instruction is offered online)
5. Justification (must cite accreditation and/or assessment by the graduate faculty) for new course
or course revision or course renumbering:
The clinical health concentration of the PhD program in Health Psychology is
preparing for accreditation review by the American Psychological Association. As
part of an assessment of existing courses associated with the concentration, the
graduate faculty of the Psychology Department determined that PSYC 8995 should
be revised to reflect the rapidly expanding range of topics in the field of health
psychology that could be used to complement the existing coursework.
6. Course description exactly as it should appear in the next catalog:
8995. Seminar in Health Psychology (3) P: Consent of chair. May be repeated with
a change of topic. Special topics in health psychology.
7. If this is a course revision, briefly describe the requested change:
The graduate faculty of the Psychology Department is requesting a change
of name from “Seminar in Clinical Behavioral Medicine” to “Seminar in
Health Psychology” since we are planning to expand the content of the
course to more fully cover the range of topics covered under the heading
of health psychology.
8. Graduate catalog page number from current (.pdf) graduate catalog:
Revised 09-16-09
114
9. Course credit:
Lecture Hours
3
3
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
s.h.
Lab
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
s.h.
Studio
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
s.h.
Practicum
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
s.h.
Internship
Weekly
OR
Per Term
Credit Hours
s.h.
Other (e.g., independent study) Please explain.
3
Total Credit Hours
10. Anticipated annual student enrollment:
s.h.
10
11. Affected degrees or academic programs:
Degree(s)/Program(s)
Current Catalog Page
PhD in Health Psychology 109
Changes in Degree Hours
none
12. Overlapping or duplication with affected units or programs:
X Not applicable
Notification & response from affected units is attached
13. Council for Teacher Education (CTE) approval (for courses affecting teacher education):
X Not applicable
Applicable and CTE has given their approval.
14. Service-Learning Advisory Committee (SLAC) approval
X
Not applicable
Applicable and SLAC has given their approval.
15. Statements of support:
a. Staff
X Current staff is adequate
Additional staff is needed (describe needs in the box below):
b. Facilities
X Current facilities are adequate
Additional facilities are needed (describe needs in the box below):
c. Library
X
Initial library resources are adequate
Initial resources are needed (in the box below, give a brief explanation and an
estimate for the cost of acquisition of required initial resources):
Revised 09-16-09
d. Unit computer resources
X
Unit computer resources are adequate
Additional unit computer resources are needed (in the box below, give a brief
explanation and an estimate for the cost of acquisition):
e. ITCS resources
X
ITCS resources are not needed
The following ITCS resources are needed (put a check beside each need):
Mainframe computer system
Statistical services
Network connections
Computer lab for students
Software
Approval from the Director of ITCS attached
16. Course information (see: Graduate Curriculum and Program Development Manual for
instructions):
a. Textbook(s) and/or readings: author(s), name, publication date, publisher, and
city/state/country
Textbooks and Readings will vary by special topic. Below are sample readings from a
Special Topics course on Health Disparities:
APA Guidelines for Providers of Psychological Services to Ethnic, Linguistic and
Culturally Diverse Populations. http://www.apa.org/pi/oema/guide.html
Braveman, P. (2006). Health Disparities and Health Equity: Concepts and
Measurement. Annu. Rev. Public Health, 27: 167-194.
Campbell, L. C., Warner, T. D. (2006). Accessibility of Health Care. In: Y. Jackson
(Ed.) Encyclopedia of Multicultural Psychology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Publications.
Miranda, J., Maguire, T. Williams, D., Wang, P. (2008). Mental Health in the Context
of Health Disparities. Am J Psychiatry 165(9): 1102-1108.
Office of Minority Health, US Department of Health and Human Services. National
Standards on Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS).
http://www.omhrc.gov/templates/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlID=15
Smedley, B.D., Stith, A. Y., Nelson, A.R. Editors, Committee on Understanding and
Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care. Unequal Treatment:
Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care. Executive Summary.
National Academies Press, Washington:DC, 2003.
Stoecker, R. Research methods for community change: A project-based
Revised 09-16-09
approach. Sage Publications, :CA 2005.
Williams, R.A. (Ed.) Eliminating Healthcare Disparities in America: Beyond
the IOM Report. Human Press, Totowa: NY, 2007.
b. Course objectives for the course (student – centered, behavioral focus)
Below are sample objectives from a Special Topics course on Health Disparities.
At the conclusion at the course, the students will be able to:
1. Describe the scope of health disparities affecting minority and
underserved populations.
2. Examine the applicability of health psychology theories and approaches
to disparity populations.
3. Evaluate the applicability of health psychology theories and approaches
to the health care system (i.e, providers behavior, patient-provider
interaction).
c. Course topic outline
Below is a sample topic outline from a Special Topics course on Health
Disparities:
Topic 1
 Defining Health Disparities
 Underlying Causes of Health Disparities
 Epidemiology of Racial & Ethnic Health Disparities
Topic 2
 Health Disparities affecting the Major Ethnic Groups
 Mental Health Disparities affecting the Major Ethnic Groups
 Introduction to the Health Disparity Calculator
Topic 3
 Health Disparities in African Americans and Latinos: Behavioral and
Pyschological Factors
Topic 4
 Health Disparities in Native Americans and Asian Americans: Behavioral
and Psychological Factors
 Socioeconomics of Health Disparities
Topic 5
 Strategies for Reducing Health Disparities
Topic 6
 Behavioral Theories & Models
Revised 09-16-09
Topic 7
 Health Care Access: Systems Approach
 Workforce Diversity
 Cultural Competence
Topic 8
 Implementing Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate
Services
Topic 9
 Physician Perspectives
 The Health Navigator Model
 Guest Lecture: Dr. Gloria Frelix
Topic 10
 Psychologist Perspectives
 Biopsychosocial Model
Topic 11
 Community Strategies
 North Carolina Success Stories
d. List of course assignments, weighting of each assignment, and grading/evaluation system
for determining a grade
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1. Written Examinations: Students will sit for 2 written examinations (see
schedule) over the course of the semester. Examinations will consist of
multiple choice and essay formats. Exam questions will be drawn from
reading material, lectures, class discussion, research paper topic, and peer
presentations. Excused absences on exam days will be granted for
documented health reasons only. Students who have pre-approved excused
absences on exam days may sit for an exam on an earlier date agreed upon
with the instructor. Make-up exams after the official exam date are at the
discretion of the instructor.
2. Team Projects: Students will work in teams to develop projects related to
disparities in a specific medical illness or mental health condition as
experienced by a minority or underserved population. Each team will be
co-led by 2 graduate students.
3. Peer Presentations: Graduate students will co-present team projects.
Presentations will be reflected in graduate student grade calculations based
Revised 09-16-09
on presentation organization, clarity, content criteria, and ability to answer
questions knowledgeably and comprehensively.
4. Research paper: Will consist of a 15-20 page paper related to a health
disparity topic (see more detailed description below). Topics should be
approved in advance by the instructor. Papers should be referenced based
on APA guidelines with a minimum of 15 references from peer-reviewed
journals and books. Internet sites will not be considered as appropriate
references but can be used in addition to the minimum reference
requirement of 15 sources. Preparatory documents (bibliographic
summaries and paper synopses) 3-5 pages each are required from 4250
students as part of the research paper.
5. Class participation: Students should come to class having completed the
assigned readings and prepared with specific questions and relevant
comments to promote class discussion. Active and consistent participation
throughout the semester is required and will be reflected in final grades.
The highest class participation grades will be earned by students who
interact with their peers in a constructive, cooperative, and respectful
manner. Students who dominate the class discussion at the expense of their
peers will receive lower course participation grades.
COURSE GRADING
Mid-Term Exam
Research Paper
Team Project
Peer Presentations
Attendance
Class participation
Final Exam
GRADING SCALE
A = 90-100
B = 80-89
C = 70-79
D = 60-69
F < 60
Revised 09-16-09
20 points
15 points
15 points
10 points
10 points
10 points
20 points