HEA 603, Fall 2012 page 1
Syllabus: HEA 603 (Fall 2012) (3 credit hours)
Community Health Analysis
(Tuesdays, 6:00-8:50)
Instructor:
Office:
Phone:
e-mail:
Robert E. Aronson, DrPH, MPH
Room 440K, HHP Building
336.256.0119
rearonso@uncg.edu (best way to contact)
Office Hours:
4:00-5:00 Mondays, other times by appointment
Prerequisites: Admission to the MPH program or permission of instructor.
For whom planned: Graduate students enrolled in the MPH program or other graduate students
interested in the assessment of community needs and assets.
Catalog description: Assessment of community structure, residents, organizations and associations, to
determine health-related capacities, needs, and interests. Applied assessment activities emphasize the use
of both primary and secondary data sources for community analysis.
Purpose of the Course: To understand the role of community in health promotion and to develop skills in
community analysis using an ecological framework and appropriate research methods.
Student Learning Objectives: At the end of this course, students should be able to:
1. Explain the importance of context to health outcomes.
2. Define key concepts in community, including sense of community, community capacity and
empowerment.
3. Understand ethical issues in community health analysis, including the need for developing
authentic partnerships with communities.
4. Identify sources of secondary data and retrieve data to assist in the process of community health
analysis.
5. Describe methods of primary data collection for community health analysis.
6. Describe various models used in large scale community assessments, including how it is done in
North Carolina using the Healthy Carolinians Community Assessment Guidebook.
7. Conduct a community health assessment.
Teaching and Learning Strategies: This course uses a combination of lecture, small and large group
discussions and community-based research activities to prepare students with the skills and philosophies
used in community health analysis. Linkage with community-based organizations and populations add a
service-learning dimension to the course.
Required Text:

Gilmore GD, Campbell MD. Needs and Capacity Assessment Strategies for Health Education and
Health Promotion, 3rd Edition. Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2005.
HEA 603, Fall 2012 page 2
AREAS OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE IN HEALTH EDUCATION that are addressed in the course:
Competency 1.1 Plan assessment process
Competency 1.2 Access existing information and data related to health
Competency 1.3 Collect quantitative or qualitative data related to health
Competency 1.6 Infer needs for health education based on assessment findings
Competency 2.1 Involve priority populations and other stakeholders in the planning process
FORMAT OF THE COURSE:
The course will require considerable student initiative both in the classroom through group discussion of
readings and exercises, and outside the classroom in conducting the community assessment. It is important
that students bring their readings to class to aid in group discussion and completion of in-class assignments.
Some time for group work will be scheduled during class time.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1) Attendance and participation in all class sessions (Students who are absent more than 2 times will be
dropped from the class.) I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences so save your
absences for when you need them.
2) Arriving to class on time and staying for the duration of the class.
3) Completion of all individual and group assignments ON TIME unless a previous arrangement has
been made with the professor.
4) Productive work in a group to complete all group assignments.
5) Please check your UNCG email and Blackboard accounts for course updates and announcements
several times per week. If a student asks a question that pertains to everyone, I will post the answer
on BB.
6) Adherence to the Academic Integrity Policy. http://academicintegrity.uncg.edu/complete/
EXPECTATIONS
1) Classroom civility. Civil and professional behavior. Please act respectfully of all others in the class
and offer criticism and comments in a constructive manner.
2) Workload: Expect to do 6-9 hours of reading, homework, and other assignments per week outside
of class if you are a more-or-less typical learner.
3) Professionalism in writing. Writing is an important professional skill and I know you’ll want to take
it seriously. All good writers revise their work so expect to rewrite one or more assignments to
address feedback and develop a finished professional product. Of course, as a professional, your
work will be evaluated through every product you produce. So, please be sure to think about the
appearance and readability of your documents and proofread, spell-check, and grammar check
everything that you turn in.
Writing and thinking are connected. I often don’t know what I’m thinking until I try to put it on
paper. I ask you to write because writing makes you smarter; it helps you clarify and develop your
ideas and it helps you engage with the material in a way that doesn’t happen till you think about
explaining your ideas to other people. Revising is rethinking; it is not editing. Very few writers can
write a serious paper well the first time.
HEA 603, Fall 2012 page 3
4) This class requires substantial reading. The readings address theoretical, conceptual, and practical
issues in regard to community assessment. You may need to read some articles several times,
outline the main points, and even look up additional references and background readings. We will
use the reading in several ways:
5) Group work: Each student will work in a team over the course of the semester.
Please do your part to make your team projects a success. No one likes to be in a team with
someone who does not contribute. Teams with non-contributing members often end up with lower
grades and inferior products. It has been my experience that the workload in teams is rarely
equitable (even in the work world), and team members will be given the opportunity to evaluate the
contributions of each person in the team.
Any student in this course who has a disability that may prevent him/her from fully demonstrating his/her
abilities should contact the instructor as soon as possible to discuss accommodations necessary to ensure full
participation and to facilitate the educational experience.
Campus resources
336.256.8324 (6-TECH)
http://www.uncg.edu/eng/writingcenter/
http://speakingcenter.uncg.edu/
for help with on-campus or connection computer issues
The University Writing Center
The University Speaking Center
ASSIGNMENTS
Participation
Course learning
objectives
1-7
Reading responses
1-7
Human participation in
research training
Sociodemographic
worksheet
Sociodemographic profile
Community Assets profile
Community profile
powerpoint presentation
Convenience store
assessment
Health profile
Portfolio
Health education
competencies
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.6,
2.1
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.6,
2.1
Individual
Group
10%
10%
required
1, 4, 7
1.2, 1.3
1, 4, 7
1, 5
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.6,
1.3, 2.1
10%
15%
10%
10%
10%
1, 4, 7
1-7
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.6,
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.6,
2.1
15%
10%