BB H 305: Introduction to Global Health Issues
Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University
Fall 2014 Course Syllabus
Course Details:
Hours & Location: Tues & Thurs, 2.30-3.45pm in 109 Walker
Prerequisite Course: BB H 101 (Introduction to Biobehavioral Health)
Course Website via PSU ANGEL (https://cms.psu.edu/default.asp)
Instructor:
Dr. Melina T. Czymoniewicz-Klippel
 216 Biobehavioral Health Building, mtc16@psu.edu, 814-865-4672
Have a Question?
Come to my office hours!!
 Wed, 10:00-11:00am
 Other times by appointment
Course Overview:
This course overviews the field of global health from an interdisciplinary perspective, placing emphasis on
transnational health issues, determinants, and solutions as they play out in various countries and regions.
More specifically, it provides an introductory survey of the field of global health and focuses on supporting
students to develop further competence in critical thinking, listening and writing. The first segment of the
course outlines key theories, concepts and principles of global health, while the second segment asks
students to apply their newfound knowledge to a range of global health-related case studies. Classes are
structured around a combination of interactive lectures (instructor and guest), classroom discussions,
films, and debates.
Course Objectives:
By the completion of this course, students should:
1. Have a more critical understanding of the breadth and complexity of contemporary global health
issues;
2. Be able to summarise key theories, concepts and methods of comprehending global health trends
and patterns, and use them correctly when writing and talking about particular global health topics;
3. Be able to synthesize information from a range of sources so as to critique global health programs
and policies from multiple perspectives; and
4. Be more confident in articulating their global health interest areas and, if appropriate, be able to
identify possible avenues for further study, research and/or practical experience.
Required Texts:
1. Skolnik, R. (2011). Global Health 101. 2nd edition. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
2. Supplemental readings – Available for download from ANGEL (see “Supplemental Readings” folder
under the “Lesson” tab).
It is critical that students prepare for class by, amongst other things, completing all reading assignments by
the start of the week. Typically, students have been assigned one or two articles or chapters per class. All
textbook and supplemental reading assignments are compulsory: lectures and classroom activities will
heavily draw upon the ideas and concepts presented in then, and their content may be examined.
For students wishing to know more about particular global health issues or topics, lists of additional
readings and resources will be uploaded to ANGEL. Material contained within additional
readings/resources will NOT be examined or assessed.
Lecture Slides:
Lectures are intended to supplement and complement the assigned readings. They also allow the
instructors to emphasize particular material and further explain concepts or ideas that may be more
difficult to grasp, and are generally highly interactive in nature. Copies of the PowerPoint slides used in
class will be uploaded to ANGEL, before class wherever possible. With this said, students should still be
prepared to take handwritten notes during lectures—not least because the instructor’s slides rely heavily
on visual images. PowerPoint slides used by guest presenters may or may not be made available to
students.
Instructor-Student Communications:
If you have a question regarding this course, please visit your instructor during her office hours. Emails
should only be sent if you genuinely cannot interact with Dr. Czymoniewicz-Klippel personally. This is, in part,
because problems, both minor and major, are often best resolved through direct interaction.
Please note: Students are expected to regularly check their PSU-assigned email account for course-related
messages. Please note that your instructor will correspond with their students through the ANGEL system.
If you prefer to read your email using another email client, it is your responsibility to ensure that
forwarding mechanisms are activated.
Assessment:
Detailed guidelines for each assessment item will be posted on ANGEL. An overview of the course
assessment is provided below:
1. Mid-Semester Exam: 20% of course grade
A mid-semester exam will assess your knowledge, comprehension and integration of reading materials,
lectures, classroom discussions/activities and films covered during Weeks 1-8 of the course. The exam will
consist of short answer questions.
2. Critical Reaction Papers: 3 x 10% of course grade
Students will be asked to submit three 1,000-1,500 word (about 3-4 pages, 1.5 spacing) critical reaction
papers that highlight their reflective and critical thoughts on various issues and case studies presented in
class. Students will be allowed to select the particular classroom activity or article to which they respond.
This assignment gives students the opportunity to offer their personal reflections on complex topical global
health issues.
3. Classroom Debate: 20% of course grade
Each student will participate in one classroom debate during the second half of the course. Students will
work in teams of three and will be randomly assigned to a debate topic at the start of the semester. Please
do not request to change team/topic simply so that you can work with your friends or focus on a topic that you
prefer. Each debate team will be asked to meet with their instructor in the week prior to their debate to
discuss their team’s ideas and proposed main arguments.
4. “Where to From Here” Paper: 10% of course grade
Students will be asked to write a 1,500 word (about 4 pages, 1.5 spacing) paper that outlines their plans for
how to apply the lessons learned during this class to their pursuit of becoming an “educated global citizen”
who, directly and/or indirectly, contributes to improvements in individual and population health across
the world.
5. Class Attendance & Participation: 20% of course grade
Attendance will be taken randomly throughout the semester by way of an attendance sheet, pop quizzes,
collection of activity sheets completed during class time, collection of homework exercises etc. You can
miss up to 2 classes without penalty. If you miss more than 2 classes, you will lose 1% of your final grade
for each class you miss up to a maximum of 5. Late arrival to, or early departure from, class may be counted
as an absence. Students who have a legitimate and unavoidable reason for missing class and who follow the
procedures outlined below regarding class attendance will not be penalized in terms of their attendance
grade. It is highly recommended that students keep track of their absences on ANGEL. If you notice a problem
with your attendance record, please contact your instructor immediately i.e. do not wait until the end of the
semester to raise your concerns.
Students are also expected to participate each week by regularly asking questions, offering their ideas and
perspectives, giving mini-presentations, and so on. Participation will be graded on a scale of 0-10 by the
instructor on the basis of students’ overall engagement in class. Please note that you cannot be an active
class participant if you are asleep, sending text messages, or surfing the Internet on your iPhone, or if you
regularly miss class! Preliminary participation grades will be posted on ANGEL approximately halfway
through the semester. It is highly recommended that students check make a note of this preliminary grade and
immediately approach their instructor if they have any questions.
Extra Credit:
Extra credit is NOT available in this course.
Assessment Submission:
Assessment items must be prepared according to the following requirements:
 Use word processing.
 Use 12 point font, and 1.5 line spacing and one-inch margins.
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Wherever possible, print on both sides on the paper.
Download the relevant coversheet from ANGEL and attach it to the front of your paper. Do not
forget to sign the academic integrity declaration before submitting your paper.
Staple your paper at the top left hand corner. Do not submit loose sheets of paper or papers secured
using paperclips or pins -- pages can easily go missing.
Do not submit papers in plastic sleeves or folders.
All writing assignments are due at the beginning of class and should be submitted in both hard and e-copy.
Hardcopy papers should be handed to your instructor; an e-copy should be uploaded to the relevant
ANGEL drop-box.
Statement on Writing:
Students’ work will be evaluated with respect to both ‘global’ (e.g. ideas, development, and organization) as
well as ‘local’ (e.g. grammar, spelling) concerns. In other words, your actual ideas and arguments carry
weight, as does how well you structure and write your paper. Students are encouraged to consider utilizing
the services provided by the Undergraduate Writing Center before submitting their written assignments.
Students are also expected to cite scientific evidence to support their views. Written citations should
adhere to the APA (6th edition) guidelines.
Grading:
Summary of Assessment Tasks
Assessment Task
Mid-semester exam
Critical reaction papers
(3)
Classroom debate
20%
“Where to from here”
paper
Class attendance &
participation
10%
Due Date
October 16
Paper #1 - Due on or before Sept. 29
Paper #2 – Due on or before Nov 3
Paper #3 - Due on or before Dec 8
Classroom debates to be held between Weeks 9 & 15
(schedule TBA)
December 16
20%
Ongoing throughout semester
Final Grade Distribution
A = 94-100%
A - =90-93%
B + = 87-89%
Weighting
20%
3 @ 10% each
B = 83-86%
B - = 80-82%
C + = 76-79%
C = 70-75%
D = 60-69%
F = < 60%
Grade Queries and Adjudication
If you have questions about a grade, please make an appointment to meet with your instructor. When
making the appointment, you should outline the nature of your query. Although all grades are considered
final, students may request that a given grade (e.g. short-answer question grade, research paper grade) be
reconsidered. If you wish to request a grade be re-looked at, you must submit a written request that
comprehensively justifies your reasons for the grade adjudication within 5 days of receipt of the grade. Once
such a request has been made, your instructor will reconsider the grading of the item. Please note that
he/she may decide that your grade should be raised, lowered or kept the same.
Other Relevant Policies and Procedures:
Make-Up Policies
Students who know that they will miss an evaluative event because of an unavoidable absence should
contact their instructor ASAP to discuss their situation. Students who are more than 20 minutes late to the
mid-semester exam will not be admitted. Make-up exams will only be given after the exam has been
administered in class and must be scheduled within 48 hours of the missed exam. Students will not be
allowed to sit a make-up exam unless they receive 24 hour ADVANCE permission.
Late assignments submitted within 24 hours of the deadline must be uploaded to the “late drop-box” on
ANGEL. Unless an extension has been pre-approved by one of your instructors, all late assignments will
automatically be docked 20%. Written assignments will not be accepted if more than 24 hours late. There is
no make-up opportunity for the classroom debate.
Class Attendance
Regularly Scheduled University-Approved Curricular and Extracurricular Activities:
Students who need to miss a class in order to participate in a regularly scheduled university-approved
curricular or extracurricular activity should submit a class absence form (available at
http://www.psu.edu/oue/aappm/classabs.pdf) ASAP and, except in unavoidable situations, at least one
week in advance of the planned absence.
Illness:
Students who become ill during the semester should follow the instructions listed in the Policy for
Verification of Illness available at: http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/health/welcome/illnessVerification/ Please
note, this policy distinguished between two types of illness-related absences:
 Routine illness-related absences i.e. a minor illness or injury, such as colds and flu‐like or self‐limited
gastrointestinal illnesses - students should correspond directly with their instructor ASAP
regarding their situation
 Significant, prolonged illness i.e. a serious illness or injury lasting at least a week - medical
documentation is required, either from UHS clinicians or an outside clinician
Religious Holiday Absences:
While efforts are made to avoid conflicts with religious holidays, it is not possible to accommodate the
course schedule around every holiday. Students who need to miss class or a class requirement (e.g. exam,
presentation) because of a religious holiday should advise their instructor of the conflict ASAP (please give
at least one week notice) so that alternative arrangements can be made. In exempting class attendance or
other student obligations because of a religious holiday, your instructors will refer to the Interfaith Holiday
Listing posted on the Penn State Center for Ethics and Religious Affairs website at
http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/spiritual/calendars.shtml
Family Emergencies, Accidents:
Students who need to miss class or an assessment due to an emergency, such as the death of a family
member, an accident or other emergency situation, should contact Student and Family Services
(http://www.sa.psu.edu/sd/sfs/) on 814-863-2020 ASAP. The staff in this office will notify the instructors
for all of your classes that you will be absent from class and will provide them with an approximate date for
when you are expected to return to campus. Following your return, your instructor will arrange a time to
meet with you to discuss your options for making up missed work.
N.B. Students whose irregular attendance causes him or her, in the instructor’s judgment, to miss excessive
material, may run the risk of receiving a failing grade or receiving a lower grade than they might have secured
had they been in regular attendance. Students will be contacted immediately if their instructor believes their
irregular attendance poses danger to their grade in this course.
Class Cancellations
In the unexpected event that class needs to be cancelled, your instructor will make every effort to contact
you by email ASAP. During the colder months, students should check the PSU main page and/or the WPSU
web site for University wide cancellations and delays (http://wpsu.psu.edu). Students can also sign up for
PSUTXT to receive emergency notices, weather alerts etc. via text message (http://live.psu.edu/psutxt).
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner. Academic
integrity is a basic guiding principle for all academic activity at The Pennsylvania State University, and all
members of the University community are expected to act in accordance with this principle. Consistent
with this expectation, the University's Code of Conduct states that all students should act with personal
integrity, respect other students' dignity, rights and property, and help create and maintain an
environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their efforts. Academic integrity includes a
commitment not to engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation or deception. Such acts of
dishonesty violate the fundamental ethical principles of the University community and compromise the
worth of work completed by others.
Violations of the University’s Academic Integrity Policy include the following:
— Cheating: using crib sheets of any kind, preprogrammed calculators or cell phones, use of notes during a
closed book exam
— Copying on tests: looking at other students’ exams, copying with a plan with another student, passing
notes during exams; exchanging exams with another student
— Tampering with work: changing one’s own or another student’s work; tampering with work either as a
prank or to sabotage another’s work
— Acts of aiding and abetting: Facilitating academically dishonest work by others; unauthorized
collaboration on work; permitting another to copy from one’s exam; writing a paper for another;
inappropriately collaborating on home assignments or exams without permission or when prohibited
— Unauthorized possession: Buying or stealing of exams or other materials; failing to return exams on file
or reviewed in class; selling exams; photocopying exams; any possession of an exam without the
instructor’s permission
— Submitting previous work: Submitting a paper, case study, lab report, or any assignment that had been
submitted for credit in a prior class without the knowledge and permission of the instructor
— Ghosting or misrepresenting: Taking a quiz or exam or performing a class assignment in place of another
student; having another student do the same in one’s place; signing in as present in class for another
student or having another student do the same in one’s place
— Altering exams: Changing incorrect answers and seeking favorable grade changes when instructor
returns graded exams for in-class review and then collects them; asserting that the instructor make a
mistake in grade. Other forms include changing the letter and/or numerical grade on a test.
— Computer theft: Electronic theft of computer programs or other software, data, images, art, or text
belonging to another.
— Plagiarism: fabricating information or citations; copying from the Internet of submitting the work of
others from journals, articles and papers, or books; submitting other students’ papers as one’s own.
Any material, regardless of length, that is the work of somebody else and who is not given explicit
credit by citation, submitted as one’s own, is plagiarized material.
Notes about Plagiarism:
It is important to carefully read the instructions for your writing assignments as the instructor may be
providing specific rules about the assignment (e.g., no use of quoted materials, no citations of websites,
etc.) that may affect your evaluation. Examples of common violations of academic integrity in relations to
plagiarism include (these are just a few examples and DO NOT include all of the violations that might be
deemed as plagiarism):
a. Wholesale Copying. When text or other material is copied from a web site, a printed journal, a
paper written by a student, (even if given permission by the original author!) , or some other
source, this is clearly plagiarism because you did not do any original research or writing, and 2) the
work was created by another author, yet you put your own name on it.
b. Cutting and Pasting. Another more common type of plagiarism involves copying pieces of text
from one or more original sources and inserting it into the assignment. If you are cutting and
pasting for the purposes of quoting the author you must remember to provide quotes and
appropriate citation.
c. Inappropriate Paraphrasing. Inappropriate paraphrase is where text is altered only slightly from
the original and no acknowledgment of the original author or source is given. The Purdue OWL site
(see above) provides additional helpful examples of what it means to inappropriately paraphrase
something.
The instructor for this course reserves the right to use plagiarism detection software, for example,
Turnitin.com, to confirm that you have used sources accurately in your written assignments. If you have
any questions about how to cite your sources, please ask your instructor. Information about the
Turnitin.com plagiarism prevention tool is available at http://turnitin.com . Another excellent source for
training on plagiarism is the Perdue OWL (Online Writing Lab). The plagiarism page can be found at
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/
Sanctions for Violations of Academic Integrity:
Penn State University and the College of Health and Human Development have policies on dealing with
academic integrity problems. The University procedures for dealing with a violation are described in detail
at this website: http://www.psu.edu/dept/oue/aappm/G-9.html
The College’s website for procedures relating violations of academic integrity can be found at:
http://www.hhdev.psu.edu/policies/academicintegrity/
Please note that it is the responsibility of the student to be sure that they understand what constitutes a
violation of academic integrity and what the policies are with respect to such violations.
Faculty may assign a wide range of sanctions to a student found responsible for violating academic
integrity. Your instructor may choose to utilize academic sanctions (the modification of grades due to
misconduct), but when referring cases to Student Conduct, faculty have the option to also recommend a full
range of disciplinary sanctions available to Student Conduct such as: Disciplinary Warning; Disciplinary
Probation; Suspension, Indefinite Expulsion or Expulsion; or the "XF" transcript notation (see: Sanctioning
Guidelines for Academic Integrity Violations and Explanations for Disciplinary Sanctions).
It is important that you know that the Department of Biobehavioral Health--and the faculty course
instructors, and the Teaching Assistants-- are committed to the principles of academic integrity and that
students who violate the principles of academic integrity will be reported and appropriate sanctions will be
taken.
Statement on Disability
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. If you have a
disability-related need for reasonable academic adjustments in this course, contact the Office for Disability
Services (ODS) at 814-863-1807 (V/TTY). For further information regarding ODS, please visit the Office for
Disability Services Web site at http://equity.psu.edu/ods/. In order to receive consideration for course
accommodations, you must contact ODS and provide documentation (go to
http://equity.psu.edu/ods/ods/forms/contact-ods-form). If the documentation supports the need for
academic adjustments, ODS will provide a letter identifying appropriate academic adjustments. Please
share this letter and discuss the adjustments with your instructor as early in the course as possible. You
must contact ODS and request academic adjustment letters at the beginning of each semester.
Course Schedule: BB H 305
Fall 2014
Please note: This course schedule may be changed at the discretion of the instructors at any time during the
semester. Students will be notified of schedule changes during class or via email.
WEEK #
DATE
TOPIC
UNDERSTANDING GLOBAL HEALTH
1
Aug 26
Introduction to global health (L, CA)
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Aug 28
Introduction to global health (L, CA)
Sept 2
Introduction to global health (L, CA)
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Sept 4
Introduction to global health (L, CA)

Sept 9
Measuring global health (L, CA)
Sept 11
Measuring global health (CA)
Sept 16
Determinants of health – Overview (F)
Sept 18
Determinants of health – Social environment (L, CA)
Sept 23
Determinants of health – Access to health (L, CA)
Sept 25
Determinants of health – Culture (L, GT)
Sept 30
Global health governance: actors (L)
Oct 2
Global health governance: agendas (CA)
Oct 7
Global health governance (F)
Oct 9
Ethical concerns in global health (L, CA)
Oct 14
Exam revision
Oct 16
Mid-semester exam
CASE STUDIES IN GLOBAL HEALTH
9
Oct 21
The environment & global health (F)
10
NOTES
Oct 23
Natural disasters & humanitarian emergencies (CD)
Oct 28
Nutrition (CA)
End of “Drop period” –
Sept 3
End of “Add period” –
Sept 4

Critical reaction paper
#1 due – on or before
Sept. 29

Distribute example
exam questions and
study guide

Mid-semester exam –
Oct. 16

Classroom debates
between Weeks 9& 15

Critical reaction
paper #2 due – on or
11
12
13
14
Oct 30
Vaccinations and immunization (CD)
Nov 4
HIV/AIDS (CA)
Nov 6
Alcohol and tobacco use (CD)
Nov 11
Global mental health (CA)
Nov 13
Women’s health (CD)
Nov 18
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Nov 20
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Nov 25
Nov 27
15
before Nov 3
Meetings with instructor re: “Where to from here?”
paper
Meetings with instructor re: “Where to from here?”
paper
NO CLASSES THIS WEEK
(THANKSGIVING BREAK)
Dec 2
Communicable diseases (CD)
Dec 4

The environment and global health (CD)
WHERE TO FROM HERE?
16
17
Dec 9
Influencing global health (CA)
Dec 11
Influencing global health (CA)
Dec 16
Dec 18
Key:
L – Lecture
CA – Classroom activity
F – Film
FINAL EXAM PERIOD
CD – Classroom debate
GT – Guest talk/lecture

Critical reaction paper
#3 due – on or before
Dec 8

“Where to from here”
paper due – Dec 16