HPA 301W
Health Services Policy Issues

Fall  2002   /   Tu - Th  9:45 - 11:00   /   218 Thomas Bldg

Professor Frederick Eisele 

Syllabus | Schedule | Class Members | Project 

SYLLABUS

Course description

This is the second of the core courses in the HPA major, building on HPA 101. It surveys current and recurrent health services policy issues. As a writing-intensive course, it stresses researching and writing about health care policy issues.  Majors and minors must pass this course with a grade of "C," or better. Prerequisites (HPA 101, PL SC 001, ECON 002) are enforced: HPA 101 must have been completed with a grade of C ;  if failed, HPA 101 may be repeated simultaneously with HPA 301, but it may not be taken after HPA 301.  PL SC 001 or ECON 002 may be taken simultaneously with HPA 301.  The "W" suffix indicates this course meets the Baccalaureate Degree requirement of a 3 credit writing intensive course.

Course Goals

General

• Broaden your understanding of current & recurrent policy issues in US health care
• Deepen your knowledge of public policy processes and terminology  
• Enhance the values of personal responsibility for your own learning, and of effective time management

Specific - Develop and improve your skills in:

• Information literacy (specifying, searching, assessing, synthesizing & using public information)
• Communication (writing, speaking, reading, listening; report preparation & presentation)
• Teamwork (group problem solving, conflict management, time management, decision making)

Instructor, assistants

Approaches to teaching & learning

This is a project-driven, skills-development, research and writing course. We deliver this via short lectures, discussion, peer coaching, & teamwork. Students build critical research & writing skills by synthesizing information for two policy issue projects. Students also develop speaking and listening skills through analysis of policy issue arguments and controversies, based on readings, discussions, occasional debates, & quizzes. We value highly students' taking responsibility for their own learning. We strongly encourage asking questions;  the only 'dumb' questions are those you don't ask. We will use email and the web, heavily.  The teaching team (instructor, teaching assistant, teaching intern and the writing coach) are resources available for any aspect of the course. So, stay in touch, and use these resources t make the most of your tuition dollars!

Readings/texts (required)

• Daniel, E.L., Taking sides; clashing views on controversial issues in health & society. Dushkin, 5th ed., 2001. Pro & con readings on 6 + issues, for in-class discussion)

• Daily newpapers: The New York Times, and USA Today are now freely available on campus. You are expected to read a national paper every day. 

Policies

Attendance 
Class attendance is important and required; we check randomly. We note absences, and these will detract from your final grade. Students should inform the instructor by email if they must miss a class for reasons beyond their control (e.g., illness, family emergency, etc.)
Lateness: Class starts at the assigned hour, precisely; repeated lateness for class is unacceptable and will affect your grade. On quiz days, late persons will not be allowed to take (or retake) that particular quiz. Also, early departure from class sessions, w/o explanation, will be similarly treated.  In sum, attendance is not ‘credited’ but absence and lateness will be ‘debited.’
Electronics: Cell phones, pagers, laptops, radios, etc. may not be used while in this class.

Communication
Communication between students and the teaching team is very important. Students re strongly encouraged to communicate regularly with members of this team. Outside of class, email is preferred, e.g., to set up a meeting. You will need to check your email regularly (at least weekly) for syllabus updates and minor changes. If you use an email system other than PennState's Eudora (e.g., hotmail.com, or aol.com) be SURE you have your messages forwarded from your Eudora account. We do not accept excuses such as "I didn't see/get the email about that change."

Grades
Majors and minors must pass course prerequisites, and this course, with a "C" or better.   

Projects 70%. Two projects: individual at 40% & team at 30%.  Detailed instructions found at "Project Instructions" web page (see link at top of page). A student who fails to complete the first project with a passing grade ("C" or better) cannot pass the course. Nor will such a student be able to participate in the second, team project, because having the skills to do the first is a pre-requisite for working with others on the second. A student who fails to complete the first project satisfactorily will be advised to withdraw, and to re-take HPA 301 next semester.

Quizzes 25%. Best five of  five-to-seven quizzes, given unannounced at the very beginning of sessions. These are multi-choice & short essay questions.  Late arrivals may not take that day's quiz; no quiz make-ups, no quizzes after 12^th week. No midterm or final exam. 

Discussion/participation/presentation (5%) Based on instructors' observation of coherent, thoughtful questioning & responding, commenting and listening (e.g. acknowledging and building on others' contributions) and peer evaluation of teamwork. Includes brief oral presentation of first project.  Absences or lateness will also affect this portion of the grade.

Grading scale
A = 3.68-4.00 = 96-100%	A- = 3.34-3.67 = 91-95	B+ = 3.01-3.33 = 86-90
B = 2.68-3.00 = 81-85	B- = 2.34-2.67 = 76-80	C+ = 2.01-2.33 = 71-75
C = 1.68-2.00 = 66-70	D = 1.34-1.67 = 61-65	F = 0.00-1.33= 0- 60

Theft 
Using others' written words without attributing their source is a form of intellectual property theft (euphemistically called "plagiarism"), and is taken especially seriously in this course. Most published information belongs, in some sense, to someone. Using others' words is usually acceptable, as long as it is acknowledged as theirs, by proper citation. Plagiarism will be penalized heavily; see HPA's Statement on Academic Honesty, in Project Instructions.  Also, read more on plagiarism at: http://www.ma.psu.edu/~sjg9/eng202/202plagi.htm as defined by Penn State’s Department of English. An important variation of plagiarism can occur in the team project, where members allow "free-riding" team member(s) to sign her/his name to the project, although they know that member did not do the work to which she/he attested. If you permit this to happen you commit plagiarism. You also put yourself in the foolish situation of protecting someone who has stolen from you.

Time/effort
The bar charts below estimate time/effort in-class, and strongly recommended time/effort out-of-class. Thus, the 2 projects (blue shaded) will take about 45% of class time, but 75% of your out-of-class time (about 60 hrs), comprising 70% of your grade.