This course will introduce students to a variety of women’s health issues as well as the barriers faced by women striving to achieve a healthful lifestyle. Students will examine topics including: female sexual health and reproduction, exercise and eating behaviors, substance abuse, mental health and stress, and violence against women. This course is designed to support students in their personal exploration of attitudes, knowledge, and values related to women’s health and to assist them as they analyze their personal health behaviors.

Please print out this course description and read it before proceeding with the course.

Major Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Describe the overall current state of contemporary women’s health in the U.S.
• List the most important historical, societal, political, and economic factors that have influenced women’s health.
• Compare male and female morbidity and mortality rates for major causes of death.
• Apply principles of nutrition, exercise, and weight management.
• Describe relevant societal issues contributing to women’s views about body image.
• Describe and explain the prevalence of eating disorders in American women.
• Explain the importance of regular gynecological exams.
• List and describe the current available methods of contraception.
• Discuss current medical trends associated with fertility/infertility.
• Describe the psychological issues related to lack of contraceptive compliance.
• Examine current issues surrounding pregnancy and childbirth.
• Describe cardiovascular disease, cancer, and chronic disease prevention, characteristics, and treatments.
• Compare and contrast male and female involvement with alcohol and other drugs.
• Examine the prevalence of violence against women in contemporary society.
• Describe some of the major issues in mental health as they relate specifically to women.
• Critically evaluate health information generated by the media and secondary sources.

Course Format

• This class is not self-paced.
• The course material is sequential.
• There is a specific timeline for the completion of each assignment in this class.
• Students must complete all required assignments as outlined in order to pass the course:
• • All assignments are due on the dates shown in the class syllabus and calendar.
  • Weekly participation is required in this class.
  • Assignments that are turned in late will have points deducted from the grade for that assignment as follows (unless the student provides a college-approved excuse):
  • 1 days late will have 5 points subtracted
  • 2-4 days late will have 10 points subtracted
  • 5 days or more late will have 15 points subtracted
  • Open book exams that are completed late will have 10 points subtracted for each day they are late.
  • Any on-campus exams must be completed during one of the dates and times provided.
• Some of the types of learning activities or assignments that the student will be required to complete are:
• • Read a chapter in the textbook.
  • Read reference material which has been provided online.
  • View a video which has been provided online.
  • Discuss a topic each week with the class.
  • Write 3 papers on 3 topics, with the following specifications as to length and qualities: 2-3 pages, double-spaced.
  • Give a group (PowerPoint) presentation to the class.*
  • Prepare a (PowerPoint) presentation and present it to the class.*
  • Create a student home page.*
  • Complete instructions on how to prepare PowerPoint and/or a student home page will be provided! You don’t have to know how to do this already.
• Instructions and directions for each assignment will be given to students at each class.
• The syllabus and calendar will list due dates for papers, group projects, and exams.
• There will be 3 quizzes and 3 exams.
• • Quizzes will be done online and will be open book. They will be short and be timed and are intended to help you evaluate what you know and don’t know. Students will have TWO chances to take the quiz and the higher of the two grades will be used to determine the student’s final grade.
  • Exams will be done online and WILL be open book, however, they will also be timed. Students will have TWO chances to take the exams and the higher of the two grades will be used to determine the student’s final grade.

Required Viewers, Plug-ins, or Players

This class will require you to open and read Microsoft Word 2000 documents. If you don’t have Word 2000, then you may use the Word viewer that can be downloaded and used for free from Microsoft. (Visit HCC’s Viewers, Players, and Plug-ins page for the current links to obtain this viewer.)

This class will require you to open and read Adobe Acrobat documents. If you don’t have the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, then you will need to download and install it. (Visit HCC’s Viewers, Players, and Plug-ins page for the current links to obtain this reader.)

This class will require you to watch and listen to audio and or video files from the Internet. If you don’t have the free Real Player installed, then you will need to download and install it. (Visit HCC’s Viewers, Players, and Plug-ins page for the current links to obtain this reader.)

Class Communications: What to Expect from Your Instructor

• All email/voice messages will be acknowledged that they were received within 24 hrs. *
• Alternative forms of contact, such as phone calls and face-to-face meetings, are by appointment only.*
• Faxes may be sent to me at the health sciences fax number.
• I will read assignments/discussion forums and provide comments/responses within 48 hours. *
• Each assignment will be graded and returned within 2 days. *
• Exams will be graded within one week. *
• Examples of student papers and models of outstanding student work will be provided as the class progresses. Each will include a brief explanation of what makes that work good.

Grading Procedures

Grades will be determined by your scores on the following learning activities:

Weekly Discussion Assignments

Weekly responses will be posted in the appropriate Canvas class discussion topic by 8:00 am each Monday unless otherwise noted in the course schedule. In addition, sometimes students will be required to respond to at least two fellow student’s response each week by Friday at 8:00 am. On Friday morning each week that discussion topic will be closed so that no more responses may be posted. In an online class, these postings and reactions are how we establish a dialogue in the class, so they are a very important part of the course. See Guidelines for Weekly Postings under the Weekly Assignments section of the Course Content page.

Group or Personal Presentation

The detailed group or personal presentation assignment will be posted under paper assignments. Due dates are included in the Schedule of Readings and Due Dates.

Assignment Format and Documentation Requirements

Your papers will be submitted to me in Canvas Private Mail and should be sent as a Microsoft Word (or .rtf file) attachment to ensure readability.

Student Responsibility

Students are responsible for maintaining copies of all of their written work on your computer or on floppy disk in case of the need for retransmission. Students are responsible for keeping the instructor informed in the event of emergencies or unusual circumstances leading to extended absence from class participation. See the phone numbers at the top of this syllabus.

Extra Help in Writing

If you feel the need for more guidance with your writing, there are several places to go. You can e-mail me or schedule an appointment so that we can meet in person. You can also go to the Write Room. If you need more help using the computers, HCC offers free Word classes, and there are tutors available during the Open Writing Lab hours in the ELB building.

Text and Materials

Textbook information:  To visit our bookstore's online sales site, please visit www.howardccbooks.com and follow the instructions for selecting textbooks.

What to Do If You Need Help:

If you have questions about your course (assignments, due dates, problems completing assignments, how to submit assignment or navigate the Canvas course site, etc.), you should contact your online course Instructor by email or by phone. The HCC Help Desk cannot answer questions about specific course content.

Help in Canvas

Canvas has a built-in Help that can be accessed from any page in your course. Look for the Help link at the top of each page.

Difficulty Logging on to Canvas

If you are having difficulty logging on to Canvas and you know it is not a result of problems with your Internet Service Provider or your browser, contact:

Help Desk: 443-518-4444
helpdesk@howardcc.edu

Students and faculty may call 443-518-4444 between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. Monday through Friday to report problems. After hours, students and faculty may leave a message at the same number. The Technology Help Desk staff will handle the problem or direct it to the correct person to handle. When leaving a message, be sure to leave your name, the course you are enrolled in, your course instructor's name, your phone number, your e-mail address, and a description of the problem. Be sure to speak slowly so staff may easily take down your message.