Northwestern University Program in Public Health Faculty Handbook , v. 3

Transcription

1 Northwestern University Program in Public Health Faculty Handbook , v. 3

2 Northwestern University Program in Public Health Faculty and Advisor Handbook, v Welcome and introduction... 2 TGS faculty handbook... 2 Contact information for PPH administrators... 2 Academic calendar... 2 Who are the PPH students?... 3 Competencies... 3 How does your course fit into the students overall program of study?... 4 MPH graduation requirements... 5 Instructors not otherwise affiliated with Northwestern... 7 New course development... 7 Payment and reimbursement for expenses... 7 Course work expectations... 8 Course syllabus... 8 Course objectives... 9 Course materials (reading, software)... 9 Important: posting copyrighted articles and chapters on Blackboard Classrooms and classroom scheduling Teaching assistants Lab instructors Student registration in a course Dropping a course Low enrollment Classroom AV Blackboard Class rosters Student communication Class hours and schedules Student evaluation Grading and grading deadlines Course evaluation by students Course evaluation by faculty Teaching evaluation and improvement Independent study Academic advisor duties Northwestern and internet access Student problems Parking Sexual harassment Academic integrity Map of Chicago Campus... 19

3 Welcome and introduction Welcome to the faculty of the Northwestern University (NU) Program in Public Health (PPH). The PPH s mission is improve the health of the people of Chicago, the United States, and the world, by engaging students, faculty, and community partners in innovative and replicable education, research, and service programs in population health. The PPH offers two distinct degree programs, the Master of Public Health (MPH) and the Master of Science in Epidemiology and Biostatistics (MSEB). We appreciate your role in helping our students learn. All faculty members are encouraged to attend the PPH s semiannual retreats (usually held on the third Fridays in June and December in the Department of Preventive Medicine) where activities of the previous quarter are summarized and program objectives for the upcoming quarter are discussed. Faculty are invited to propose agenda items for the retreat in advance or during the open session. Faculty are also invited to celebrate the PPH graduation with our students and their families, typically held on the third Wednesday in May. TGS faculty handbook The Graduate School provides a faculty handbook, available at which addresses issues relevant to employed Northwestern faculty, including scholarly activities of the faculty, conditions of service, university disciplinary procedures, and faculty benefits. The NU PPH Faculty Handbook has practical information for persons teaching in the PPH on the Chicago campus. Contact information for PPH administrators PPH: Rowland Chang, MD, MPH rwchang@northwestern.edu, MPH program: Rebecca Wurtz, MD, MPH rwurtz@northwestern.edu, MSEB program: Mercedes Carnethon, PhD carnethon@northwestern.edu, Karen Quintana, Program Administrator k-quintana@northwestern.edu, Cicely Anderson, MBA: Program Assistant cicelyanderson@northwestern.edu, Dante Brinkley, Program Assistant d-brinkley@northwestern.edu, Tameka Mann, Program Assistant t-mann@northwestern.edu Academic calendar The PPH operates on the academic calendar of Northwestern s Graduate School. This calendar is available at 2

4 Who are the PPH students? In the MPH program, the majority of students are joint degree students, in MD and PhD (both integrated sciences and medical anthropology) programs. In addition, we have free-standing degree students, people who are already health professionals. PPH courses may have students from other programs (MSCI [Masters of Science in Clinical Investigation], MSHQPS [Masters of Science in Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety], MSHSR [Masters of Science in Healthcare Services Research], MPPA [Masters of Science in Public Policy and Administration]), and genetic counseling. Occasionally, undergraduate students, postdoctoral research fellows, and auditing students enroll in MPH classes. MSEB program students come from a variety of backgrounds. Some students hold undergraduate degrees in the social sciences, biology or mathematics, while others have doctoral degrees in related fields (e.g., MD, PhD) and are seeking additional training in population research. MSEB students select one of two tracks, the Statistical Analyst track or the Investigator track. Competencies Northwestern s public health education is competency-based. That means that on graduation, NU MPH graduates should be able to 1. Critically evaluate epidemiologic, prevention and health promotion, clinical outcomes, and health services research studies. 2. Formulate a testable hypothesis relevant to public health practice and select and implement appropriate methods to test the hypothesis in an ethically appropriate fashion with contemporary information and computing resources. 3. Locate and interpret vital statistics and other population-based data. 4. Identify population needs for primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention and describe population-based, organizational, and individual behavioral change approaches designed to restore, improve, and maintain health. 5. Identify challenges and opportunities that the economics and organization of health services create for maintaining and improving the public's health. 6. Describe the differences and overlap between clinical medicine and public health, identify ways in which the two disciplines can work in synergy, and recognize the advantages of interdisciplinary teamwork in achieving health objectives. 7. Develop advocacy strategies for public policies that advance health goals. 8. Demonstrate leadership potential as exemplified by effective writing, public presentation, and teaching. 9. Describe the history and traditions of public health and their relevance to current and future practice. Students earning the MSEB degree on either track should be able to 1. Define and calculate measures of disease frequency and measures of association between risk factors and disease. 3

5 2. Understand the basic terms and methods used in outbreak investigation, infectious disease epidemiology, chronic disease epidemiology, disease prevention trials and evaluation of screening tests. 3. Describe the major epidemiologic research study designs and their advantages and limitations. 4. Describe major sources of confounding and bias in epidemiologic research and strategies to evaluate and reduce bias. 5. Apply criteria to support whether an association is causal. 6. Apply regression, classical methods of analysis of categorical data, survival data and other appropriate statistical approaches to analyze epidemiologic data. 7. Use a computer-based statistical analysis package to analyze epidemiologic data. 8. Carry out basic sample size and power calculation analyses. 9. Interpret results of an epidemiologic study, including the relation to findings from other epidemiologic studies, the potential biological or social mechanisms, the limitations of the studies and the public health implications. 10. Communicate written and oral findings in a scientifically appropriate manner. 11. Carry out research that protects the interests of human subjects. Students on the MSEB Investigator Track should additionally be able to 1. Design an epidemiologic study to address a question of interest. 2. Critically review the scientific literature, synthesize findings across studies and make appropriate public health recommendations based on current knowledge. 3. Write a clear description of the rationale, methods, results and interpretation of an epidemiologic investigation. Students on the MSEB Statistical Analyst Track should additionally be able to 1. Develop a statistical analysis plan to answer epidemiologic study questions. 2. Use more than one computer-based statistical analysis package to analyze epidemiologic data. 3. Build and manage relational databases for epidemiologic analyses. The program uses these competencies to guide course development and assessment. When you submit your syllabus to the Curriculum Committee, we will ask you to indicate which competencies are developed in your course. How does your course fit into the students overall program of study? The syllabi for every MPH course can be found at We encourage you to look at the syllabi for other courses with similar subject matter, in order to prevent unnecessary redundancy. Tables showing how MPH students progress through the degree program can be found on pages in the MPH Student Handbook, available at

6 2011Version1.pdf. Schedules are different, depending on the type of student (MPH, MD/MPH, PhD/MPH, or MSEB) and the quarter in which the student starts. These tables can help you determine the courses that your students may already have taken. Detailed information about MPH graduation requirements can be found on pages 8-10 of the MPH Student Handbook. MPH graduation requirements Graduation requirements differ slightly for free-standing (MPH only) and for joint degree (MD/MPH and PhD/MPH) students, because joint degree students receive some MPH credits for course work in their primary degree program. The following tables detail the required and elective credits needed. Degree requirements for the freestanding MPH degree Quarter Credit Units Units Required ( = core) courses Topics in Public Health 6 2 Introduction to Biostatistics 3 1 Behavior, Society and Health 3 1 Introduction to Epidemiology 3 1 Introduction to the US Healthcare System 3 1 Environmental Health Sciences 3 1 Public Health Methods course 3 1 Total core course credits 24 8 Field Experience 6 2 Culminating Experience 6 2 Electives (one must be either Intermediate Epidemiology or Intermediate Biostatistics) 21 7 Total credits *Substitutes for PH 304 Introduction to Epidemiology Degree requirements for the MPH/PhD degree 5

7 Quarter Credit Units Units Required ( = core) courses Topics in Public Health 6 2 Introduction to Biostatistics* 3 1 Behavior, Society and Health 3 1 Introduction to Epidemiology 3 1 Introduction to the US Healthcare System 3 1 Environmental Health Sciences** 3 1 Public Health Methods course 3 1 Total core course credits 24 8 Field Experience 6 2 Culminating Experience 6 2 Electives (one must be either Intermediate Epidemiology or Intermediate Biostatistics) *** 21 7 Total credits * ANTHRO 362 Advanced Methods in Quantitative Analysis may be substituted ** CIV ENG 361 Environmental Microbiology and Public Health may be substituted *** May include up to three non-mph electives as approved by the MPH Curriculum Committee Degree requirements for the MPH/MD degree Required (= core courses) Quarter Credit Units Topics in Public Health 6 2 Introduction to Biostatistics 3 1 Behavior, Society and Health 3 1 Medical Decision Making II (MDM II)* 3 1 Introduction to the US Healthcare System 3 1 Environmental Health Sciences 3 1 Total core course credits 21 7 Field Experience 6 2 Culminating Experience 6 2 MPH Electives (one must be either Intermediate Epidemiology or Intermediate Biostatistics) Units 12 4 Medical Decision Making III (MDM III) 3 1 Med. School Curriculum: Shared Credits other than MDM II and III (see narrative) 6 2 Public Health Methods course 3 1 Total credits

8 Instructors not otherwise affiliated with Northwestern Instructors not otherwise affiliated with Northwestern must sign a letter of agreement with the PPH which spells out the instructor s and the program s responsibilities. The instructor must also provide a CV in the NU format (program staff can supply an example of the format). In order to access Blackboard, the instructor needs an NU netid. It takes several weeks to obtain an NU netid, and the process cannot begin until the instructor has submitted the signed letter of agreement and his/her CV in the NU format. New instructors will receive a temporary netid, valid for approximately 12 months. In addition, the instructor cannot obtain an NU Wildcard ID until he/she has a netid. The instructor must obtain an NU Wildcard ID before the course starts, and wear it at all times on campus. The instructor will not be able to access campus buildings without it. Instructors not affiliated with Northwestern are paid as contractors and must sign a contractor agreement (in addition to the letter of agreement) in order to be paid. PPH program staff will arrange for the instructor to sign this form. Non-affiliated instructors may receive an adjunct faculty appointment in the Department of Preventive Medicine after a 1 year probationary period. Instructors with a faculty appointment will receive a permanent netid. New course development The PPH is always seeking new courses that fill gaps in our current curriculum, or allow our students to benefit from faculty expertise, contacts, and interests. Please contact the MPH Program Director, Dr. Wurtz, or MSEB Program Director, Dr. Carnethon, to discuss your ideas. Payment and reimbursement for expenses The PPH may provide salary support to PPH faculty, depending on arrangements with the faculty member and, for NU faculty, the faculty member s department chair. Arrangements should be discussed and confirmed with the PPH director during the course s planning stages. The PPH does not pay Northwestern faculty for individual lectures given as part of a course. The PPH may pay for a guest speaker in a course and/or reimburse expenses (e.g., parking) if arrangements have been discussed and confirmed with the PPH. However, this must be discussed with PPH administrators during the planning stages of the course. Guest speakers are asked to park in the University s 222 E. Huron garage (see Parking in this manual), in order to take advantage of program parking vouchers. The program cannot reimburse for parking in other locations. The PPH does not pay for course material development outside of the context of the course. 7

9 Course work expectations In general, students are expected to spend 1 to 2 hours preparing for every hour in class. This can guide your assigned reading and other assignments. In addition to helping the students develop PPH competencies, courses should help students develop oral and written presentation skills. Ideally, courses should also help students develop an understanding of career options in their field of study. Course syllabus A well-designed course syllabus describes the objectives of the course, the class schedule and location, readings, examination structure, and general expectations (e.g., policy on late assignments, special arrangements, attendance requirements). The PPH website includes examples of approved course syllabi for existing courses. The PPH uses a syllabus template which will be provided when you start to plan your course. All course syllabi must contain the following elements: 1. Objectives (see below for guidelines for writing objectives) 2. Requirement that students must complete a course evaluation in order to receive their grade Course evaluation The MPH Program administers web-based course evaluations to students for each course near the end of the quarter. Your completion of both the unit (course) and faculty evaluation components is required; failure to complete either of the evaluations will result in an incomplete grade until the evaluations are submitted. You will be sent the web link and instructions via later in the quarter. You will have about two weeks time to complete the evaluations before grades are submitted. 3. NU notice about plagiarism Academic integrity at Northwestern University is based on a respect for individual achievement that lies at the heart of academic culture. Every faculty member and student, both graduate and undergraduate, belongs to a community of scholars where academic integrity is a fundamental commitment. The Programs in Public Health abides by the standards of academic conduct, procedures, and sanctions as set forth by The Graduate School at Northwestern University. Students are responsible for knowledge of the information provided by The Graduate School on their Web page at Additionally, faculty reserve the right to use the Safe Assignment: Plagiarism Detection Tool that is part of the Course Management System. Info about this tool is found at Although it is not required, the syllabus may state which of the PPH competencies the course develops. Including the program competenc(ies) can help students understand the purpose of your course in the context of all courses she/he is taking to complete the degree. Additionally, stating the competency can help you plan activities for the course. 8

10 Course syllabi must be reviewed by the Program s Curriculum Committee prior to the start of the quarter. You are required to submit your syllabus for review each time you teach your course. A program administrator will contact you to remind you of this requirement; syllabi are due approximately 6 weeks before the quarter starts. You are encouraged to submit your syllabus as early as possible so that you will have adequate time to make any changes requested by the curriculum committee. If you have questions while developing your syllabus, you are welcome to share drafts with the Curriculum Committee which can provide suggestions and feedback. The current chair of the Curriculum Committee is listed on the PPH website. Course objectives Each course syllabus should contain a set of objectives for that course. In order to satisfy the requirements of our accrediting body, the Council on Education for Public Health, these objectives must be observable and measurable. This means that the achievement of the objective by each student must be able to be evaluated in a way which can be observed and measured by the instructor. Phrases such as the student shall know, understand, be familiar with, realize, and be aware of are therefore unacceptable. Instead, the objective should be stated in a way that enables the instructor to observe and measure the student s knowledge, understanding, familiarity with, etc. It is helpful to think of the method you will use to have the student demonstrate the acquisition of the knowledge or skills in the given objective. Such words and phrases as list, describe, calculate, design a program, define, demonstrate (as a skill or method), identify and utilize (as in sources of information or data), compute are often useful in composing objectives. Examples of unacceptable objectives are Students will: have an understanding of key concepts and current theories understand sources of bias have knowledge of the multiple steps required for be familiar with Examples of acceptable objectives are: Students will be able to: list and describe the multiple steps required for a new drug to be approved explain what screening is, when is it appropriate, and describe the basic elements of a good screening program. describe the criteria commonly used to discriminate from critically evaluate the means by which describe common sources of bias in use Stata to analyze and interpret data from Course materials (reading, software) Faculty members are responsible for ordering books and other required materials for teaching in advance of class. Program assistants can place textbook orders for you. Please provide them with the title, author, ISBN number, and number of copies of the 9

11 book that you need. Publishers often provide instructors with complimentary desk copies of a textbook that they plan to use in a class. Request a copy from the publisher if you need one. Please describe any other required course materials (e.g., coursepack of readings) to the program assistants who will help you assemble these materials prior to the start of class. In order to ensure that orders are received in advance of class, please place all orders with the program assistant at least 8 weeks before the start of the quarter. The program must approve the purchase of special software for the course (e.g., an updated version of STATA or ArcGIS) at the time the course is first discussed with the instructor. Software must be ordered through the program, and must be installed on library or department computers at least 4 weeks before the start of the quarter, in order to troubleshoot IT issues. If the instructor expects students to have software installed on their personal laptops, please inform students before the class starts, and work with DPM IT staff to assist students in installation and operation of software. PPH students have requested that reading material be posted on Blackboard at least one week before the class session. Because of their busy schedules, students usually try to work on homework during the weekend prior to their class session. Important: posting copyrighted articles and chapters on Blackboard Journal articles, book chapters and reports which are not in the public domain posted on Blackboard or used in classes must adhere to and comply with copyright law and guidelines. This is not new, but is being newly enforced. Copyrighted material includes almost all journal articles and book chapters. The Galter Library obtains and manages copyright permissions on behalf of instructors. The library also manages copyright royalty payments for classes as needed. To provide this service, the library must have the citations for (and, if necessary, the material) 4 to 6 weeks before the quarter starts. During peak times (in the weeks leading up to the beginning of a quarter), processing time for electronic reserves may take longer. The instructor is responsible for submitting requests for copyright permission to the library. Requests must be submitted using the online submission form. Providing accurate and complete citations will speed processing time. Incomplete or incorrect citations will significantly delay processing time. If you need assistance verifying a citation, contact the Galter Library reference desk at (312) or at ghsl-ref@northwestern.edu There are 3 categories of postings. 1. If Galter subscribes to the journal from which an article will be posted, the library will supply a link to the article from the library s university-wide subscription. The link can be posted on Blackboard, and students can access the article via that link. Instructors may reuse this link in future postings without additional copyright permission. For example, if you would like the students to read an article from the 10

12 American Journal of Public Health (to which the library subscribes), send the citation to the library using the online submission form, and the library will send a link to that article from its electronic access. 2. If Galter does not own or have access to the material (e.g. a published report not available on the internet), the instructor must submit a copy to Galter. The instructor can provide either an electronic or a hard copy. Hard copies should be made directly from the source material on clean white 8 1/2 x 11 paper, printed on a single side, without staples. The better the copy looks, the better the scanned document will be. The library will obtain copyright permission and create a.pdf copy to be posted to Blackboard. 3. If the library doesn't own a book, they will order it. The library purchases copies of all textbooks recommended and required for classes. However, obtaining the book, getting copyright permission, creating a.pdf, and posting it on Blackboard can take longer than 4 to 6 weeks. Due to copyright restrictions, the library can post no more than 10% (up to 50 pages total) of a book. If the instructor needs more, he/she should place the entire book on (non-electronic) reserve, and it will be held at the Circulation Desk. If you have any questions about copyright or reserve policies, contact Kurt Munson, Head of the User Services Department, at (312) or kmunson@northwestern.edu. Classrooms and classroom scheduling PPH classroom space is located in the Lurie and McGaw Buildings and the Galter Library on the Medical School campus, approximately two blocks from the Department offices. Rooms range from the 182 seat Williams Auditorium to seminar-sized classrooms. Courses offered in conjunction with the Weinberg College of the Arts and Sciences (e.g., Global Health), Kellogg School of Management and the Law School are held in classrooms controlled by those schools. The Williams Auditorium is on the 2 nd floor of the McGaw Pavilion, 240 E. Huron (map on p. 17 and at ). The Searle and Gray Seminar Rooms are on the ground floor of the Lurie Building, 303 E. Superior. PPH program assistants will schedule classrooms based on the enrollment, availability, and AV requirements, and will let you know the classroom name and location about 4 weeks before class starts. If a different classroom is required for examinations or other occasional special activities, please alert the program assistants as early as possible (preferably once the syllabus is complete) so they can find an alternate space. Teaching assistants An instructor may request a teaching assistant (TA) for his/her course if enrollment reaches 12 or more students (in some instances, depending on group size and work load, an instructor may request two TAs). The TA will be paid on an hourly basis by the PPH. 11

13 An instructor whose course does not meet the program s enrollment requirement will be allowed to have a TA but must pay the TA with his/her own funds. TAs do not require faculty appointments if their duties include giving no more than a single lecture per course, running discussion sections, and grading papers. Pre-doctoral (e.g., PhD or MD) students may serve as TAs, and are not eligible for faculty appointments. Appropriate duties for TAs include 1. grading homework, tests, and papers 2. conducting discussion and review sessions 3. attending class 4. holding office hours An individual who lectures on more than one topic (e.g., delivers multiple lectures over multiple classes) or performs other duties (e.g., leading discussion during scheduled class time) is not considered a TA, and must be eligible to hold a faculty appointment and be listed as a co-instructor for the course. TAs should not be full or even part-time substitutes for the instructor. Post-doctoral fellows are eligible for faculty appointments as an instructor; this appointment should be obtained before the course begins. Requests for TAs should be made in advance of the start of the quarter, especially if historical data indicate that the course enrollment will be large. Requests must be submitted to the PPH Program Administrator. 1) If the instructor has identified a person to serve as TA, he/she should send an to k-quintana@northwestern.edu with the following information - qualifications of the proposed TA, - number of hours needed during the quarter, and - short description of the duties. The request will be considered by the Curriculum Committee. If the request is warranted and the TA candidate is eligible for employment at NU, the instructor and the TA will be notified via with the pay rate to be offered and payment documentation. 2) If the instructor has NOT identified a TA and needs the PPH to assist with hiring a suitable TA, he/she should send an to k-quintana@northwestern.edu with the following information: - requirements and qualifications desired from the TA, - number of hours needed during the quarter, and - short description of the duties. The request will be considered by the Curriculum Committee. If the request is warranted, the Program will solicit possible TAs from a pool that may contain FSM 4 th year MD/MPH students, students in other graduate programs (such as at the University of Illinois at Chicago), and health services research fellows at NU. Resumés from interested TA candidates will be forwarded to the instructor for consideration and a final decision can be 12

14 made by the instructor. Once a final decision is made, the PPH will notify the candidate of the pay rate and payment documentation. NOTE: the Program cannot guarantee that a suitable TA will be found. The PPH Program Administrator will monitor the course s enrollment during the registration period and through the first week of the quarter. If the enrollment requirement is not met by the end of the first week in the quarter, the PPH will not pay for the TA. At that point, the instructor may choose to hire the TA at the instructor s expense. TAs not affiliated with Northwestern (e.g., grad students at other universities) are paid as contractors and must sign a contractor agreement. Because it takes several weeks to obtain a Northwestern netid and password, the instructor should identify the TA as soon as possible to begin the process of NU intranet access. The TA cannot access Blackboard until he /she has access to the NU intranet via an NU netid and password. The TA must also get an NU Wildcard ID and wear it at all times while on campus. PPH funds cannot be used to hire a TA to develop course materials. The development of lectures, Powerpoint slides, reading material, homework assignments, quizzes and tests are the responsibility of the course instructor. Instructors may, out of their own funds, hire someone to develop course materials. Lab instructors Lab instructors differ from course instructors and TAs in that they routinely spend 1-2 hours a week in the computer lab with students, providing instruction during that time. Lab instructors are paid a flat fee, in contrast to TAs, who are paid on an hourly basis. Lab instructors are identified in the same way as TAs, Student registration in a course PPH students can enroll in PPH courses without special permission, unless there is a prerequisite, a limited number of seats, or instructor permission required. If instructor permission is required, the student will contact you, and then you must contact Karen Quintana (k-quintana@northwestern.edu) to allow the student to obtain a permission number, required for registration. Students from other programs need PPH program permission to enroll in PPH classes and must contact Karen Quintana (k-quintana@northwestern.edu) to receive a permission number. The instructor cannot give permission to a non-pph student without the PPH s consent. Dropping a course TGS has a relatively early deadline by which a student must drop a course. The instructor cannot authorize dropping a course after this date. If there are questions, please refer the student to the PPH administrators. 13

15 Low enrollment Courses may be canceled due to low enrollment. Generally, fewer than 4 students is considered low enrollment. The instructor can decide if he/she is willing to offer the course as independent study. Independent study courses are reimbursed at approximately $1750 per enrolled student. Classroom AV It is recommended that you schedule an opportunity to see the classroom where you will be teaching for the quarter prior to the start of that quarter. While visiting, you can try all of the AV equipment and observe the layout of the classroom. In some cases, it may be possible to request a particular layout (e.g., tables in a circle vs tables in a row). All instructors must come to the classroom 15 minutes before the start of the first class each quarter to review AV equipment with a program assistant. All classrooms are outfitted with LCD projectors. If you have a Mac-compatible laptop, you must bring your own LCD cable adapter. All Chicago classrooms have internet access (including wireless connectivity). If an instructor/speaker is using a laptop connected to the podium where the local (podium) computer is, he/she can connect to the NU wireless server using their Netid/Password. If the person does not have Netid/password, they can connect to the internet on their laptop by simply plugging in the Ethernet cord to their laptop. One of the program assistants will be in your classroom approximately 10 minutes before the start of each class to help set up laptops connect to the classroom projector, etc. Instructors supply their own laptops unless this has been explicitly worked out with the program administration in advance. If you have AV problems after the program administrator has departed, call the IT support person listed in the classroom on the podium. Blackboard All PPH courses are supported by Blackboard TM. In order to access Blackboard TM as an instructor, you need an NU netid and password. If you do not have an NU netid/password, speak with the program assistants at least two weeks before your course starts. Courses for which you are the instructor will automatically appear under Courses You Are Teaching. Courses appear on Blackboard approximately 3 weeks before the start of the quarter. The PPH does not control when the course appears. In brief, Blackboard TM can be used as a repository for the course syllabus, PowerPoint lectures, readings and assignments. Providing these materials on Blackboard TM eliminates the instructor s need to bring hard copies of materials to class and instead places the responsibility on the students to print what they need or store what they need electronically on their computers. 14

16 PPH students have requested that reading material be posted at least one week before the class session. Please see the important notice on pp about obtaining copyright permission for items posted on Blackboard Students like to have.ppt presentations posted on Blackboard TM so that they can download the presentations to take notes during the lecture. Although some instructors are reluctant to do this, experience has shown that it does not result in decreased attendance. If you are reluctant to share a slide, format the.ppt presentation as a.pdf file, and let students know they can print the presentation prior to class for note-taking purposes. Advanced features include on-line quizzes, discussion forums, and an instructor gradebook so that students can view their progress in real-time. If you are unfamiliar with Blackboard TM, the University offers beginning and advanced seminars on its use. Alternatively, the program assistants can provide you with a brief introduction. Class rosters Student rosters (which include the student s degree program) are uploaded to the Blackboard TM Course site and updated as new students join the class. Student communication Healthy faculty-student communications are characterized by timely questions and responses with a mutual respect for each others schedule. All faculty are required to maintain an active Northwestern University account during the term in which they are teaching. Faculty members are expected to be available to assist students outside of class time whether via scheduled office hours, , and phone. Faculty are encouraged to set expectations about student communications up front (preferably in the syllabus) so that students do not develop unrealistic expectations (e.g., pleas for immediate help at 2am or on a weekend). Class hours and schedules Northwestern University is on the quarter system. Most graduate courses meet for ten weeks in a quarter except during summer session, when courses may meet for nine sessions, depending on the course. The Graduate School calendar can be found at You are responsible for checking these sites and being aware of your scheduled start/end dates. Martin Luther King Day, July 4 th, and Thanksgiving are the only scheduled holidays which interfere with courses. If one of your class sessions is not held due to a holiday, the length of the quarter is extended, if possible. If you or a student must miss a class because of a religious holiday, it is your responsibility to arrange for a make-up session or make-up work. 15

17 If you must miss a class for other reasons, it is your responsibility to inform students and schedule a make-up class at a time agreeable to all students. Student evaluation Expectations regarding student performance and evaluation should be made clear in the syllabus. Mere attendance should not be part of the basis for evaluation. If written work is required (e.g., reflection pieces, final papers, etc), the program expects the instructor to return that work to students with comments on content and writing, as appropriate. A critical part of graduate school courses is helping students become effective writers. Grading and grading deadlines Grades given in graduate courses are A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, and F (for failing work). A grade of Y is given when a student does not submit all assigned work in a course; a grade of X is given when a student fails to take the final examination. All X or Y grades are incompletes and must be made up within one calendar year of the date the grade is incurred; after one calendar year, the X or Y becomes a permanent grade on the student s record. The PPH uses Northwestern s on-line grading tool, CAESAR (Computer Assisted Electronic Student Access System). Faculty will be notified when the CAESAR roster for their course has been made available. Faculty use their NU netid/password to sign on to the system. The final gradebook cannot be accessed through Blackboard (even though there is a grading tool in Blackboard). Information on how to use CAESAR is available at Grades must be assigned within the grading window, which starts in the ninth week of the quarter and ends at 3 PM on the Monday after finals week. In Summer Quarter, this time frame is compressed. PPH assistants will notify you about the actual dates for the grading window, and about grading deadlines. Do not leave blank grades in CAESAR; if a student has not completed his/her work by the end of the grading period, a grade of Y or X should be assigned. Students are required to evaluate the course (see below) in order to receive a grade; program staff will let you know if a student should be given a Y due to failure to evaluate the course. Grades must be entered before the end of the grading period, or the student s grade is missing. If a student has not completed all required elements of the course, then a Y grade (i.e., Incomplete) should be entered. The Y grade should not be entered just because the instructor has not completed grading by the deadline. Because changing a missing grade requires substantial additional effort by program staff and can delay a student s graduation, the PPH will penalize instructors 10% of the course salary for 16

18 missing grades or for Y grades entered because the instructor has not completed grading by the deadline. Program assistants can provide advice on using CAESAR over the phone, but not on the last day of the grading period. Program assistants are not able to enter grades for an instructor. Course evaluation by students The PPH Program administers web-based course evaluations to students for each course near the end of the quarter. Program administrative staff reminds students about course evaluations and monitors completion. Students must complete the course evaluation before they can receive their course grade. Students who have not evaluated the course by the deadline will receive an incomplete for the quarter. Program staff will compile the course evaluations for your course and send the summary data to you within 6 weeks of the end of the quarter. Course evaluation by faculty Starting in winter quarter 2010, the PPH will be surveying faculty about their satisfaction with the classroom environment, student preparation, and program support. Teaching evaluation and improvement The Curriculum Committee reviews student course evaluations at the end of each quarter and sends letters of commendation to faculty who received excellent evaluations. A representative of the Curriculum Committee will meet with instructors who received poor evaluations in order to discuss options for modifying their syllabus and/or course. Teaching consulting, through Northwestern s Searle Center on Teaching Excellence ( is available to all PPH course directors. In order to improve the quality of instruction in the program, and as a professional development service, the PPH suggests that all new instructors, all new courses, and established courses periodically have a Searle small group analysis (SGA). Instructors can sign up for an SGA at The evaluation usually occupies approximately 25 minutes of class time. The instructor introduces the evaluator, then leaves. The evaluator conducts a structured review of the course with the students. The evaluator writes a summary of the student feedback, and reviews it with the instructor approximately 10 days after the SGA session. The SGA is confidential and is not shared with the PPH. Searle Center evaluators are available for other types of teaching assessment. The Center provides teaching seminars and workshops throughout the year. We strongly encourage PPH faculty to use this extraordinary resource to improve their teaching. Independent study In order for a student to enroll in an independent study course, the student and faculty member must complete an Independent Study Request Form, available at 17

19 A completed Independent Study Request Form is due at least 3 weeks before the quarter starts. Quarterly deadlines are: September 1 for Fall quarter independent study December 1 for Winter quarter independent study March 1 for Spring quarter independent study June 1 for Summer quarter independent study Academic advisor duties International FE for all other students If a PhD/MPH or freestanding MPH student wants to do an international FE, he/she needs the approval of his/her academic advisor (e.g., Drs. Kohrman, Hou, or Wurtz) before he/she submits the FE proposal. Northwestern and internet access If you are adjunct faculty, you will to get a Northwestern net identification (netid) and password to access the NU network (for Blackboard, CAESAR, and ). Please contact PPH administrators at least 7 days before you need access. Student problems If you note that a student is having academic or emotional difficulty, please notify Dr. Wurtz (MPH) or Dr. Carnethon (MSEB). Parking For detailed information, go to The PPH may provide vouchers for parking for guest faculty. These vouchers are good only for the 222 East Huron garage ( C Lot ). The PPH cannot reimburse guest faculty who park elsewhere. Sexual harassment It is the policy of Northwestern University that no male or female member of the Northwestern community may sexually harass any other member of the community. Graduate students who wish to learn more about the university s policy or who feel that they may have been sexually harassed should contact the University Sexual Harassment Prevention Office ( Please note, further, that if a student discusses an incident of possible sexual harassment with a faculty member, the faculty member is obligated to report the matter to the University Sexual Harassment Prevention Office. Academic integrity Academic integrity at Northwestern University is based on a respect for individual achievement that lies at the heart of academic culture. Every faculty member and student, 18

20 both graduate and undergraduate, belongs to a community of scholars where academic integrity is a fundamental commitment. The PPH abides by the standards of academic conduct, procedures, and sanctions as set forth by The Graduate School at Northwestern University. Students are responsible for knowledge of the information provided by The Graduate School on their Web page at Additionally, faculty reserve the right to use the Safe Assignment: Plagiarism Detection Tool that is part of the Course Management System. Information about this tool is found at Map of Chicago Campus (other maps available at McGaw 222 E. Huron Parking (C Lot) Lurie Department of Preventive Medicine PPH Offices 19