CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, STANISLAUS

College of Education, Kinesiology & Social Work

Department of Kinesiology

KINS 4030 – Epidemiology & Health Promotion

Fall 2019

INSTRUCTOR: Eric Conrad, PhD, MA, CHES

OFFICE: Department of Kinesiology, Field House 132
OFFICE HOURS: Tuesdays & Thursdays: 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. or by appointment
E-MAIL ADDRESS: econrad@csustan.edu (Please use your Stan State email address and include KINS
4030 in the subject)
PHONE: 209-667-3326 (Office); 209-534-8828 (Cell)
CLASS LOCATION: Online via Blackboard
CLASS DAY(S)/TIME: Fully Online
CREDITS: 3 Hours

*This course will also utilize ClassPager to provide updates/alerts/announcements (See Blackboard for
instructions to opt in)

University Course Catalog Description

Public health-based course promoting an understanding of epidemiology (distribution, determinants, and
measurements of chronic diseases) and the role of health promotion concepts of assessment and intervention
to alter modifiable risk factors. Limited to Junior or Senior Standing.

Course Objectives:
1. To define, assess, and understand the health status of populations, determinants of health and
illness, factors contributing to health promotion and disease prevention, and factors
influencing the use of health services;
2. To apply basic public health promotion to the development and improvement of public health
programs for the prevention of disease and the promotion of public health and well-being;
3. To identify the role of cultural, social, and behavioral factors in determining disease, disease
prevention, health promoting behavior, and medical service organization and delivery; and
4. To understand the basic terms and methods used in outbreak investigation, infectious disease
epidemiology, chronic disease epidemiology, disease prevention

Required Text:
1. U.S Department of Health and Human Services. (2006). Principles of Epidemiology in Public
Health Practice: An Introduction to Applied Epidemiology and Biostatistics (3rd edition).
Atlanta, GA.

Note: PDF versions of the text lessons are included in the course at no cost. All other
supplemental articles/texts will also be provided in the course learning modules.

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Course Schedule:
The course schedule below and in Blackboard provides due dates and recommended dates for all activities in
this course. Please refer to the Stan State Academic Calendar for other important dates.

Course Format: The following strategies will be used during the course of instruction:
 Class/Group Discussions
 Computerized/digital lecture presentations
 Computerized/digital written assignments
 Video Presentations & Expert Testimony
 Blackboard discussion board
 Zoom class meetings (may be scheduled to discuss learning modules)

Course Questions:
It is normal and expected that students will have questions regarding the course throughout the term. To
assist you, this course will utilize a Virtual Assistant Chatbot called EpiBot which is available 24/7 to answer
your course-related questions. Prior to contacting the instructor with course-related questions, please attempt
to use EpiBot. If it is unable to provide you with a sufficient answer, your question will automatically be sent to
the professor. If you have a question relating to individual work/grades, please contact the instructor directly
via text or email.

System Requirements:
This online course will utilize Blackboard for all coursework. This course requires:

1. An Internet connection and a compatible browser.

 The best web browsers for Blackboard are Chrome or Safari. No others interface as
smoothly and may result in you not seeing aspects of the exam or assignments
2. Adobe Reader or software to open files in a PDF format
3. Headphones or speakers
4. Access to Microsoft Office or OpenOffice to complete assignments. OpenOffice is a free alternative to
Microsoft Office that allows you to save your files with the required Microsoft Office extensions.
5. The course may utilize the Zoom web conferencing software for optional check-ins and to answer
questions regarding the course and assignments. Zoom can be downloaded from the Stan State OIT
website

Minimum Student Technical Skills:

Participation in an online course requires knowledge of computer technology. In order to participate
successfully in an online course, you should already be able to:

 Access and use Blackboard Learn (review the Blackboard Learn Tutorials for assistance).
 Use a word processing program to:
o Create, format, edit, spell check, save, and print a document.
o Cut, copy, and paste information.
o Save a word processing document in txt, rtf, doc, or docx format as requested.
 Use a spreadsheet program to:
o Create, format, edit, spell check, save, and print a spreadsheet.
o Cut, copy, and paste information.
o Create graphs.
 Use a web browser to view, navigate, and search for information on the Internet.
 Use your Stan State email account and the Blackboard Learn Mail tool to send and receive messages
and file attachments.
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Technical Support:
To obtain assistance with technical issues, please visit the Office of Information Technology Technical Support
Site or call 1-209-667-3687. The instructor likely will not be able to assist you with technical issues.

Netiquette (Internet Etiquette) Guidelines:

Timeliness: Monitor course activity and respond to communications in a timely manner.
Confidentiality: Be discreet in online discussions and discourse. Avoid using names of people or facilities.
Language tone: The absence of face-to-face interaction increases the misinterpretation of written text.
Avoid using offensive language, excessive exclamation points, sarcasm, acronyms, emoticons, and slang.
Do not use all caps in your communications, as it is considered shouting.
Respect: Each student’s viewpoint is valued as an opinion. When responding to another person, be sure to
state an opposing opinion in a diplomatic way. Disagree with ideas, but do not make personal attacks. Be
careful what you write because you cannot use body language or tone of voice.
Diversity: Recognize and value the experiences, abilities, and knowledge each person brings to class.
Brevity: Be concise when contributing to a discussion. Online courses require a lot of reading; therefore,
your points may be missed if hidden in a flood of text.
Preparation: Read all posts in a discussion thread before you post a comment, so you do not repeat
information. Proofread and spell check all messages before you post them.
Citation: Cite your references and do not plagiarize.

Course Policies/Procedures:
1. Never be afraid/apprehensive/intimidated to contact me regarding the course or challenges that
may arise during the semester. It is my job to assist your learning and I will make every reasonable
effort to help you be successful in this course. When a question/concern arises, please contact me
sooner rather than later.
2. Students with ANY required special considerations should talk to the instructor at the beginning of the
course so that arrangements can be made to accommodate; see the Disability Resource Services
website for more information.
3. All assignments must be submitted as a word document (.doc or .docx) or a pdf.
4. When emailing the professor, be sure to do so from your CSUStan email and include the course
number in the subject line of the email.
5. The professor will aim to respond to emails within 24 hours and return grades/feedback for course
assignments within 72 hours.
6. Any important communication regarding the course will be posted in the Blackboard Announcements
page, sent via ClassPager, and emailed to students’ CSUstan email.
7. Not having internet access, or your computer crashing does not constitute an emergency – Don’t freak
out! I understand these things happen I will try to accommodate if possible. However, try to allow
time to adjust to these type of issues.
8. Academic Honesty. Cheating in any form as outlined in the university catalog will result in severe
disciplinary action; see the Stan State Code of Conduct.
9. This syllabus does not represent a legal contract; this is only a guide. Any changes to the syllabus will
be presented to the class as they occur. I will try to never make a change that will adversely affect you.
10. It is the student’s responsibility for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drops,
academic renewal, etc., found in the Stanislaus State Academic Catalog. Please be aware of the new
deadlines and penalties for adding and dropping classes.

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Assignments:

Worksheets/Papers/Discussions: Over the course of the semester, students will complete and submit
assignments assessing their comprehension and application of course material. Detailed
instructions for all assignments will be provided on Blackboard. All assignments may be
resubmitted to receive full credit according to assignments guidelines. Please ask EpiBot for
assistance with locating and submitting course assignments.

Quizzes: There will be a total of 5 quizzes which cover concepts from the corresponding modules.
Expect short answer (essay), multiple-choice, true/false, and matching questions. Your score will be
available after your instructor grades your quiz submission, but the questions and answers will not
be released. You only have 1 attempt for course exams/quizzes. Second attempts will only be
allowed in the case of technical issues.

Exams: There will be 3 exams given during the semester: an orientation, midterm, and
final exam. Questions will include multiple choice, true/false, matching, and short answer. Students
may use course resources on the exam and your score will be available after being graded by the
instructor. Correct answers to questions will not be available after submitting answers. Students
are highly encouraged to study beforehand and understand concepts as if this was an in-class
exam. Students are expected to independently take each exam and evidence of sharing answers or
working together will result in an immediate zero. For both the midterm and final exams, you will
have the opportunity to correct and explain questions you may have missed on the exam to improve
your grade. This is optional and the procedures for exam corrections are explained in the course
Blackboard. This process can be time consuming so preparing for the exam and doing well the first
attempt is ideal. These may be submitted at any time prior to the final course deadline for all
coursework.

Your first exam is the orientation exam. This exam serves to ensure you are oriented with course
policies/procedures as well as to provide you practice with administered exams via Blackboard. The
orientation exam requires you to get all answers correct before you continue on to the rest of the
course. Failure to complete the orientation will result in a zero (0) on any assignment/exam until
you obtain a 100%. You can take the orientation exam as many times as needed to obtain a full
score.

Technical Issues During Quizzes/Exams:

Should you have a computer system crash or loss of internet connectivity during a quiz or exam, you are to contact
the professor via email or text as soon as it happens. You may then reconnect when able and begin the second
attempt.

Extra Credit:
Do not expect extra credit opportunities in this course. If you want to achieve a satisfactory grade in the
course, you will be required to demonstrate that you have achieved course standards. The instructor may
provide opportunities for extra credit that will be available to all students in the course. Do not ask for
additional extra credit opportunities at the end of the semester.

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Due Dates:
All course activities will be available starting on the first day of the term. This course is designed to be flexible
with your schedule but contains 2 important due dates:

All Activities in Modules 1-5: Due October 27th

All Activities in Modules 6-10 and all resubmissions/corrections: Due December 13th

The course schedule below and on Blackboard also provides you with suggested due dates for each module
to help you stay on track. Submitting your work according to these suggested due dates will benefit you by
allowing for instructor feedback/grading and adequate time to resubmit assignments and exam corrections
to increase your course grade.

Grading:
Three evaluation measures will be used to assign letter grades:
1. Performance on quizzes
2. Performance on assignments
3. Performance on midterm and final exams

Course grades will be based on a total of 225 points (please see the grading scale below). Please submit all
assignments via Blackboard. Completion and submission of all assignments is your responsibility.

Activity Points
Introduction Discussion Board 2.5
EpiBot Exploration 2.5
Quizzes (5 @ 5pts each) 25
History vs. Achievements Discussion* 15
Epidemiology Theory Paper* 15
Worksheets/Case Study (4 @ 15pts / 1 @ 5pts)* 65
Midterm Exam* 50
Final Exam* 50
Total 225
*Indicates coursework that may be resubmitted/corrected

Your letter grade is the % of possible points

A 90 - 100
B+ 87 – 89
B 83 – 86
B- 80 – 82
C+ 77 – 79
C 73 – 76
C- 70 – 72
D 60 – 69
F 0 – 59

Note: Grades 0.5 and above will be rounded to the next point.

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Statement on Academic Integrity:
Students are reminded of the CSU Stan code of student rights, responsibilities, and conduct.
Intellectual integrity and academic honesty are both the foundation and the goals for this course. Please
reference and review the university information on the responsibilities, policies, and penalties regarding
academic honesty. Penalties can include failing the assignment, failing the course, and/or referral to the
judicial officer for the university.

Plagiarism: One or more of your writing assignments may be submitted to Blackboard's "SafeAssign".
Your submitted content will be checked against internet sources, academic journals and papers submitted
by students from Stan State and other institutions. SafeAssign generates an Originality Report which
highlights overlapping text and can be used to detect lack of originality and/or plagiarism in the submitted
work.

Students with Special Needs:

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, each student with a disability is responsible for notifying the
University of his/her disability and to request accommodations. If any member of a class thinks that he/she has
a qualified disability and needs special accommodations, he/she should notify the instructor and request
verification of eligibility for accommodations from Student Disability Resources. Please advise the instructor of
such disability as soon as possible, and contact SDR, to ensure timely implementation of appropriate
accommodations. Faculty has an obligation to respond when they receive official notice of a disability but are
under no obligation to provide retroactive accommodations

Student Resources:
Library Services
The Library at Stanislaus State provides many services including computers for student use, course reserve
materials, reference, and research materials. Printing is available along with quiet study areas. The Library
has an assistive technology available for students enrolled in DRS. You may contact the Library Reference
Desk at (209) 667-3233. Library liaisons are available for each department.

OIT Support Services

You can get technical support from the Office of Information Technology (OIT) Technology Support Desk in
the first floor of the Library, L150. You may contact them by calling (209) 667-3687 or email
TechSupport@csustan.edu.

Lynda.com
Lynda.com is a leading online learning platform that helps anyone learn business, software, technology and
creative skills to achieve personal and professional goals. Students, staff, and faculty at Stanislaus State have
free access to the Lynda.com video library of engaging, top-quality courses taught by recognized industry
experts. Log in via the campus portal.

Tutoring Center
The Tutoring Center provides academic support to all Stanislaus State students. Our goal is to create an
open atmosphere of learning, with the purpose of encouraging dialogue among students in order to share
techniques for academic success. The Tutoring Center offers free one-on-one and group tutoring in most
disciplines, at all levels of proficiency. The Tutoring Center is located in the Library, Room L112. Call (209)
667-3642 for more information.

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 Writing Center
The Writing Center works collaboratively with undergraduates and graduate students to help them develop
and craft their writing. Writing Center tutors do not proofread or edit student papers. Instead, tutors work
with each student to develop his/her own writing process and revision skills. The Writing Center is located in
the Library, Room L112. Call (209) 667-3465 for more information.

Psychological Counseling Services

Psychological Counseling Services provides professional, ethical, and confidential psychological counseling to
students. Additionally, Psychological Counseling Services offers workshops, outreach, and consultation.
Psychological Counselors assist students to develop cognitive and emotional integration, relationship skills,
and personal resilience. Psychological Counseling Services is located in the Library, Room L185. Call (209)
667-3381 for more information.
Student Health Center
The Student Health Center (SHC) is a fully accredited outpatient clinic that provides primary medical care,
health education, wellness promotion, and disease prevention. The facility is equipped with eight up-to-date
examination rooms, a pharmacy, a clinical laboratory, a medical library, a minor surgery room, and two
infirmary (short stay) rooms. Most services are provided at low cost or no cost. The SHC is funded solely by
the Stanislaus State student health fee. The SHC is located in building #29 (see map). Call (209) 667-3396 for
more information.

Disability Resource Services

Disability Resource Services (DRS) staff coordinate with students and faculty to provide reasonable
accommodations and services for students with physical and/or mental disabilities. Reasonable
accommodations may include testing accommodations, cart service, assistive technology, conversion of
instructional materials to an accessible format, oral or sign language interpreters, note taking services, or
real-time captioning services, or other accommodations. DRS is located in the Library, Room L165. Call (209)
667-3159 for more information.

Course Schedule:
Syllabus and course schedule may be revised during the term. Updated versions will be posted to Blackboard
when changes are made and an announcement will be sent. It is your responsibility to make sure you are
utilizing the most recent syllabus and course schedule.

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 KINS 4030 – Course Schedule
Due date for Module 1-5 activities is October 27th
Due date for Module 6-10 and all exam/assignment corrections/revisions is December 13th
All other due dates listed below for activities are suggested to adequately progress through the
course and to allow time for feedback and resubmission/correction
Module / Assignment Description: Estimated Time: Due Date:
Introduction Module 1.5 hours Aug 25
Post to the Introductions Discussion Board
EpiBot Exploration
Take the Orientation Exam
Module 1: Introduction to Epidemiology 2.5 hours Sept 1
Take the Module 1 Quiz
Module 2: History of Epidemiology 3.0 hours Sept 15
(Recommended) Complete John Snow Case Study
Submit the Module 2 - History vs. Achievements Discussion
Module 3: Epidemiology Theory 3.5 hours Sept 29
Submit the Module 3 – Epidemiological Theory Paper
Take the Module 3 Quiz
Module 4: Measurement of Applied Epidemiology 6.0 hours Oct 13
Submit the Module 4 – Incidence and Prevalence Worksheet
Submit the Module 4 – Epidemiologic Measures Worksheet
Module 5: Surveillance 5.0 hours Oct 27*
Take the Midterm Exam
Module 6: Outbreak Investigation 4.0 hours Nov 3
Submit the Module 6 – Interpreting an Epi Curve Worksheet
Take the Module 6 Quiz
Module 7: Types of Epidemiological Studies 1.5 hours Nov 10
Take the Module 7 Quiz
Module 8: Behavioral Applied Epidemiology 2.0 hours Nov 17
Submit the Module 8 – Applied Epidemiology Worksheet
Module 9: Methods of Presenting and Communicating
2.5 hours Nov 24
Epidemiological Information
Take the Module 9 Quiz
Module 10: Epidemiological Case Study and Final Exam 4.0 hours Dec 3
Submit the CDC Case Study Assignment
Take the Final Exam
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