Graduate Studies Reports Access
Graduate Course Proposal Form Submission Detail - PHC6255
Tracking Number - 5160
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Current Status:
Approved by SCNS - 2015-12-01
Campus: Tampa
Submission Type: New
Course Change Information (for course changes only):
Comments: PH: Glob Dis Mgmt and Hum Rel. Required. GC approved 10/12/15; to USF Sys 10/12/15; to SCNS 10/28/15. Approved effective 12/1/15 Nmbr 6237 apprpoved as 6255
Detail Information
- Date & Time Submitted: 2015-01-08
- Department: Global Health
- College: PH
- Budget Account Number: 640800
- Contact Person: wayne w. westhoff
- Phone: 8139746621
- Email: wwesthof@health.usf.edu
- Prefix: PHC
- Number: 6255
- Full Title: Homeland security: law, policy and public health
- Credit Hours: 3
- Section Type: C -
Class Lecture (Primarily)
- Is the course title variable?: N
- Is a permit required for registration?: N
- Are the credit hours variable?: N
- Is this course repeatable?: N
- If repeatable, how many times?: 0
- Abbreviated Title (30 characters maximum): Homeland security law &policy
- Course Online?: O -
Online (100% online)
- Percentage Online: 0
- Grading Option:
R - Regular
- Prerequisites: none
- Corequisites: none
- Course Description: Examines the laws and policy documents that are the foundation of homeland security. It is both broad and in depth. Through rigorous analysis, and regular discussions and short papers, students will learn what makes homeland security happen.
- Please briefly explain why it is necessary and/or desirable to add this course: Needed for program/concentration/certificate change
- What is the need or demand for this course? (Indicate if this course is part of a required sequence in the major.) What other programs would this course service? This course is one of five additional courses added to the Global Disaster Management and Humanitarian Relief concentration for an MPH degree. It will also add to the Graduate Certificate in Homeland Security which has not been taught for about five years due to a lack of courses.
- Has this course been offered as Selected Topics/Experimental Topics course? If yes, how many times? No
- What qualifications for training and/or experience are necessary to teach this course? (List minimum qualifications for the instructor.) A doctorate degree or equivalent in public health, public administration, education, law or a related field plus training or experience of no less than one year in disaster management or homeland security in the public, private or military arena.
- Objectives: 1. Be familiar with the foundation documents, the USA Patriot Act (2001) and the Homeland Security Act
(2002).
2. Be familiar with our strategic reality.
3. Be familiar with the multitude of other statutes and policy documents related to homeland security.
4. Appreciate the legal obligations and limitations imposed by these statutes and policy documents.
5. Appreciate the vastness of the homeland security enterprise and the complexity and intricacy of protecting the various sectors.
6. Evaluate the legal aspects of homeland security as it relates to the 4th Amendment and civil liberties.
7. Be able to engage in discussion and debate about any of these issues.
- Learning Outcomes: 1. Know the threat terrorism presents.
2. Put terrorism in perspective. We face Bird Flu, Swine Flu, global warming, migrating fire ants, killer bees, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, and the full spectrum of man-made accidents. Terrorism is a real threat, but one of these other catastrophes is more likely to happen.
3. Develop expertise reading and understanding the homeland security law and policy framework. Appreciate the complexity of this framework.
4. Recognize the relationship of stated national policy and statutes to actual outcomes, and evaluate their effectiveness. Does what we have established work? Why are we doing it? How can we improve it? Is that new idea being considered a good idea?
5. Engage in meaningful discussion about America’s homeland security.
6. Understand the relationship of the US Constitution to homeland security. Appreciate the limits and restrictions imposed by the Constitution. Observe the sanctity of the Constitution.
7. Describe the FISA Court, its policies and procedures, membership, location, and the date it was created.
8. Understand the changes to existing laws new “homeland security laws” have accomplished.
9. Understand the Stafford Act and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), its history, its historical role in disasters, and how Hurricane Katrina and the Post Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act has changed that.
10. Learn that laws can be changed and expire and how to check for changes. Gain experience proposing changes to legislation and public policy.
11. Recognize that the government, whether it is state, local, tribal, or federal, cannot protect us from every hazard all the time. Whether it is a natural disaster, man-made disaster, or terrorism, it may take three or more days for rescue to arrive. Thus, for at least that period of time, we must be able to take care of our families, our neighbors, and ourselves without electricity, running water, or communications. Every community and everyone in that community must participate in preparedness. Learn first aid. Become a CERT. Have a kit. Make a plan. See number 12.
12. Recognize that resiliency, our ability to return to normal after a disaster, catastrophic accident, or terrorist attack, depends both on us as individuals and on our infrastructure. See number 11.
- Major Topics: • Our strategic environment
• The Department of Homeland Security
• The Transportation Security Administration
• Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources
• The authority to use military force
• Agriculture and food security
• Transportation security
• The CONPLAN (U.S. Governments Interagency Domestic Terrorism Concept of Operations Plan)
• Presidential Directives 39 and 62
• Weapons of mass destruction (WMD)B
• Biodefense and WMD medical countermeasures
• Identification issues
• The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Hurricane Katrina
• Emergency preparedness and response
• Quarantine, isolation, immunization
• Resilience and the culture of preparedness
- Textbooks: Foundations of Homeland Security: Law and Policy, by Martin J. Alperen, John Wiley & Sons, Publishers, April, 2011, ISBN: 978-0-470-59698-2
- Course Readings, Online Resources, and Other Purchases: none
- Student Expectations/Requirements and Grading Policy: Topic for grading: point value:
Discussion 105
Discussion 2 105
Assignment 300
Course Project Components 30
Course Project term paper 300
- Assignments, Exams and Tests: There are 8 sections to the course. Each section has 2 discussion boards and 1 short essay. Section 8 does not have a short essay component and instead has 4 discussion boards. There is one term paper.
- Attendance Policy: Course Attendance at First Class Meeting – Policy for Graduate Students: For structured courses, 6000 and above, the College/Campus Dean will set the first-day class attendance requirement. Check with the College for specific information. This policy is not applicable to courses in the following categories: Educational Outreach, Open University (TV), FEEDS Program, Community Experiential Learning (CEL), Cooperative Education Training, and courses that do not have regularly scheduled meeting days/times (such as, directed reading/research or study, individual research, thesis, dissertation, internship, practica, etc.). Students are responsible for dropping undesired courses in these categories by the 5th day of classes to avoid fee liability and academic penalty. (See USF Regulation – Registration - 4.0101,
http://usfweb2.usf.edu/usfgc/ogc%20web/currentreg.htm)
Attendance Policy for the Observance of Religious Days by Students: In accordance with Sections 1006.53 and 1001.74(10)(g) Florida Statutes and Board of Governors Regulation 6C-6.0115, the University of South Florida (University/USF) has established the following policy regarding religious observances: (http://usfweb2.usf.edu/usfgc/gc_pp/acadaf/gc10-045.htm)
In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USF to suspend normal operations. During this time, USF may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited to: Blackboard, Elluminate, Skype, and email messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It’s the responsibility of the student to monitor Blackboard site for each class for course specific communication, and the main USF, College, and department websites, emails, and MoBull messages for important general information.
- Policy on Make-up Work: No make-up work without documentation fo health, illness or family death. Refer to USF policy on academic integrity.
- Program This Course Supports: Global Disaster Management and Humanitarian Relief
- Course Concurrence Information: Graduate Certificate in Homeland Security
- if you have questions about any of these fields, please contact chinescobb@grad.usf.edu or joe@grad.usf.edu.