Our Course:

Health communication is the way we create, seek, process, and share information about health, medicine, and the health care system. In this course, the different levels of health communication will be examined including intrapersonal, interpersonal, group, organizational and societal communication. To fully explore the multidisciplinary nature of health communication, we will draw on sources from the social sciences, communication studies, and professional medical literature. This course is the same as CASD 4666.

Course Professor:

Name: Michele G. Greene, DrPH
Email: MGGreene@brooklyn.cuny.edu
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:30-2pm (via phone – Prof will give out number).
Please note: On some Tuesdays and Thursdays I may have meetings and may not be available. We can arrange other times to meet. Other times by appointment. Please email me.
Additional NOTE: When emailing put “HNSC 2183” and your full name in the subject field.

Communication with Professor:

There are 3 main ways to contact me: Go to the Ask Prof. Greene DB, email me, or connect with me on the phone during office hours.

• If you have general questions about the content of the class, please pose your questions in the Ask Prof. Greene DB. In this way, other students can view my response. I will check this DB frequently.
• For concerns of a more personal nature, the best way to contact me is through email, which I check every day. If we cannot resolve a question or concern through email, we can arrange to talk on the phone during office hours. If my office hours are not convenient for you, email and let me know what days and times work for you. I will make every effort to accommodate you.
  • When you email me, you can usually expect a response within two business days, sometimes sooner.
  • Do not expect an immediate response.
  • Do not expect me to participate in an endless email thread.
  • I do not provide grade justifications through email.
  • Keep in mind that I get many emails a day and I want to prioritize emails from students. So ALWAYS put “HNSC 2183/CASD 4666 [Your name]” in the subject line so that I know who the message is from and what it is regarding.
• You are expected to conduct yourself in a professional manner in all interpersonal interactions, including in email. Email is a formal means of communication in the context of school or work; please sign every message at the bottom with your name, use polite language, capital letters, punctuation, greetings, and salutations.  Avoid abbreviations and slang.
• Make sure that the email address associated with your Blackboard account is one that you check regularly.

Course Textbook Readings

This course is a zero cost/open educational resources course.  That means there is no textbook students need to purchase. All materials are available freely to students. Readings will be on the course website HNSC 2183 course website (where you are now) under the Course Topics.

• Items with this icon are Brooklyn College Library Items. To access them off-campus you will need to login in. Instructions on logging in.
• Items with this icon require a password provided to you by your professor. These include the zoom login information.

How the course works:

We will meet synchronously Tuesdays 11:00 am – 12:15 pm through Zoom, however most work is done asynchronously, along with assignments (all due online on Blackboard).

Equipment needed

• Laptop or desktop computer (BB not great on tablet or smartphone.)
• Computer speakers or headphones
• Internet access
  • Optional: Computer microphone and camera/webcam

If you do not have reliable and regular access to a desktop or laptop computer, headphones or internet access please go to the Brooklyn College Device Loan Requests/Returns to request equipment. Brooklyn College has Chromebooks, Laptops, iPads, Headphones and T-Mobile Hotspots that can be loaned to you.

What you should know about this online class

Online classes are often MORE work rather than LESS. Here are some of the reasons why:

• YOU MUST HAVE DISCIPLINE: Online classes require self-discipline, responsibility, and strong time management skills. Students are expected to structure their own time and keep track of deadlines. Late assignments are not accepted.
• YOU WRITE FOR YOUR GRADE: Students communicate almost exclusively through writing, which is both mandatory and graded as college-level work. There are frequent Discussion Board (DB) posts. Students who are weak or careless writers, or simply do not allocate enough time to review the course materials AND review and proofread their writing often do very poorly in online classes.
• EXPECTED TIME COMMITMENT: According to the US Department of Education, for every 1 college credit hour in which you enroll you are expected to spend a minimum of 2 additional hours outside of class working on course content. Therefore, 3 credit hours x 2 = a minimum 6 hours of study time per class per week. This does not include the in-class time. Thus, for our class, this means 6 hours plus 1.25 hours (because this is a hybrid class) = 7.25 hours/week.

We will discuss this further in our first synchronous class on 8/31/21.

In conclusion:

• It is essential that you carefully read all the specifications for the course requirements, DB posts, and assignments.
• It is essential that you complete all the assigned readings.
• It is essential that you express yourself clearly and succinctly in all class work. If you have problems with writing, you must seek assistance.
• It is essential that you complete all work on time.
• It is essential that you contact me, if you are having any problems in the class.
• I want this class to be a worthwhile experience for all of us. This means that I will do my best to make this class informative and interesting and you will participate in all aspects of the class in a meaningful way. Let’s have a great semester!

Go To: Syllabus