First-Year Seminars
SPHHS First-Year Seminar Course Descriptions - Fall 2024
191PHHS14 FYS- U-Thrive: Explore Public Health and Health Sciences
Primary Audience: First-year students only (freshman of sophomore status)
This seminar will support your transition to college and introduce you to a topic in public health and health sciences. The first six weeks will provide foundational skills for students to thrive at UMass. The last seven weeks will focus on exploring a topic in public health and health sciences of your choosing. Please see PHHS course topics below:
191PHHS14; Section (02): Misinformation and Health Literacy
191PHHS14; Section (02): Misinformation and Health Literacy; Class number: 36397; Mo 10:10AM - 11:00AM
How do we sort fact from fiction in health claims we see online and in advertisements? What makes people vulnerable to extreme or unproven cures? Using examples of famous health scams, hoaxes, and misinformation campaigns in history, the class will work together to build a critical thinking toolkit for interrogating health information in the digital present. Students will develop skills to distinguish scientific jargon from evidence-based claims, examine the influence of marketing and cults of personality on health as "big business", and explore challenging questions around health communication, decision-making, and personal agency.
191PHHS14; Section (03): An Introduction to Birth Justice and Equity
191PHHS14; Section (03): An Introduction to Birth Justice and Equity; Class number: 36398; Mo 11:15AM - 12:05PM
Students will explore what birth looks like in the United States. They will examine some of the reasons why not all people are guaranteed the same quality birth experience or the same chances of survival. We will examine birth through several lenses- obstetric, midwifery, public health, and birth justice. The course will culminate in a group project that integrates what we have learned and attempt to answer the question- what is birth justice and why does it matter?
191PHHS14; Section (05): Star Wars, Diet Culture, and Physical Activity
191PHHS14; Section (05): Star Wars, Diet Culture, and Physical Activity; Class number: 36400; Tu 11:30AM - 12:20PM
Through this course students will use the backdrop of Star Wars to understand and dismantle diet culture. We will explore diet culture, nutrition, and physical activity misinformation while learning how to properly find and assess current scientific literature. Students will work in teams to complete one small project: (1) develop a scientific communication piece that corrects nutritional misinformation or (2) develop an exercise prescription guided by key behaviors found in Star Wars. Get the light sabers ready (yes, we will be using light sabers!) and may the fitness be with you!
191PHHS14; Sections (07): Reimagining Healthcare
191PHHS14; Sections (07): Reimagining Healthcare; Class number: 36402; Tu 4:00PM - 4:50PM
If hospitals were no longer to exist, where would people receive healthcare? What does it look like to center community perspectives and build partnerships that can help us to reimagine healthcare? This course will begin with an exploration of what the social determinants of health are and how they are directly associated with health disparities seen especially in BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities. We will closely examine how racism within the medical system has profound impacts and continues to foster mistrust today. During the course, students will actively participate in critical thinking exercises to develop solutions aimed at advancing health equity through a range of creative activities. This includes exploring how to redirect healthcare away from traditional brick and mortar practices, break down silos, and enhance healthcare accessibility for all. As a result of this class, students will gain a greater understanding of how to promote health equity and community health by employing strategies such as asset building and participatory approaches to address health disparities effectively.
191PHHS14; Section (08): Guinness World Records, Big Goals, and You
191PHHS14; Section (08): Guinness World Records, Big Goals, and You; Class number: 36403; We 9:05AM - 9:55AM
Through the core concepts of kinesiology (exercise training, hydration, nutrition, recovery etc..), we will explore effective goal setting and how to achieve big, long-term goals. The instructor is a current Guinness World Record holder and will lead the class in deconstructing her big goal to discover how to properly plan, train for, and implement smaller goals to build the foundation that ultimately set the stage for her achieving a world record. Each student will choose their own big goal and flip the overall concepts of kinesiology and goal setting to make them applicable to their individual goal (which does NOT need to be kinesiology related). At the end of the semester each student will leave with a well-developed portfolio containing their long-term goal and action plan to achieve that goal.
191PHHS14; Section (09): Victorian Era Medicine
191PHHS14; Section (09): Victorian Era Medicine; Class number: 36404; We 12:20PM - 1:10PM
Thinking about medicine in this period, strange ideas come to mind: doctors attempting to raise the dead with electricity, packed operating theaters watching surgeons race to operate in record times, apothecaries selling arsenic as skin care. Students will explore all of these strange tales while using this revolutionary period in the world of medicine as a lens to examine how scientific understanding changes with new discoveries. The course will also guide students through discussions on the impact of movements such as social reform and eugenics and will explore how the ideas of this era shaped Western models of healthcare and public health in the present.
191PHHS14; Section (11): Chronic Diseases and Physical Activity
191PHHS14; Section (11): Chronic Diseases and Physical Activity; Class number: 36406; Tu 10:00AM - 10:50AM
This course will examine the interplay between chronic diseases and physical activity. The course will address the role of movement and exercise in guarding against chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes and will analyze the guidance about exercise given by public health experts and how it is decided. Societal factors affecting the activity levels of different populations will also be discussed.
191PHHS14; Sections (12): How Humans Move-Navigating the World
191PHHS14; Sections (12): How Humans Move; Class number: 36407; Th 11:30AM - 12:20PM
This course will aim to introduce human movement as a lens for observing the world. Through simple scientific principles, students will investigate movement across various modes of transportation, terrain, and time. Active demonstrations and reflections will allow students to explore their presence on campus now while allowing them to navigate possible paths for the future.
191PHHS14; Section (15): Clothing Choices, Health, and Society
191PHHS14; Section (15): Clothing Choices, Health, and Society; Class number: 36410: Fr 11:15AM - 12:05PM
Discover how clothing choices influence health, environmental sustainability, and societal norms. Examine the connection between materials and health, the role of fashion in identity, and ethical concerns in the industry. Study sustainable practices and innovative trends in fashion that promote health and reduce environmental impact.
191PHHS14; Section (17): Food, Culture, and Public Health
191PHHS14; Section (17): Food, Culture, and Public Health; Class number: 36412; Fr 1:25PM - 2:15PM
Explore the rich tapestry of global food cultures and their impact on public health. Learn about the cultural diversity in dietary choices, food safety, hygiene practices, and the effects of globalization. Understand how food practices shape health outcomes and the strategies to address food insecurity while respecting cultural traditions.
191PHHS15 FYS- Thriving in Transition
191PHHS15; Section (01): Thriving in Transition; Class number: 37347: Mo 12:20PM - 1:10PM
191PHHS15; Section (02): Thriving in Transition; Class number: 37366: Mo 1:25PM - 2:15PM
191PHHS15; Section (03): Thriving in Transition; Class number: 37367: Mo 9:05AM - 9:55AM
This course will support your transition to college while allowing you to discover your strengths and explore resilience. The first six weeks will provide foundational skills for students to thrive at UMass. During the last seven weeks, students will engage in mindfulness and writing exercises to manage stress, build resilience, and enhance leadership.