Instructors
Alan Lee Hankin, Ph.D.
Office - Room 803, 216 Tremont Street, School of Communications Sciences and Disorders 617-824-8316 fax (617) 824-8735
Home: 1365 Tucker Road, North Dartmouth, MA 02747 (508) 993-8861
(NOT BEFORE 7:00 AM OR AFTER 10:00 PM); email: alhankin@aol.com or ahankin@emerson.edu
Mailbox - 9th Floor, 216 Tremont Street
Office Hours - Tuesday/Thursday 12:30 - 2:00 PM and by appointment
Teaching Assistant: Gillian Bower (gillbower@att.net) and Kyla Spence (kyla_spence@hotmail.com)

Course Description
This course helps students develop knowledge and understanding of the major role that science plays in their lives and the role the can play in interpreting and applying science. Science is viewed as both a process and as content, involving issues such as proof, fact, effects of observation, theories, laws and similar concepts. Also, science, technology, the arts and the humanities will be viewed not as totally separate entities, but as an integrated means for society to function. The course includes a mix of lectures, discussion and small group sessions, as well as analysis of case studies, readings, problem solving exercises and exercises in developing critical thinking skills.

Course Goals
* Students will understand the processes of science, and how those processes and the information they generate relate to society and the daily lives of people.
* Students will learn the history, status and trends in the relationships between people, science, and society through an in-depth study of infectious disease.
* Students will understand scientific and societal issues, why and how each is an issue and explore issues around evolution, diseases and scientific and societal actions.
* Students will gain a better understanding of the role of science in today's society and gain
an ability to access information about and to appreciate scientific pursuits.

Course Objectives
Students will be able to:
* describe the process of evolution and the multiple explanations for how the process takes place.
* describe the controversial nature of evolutionary theories as exemplified by natural selection and punctuated equilibrium and relate this controversy to how science is both done and reported
* describe the process of human evolution and the relationship between ecological and environmental conditions and human evolution
* discuss, compare and contrast multiple points of view regarding the relationship between scientific knowledge of nature and nurture in human evolution, biological and cultural, and the evolution of disease
* describe and discuss the role of infectious disease in biological and cultural evolution
* describe and discuss the concept of the "coming plague" in 21st century society

Readings and Course Materials
Readings: Most readings for this course will be drawn from the texts although additional readings will be assigned each week. Some of these materials will need to be acquired through Internet access (will save us all some $$'s!). A study outline will generally be provided for content not in the texts or other readings and will generally be available over the course web page (pages.emerson.edu).
Diamond, Jared. Guns, Germs and Steel, The Fates of Human Societies. (W. W. Norton and
Company, New York, 1997). (ISBN 0-393-03891-2)
Karlen, Arno. Man and Microbes (Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam Books, 1995)
ISBN 0684822709
Camus, Albert. The Plague (Vintage International, New York, 1991) ISBN 0679720219
Selected readings from various professional and other journals
Readings are assigned on Tuesdays of each week to be completed before class on the following Tuesday unless noted.

Web Assisted Instruction
Please Note: All students are required to have an email address and to provide that information to the instructor during the first week of class. This course is web assisted through the use of WebCT. We will use WebCT to post the syllabus, all handouts, class notes, assignments, course announcements and last minute instructions and much of our email communication and student project team communications can and will be done via WebCT. A paper copy of assignments will be available for all students who need them. Otherwise it is expected you will access your assignments online.

To access the web site, which has additional capabilities for you as a student (calendar, to do list, and similar conveniences), you need to access webcms.emerson.edu and then enter your email name and ECNET password. If you have not up-dated your password since before the fall semester you may need to do so to access your account. You will find the account is personalized with both access to information for this course and access to any of your other courses that are being managed through WebCT. If you enter this class after the first session or have any problems accessing the web site, make sure to contact the Help Desk (8080) or Academic Computing to make sure that your name, email address and password are listed on the course class list for access to WebCT.

As soon as possible most of the handouts will be on this course's web page. Whenever possible these materials will be posted in advance of the date the assignments are distributed in class, so all students, even those who miss class for bona fide reasons, are expected to retrieve these assignments and turn them in on the due date. WebCT should allow us to communicate simultaneously and asynchronously, for students to communicate to one another or to the entire class, and for you to access materials asynchronously (and it saves paper). If you do not have a web account through the college or other sources, please acquire one immediately.

Disability Statement
If you believe that you have a disability that may warrant accommodations in this class, I urge you to register with the Disability Services Coordinator, Dr. Anthony Bashir at 216 Tremont Street, 5th floor (824-7415) so that together you can work to develop methods of addressing needed accommodations in this class
.
Assignments and Evaluation
Historically, it has been reported to me that there is a great deal of work for this and all my other courses. I make no apologies for this fact. I believe that each assignment you are given has been carefully selected and crafted to meet the course goals and objectives. I also recognize that no one at Emerson College is a science major and that your majors are very time consuming. I take the responsibility to ensure that you receive a solid foundation in science and therefore meet Emerson College's General Education/Perspectives Science requirement very seriously. Please also be aware that we are here to help you, not compete against you for the grade you earn. We will provide virtually any and all appropriate assistance, when asked for, on any and all assignments, projects, readings or any other matter related to this course and to science at Emerson College. We really are all in this together. Also remember: no one of us is as smart as all of us.

Your grade is determined by a combination of factors including
1) class participation and attendance,
2) five take home assignments,
3) a mid-term and a final exam,
4) one major writing assignment, and
4) an independent project. Each is described below.

Class Attendance: Attend classes (see below). We reserve the right to administer "pop" assignments to determine your knowledge gain and participation in class. Expect an in class assignment at any time.

Miniprojects: Throughout the semester you will receive these activities that will require your effort during the course of from one to three weeks. These miniprojects are designed to allow you to explore aspects of the course content as they relate to your own life and to society at large.

Examinations: Please Note: Self identified students with learning or other disabilities must communicate this information to the instructor during the first week of class to make accommodations for testing. Two major exams, composed of both short answer and essay questions, will be administered. The mid-term will cover the material to that point in the semester. The final will cover material from the entire course and will be administered during the regularly scheduled exam time.

Major Writing Assignment: To reflect on the science and society issues that we cover in this course, you will be required to prepare a paper (7 - 10 pages is an estimate for length) integrating information in the course with areas you might want to pursue on your own. A separate instruction sheet for the writing assignment will be distributed. You will be required to provide a draft of this paper (4/4/02) for peer review and the final submission must include this draft, peer review comments, and the final paper.

Independent Project: This major project (details provided on separate instruction sheet) will be of your choice on an subject or issue which intersects the fields of science and society, evolution, disease, or other areas related to the course topics. This project is to be carefully researched but can be presented in almost any format you desire (website, written paper, video, power point presentation, a play, music, poetry, other?). Your topic and the format for presentation must be chosen in advance. A preliminary proposal will need to be prepared and submitted and the topic presented at the class (2/28/02). The final project must include both a three to five page theoretical treatment, with references, of the subject and the "presentation" (which, if it is a paper, will be substantially longer than three - five pages in total). Due date April 18th or earlier - NO EXCEPTIONS.

Late Assignment Policy: No excuses or reasons, other than medical, substantiated with a doctor's note, or documented bereavement, will be accepted for not completing the assignments for this course by the due dates. No late assignments will be accepted unless prior arrangements are made with the instructor. Any assignments accepted late at the discretion of the instructor will be counted at 50% of the earned grade points.

Grading:
Each assignment is weighted. Total possible points - 550
Class Participation - 50 points
Miniprojects (5 @20 points each)- 100 points
Midterm - 100 points
Final Exam - 100 points
Major Writing Assignment - 100 points
Independent Project - 100 points

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism
This course is not a competition that you enter into to try to beat me or "the system." Instead, we will work with you if you have any problems researching or writing your papers, or on any other assignment or reading, as will the Learning Assistance Center. There is no valid reason for not doing your own work for this course. Therefore, plagiarism and dishonesty are not tolerated and Emerson College's policies will be actively enforced. Please review the policy statement from the Emerson College Student Handbook. Any evidence of plagiarism can lead to a no credit, no make-up on an individual assignment or to a failing grade in the course.

Attendance and Late Assignment Policies
schedule changes or new opportunities and on your grade. Attendance will be taken at all sessions.
Attendance Policy: Attendance is required and will be taken every class. Students who have failed to attend this class have had a great deal of difficulty in keeping up with and completing assignments and also are not current on changes in schedule or opportunities to enrich the course work (sometimes with extra credit opportunities). Missing three classes or more will be cause for a student to automatically receive a failing grade in this class at the discretion of the instructor. Attend classes! The responsibility for attendance and communication to the instructor in advance of absences is that of each student.

Definition of Excused Absences: When due to documented illness or documented bereavement, absences can be excused only after approval by the instructor prior to the class to be missed, if at all possible. Assignments due on the date of the excused absence should still be delivered to the class, to the faculty mailbox by the time of class, or via email or fax, unless otherwise approved by the instructor. Excused absences still count towards the three strikes policy but assignments due on that date will be accepted later without prejudice with the prior approval of the instructor. If you are on the class list, which is prepared by the Registrar's Office prior to the first class session held, and you miss that first class, that missed class counts as an absence.

Course Schedule - Subject to Modification
Week of Tuesday, January 29, 2002
Introductions, Assignments, Evaluation
Introduction to "Science and Society" - what this course is and what this course is not!
Evolution and why the "coming plague" concept and disease as a focus
What is science?
Readings (Provided): Ridley, M. The Rise of Evolutionary Biology, in Evolution (pg. 5 - 21)
Mayr, E. Darwin's Influence on Modern Thought. Scientific American, July 2001
Eldredge, N. and S. J. Gould. Punctuated Equilibria: An Alternative to Phyletic
Gradualism. In Models of Paleobiology, 1972.
Miniproject One: Science and the Media Assigned
EXTRA CREDIT VIDEO: Evolution (Part 1) View the video, write a 2 page summary with your reflections on Darwin and the video (due 2/12/02) and receive up to 10 additional points.
Week of Tuesday, February 5, 2002
Origins and evolution of life
Introductory Genetics "It's all in the genes" - a brief overview of genetics and DNA
Readings: Diamond, Prologue, Yali's Question; Chapter 2, Up to the Starting Point

Week of Tuesday, February 12, 2002
Human Evolution
Readings: Karlen, Chapter 1, An Epidemic of Epidemics; Chapter 2, The First Shocks; Chapter 3,
Revolutions
Diamond, Chapter 2, A Natural Experiment of History
Miniproject One Due
Miniproject Two - Our Families, Ourselves and Disease Assigned

Week of Tuesday, February 19, 2002
Viruses, bacteria and other pathogens - survivors
Infestation, infection, and culture - symbiosis, micro- and macroparasitism
Readings: Diamond, Chapter 3, Collision at Cajamarca; Chapter 4, Farmer Power

Week of Tuesday, February 26, 2002
Agricultural Revolution
Plagues and people: disease and conquest
Readings: Diamond, Chapter 5, Haves and Have Nots: Chapter 6 To Farm or Not to Farm, Chapter 7,
How to Make an Almond;
Miniproject Two Due
Independent Project Proposals Due

Week of Tuesday, March 5, 2002
Humankind in a changing world - a brief overview of environmental science
Readings: Diamond, Chapter 11, The Lethal Gift of Livestock
Lederberg Medical Science, Infectious Disease and the Unity of Mankind
Camus, The Plague
Writing Assignment Assigned
Miniproject Three - Public Perceptions of Plague Assigned
Thursday, March 7 - MID TERM EXAM
Spring Break (Bah Humbug!) March 9 - 17 No Classes

Week of Tuesday, March 19, 2002
"Dealing" with viruses, bacteria and other pathogens
Resistance - evolution at fast forward or sex for bacteria
Readings: Karlen, Chapter 4, Splendor and Plague; Chapter 5, Ruthless Cure; Chapter 6, The
Flying Corpses of Kaffa
Miniproject Three Due - Public Perceptions of Plague

Week of Tuesday, March 26, 2002
Reactions to infestations and infections; Origins of the "coming plague"
Readings: Karlen, Chapter 7, The Deadliest Weapon; Chapter 8, The Microbes Reply, Chapter 9, Victory it Seems
Miniproject Four Assigned
Week of Tuesday, April 2, 2002
Societal responses to and causes of the modern plagues
The "coming plague" in the media: Ebola, AIDS, and "Hot Zone" diseases
Readings: Karlen, Chapter 10, A Garden of Germs, Chapter 11, An Old Thread, New Twists
Writing Assignment Draft Due

Week Of Tuesday, April 9, 2002
Dengue fever, Hanta viruses, and a host of others - Environmental Change and Globalization of Disease
Science knowledge and societal actions - politics and economics of disease
Readings: Karlen, Chapter 12, Inviting Infection
Miniproject Four Due
Miniproject Five Assigned
EXTRA CREDIT VIDEO: Philadelphia View the video, write a 2 page summary with your reflections on its treatment of AIDS and the law and on the video (due 4/18/02) and receive up to 10 additional points

Week of Thursday April 18, 2002
Retroviruses and other emerging viruses
HIV and AIDS - history and social reaction
Readings: Karlen, Chapter 12, From This Time On
Independent Projects Due

Tuesday, April 23, 2002
Which Future for Humans and Disease?
Independent Project Presentations
Miniproject Five Due
Writing Assignment Final Due 4/25

Thursday, April 30, 2002
Independent Project Presentations

NOTE: The above schedule and procedures in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances.

NOTE: Communication between students and the instructor are critical to your performing to your potential in this course. If you are unable to attend class, complete assignments due to extenuating and documentable circumstances or otherwise experience difficulties with this course, it is your responsibility to contact the instructor. WE WILL TRY TO HELP!