What HSEM is and what it really looks like in your own community as much as is practicable.
This course will revolve around homeland security and emergency management principles… the foundation. As such, you will explore the basics of what HSEM is and what it really looks like in your own community as much as is practicable. The final paper will examine a specific community (ideally your own) and address how that specific community addresses basic HSEM issues… who is in charge and what their plans may or may not look like.
A video introduction to the Final Paper will be included in Week 3 that will assist you as you proceed. Several of the modules of our course are designed to assist you in your final paper.
The general guidance for your final paper is as follows:
A paper that is 10-12 pages, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins all around, left-justified. The 10-12 pages must be pages of actual content. Only a limited number of images or graphics will be allowed as content. Students must use a variety of sources throughout the case study to provide established evidence of the supporting issue/topics before presenting their own perspectives. Sources should be mostly from legitimate, peer-reviewed works as well as government sources (gray literature).
APA Style Writing Format: This class will utilize the American Psychological Association (APA) writing format: The following link provides guidance and you are always welcome to ask for my guidance and direction on how to write effectively in the APA style: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_style_introduction.html
Discussion Participation via Canvas
Fifty percent (50%) of your total grade for the course comes from Graded Discussions and participation. All Graded Discussion should be done in Word (or thoroughly reviewed) before submitting them into Canvas. This allows you to review your work in advance, which is an important technique for improving your writing skills. Manage your time effectively and space your work throughout the entire week:
1. Conduct active readings early in the week.
2. Begin your discussion posting soon after.
3. Look for sources to supplement your work, your responses, and your perspectives.
4. Integrate the sources.
5. Refine your work and post.
The best responses will tend to provide a balance of breadth and depth as well as appropriately formed and referenced perspectives.
Graded Discussions are a large component of this class (50%), so they require your attention throughout the entire semester.
Below are guidelines and suggestions for the successful submission of Graded Discussions.
Graded Discussion Structure: Your initial posting must be well constructed and thought out … you will not be able to see other student’s posts until you make your initial post first. You then have until the assigned Module due date to make at least two thoughtful responses to other student’s posts. Please see the Graded Discussion Rubric for details.
Graded Discussion Deadlines and Guidance: The instructor will deduct points for initial and reply postings that do not meet the deadline dates. After the Graded Discussion Board closes for the week, no posts will be permitted and the student will receive a score based on the work submitted. If there are mitigating circumstances, the Instructor may allow the student to submit alternate work.
The following are examples of responses to another student one might make to further the understanding and add to the learning community HSEM-301 is trying to establish:
• Identify a question or a problem in another student’s writing
• Pose a solution
• Clarify a confusion
• Add to the information contained in the original posting
• Bring in outside information to support an argument (document or cite the information)
• Offer an alternative solution or interpretation
• Pose a question that furthers the discussion
• Discuss the implications of a theory, idea, etc.
• Provide criticism of a theory, concept, etc.
• Point out connections among various ideas
• Move the discussion to a deeper level
• Discuss how one’s own views have changed
• Discuss how one has gained new insight
• Discuss any value implications
• Propose avenues for further research on the topic
