Westmont Global Health Partnership with Uganda Studies Pilot Program
Pilot: Fall 2016
Initial Proposal:
In order to support growing student interest in global and public health, Westmont College seeks to establish a semester-long partnership program on the campus of Uganda Christian University (UCU) in Mukono, Uganda.
This program will be based on a partnership between Westmont College, UCU’s Center for Global Engagement and the Uganda Studies Program (USP) operatied by the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). Building on current infrastructure and Uganda Studies Program staffing, Westmont hopes to provide a significant global health experience for Westmont and other CCCU students including seven primary components:
On Westmont’s Campus:
- Global Learning Cycle will employ community based learning strategies aimed at highlighting the local public health context within Santa Barbara for comparative learning objectives and global perspectives.
2-unit Orientation Course (Introduction to Global Health in Ugandan Context) taught each spring semester.
Spring 2016: Orientation Course (2-unit):
Introduction to Ugandan Context and Global Health: This course will introduce students to the history and social context of East Africa as well as issues that shape globalization as it relates to modern Ugandan context. The course will include key social movements that shape modern context (Pre-Colonialism; The Role of missions and Christianity in developing modern health and education systems; Ethnic and Tribal Associations); Introduction to modern Political Context; Issues in Global Health; as well as an Introduction to Language and Culture.
Spring 2017: Re-entry Course (1 unit) This course will focus on transferring global learning to the local context, with a particular focus on comparative perspectives on public initiatives in Santa Barbara county.
Students will examine the ongoing effect of globalization on a variety of issues (Nutrition, Socioeconomic context of disease) as well as their on-going role in addressing issues disparity through faith and praxis.
At Uganda Christian University, Mukono, Uganda:
- Modular Course Taught by Westmont Faculty
This modular model allows for Westmont faculty oversight and mentorship without requiring a faculty replacement for the semester. It also allows students to the benefit of on-going faculty involvement throughout the experience.
The Introduction to GH course (2 units) would be taught in a modular format (3-week intensive session led by Westmont Faculty) at the beginning of the semester (August 1-August 24, 2015).
Fall 2016: Statistics of Public Health (3 unit course) Dr. Ray Rosentrator
Course Description: Statistical methods are critical in public health. Descriptive statistics can help a worker identify the existence and magnitude of a public health problem. Descriptive statistics, particularly certain types of graphical presentations, can also aid in identifying the source of a problem. Inferential statistics are used to determine whether a proposed solution is actually having an effect or whether the observed changes could be the result of random variation. This course will introduce graphical methods, measures of central tendency (what is typical), as well as measures of variability and correlation. The course will conclude with an introduction to inferential methods.
Future Potential Courses (2017 - 2019)
- Nutrition and Community Health
- Food Systems and Global Health
- Community Health and Special Populations
- Environmental Physiology
- HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease
- Global Health Internship and Seminar (4 units)
Global Health Seminar (2 units) Global Health students will take the Global Health Internship for 2-units, and meet additionally to discuss and process issues relating to their health related internships. Weekly written reflections are the primary method by which students will connect the dots between these experiences and classroom learning and life.
Global Health Internship (2 units)
The Global Health Internship is a 2-unit course that provides students with the opportunity to enrich their understanding of culture as well as further develop and practice their own cultural competence through active service learning and participation and integration into a Ugandan community. Students will complete a minimum of 72 hours at an approved practicum site, engage in their respective living context communities (UCU for on-campus students and local neighborhoods for Homestay students), and interact with guest speakers; site visits and travel in Uganda.
The 2-unit Global Health Internship (GE: Serving Society) would run during the regular semester with students placements at several locations, examples include the following community organizations:
- Acheru – Acheru is a rehabilitation center for children with disabilities. Students can assist doctors and physical therapists with patient care and rehabilitation. Opportunities exist to learn about community based rehab and basic physical therapy skills. Students can also initiate various activities with the patients and caregivers who are currently living at the site.
- Empower And Care Organization (EACO) – EACO is a grassroots, community-based organization in Mukono that reaches out to vulnerable families through various programs. Students can help with income generating activities, water/sanitation solutions, HIV/AIDS patient care, the development of proposals & grants, fundraising, organizing workshops for churches, public health awareness trainings and teaching at a community school.
- Mukono Hospital – Located within walking distance of UCU, Mukono Hospital is a private, non-profit health facility that serves the surrounding community. Opportunities exist for students to shadow a doctor as they provide care to patients including both minor and major procedures. Students will interact with the team of health professionals at the hospital and learn about the realities of health care in Uganda.
- Fall 2016: Upper Level Global Health/Kinesiology elective (3 unit):
Infectious Disease and Global Health. (Pre-requisite: Bio 5 & 6; Bio 11 & 12)
- Core Cross-Cultural course (4 unit): Rachel Robinson, MA
Faith and Action in the Ugandan Context (GE:Thinking Globally or Understanding Society). Required for all students and will run for the entire length of the semester (August 19-Dec 6).
‘Faith and Action in the Ugandan Context’ combines a traditional classroom component (e.g., readings, discussion, small group processing, lecture) with a broad spectrum of experiential learning (e.g., living and studying with Ugandan students, home stays with Ugandan families, travel to various regions of Uganda & Rwanda, exposure to both missionaries and Ugandans involved in various social services). The course begins at orientation and continues through the debrief retreat. Evaluation methods may include written assignments, verbal presentations, class participation, informal and formal debrief sessions, creative projects, journal entries, and one-on-one discussions.
Topics covered in ‘Faith & Action’ reflect the students’ experience in Uganda. After beginning with understanding and learning from cross-cultural experiences we explore how exposure to traditional African beliefs challenges our own faith. We then look at issues related to the way Christians respond to poverty and suffering. Throughout the semester students are encouraged to integrate the academic material with their experiences of life in Uganda. From this academic and experiential foundation we examine our own North American Christianity with particular emphasis on personal conviction and response.
- Homestay in Mukono Uganda or Campus Housing with Rural Homestay
By living in a homestay, students make an intentional commitment to live outside their comfort zone. Days are spent on campus studying, worshipping and eating with Ugandan peers. While they will have some opportunities to make relationships and be involved on campus, most of their time will be spent in an even more effective classroom: a Ugandan family. They will live close enough to walk to the university, but far enough to escape the 'bubble' so familiar to Christian colleges. Life with a Ugandan family will include eating Ugandan staple foods (beans, rice, potatoes, etc.), bathing from a bucket, and having limited communication (internet is available on campus, but not in homes), among other challenges. The majority of homes will have electricity, but most will not have indoor plumbing. This experience will give students a thorough foundation of cultural values manifested and embodied in daily life and relationships.
By living in UCU campus housing, students will be attending lectures, fellowships and sporting events, learning to find books in the library and participating in community worship - even the most basic activities give them an insight into the lives of their classmates. Students will spend the majority of the semester living on campus at UCU, rooming with other USP students and/or with students from Uganda and elsewhere in Africa. For two weeks of the semester they will live with a Ugandan family near the university, coming for classes during the day and spending the evening learning first hand about culture, politics and religion.
NOTE: If participating in campus activities (sports, choirs, fellowships, etc.) is extremely important to a particular student, they should consider applying to live on campus since practice times and commitments are not conducive to homestays.
- Additional Units/Courses
Students would choose and additional 6-8 units from courses that already exists at Uganda Christian University and serve as a regular portion of the Uganda Studies Program(GE listings included):
The following courses are guaranteed to be offered and to not conflict with one another (all are 3 unit courses)
Religions in Contemporary Uganda (GE: Thinking Globally)
East African Politics since Independence (GE: Understanding Society)
East African History from 1800 to Independence (GE: Thinking Historically)
African Literature (GE: Reading Imag. Lit)
Luganda I (GE: Modern Language)
Luganda II (these can be taken sequentially so that both fit in one semester) (GE: Modern Language)
Kiswahili I (GE: Modern Language)
Kiswahili II (same as Luganda)
The following courses will be offered, but based on scheduling, there could be conflicts with above courses (but 95% of the time they can work around it) (all are 3 credit courses)
Understanding Worldviews (Thinking Globally)
Understanding Ethics (Elective Credit only)
Health & Wholeness