Fall 2010 Seminar Schedule

HHH Seminar Series 2010-2011 

Wednesdays, 9am to 12pm

McGuire Hall, Room 204

Dr. Alison Breland

abbrelan@vcu.edu

(804) 628-2300

 

Office Hours:             Wednesdays 1pm to 3pm (and by appointment)

 

Wednesdays, 9am to 12pm		Speakers	Fridays (field trips/workshops)
During orientation--25-Aug	Introductions, US Educational system, US government	Alison, Randy	Sarah Stanton, DLS 10am-12pm
1-Sep	US Foreign Policy	Dr. Bill Newmann	SAMHSA
8-Sep	Scientific Evidence 1 **may move to afternoon**	Alison	Charles O’Keeffe Lecture, 10am
15-Sep	Scientific Evidence 2	Alison	Tour of Pharmacology labs 10am, to 12pm
22-Sep	US and VA Healthcare system	Dr. Stephen Mick	DBHDS, 2pm
29-Sep	Fellows’ Presentations on their countries (4)	Fellows	RBHA, 9:30am and Intercultural Communication Workshop, 2pm
6-Oct	Scientific Evidence 3	Alison	Williamsburg and Jamestown
13-Oct	Fellows’ Presentations on their countries (4)	Fellows	Library orientation at Tomkpins-McGaw library at 9:30am to 11am (you must leave with an article for journal club)
20-Oct	“What makes a good leader in the field of addiction?”	Drs. Cathy Howard, Jim May, Bob Balster, Charles O’Keefe	What is evidence-based practice? (Randy)
27-Oct	No seminar (Global leadership conference)		EBP conference
3-Nov	HIV/AIDS	Dr. Eric Benotsch	SAARA
10-Nov	Medication-Assisted Treatment for Addiction	Dr. Michael Weaver	To Be Announced
17-Nov	Epidemiology	Dr. Peter Hartsock, NIDA—tentative	CDCynergy—Dr. May Kennedy (9:30am to 12pm)
24-Nov	Prevention/Adolescents	Dr. Aleta Meyer, NIDA	Thanksgiving Holiday—no field trip
1-Dec	Criminal Justice System	Dr. Faye Taxman, GMU	Henrico County Drug Court
8-Dec	Substance Abuse Policies	Charles O’Keeffe	To Be Announced

 

Additional requirements:

 

1.  Please do not miss a seminar.  We ask that people miss no more than one class each semester.

 

2.  You will need to read an article for most seminars.  Articles will be posted on Blackboard prior to each weekly seminar (https://blackboard.vcu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp).

 

3.  Human subjects CITI training must be completed by November 1^st – with printed documentation turned into Alison or Crystal.

 

a) Select ‘Basic CITI Training’ - http://www.research.vcu.edu/irb/citi.htm

 

b) Click on the link to www.citiprogram.org to go to the CITI website listed where you have to sign in

  

 c) After registration, select the ‘Social-Behavioral Research’ module

 

 

4.  Fall Presentation on your home country: This is a 15-minute presentation given by all Fellows as an introduction for everyone.  Please use the following guidelines for putting your talk together.  I recommend no more than 15 slides in total.  You will be evaluated on your presentation content and style.

 

 

Time	What you should cover
5-minutes	1) Brief overview of your country – key things you think we should know
2-minutes	2) Your role in your country
5-minutes	3) Overview of health, focusing on your interest (addiction and/or HIV, for instance) within your country; Identify whatever epidemiology data your country has – or does not have
3 minutes	4) Your goal for being here -- what do you want to take home with you

 

 

5.  Journal Club: Four (4) Fellows will each lead one journal club this semester and the other four (4) will lead a journal club in the spring.  Each fellow will present an article.  Dates will be announced later in the semester, but will be held from 1pm to 2pm on Wednesdays, during some weeks of the second half of the fall semester.

 

ALL Fellows will identify an article from a good journal on October 15^th – following the library workshop.

• Send the article to Alison for approval on October 15th
• Critique the article – tell us what the authors did and why; how they did it; what they found; whether you think it was done well; and if you will use the information in your professional life.  I will provide you with a worksheet to use as a guideline for your critique.

 

6.  Draft of ideas for Final Project:  All Fellows are required to do a project for the seminar series (see below).  This final project is due at the end of the Spring semester but you must decide what you are going to do this fall.  A short PowerPoint presentation (5 slides) will be due on December 8, 2010.  You will not need to give the presentation, just send the slides to Alison for review.  The 5 slides should cover:

 

            1.  Title of project

            2.  Rationale and Background (please cite at least 3 sources, such as journal articles)

            3.  Plans for project development during the spring semester

            4.  Ideas for what you will do when you get back to your home country

 

 

7.  Final Projects – DUE APRIL 2011: These projects vary and should be designed to be beneficial to you upon your return home.  Projects can vary and may include: a detailed description of a research project they plan to implement in your home country, a grant application with a U.S. collaborator for research to be conducted in your home country; a best practice program adaptation for use upon return home; a program evaluation/needs assessment or a plan for an evaluation/needs assessment in your home country; development of a manual for use by agencies in your home country (on topics such as treatment options, best practices, and evaluation methodologies), or some other project of particular value to you.

 

You will begin developing the topic for your final project during the fall semester, and turn in a short PowerPoint presentation with your ideas, including the rationale and background, due December 8^th.  Mid-spring, you will also be asked to turn in a draft of the project (also in PowerPoint form).  In the spring, the last three sessions of the seminar series are devoted to presentation of final projects (30 minutes each).  You will need to discuss 1) your top priority for change upon returning home and 2) step-by-step activities describing how you will try to implement these changes.  Your advisors and other VCU faculty may be invited to attend these presentations.  You will receive a formal evaluation of their presentation conducted by Program staff.

 

Exact dates for the draft of your project PowerPoint (in the spring) and date of your final presentation will be announced next semester.

 

  

Other important information:

 

VCU Statement on Safety

What to know and do to be prepared for emergencies at VCU:

• Sign up to receive VCU text messaging alerts (www.vcu.edu/alert/notify). Keep your information up-to date.
• Know the safe evacuation route from each of your classrooms. Emergency evacuation routes are posted in on-campus classrooms.
• Listen for and follow instructions from VCU or other designated authorities.
• Know where to go for additional emergency information (www.vcu.edu/alert).
• Know the emergency phone number for the VCU Police (828-1234). Report suspicious activities and objects.

 

VCU Honor System

Virginia Commonwealth University recognizes that honesty, truth, and integrity are values central to its mission as an institution of higher education.  The Honor System is built on the idea that a person’s honor is his/her most cherished attribute.  A foundation of honor is essential to a community devoted to learning.  Within this community, respect and harmony must coexist.  The Honor System is the policy of VCU that defines the highest standards of conduct in academic affairs.

 

The Honor System states that faculty members are responsible for:

• Understanding the procedures whereby faculty handles suspected instances of academic dishonesty.  Faculty are to report any infraction of the VCU Honor System according to the procedures outlined in our policy.
• Developing an instructional environment that reflects a commitment to maintaining and enforcing academic integrity.  Faculty should discuss the VCU Honor System at the onset of each course and mention it in course syllabi.
• Handling every suspected or admitted instance of violation of the provisions of this policy in accordance with procedures set forth in the policy.

 

The Honor System in its entirety can be reviewed on the Web at

http://www.provost.vcu.edu/pdfs/Honor_system_policy.pdf or it can be found in the 2010-11VCU Insider at http://www.students.vcu.edu/insider.html.

 

The Honor System must be upheld and enforced by each member of the Virginia Commonwealth University community.  The fundamental attributes of our community are honor and integrity.  We are privileged to operate with this Honor System.

 

Statement on Americans with Disabilities Act
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 require Virginia Commonwealth University to provide an 'academic adjustment' and/or a 'reasonable accommodation' to any qualified individual with a physical or mental disability who self-identifies as having such. Students should contact the Disability Support Services office on the Monroe Park Campus (828-2253) or on the MCV Campus (828-9782) for appropriate academic adjustments or accommodations.