Welcome message from Dr. Rex Hammond, Dean of the School of Business and Professional Studies, for the fall DHA cohort at Virginia University of Lynchburg (VUL).
Program focus: Doctor of Health Care Administration (DHA) with two core courses starting this orientation period.
Start date and cadence: Semester kicks off on ext{September }1, 2020; weekly Zoom sessions every Saturday during the term.
Two DHA courses in this cycle: DHA 801 (Organizational Change Management) taught by Dr. Gupta, and DHA 802 (Organizational Communication) taught by Dr. Hammond.
Orientation is mandatory; first assignment is a one-page summary of the orientation due on the DHA 802 Moodle page under the mandatory DHA orientation by the end of the current programming week.
Program Schedule and Structure
You are in the fall DHA cohort and assigned to one of three sections: A, B, or C.
Your section identifier is shown at the top of your Moodle page as DHA 802 A, DHA 802 B, or DHA 802 C.
Zoom schedule under the VUL DHA banner for the semester:
Section A meets at 11{:}00 ext{ AM} EST
Section B meets at 12{:}00 ext{ PM} EST
Section C meets at 1{:}00 ext{ PM} EST
All times are in Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Sessions start promptly at the scheduled times: 11:01, 12:01, or 01:01 depending on section.
If you log in late, the meeting will proceed without you.
Zoom sessions last approximately fifty minutes before adjourning to prepare for the next session (i.e., adjourned by 50 minutes after start).
Live session etiquette:
Use the raise hand emoji to indicate you’d like to speak.
Keep comments brief, respectful, and on-topic.
You are expected to come prepared with your assigned greetings and, importantly, your observations.
During orientation, you will be treated as a captive audience so the instructor may speak first; participation and preparation are still required.
Course Details and Sequencing
DHA 801: Organizational Change Management (15-week course) taught by Dr. Gupta.
DHA 802: Organizational Communication (8-week course) taught by Dr. Hammond.
In this cycle, you will manage two courses simultaneously:
A 15-week course (Organizational Change Management) and an 8-week course (Organizational Communication) concurrently.
The first eight-week course (Organizational Communication) begins on ext{September }1 and concludes on ext{October }27.
After that, the next eight-week course begins: Leadership and Professional Issues.
The fifteen-week course in this cycle is Organizational Change Management with Dr. Gupta.
The DHA program emphasizes practical information and applied knowledge (not a traditional dissertation). You’ll immediately apply what you learn to your current or future job roles in healthcare administration.
Framing and philosophy:
Doctorate is a significant achievement. Embrace the challenges and rely on institutional support.
The program is designed for professionals with substantial career experience; you won’t be writing 100-page papers, but a concise, insightful 4-page essay can be more challenging than a long ramble.
Core message: you bring significant professional experience; aim to conduct yourself with professional standards and clear, concise, and insightful writing in every observation and question.
Motivational idea: earning a doctorate is a rare achievement (less than 2\% of the population holds a doctoral degree). The program prioritizes practical impact over theoretical abstraction.
Structure of Online Learning Platforms and Tools
Moodle is your primary course hub for each DHA course; DHA 802 has its own Moodle page with resources tailored to DHA 802 content.
Under the DHA 802 banner you’ll find:
The DHA 802 syllabus (to be discussed in the first live Zoom session)
Harvard readings link nested in the syllabus
Zoom video conference invites and lists
A checklist for submitting DHA writing assignments
APA style/citation examples
Guidance on including a thesis or topic statement in essays
A summary of objective writing
A video on attribution and documentation of evidence
A video on avoiding plagiarism and AI usage with Grammarly and Turnitin
Information on accessing assignment marks and final grades
Troubleshooting resources for the DHA program
Weekly instructions appear under the Week One section and are updated each week.
Week one framework:
Standard instructions include Harvard readings, two discussion board prompts, and essay submissions.
You must post your thoughts on each discussion prompt and reply to at least two classmates.
Moodle page specifics:
Ensure you’re on the correct Moodle page for DHA 802 (Dr. Hammond) versus DHA 801 (Dr. Gupta).
Gen L 101 orientation:
Located in the left column of your course Moodle page, separate from this session.
Completing Gen L 101 teaches you how to submit discussion board posts and deposit writing assignments in the digital dropbox.
Gen L 101 knowledge is necessary for completing Week One assignments and the orientation summary.
The DHA website (myDHA portal):
Access through vul.edu/dha via the MyDHA portal.
Provides curriculum, application management, academic policies, tuition, financial aid, faculty information, and the DHA academic calendar.
Academic policies are listed under the Academic Policies tab; review them, especially for situations you may encounter.
Academic integrity and writing tools:
Grammarly is recommended to ensure clarity, correctness, and professional tone for drafts.
All submissions are reviewed through Turnitin to assess citations, detect plagiarism, and identify AI-generated text.
Watch the support video “Avoiding Plagiarism and Artificial Intelligence with Grammarly and Turnitin” on the DHA 802 page under the Moodle banner to learn attribution, source integration, and ethical scholarship.
Expectations, Deadlines, and Time Management
The program is fast-paced with a large amount of material; deadlines are crucial.
Two universal survival rules:
Follow the assignment instructions to the letter.
Submit assignments before the posted deadlines.
Extensions:
Extensions are granted for legitimate reasons (not for poor time management).
If a medical condition requires hospitalization, email your professor in advance to request an extension.
Personal challenges throughout the DHA year may include death, illness, or family issues. You’ll need to decide whether to continue or withdraw; withdrawal requires readmission if you return.
Motivation to finish: there will be times you question your ability to continue, especially near a midnight deadline, but the deadline remains the deadline. Plan ahead and submit well before the deadline to avoid last-minute issues.
History and structure: DHA program launched in September 2020; you are the 16^{ ext{th}} cohort; success depends on following rules and meeting deadlines.
Genral Orientation and Academic Practices
First things first: you have access to a Moodle orientation separate from this session (Gen L 101).
The Gen L 101 orientation covers:
Discussion board posting basics
How to deposit writing assignments in the digital dropbox
This knowledge is essential for Week One assignments and the orientation summary.
You will use your university email for all communications moving forward.
You will agree to the EULA for Turnitin (plagiarism analysis) as part of course integrity measures.
Practicalities and Culture of the DHA Program
The DHA environment emphasizes professional development, not a traditional academic hierarchy.
You will be exposed to support resources and a network of peers and faculty dedicated to your success.
Importance of storytelling and precise writing:
You’ll learn about the importance of clear storytelling and following instructions precisely (a story is shared to illustrate the consequence of not following directions).
The story: two hunters; the operator says, “First, let’s make sure that he’s dead.” After a moment, a gunshot is heard; the caller asks, “Okay. Now what?” This emphasizes that following instructions can be a matter of life and death in professional settings.
Your daily routine will involve reading weekly Harvard materials, posting on discussion boards, composing essays, attending Zoom sessions, and preparing for a final project.
Final Encouragement and Welcome Message
Earning a doctorate is a monumental achievement; embrace the challenges and rely on institutional support.
You bring significant professional experience; the program seeks to translate that into practical leadership in healthcare administration.
The DHA program aims to prepare you to lead in healthcare administration and to apply knowledge immediately in your career.
The dean closes with excitement for the journey and your success, noting that you will be engaged frequently over the next 8 months and that the journey is intense but rewarding.
Quick Reference (Key Numbers and Dates)
Start date: ext{September }1, 2020
Section times (EST):
Section A: 11{:}00 ext{ AM}
Section B: 12{:}00 ext{ PM}
Section C: 1{:}00 ext{ PM}
Time between sessions (approximate): 50 minutes per session
Cohort size: 16^{ ext{th}} cohort
Course lengths: 15-week (DHA 801) and 8-week (DHA 802, then Leadership and Professional Issues)
Week one activities: two discussion prompts; post and reply to two classmates
Critical tools: Turnitin, Grammarly, Harvard readings, APA formatting, digital dropbox
Primary platforms: Moodle and MyDHA portal ( vul.edu/dha )