SELF-STUDY REPORT - UNT Health Science Center...i LIST OF ACRONYMS ACHE American College of Healthcare Executives APART Academic and Program Assessment Review Team APHA American Public

CreatingHealthier Community

SELF-STUDY REPORTPrepared for the Council on Education for Public Health

May 2015

Solutions for a

3500 Camp Bowie Blvd. | Fort Worth, TX 76107 | www.unthsc.edu/education/sph

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF ACRONYMS .................................................................................................................................. i INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................iv

CRITERION 1: THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH ....................................................................... 1 1.1 MISSION ..................................................................................................................................................... 1

Table 1.1.d.1: School of Public Health Goals and Objectives .................................................................................................................................... 4 1.2 EVALUATION ........................................................................................................................................ 10

Table 1.2.a.1: Responsible Parties Associated with each Objective ................................................................................................................... 11 Table 1.2.c.1: Goals, Strategic Initiatives, Measures and Results (CEPH Outcome Measures Template) ............................................... 15

1.3 INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................................... 24 Figure 1.3.b.1: University of North Texas Health Science Center Organizational Chart ............................................................................. 25

1.4 ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION .................................................................................... 28 Figure 1.4.a.1: University of North Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health Organizational Chart ............................. 28

1.5 GOVERNANCE ....................................................................................................................................... 32 Table 1.5.a.1: Standing and Ad Hoc Committees ........................................................................................................................................................ 32 Table 1.5.d.1: Faculty Membership on University Committees ............................................................................................................................ 36

1.6 FISCAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................ 38 Table 1.6.b.1: UNTHSC SPH Budget (CEPH Data Template 1.6.1) ........................................................................................................................ 39 Table 1.6.d.1: Fiscal Assessment Objectives ................................................................................................................................................................ 40

1.7 FACULTY AND OTHER RESOURCES .............................................................................................. 41 Table 1.7.a.1: Primary Faculty Headcount (CEPH Data Template 1.7.1) ........................................................................................................... 41 Table 1.7.a.2: Primary Faculty Members in Each of the Core Areas ................................................................................................................... 41 Table 1.7.b.1: Faculty, Students, and Student/Faculty Ratios by Department 2011-2014 (CEPH Data Template1.7.2) ................ 43 Table 1.7.c.1: School Administrative and Staff Personnel ...................................................................................................................................... 45 Table 1.7.i.1 Outcome Measures for Resource Adequacy ....................................................................................................................................... 49

1.8 DIVERSITY ............................................................................................................................................. 51 Table 1.8.a.1: Comparison of Student, Faculty, and Staff Diversity to Geographic Populations (CEPH Data Template 1.8.1) ..... 52

CRITERION 2: INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS .............................................................................. 59 2.1 DEGREE OFFERINGS ........................................................................................................................... 59

Table 2.1.a.1: Instructional Matrix (CEPH Data Template 2.1.1) .......................................................................................................................... 60 Table 2.1.a.2: SCH Required for Each Concentration ................................................................................................................................................ 63

2.2 PROGRAM LENGTH ............................................................................................................................ 66 2.3 PUBLIC HEALTH CORE KNOWLEDGE ........................................................................................... 68

Table 2.3.a.1: Core Public Health Knowledge for MPH and DrPH Degrees (CEPH Data Template 2.3.1) ............................................. 68 2.4 PRACTICAL SKILLS ............................................................................................................................. 70 2.5 CULMINATING EXPERIENCE............................................................................................................ 77 2.6 REQUIRED COMPETENCIES ............................................................................................................. 82

Figure 2.6.c.1: MPH CORE Competencies and Learning Outcomes (CEPH Data Template 2.6.1) ............................................................ 85 Figure 2.6.c.2: DrPH Competencies and Learning Outcomes (CEPH Data Template 2.6.1) ....................................................................... 88 Figure 2.6.c.3: PhD CORE Competencies and Learning Outcomes (CEPH Data Template 2.6.1) ............................................................. 95

2.7 ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES .......................................................................................................... 102 Table 2.7.b.1: Summary of Degree Completion Rates (CEPH Data Template 2.7.1).................................................................................... 106 Table 2.7.b.2: Job Placement/Destination of Graduates (CEPH Data Template 2.7.2) ............................................................................... 107 Table 2.7.c.1: Job Placement Data Collection Methods and Response Rates ................................................................................................. 108 Table 2.7.d.1: Pass Rates on Certified in Public Health (CPH) Examination 2011-2014 .......................................................................... 109 Table 2.7.e.1: Employer Assessment of MPH Program Graduates’ Ability to Perform Competencies on the Job .......................... 110 Table 2.7.e.2: Employer Assessment of DrPH Program Graduates’ Ability to Perform Competencies on the Job ......................... 110 Table 2.7.e.3: Self-Assessment of Competency Achievement - MPH Program Graduating Students and Alumni .......................... 112 Table 2.7.e.4: Self-Assessment of Competency Achievement - DrPH Program Graduating Students and Alumni ......................... 112 Table 2.7.e.5: Self-Assessment of Competency Achievement – PhD Program Graduating Students and Alumni .......................... 113

2.8 OTHER GRADUATE PROFESSIONAL DEGREES ....................................................................... 114 2.9 BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN PUBLIC HEALTH ............................................................................... 116 2.10 OTHER BACHELOR’S BEGREES ..................................................................................................... 117 2.11 ACADEMIC DEGREES ........................................................................................................................ 118 2.12 DOCTORAL DEGREES ....................................................................................................................... 122

Table 2.12.c.1: Doctoral Student Data for AY 2013-2014 (CEPH Data Template 2.10.1).......................................................................... 124 Table 2.12.d.1: PhD Program Core Courses................................................................................................................................................................ 125 Table 2.12.d.2: Biostatistics Concentration ................................................................................................................................................................ 126 Table 2.12.d.3: Behavioral and Community Health Concentration ................................................................................................................... 127 Table 2.12.d.4: Environmental Health Sciences Concentration ......................................................................................................................... 127 Table 2.12.d.5: Epidemiology Concentration ............................................................................................................................................................. 128 Table 2.12.d.6: Health Services and Policy Concentration ................................................................................................................................... 129 Table 2.12.d.7: DrPH in Public Health Practice ......................................................................................................................................................... 130

2.13 JOINT DEGREES ................................................................................................................................. 132 Table 2.13.a.1: New Enrollment in Dual Degree Programs .................................................................................................................................. 132 Table 2.13.b.1: MPH/MS Applied Anthropology Dual Degree (63 Credits) ................................................................................................... 133 Table 2.13.b.2: DO/MPH Dual Degree (42 Credits) ................................................................................................................................................. 134 Table 2.13.b.3: MPH/MSN Dual Degree (57 Credits).............................................................................................................................................. 135

2.14 DISTANCE EDUCATION AND EXECUTIVE PROGRAMS ......................................................... 136

CRITERION 3: CREATION, APPLICATION AND ADVANCEMENT OF KNOWLEDGE ..... 140 3.1 RESEARCH ........................................................................................................................................... 140

Figure 3.1.a.1 SPH Office of Research Services Organizational Chart .............................................................................................................. 146 Table 3.1.c.2: Summary of Research Activity FY 2011-2014 (CEPH Data Template 3.1.1) ...................................................................... 152 Table 3.1.d.1: Outcome Measures and Targets for Research ............................................................................................................................... 153

3.2 SERVICE ................................................................................................................................................ 158 Table 3.2.a.1: Percent of Faculty Participating in Service by Category, 2012-2014 ................................................................................... 158 Table 3.2.d.1: Outcome Measures and Targets for Service .................................................................................................................................. 161

3.3 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ...................................................................................................... 164 Table 3.3.b.1: Funded and Unfunded Workforce Development Activities, 2011-2012 to 2013-2014 .............................................. 166

Table 3.3.c.1: SPH Certificate and Non-Degree Programs .................................................................................................................................... 172

CRITERION 4: FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS .................................................................. 174 4.1 FACULTY QUALIFICATIONS ........................................................................................................... 174

Table 4.1.a.1: Current Primary Faculty Supporting Degree Programs, by Department, Fall 2014 (CEPH Data Template 4.1.1)...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 175 Table 4.1.b.1: Other Faculty used to Support Teaching Programs (CEPH Data Template 4.1.2) ........................................................... 181 Table 4.1.d.1: SPH Faculty Performance Measures ................................................................................................................................................. 187

4.2 FACULTY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ..................................................................................... 188 4.3 STUDENT RECRUITMENT AND ADMISSIONS .......................................................................... 195

Table 4.3.d.1: Admissions Process Data: Information on Applicants, Acceptances and New Enrollments, 2011-12 to 2013-14, Fall 2014 and Spring 2015 (CEPH Data Template 4.3.1) ....................................................................................................................................... 198 Table 4.3.e.1: Total Enrollment Data from 2011-12 to 2013-14, and Fall 14 (CEPH Template 4.3.2) ................................................. 200 Table 4.3.f.1: Outcome Measures for Enrolling Qualified Students .................................................................................................................. 201

4.4. ADVISING AND CAREER COUNSELING ....................................................................................... 203 Table 4.4.b.1: Career Counseling Services for Students ........................................................................................................................................ 205 Table 4.4.c.1: Student Satisfaction with Advising and Career Counseling Services.................................................................................... 206

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LIST OF ACRONYMS ACHE American College of Healthcare Executives APART Academic and Program Assessment Review Team APHA American Public Health Association Appendix Self-study supplementary materials located in the Electronic Resource File (ERF) ASPPH Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health AY Academic Year BACH Behavioral and Community Health BEST Biostatistics and Evaluation Services and Training BIOS Biostatistics CAHME Commission on Education of Healthcare Management Education Canvas Learning Management System adopted by the University CAP Center for Academic Performance CBPR Community Based Participatory Research CCH Center for Community Health CEPH Council on Education for Public Health CITI Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative CIL Center for Innovative Learning (in the fall of 2014, the Center for Learning and Development and the Center for Online Education were merged into this single center) CLD Center for Learning and Development (now part of the CIL) CME Continuing Medical Education CoP College of Pharmacy CPH Certified in Public Health Examination CPCR Center for Primary care Research CPHP Center for Public Health Prepare DFW Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex DrPH Doctor of Public Health Program EAD Everett Education and Administration Building EOHS Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences EPID Epidemiology ERF Electronic Resource File F&A Facilities and Administrative FQHC Federally Qualified Health Center FTE Full Time Equivalent GIS Geographic Information Systems GMAT Graduate Management Admissions Test GPA Grade Point Average gRATs Group readiness assessment tests H3 Healthy Moms-Healthy Babies-Healthy Community HAMPCAS Healthcare Administration, Management & Policy Centralized Application Service HSC University of North Texas Health Science Center HIT Health Institutes of Texas HMAP Health Management and Policy

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HWF Hispanic Wellness Fair ICE Integrated Competency Evaluation IDEA Individual Development and Educational Assessment System IHI Institute for Healthcare Improvement iRATs Individual readiness assessment tests IRB Institutional Review Board MACH Maternal and Child Health MAC Master’s Admission Committee MAPP Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships MGMA Medical Group Management Association MHA Master of Health Administration MOU Memorandum of Understanding MPH Master of Public Health NBPHE National Board of Public Health Examiners NCHL National Center of Healthcare Leadership NCURA National Council of Research Administrators NIH National Institute of Health NTHF North Texas Health Forum OAAS Office of Admission and Academic Services ORA UNTHSC Research Office OReC Office of Research Compliance ORS Office of Research Services OSOE Office of Strategy and Organizational Excellence PACE Office of Professional and Continuing Education PA Physician Assistant PAD Professional and Academic Development PHAB Public Health Accreditation Board PHED Public Health Education Department PHPC Public Health and Prevention Council PHSGA Public Health Student Government Association QEP Quality Enhancement Program Qualtrics Electronic Survey Software RAD Research Appreciation Day RCOI Research Conflict of Interest RWJ Robert Wood Johnson Foundation SACS Southern Association of Colleges and Schools SCH Semester Credit Hour Site Supervisor Preceptor SOPHAS Schools of Public Health Application Service SORT Student Outbreak Response Team SFR Student/Faculty Ratio SPHAAR School of Public Health Academic Advising and Registration SPH UNTHSC School of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center SPHFYI School of Public Health Newsletter STEP Emergency Safe Transitions for Elderly Patients TCHD Texas Center for Health Disparities

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TCOM Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine TCU Texas Christian University TECS-PERLC Training and Education Collaborative System – Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers THECB Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board TPHTC Texas Public Health Training Center TPI Texas Prevention Institute TracDat Assessment Management System used to assess performance measures UG Undergraduate UNT University of North Texas – Denton campus UNTHSC University of North Texas Health Science Center WIPS Works in progress WNV West Nile Virus

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INTRODUCTION

The University of North Texas Health Science Center Fort Worth (UNTHSC), located in the cultural district of Fort Worth has five graduate schools and is a part of the University of North Texas (UNT) System. The UNTHSC is comprised of five schools. The Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM) which originated as a private college in 1966, became a state-supported medical school in 1975 and was officially re-designated and expanded by the State of Texas as the UNTHSC. That same year, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) became the second school which admitted the first MS and PhD students to the health science center. Two other schools were recently founded: the School of Health Professions (2007) which includes the Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) and the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT); and the UNT System College of Pharmacy (2011) matriculated its first Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students in 2013. The School of Public Health (SPH) grew from a single program in GSBS. In 1995 the first Master of Public Health (MPH) students were admitted; four years later in 1999, the School of Public Health (SPH) was founded. The first students in the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) program matriculated in 2001, followed by the first Master of Heath Administration (MHA) students in 2008. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) approved the SPH to offer a Doctor of Philosophy, the PhD in Public Health Sciences, and the first students matriculated that same year in 2011. The last Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) re-accreditation of the SPH for a maximum of seven years was in 2007. Growth in the number of schools accredited by CEPH over the last few years resulted in the UNTHSC-SPH’s re-accreditation being moved from 2014 to 2015. With the appointment of Richard S. Kurz as the Dean of the SPH in 2007, many strategic changes have occurred. The SPH faculty offices were centralized to the 6th and 7th floors of the Carl E. Everett Education and Administration building (EAD) after a long period of departments being located in both EAD and the Center for BioHealth (CBH). This move facilitated better communications and collaboration among the entire school’s faculty, staff and students. Dean Kurz re-organized the entire leadership team to include a new Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and an Associate Dean for Administration and Student Services, as well as, five new department chairs. The Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences was reconfigured into the Department of Behavioral and Community Health, and later, the Department of Biostatics and the Department of Epidemiology merged. Dean Kurz has also led the school’s increased engagement with the communities of Fort Worth and Dallas. Student enrollment from the last re-accreditation has grown substantially to nearly 450 students (headcount) in AY 2013-2014. Significant changes in curriculum have occurred to include competency-based education. Distance education has been implemented with many online courses and a fully online, generalist MPH. The school has collaborated extensively with the Center for Innovative Learning (CIL) founded in 2010 as a part of the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) for the health science center’s accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). This self-study provides extensive details about the current status of the SPH and demonstrates how it meets the four criteria set by CEPH.

Criterion 1: The School of Public Health 1.1: Mission

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CRITERION 1: THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

1.1 MISSION The School shall have a clearly formulated and publicly stated mission with supporting goals, objectives and values.

1.1.a. A clear and concise mission statement for the school as a whole.

Mission, Vision, and Values

The Mission of the School of Public Health (SPH) is to create solutions for a healthier community by advancing public health knowledge through research, service, and the education of public health professionals.

In January of 2013, Dr. Michael Williams was appointed as the Interim and ultimately selected President of the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC). After his appointment, he requested that all units of the UNTHSC participate in the development of a new mission statement for the UNTHSC, as well as a new vision statement and a refined conception of its values. This process resulted in new mission and vision statements for the UNTHSC. These new statements are: Mission of the UNTHSC: Create solutions for a healthier community Vision of the UNTHSC: To be the team of choice for education, discovery and health care Each unit was directed to begin its mission statement with the above UNTHSC mission statement. The SPH’s vision statement was drafted by its faculty, staff, students, and stakeholder communities during the self-study year and is now stated as:

Vision of the School of Public Health: To be the team of choice for public health education, discovery, and service.

1.1.b. A statement of values that guides the School

The values of the UNTHSC were refined during a process that engaged the entire health science center in 2013. Many SPH faculty and staff completed surveys and participated in focus groups to contribute to the values development. Several SPH faculty and staff were participants in an intensive blueprint workshop that articulated the values based upon the feedback garnered from the survey and focus groups. The entire SPH faculty and staff were participants in values “roll-out” sessions where final input was gathered. The five values which resulted from the process are a major aspect of the FY 2015 Strategic Plan. The values and associated behaviors are:


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• Serve Others First – Encourage growth, well-being and success of each other and people we serve

o Empower one another to make values-based decisions o Consider the impact of your decisions o Be good stewards of people and resources o Demonstrate compassion, care and humility o Promote individual potential

• Integrity – Uphold the highest ethical standards o Do what is right, not just what is easy o Conduct ourselves with honesty, trustworthiness and dependability o Be transparent in actions o Own, correct and learn from successes and failures o Demonstrate loyalty to our mission and vision

• Respect – Treat everyone with dignity and compassion o Gratefully acknowledge contributions and efforts of others o Invite other perspectives and encourage dialogue o Communicate openly in a timely, courteous and relevant manner o Promote diversity of thought, ideas and people o Build trust by honoring our word through actions

• Collaboration – Work together to achieve shared goals o Combine our strengths to discover new ideas and share best practices o Seek opportunities to engage others and break through barriers o Inspire one another to be more, collectively, than the sum of our individual parts o Give, ask for and value feedback o Recognize the contributions of others and celebrate successes

• Be Visionary – Create innovative solutions in the pursuit of excellence o Respectfully challenge the way things have always been done o Create unique ways to provide remarkable service o Navigate change to move us forward o Proactively implement new ideas o Take thoughtful risks

Since the initial roll-out of the values, the process of awareness and action has continued with participation of the students on the UNTHSC campus. The SPH has embraced the values as the framework for our collegial teamwork in the areas of teaching, research and service. 1.1.c. One or more goal statements for each major function through which the School intends to attain its mission, including at a minimum, instruction, research and service. To fulfill its mission the SPH has the following primary goals (strategic initiatives): Goal 1 (Strategic Initiative 1): Administration

Create an environment that facilitates the education of exemplary public health professionals and creates and disseminates public health knowledge

Goal 2 (Strategic Initiative 2): Academic Affairs

Develop public health professionals and scientists devoted to the highest standards of health in Texas, nationally and internationally.


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Goal 3 (Strategic Initiative 3): Research Discover, translate, and disseminate public health knowledge that is

recognized nationally and internationally. Goal 4 (Strategic Initiative 4): Community Engagement

Serve communities and professional organizations to accomplish SPH and HSC goals and to improve population health.

1.1.d. A set of measurable objectives with quantifiable indicators related to each goal statement as provided in Criterion 1.1.c. In some cases, qualitative indicators may be used as appropriate. For five years prior to the appointment of the new president in January 2013, the UNTHSC developed and implemented a strategic planning process that was required by all UNTHSC units. This process began with an environmental assessment; continued with the development of a statement of mission, vision, and values; and, finally, focused on the creation of an approach that defined goals for the UNTHSC, along with their associated tactical initiatives and performance measures. Each unit was directed to implement a similar approach to planning. The result of this process for each unit was a Strategic Map for each year that included results and follow-up activities. This information was recorded in TracDat, the software application system used by the UNTHSC for the uniform reporting of assessment plans across units. Strategic plans for the last 3 years are provided in Appendix 1.1.d.1 located in the Electronic Resource File. The current strategic plan is also available to the UNTHSC community and the general public through the SPH website: http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20005/school_of_public_health/558/about_us. The goals in the strategic plan were designed to be relatively stable, with annual changes in tactical initiatives as they were accomplished or changed based on the continuing environmental assessment. These tactical initiatives are typically measured qualitatively, although there are no benchmark objectives. Each unit also produced performance measures for the goals, and these are typically measured quantitatively. The SPH primary goals along with the corresponding (i) performance measures and (ii) tactical initiatives are presented below in Table 1.1.d.1. Results of the School’s performance in these areas over the last three years are summarized in the Outcomes Measures Table in Criterion 1.2.c (Table 1.2.c.1).

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20005/school_of_public_health/558/about_us


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Table 1.1.d.1: School of Public Health Goals and Objectives

GOAL 1 (STRATEGIC INITIATIVE 1): ADMINISTRATION Objective: Create an environment that facilitates the education of exemplary public health professionals and creates and disseminates public health knowledge

GOAL 1 (Administration) - PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Outcome Measure Target

1.1 Maintain student-faculty ratio in all departments Maximum student-faculty ratio of 10:1

1.2 Percentage of students receiving financial assistance from the school (from scholarships and grant funding) At least 40% of students will receive financial assistance

1.3 Faculty/Staff Survey of Employee Engagement (administered in even years): Ratings on (1) quality of organizational culture, (2) job satisfaction, and (3) empowerment

Minimum rating of 350 in each area

1.4 Faculty/Staff Denison Survey (administered in odd years): Ratings on team orientation At or above 50th percentile in all areas of team orientation

1.5 Faculty recruitment and promotion (faculty promoted or hired as associate or full professor) Add at least one senior faculty member each year

GOAL 1 (Administration) - TACTICAL INITIATIVES


1.6

Complete departmental review of Office of Admission and Academic Services (OAAS), Dept. Behavioral and Community Health (BACH), Dept. Biostatistics (BIOS), Dept. Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (EOHS), and Dept. Epidemiology (EPID)

Complete all reviews by 2013-2014

1.7 Implement reorganization of administrative staff Redefine administrative assistant roles by 2012-2013

1.8 Review student fee structure, e.g., computing, portfolio, Certified in Public Health Examination (CPH) Complete revised fee structure by 2013-2014

1.9 Investigate use of TracDat (and other learning management systems such as Canvas), for tracking the assessment of program competencies

Implement competency assessment software by 2014-2015

1.10 Implement a plan to increase full-time student enrollment Reduce ratio of part-time to full-time student enrollment ratio to less than 1.5 to 1 (1.5:1) by Fall 2013-2014

1.11 Plan SPH role in College of Pharmacy (CoP) and Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM) curricula

Provide course content for CoP and TCOM implement by August 2014

1.12

Complete recruitment of: (1) Faculty for EOHS, EPID, and BIOS (2) Chairs for Departments of EPID, BIOS and HMAP1 (3) An Associate Dean for Research

Complete searches by 2013-2014

1.13 Prepare and complete self-studies for CAHME2 accreditation of the Master of Health Administration (MHA), and SPH CEPH3 accreditation.

Complete CAHME by October 2013. Complete CEPH by May 2015

1.14 Implement a revised SPH faculty orientation Complete revisions and implement faculty orientation by 2012-2013

1Health Management and Policy 2Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) 3Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)


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GOAL 2 (STRATEGIC INITIATIVE 2): ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Objective: Develop public health professionals and scientists devoted to the highest standards of health in Texas, nationally and internationally

GOAL 2 (Academic Affairs) - PERFORMANCE MEASURES


2.1

As part of Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) accreditation, participate in the UNTHSC Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) by implementing higher order thinking principles in target courses.

(1)2011-2012: Identify 3 target courses and revise syllabi to incorporate higher order thinking principles and assessment methods; (2) 2012-2014: Expand QEP principles to 3 courses each year.

2.2 Number of enrolled students: (1) Headcount (HC) (2) FTE

2011-12: 340 HC and 260 FTEs 2012-13: 390 HC and 290 FTEs 2013-14: 425 HC and 310 FTEs

2.3 Percentage of diverse students (African American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American) At least 30% of student body

2.4 Student satisfaction with “quality of education”- (survey response to question “Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of my education”)

80% of students will respond “Met” or “Exceeds” on the annual campus-wide Student Satisfaction Survey administered in the Spring.

2.5 Student satisfaction with “quality of teaching” – (survey response to level of satisfaction with quality of teaching)

80% of students will respond “Agree” or “Strongly Agree” on the annual campus-wide Student Satisfaction Survey, administered in the Spring.

GOAL 2 (Academic Affairs) - TACTICAL INITIATIVES


2.6 Implement online course offerings for all core courses and two additional courses to create PH certificate and online MPH program

Implement online courses within two academic years (by 2013-2014)

2.7 Implement Blackboard, Turnitin, and syllabus template for all courses for all faculty

Implement changes within two academic years (by 2013-2014)

2.8 Investigate Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health Secure MOU by Fall 2014

2.9 Implement iWebfolio software for masters and doctoral programs Implement iWebfolio by Fall 2013

2.10 Investigate undergraduate (UG) instruction through area universities

Complete investigation and secure collaboration with at least 2 schools by 2013-2014

2.11 Explore a second online degree program at the master’s level Develop second online degree program and admit first cohort by 2013-2014

2.12 Investigate dual degree with PA program Complete investigation of dual program by 2014-2015

2.13 Implement a Maternal and Child Health (MACH) concentration in the MPH degree program

Implement MACH concentration and admit first cohort in Fall 2014

2.14 Implement utilization of Canvas (a learning management system) in all SPH courses.

Complete implementation of Canvas usage in all courses by Fall 2014

2.15 Launch two certificate programs Complete planning and launch two certificate programs by Fall 2015


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GOAL 3 (STRATEGIC INITIATIVE 3): RESEARCH

Objective: Discover, translate, and disseminate public health knowledge that is recognized nationally and internationally

GOAL 3 (Research) - PERFORMANCE MEASURES


3.1 Total ongoing extramural research funding

(All reported targets were established in conjunction with HSC Provost) 2011-2012: $3 million 2012-2013: $3.5 million 2013-2014: $3.5 million

3.2 Dollar value of grant applications submitted annually

(All reported targets were established in conjunction with the UNTHSC Provost) 2011-2012: $25 million 2012-2013: $28 million 2013-2014: $32 million

3.3 Total number of unduplicated peer-reviewed publications (published/in press)

50 publications each year

GOAL 3 (Research) - TACTICAL INITIATIVES


3.4

Improve support for standard aspects of grant applications and implement infrastructure plan with the UNTHSC Research Office (ORA) and the Texas Prevention Institute (TPI)

Create and implement research support structure by Fall 2014

3.5 Identify and implement a research plan for each faculty member Implement research plans for all faculty by Fall 2015

3.6 Implement a research colloquium series for faculty in conjunction with the TPI Implement research series by 2012-2013

3.7 Implement structure to focus SPH research on 5 core areas Implement by 2014-2015

3.8 Develop authorship and publication ethics guidelines Implement guidelines by 2015-2016

GOAL 4 (STRATEGIC INITIATIVE 4): COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Objective: Serve communities and professional organizations to accomplish SPH and HSC goals and to improve population health.

GOAL 4 (Community Engagement) - PERFORMANCE MEASURES


4.1 Number of target participants attending the North Texas Health Forum (NTHF) 200 – 250 participants

4.2 Percentage of faculty performing editorial and review duties for journals and agencies At least 75% of all faculty

4.3 Percentage of faculty engaged in professional consulting and training At least 30% of all faculty

4.4 Percentage of faculty participating in professional organizations At least 95% of all faculty

4.5 Percentage of faculty participating in community service activities At least 70% of all faculty


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GOAL 4 (Community Engagement) - TACTICAL INITIATIVES


4.6 Continue the North Texas Health Forum (NTHF) as a two-day event Implement NTHF annually

4.7 Expand development opportunities through the Dean’s Civic Council and other sources Expand opportunities for SPH Initiatives each year

4.8 Expand alumni involvement in SPH activities Increase alumni involvement each year in SPH activities (e.g. SPH committees, recruitment events, orientation sessions, internship/practice experience placement, etc.).

4.9 Expand Center for Public Health Preparedness (CPHP) and Texas Public Health Training Center (TPHTC) programs with regard to public health

Expand programs each year and seek alternate sources of funding

4.10 Define and implement the role and function of a DrPH Advisory Council Create a DrPH Advisory council by 2014-2015

4.11 Expand SPH involvement in community planning and evaluation through Biostatistics and Evaluation Services and Training (BEST) Center

Create and implement BEST by 2013-2014

1.1.e. Description of the manner through which the mission, values, goals and objectives were developed, including a description of how various specific stakeholder groups were involved in their development. Development of the School Strategic Plan (mission, values, goals and objectives) Based on the UNTHSC requirements, the planning process in the SPH was created to engage faculty and staff with one or two annual retreats where the current internal and external environment of the SPH was reviewed, and in which goals, tactical initiatives, and performance measures, along with associated measures/targets, were developed. This approach has continued as an annual review process for the plan with interim review by the SPH Executive Council, which consists of all chairs and deans, as well as the faculty (through its faculty meetings). The product of the initial phase of the process was reviewed with two external groups: the Public Health and Prevention Council (formerly the Dean’s Council) and the Master of Health Administration Advisory Council. Both groups are comprised of community members from organizations and the general public who expressed an interest in assisting the SPH in its development. Formal student input into the ongoing development of the School’s mission, goals, and objectives is provided through two primary mechanisms. First, student input is provided through the annual Student Satisfaction Survey, which is conducted by the UNTHSC Office of Strategy and Organizational Excellence (OSOE) and distributed to all UNTHSC students. This survey evaluates the level of student satisfaction in a number of areas including academics, facilities and services, and student services provided by individual programs. Results are used to outline areas for improvement within each school and the overall institution. Schools are required to prepare action plans to address areas that need improvement, and these plans are then used to inform strategic plans for subsequent years. In the SPH, the information gathered through the survey is reviewed by the Dean, department chairs, and faculty, as well as by students through focus groups created for each of the four basic degree programs, MPH, MHA, DrPH, and PhD. The faculty and the Dean then develop an improvement plan for each concern. The Student Satisfaction Survey is further discussed in Criteria 1.2.b and 4.4.c. SPH survey results and corresponding action plans for the last three years, 2011-2012 to 2013-2014, are provided in Appendix 4.4.c.1 located in the Electronic


8

Resource File. Full OSOE reports that contain institutional and program results are available at: http://web.unthsc.edu/info/200302/strategy_and_measurement/1865/student_survey A second mechanism is the courses evaluation process which allows students to provide feedback on the extent to which courses achieve competencies associated with them. This information is gathered through the Individual Development and Educational Assessment (IDEA) System and feedback during the summer field placements (written reflection reports, a mid-course meeting with the site-supervisor (preceptor) and the Academic Advisor or Program Director. All MPH students complete these assessments, as they are required field placement activities and required components of the MPH Professional and Academic Development (PAD) course. This process of receiving feedback continues to ensure that when recommendations for revisions to either the mission, vision or the goals are made, all stakeholders, including faculty, staff and students are provided with the opportunity to participate in discussions, provide feedback, and engage in the approval process. 1.1.f. Description of how the mission, values, goals and objectives are made available to the School’s constituent groups, including the general public, and how they are routinely reviewed and revised to ensure relevance. As noted above in section 1.1.e, the UNTHSC has an established review process for the strategic plan each year. In accordance with this process, the faculty and staff of the SPH review the plan annually through faculty and staff retreats, with student input provided through the annual Student Satisfaction Survey (presented in Criteria 1.1.d, 1.2.b and 4.4.c). The plan also receives input from its advisory bodies, the Provost, and the UNTHSC Office of Strategy and Organizational Excellence. This ongoing process further provides a mechanism for evaluating performance towards the goals and objectives outlined in the strategic plan, ensuring they are continuously monitored and revised as needed. The SPH mission, vision, values, goals and objectives are made available to all stakeholders through the SPH website: http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20005/school_of_public_health/558/about_us, and through promotional and recruitment materials. They are also posted on a bulletin board on the 7th floor of the Everett Education and Administration (EAD), one of the two floors where the SPH is housed (facilities are discussed in Criterion 1.7.d).

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/200302/strategy_and_measurement/1865/student_survey



9

1.1.g. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the School’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. This criterion is met. Strengths: The planning process has been effective in allowing the School to identify specific initiatives to be annually completed during a period of substantial change guided by the UNTHSC administration. These changes included the implementation of the MHA program and its accreditation, the development and implementation of the PhD program, consistent growth in research awards, addition of faculty in response to program and student growth, and increased awareness of the School in the DFW metroplex. As noted above, the SPH worked with the UNTHSC in the development and implementation of a new planning process for FY 2015. We continue to use a comprehensive review process that is now based on the new structure created by the UNTHSC. Weaknesses: The weakness of this process has been the complexity of the reporting process, which was initially through WEAVE software and is now through TracDat software. This software provides an efficient means of recording the plan and its results but is less useful for management of the plan. Management is conducted by the Office of the Dean through reviews at meetings of the Executive Council and the faculty. Plans: The President of the UNTHSC has developed a new approach to strategic planning. The SPH plan for FY 2015 is included in Appendix 1.1.d.1 can be found online at: http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20005/school_of_public_health/558/about_us (click on SPH Strategic Plan 2015).


Criterion 1: The School of Public Health 1.2: Evaluation

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1.2 EVALUATION The School shall have an explicit process for monitoring and evaluating its overall efforts against its mission, goals and objectives; for assessing the School’s effectiveness in serving its various constituencies; and for using evaluation results in ongoing planning and decision making to achieve its mission. As part of the evaluation process, the School must conduct an analytical self-study that analyzes performance against the accreditation criteria defined in this document. 1.2.a. Description of the evaluation processes used to monitor progress against objectives defined in Criterion 1.1.d, including identification of the data systems and responsible parties associated with each objective and with the evaluation process as a whole. If these are common across all objectives, they need be described only once. If systems and responsible parties vary by objective or topic area, sufficient information must be provided to identify the systems and responsible party for each. Progress on the achievement of each objective defined in Criterion 1.1.d is monitored on a regular basis by the SPH Executive Council that consists of the Dean, the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, the Associate Dean for Administration and Student Services, and the department chairs. The Executive Council provides oversight for all SPH committees and oversees all data collection, analysis and interpretation. Sources of data available to evaluate the School’s goals and objectives include:

• SPH Office of Admission and Academic Affairs (OAAS) reports on recruitment, admission, student progress toward degree completion, student conduct, student surveys, alumni records, and course syllabi. The primary databases used to access this information are the UNTHSC Registrar, the UNTHSC Enterprise Information System known as EIS, and the UNTHSC Catalog

• Reports from faculty, student and staff surveys administered by the UNTHSC Office and Strategy and Organizational Excellence (OSOE)

• Quality improvement reports coordinated by the Center for Innovative Learning (CIL). These include reports on results from the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) that aims to develop higher order thinking skills designed to improve student learning (further discussed in Criterion 1.7.g), and reports on the Quality Matters Implementation Plan that aims to help faculty deliver quality online and hybrid courses through the implementation of research based best practices for teaching with technology (discussed in Criterion 2.14.b).

• Annual performance reviews completed by all SPH faculty which detail instructional, research and service activities

• Research and grant funding reports coordinated by the SPH Office of Research Services (ORS)

• SPH program committee reports and meeting minutes (presented in Criterion 1.5.a.1) • UNTHSC budgetary reports provided by the Provost

Table 1.2.a lists all the objectives outlined in Criterion 1.1.d and identifies the primary parties responsible for the continual review and evaluation of all outcome measures used to assess each objective.


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Table 1.2.a.1: Responsible Parties Associated with each Objective

Goal/Strategic Initiative Objective Responsible Parties

1: ADMINISTRATION


Department Chairs, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Office of Admission and Academic Services, Office of Strategy and Organizational Excellence, Tenure and Promotion Committee, Executive Committee

2: ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

Develop public health professionals and scientists devoted to the highest standards of health in Texas, nationally, and internationally.

Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Associate Dean for Administration and Student Services, Office of Admission and Academic Services, Department Chairs, Program Directors Committee, Individual Program Committees, Office of Strategy and Organizational Excellence, Center for Innovative Learning

3: RESEARCH

Discover, translate, and disseminate public health knowledge that is recognized nationally and internationally

SPH Dean, Associate Dean for Administration and Student Services, SPH Research Committee, Office of Research Services, Department Chairs

4: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT


SPH Dean, Department Chairs, Executive Committee,

1.2.b. Description of how the results of the evaluation processes described in Criterion 1.2.a are monitored, analyzed, communicated and regularly used by managers responsible for enhancing the quality of programs and activities. The School monitors progress toward the goals and the strategic initiatives in its strategic plan in several ways. Faculty and Administration The strategic map constructed each year, which is stated explicitly through TracDat software, is reviewed on an ongoing basis by the Executive Council of the School and through several faculty meetings, especially those that take place at one or more retreats in the summer or early fall of each year. The Executive Council consists of the dean, chairs of each department, and the associate deans of the SPH. Other staff is included when needed to review a specific aspect of the strategic plan or to provide other information or insight. Some of these strategic initiatives are activities that must be completed to accomplish our goals and, hence, have a binary result of “completed” or “not completed.” Other strategic initiatives relate to activities that are ongoing and have a target for performance measures that may change each year. Through both approaches, the strategic initiatives act as a “checklist” for assessment of actions that are needed to achieve our goals. Final data are gathered annually for each performance indicator, and these results are reviewed by the


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Executive Council, by the faculty during retreats, and by the UNTHSC administration through the Provost’s Office and the Office for Strategy and Excellence. Strategic initiatives (referred to as objectives in TracDat) that are not met are continued with action plans that specify how the objective will be met in subsequent years. Access to the TracDat system will be provided during the site-visit. The UNTHSC had an additional review procedure for a limited set of metrics, many of which are at the School level. These metrics were reviewed and discussed quarterly at Executive Team meetings. The Executive Team consists of the senior administration of the UNTHSC, the deans, and the vice presidents responsible for non-academic units. The Provost would follow up on these results with the dean of each school. As will be noted, some of these metrics were included as performance measures by the SPH in its strategic plan. Annual summaries of the results for the quarter metrics can be found in Table 1.2.c.1. Students Student involvement in ongoing evaluation processes has been critical for assessing what works and what does not work in the SPH in terms of curriculum structure and competency coverage, the incorporation of health system changes, internship/practice and graduate placement development and implementation, and extracurricular professional development activities. The primary means of assessment is an annual Student Satisfaction Survey, which is distributed by the UNTHSC Office of Strategy and Organizational Excellence (OSOE). The content of this survey is not directly related to the strategic plan but does cover some issues that are addressed in the plan, such as curriculum changes, field placement, and field operation. The assessment and review process consists of survey distribution; analysis of the data collected by the OSOE; review of results by a group of school administrators that include the dean, department chairs, and associate deans; review by students through focus groups; and development of action plans to address results that fall below the 80% satisfied and very satisfied combined standard. The results for the past three academic years are discussed in Criterion 4.4.c.1. The survey tool and results are provided in Appendix 4.4.c.1 in the Electronic Resource File. Every year feedback is also obtained from students concerning the extent to which the selected competencies are appropriate for the SPH’s mission, goals, and objectives. This process formally takes place through Individual Development and Educational Assessment (IDEA) System (plus eight UNTHSC wide questions), feedback during the summer field placements (written reflection reports, a mid-course meeting with the site-supervisor (preceptor) and the Academic Advisor or Program Director), a post-placement presentation of project results as a poster, and self-assessment surveys administered to students three times: in their first semester of enrollment, immediately after the field experience, and at the end of capstone courses. All MPH students complete these assessments, as they are required field placement activities and required components of the MPH Professional and Academic Development (PAD) course. Informal feedback is also received through the day-to-day meetings and conversations between students, faculty members, the Program Directors, and the Department Chair. This informal feedback is unstructured but, by its nature, more candid than formal interactions, and it is very important, as it allows the Program Director and the Department Chair to ask follow up questions to address concerns about, for example, course content, coverage of competencies, suggestions for portfolio activities, and the need for changes to meet the mission, goals, and objectives of the SPH. The course evaluations conducted at the end of each course allow the programs and faculty to assess the extent to which learning objectives and competencies were met through course delivery and to solicit feedback on instructional strategies, teaching methods, and suggestions for


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improvement. IDEA evaluation results are distributed to each faculty member, each chair, and the Dean, and are then considered for course improvements. IDEA course evaluation results are provided in Appendix 2.1.b.1 located in the Electronic Resource File, and will be made available for review during the site-visit. Alumni Alumni engagement in ongoing evaluation processes has been important in assessing not only job placement success but also the extent to which students are prepared to become exceptional professionals and leaders based on MPH program competencies. Contact information is collected prior to graduation and later used by the Office of Admission and Academic Services (OAAS) to communicate with Alumni and to collect information on job placement, employment setting/sector, and effectiveness of program competencies in relation to job responsibilities. Alumni are also asked to provide feedback about the degree(s) and the SPH as a whole. Site Supervisors (Preceptors) Site supervisors are identified and contacted for the first time based on the interest students have in being placed at specific public health-related organizations. Public health related organizations are identified by the program director, the department chair, and/or the Field Placement Coordinator. Student preferences are also taken into account throughout this process to guarantee a strong match between a student, the preceptor, and the organization. Site supervisors are actively engaged in ongoing evaluation processes through an MPH field placement evaluation form as well as through a mid-placement visit by the Program Director or Academic Advisor to the site. The evaluation is structured to assess key performance areas such as knowledge of the public health environment, communication and professionalism, initiative and ability in working as a team member and. more specifically, the site supervisor’s judgment of student’s mastery of each competency. These opportunities to assess the progress of students in their placements are important because they allow the MPH program to track whether the competencies covered during the program are consistent with the expectations of employers. In addition, these opportunities allow for tracking of the public health environment as they help to build a long-term relationship between the student, the MPH program, and the health-related organization of the preceptor. Public Health and Prevention Council (PHPC) and Other Professionals The SPH constantly seeks the input of the PHPC and other health leaders in the region to better align the curriculum and other activities with the health system and the mission, goals, and objectives of the SPH. The PHPC meets two to three times annually, but it has more frequent meetings of its committees, which are focused on community interventions, healthy life styles in the community, and development. The dean and other faculty members participate in the activities of the PHPC and its committees. Through each of its committees, the PHPC is engaged in activities of the SPH that relate to its strategic plan. For example, the committee focusing on community interventions is working with the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies, Healthy Community (H3) Initiative sponsored by the SPH. This activity offers the committee an opportunity to provide the School with feedback on its community research and other engagement activities. The committee focusing on healthy lifestyles integrated its activities with those of the planning committee for the annual North Texas Health Forum, which is sponsored by the SPH. Again, community members who related to one of the strategic initiatives of the SPH provided assistance and feedback on its accomplishment. PHPC members and other health leaders participate in the MPH and doctoral courses as guest speakers, and they facilitate field visits to their workplaces. These interactions with PHPC members and other health leaders allow for integrating their input into the curriculum, provide opportunities for students to engage with health leaders, and work as a reality check on MPH and doctoral program content, competencies, and relevance.


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1.2.c. Data regarding the School’s performance on each measurable objective described in Criterion 1.1.d must be provided for each of the last three years. To the extent that these data duplicate those required under other criteria (eg, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 2.7, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1 and 4.3), the School should parenthetically identify the criteria where the data also appear. See CEPH Outcome Measures Template Table 1.2.c.1 below shows the SPH’s performance on the goals, objectives and outcome measures as presented earlier in Table 1.1.d.1. The table covers the years 2011-2012, 2012-2013 and 2013-2014. All measures are discussed in more detail in later sections of the self-study.


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Table 1.2.c.1: Goals, Strategic Initiatives, Measures and Results (CEPH Outcome Measures Template)

GOAL 1 (STRATEGIC INITIATIVE 1): ADMINISTRATION

OBJECTIVE: CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT FACILITATES THE EDUCATION OF EXEMPLARY PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND CREATES AND DISSEMINATES PUBLIC HEALTH KNOWLEDGE

PERFORMANCE MEASURES (Administration)

Outcome Measure Target 2011 - 2012 2012 -2013 2013-14 Action Plan Other Criteria (provide additional information related

to the objectives)

1.1 Maintain student-faculty ratio in all departments

Maximum student-faculty ratio of 10:1

All departments had student-faculty ratios below target of 10:1

Department of Epidemiology had a student-faculty ratio of 10.3:1. All other departments met the target

Department of Epidemiology had a student-faculty ratio of 11.7:1. All other departments met the target

Faculty added for 2014-2015 which will change the epidemiology SFR

1.7.b 4.1.a 4.1.b 4.3.c.

1.2 Percentage of students receiving financial assistance from the school (from scholarships and grant funding)

At least 40% of students will receive financial assistance

16.6% were provided with financial

20.45% were provided with financial

24% were provided with financial

Target to be changed to 25% due to changes in structure of financial aid.

2.12.b 3.1.e

1.3

Faculty/Staff Survey of Employee Engagement (administered in even years): Ratings on (1) quality of organizational culture, (2) job satisfaction, and (3) empowerment


(N/A) Survey not conducted

(1) 381 (2) 355 (3) 369

Survey not conducted

With the change in HSC administrations, this survey was not used after FY 2013

Survey/results presented in

Appendix 1.2.c.1 in the

Electronic Resource File

1.4 Faculty/Staff Denison Survey (administered in odd years): Ratings on team orientation


Quality = 381 Satisfaction= 355 Empowerment = 369



With the change in HSC administrations, this survey was not used after FY 2012

Survey/results presented in

Appendix 1.2.c.2 in the

Electronic Resource File

1.5 Faculty recruitment and promotion (faculty promoted or hired as associate or full professor)

Add at least one senior faculty member each year

Associate Professor added to Dept. of Behavioral and Community Health (BACH)

Senior faculty member added as Professor to Dept. of Biostatistics (BIOS); Associate Professor added to Dept. of BACH

2 Assistant Professors added, one in BACH and one in BIOS.

A decision was made to seek Assistant Professors in FY 2014 due to available resources

1.7.a 1.7.b 4.1.a 4.1.b


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TACTICAL INITIATIVES (Administration)

Outcome Measure Target 2011 - 2012 2012 -2013 2013-14 Current Action Plan Other Criteria (provide additional information related

to the objectives)

1.6

Complete departmental review of Office of Admission and Academic Services (OAAS), Dept. Behavioral and Community Health (BACH), Dept. Biostatistics (BIOS), Dept. Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (EOHS), and Dept. Epidemiology (EPID)

Complete all reviews by 2013-2014

Completed OAAS and BACH

Completed EOHS and BIOS

EPID review deferred

Departmental reviews were completed (or deferred) and submitted to Provost

1.2

1.7 Implement reorganization of administrative staff

Redefine administrative assistant roles by 2012-2013

Completed NA NA

Because of state cutbacks Administrative Assistants are assigned to a set of tasks as a group rather than assigned to a department

1.7.c 1.7.h

1.8

Review student fee structure, e.g., computing, portfolio (now Professional and Academic Development - PAD), Certified in Public Health Examination (CPH)

Complete revised fee structure by 2013-2014 Partially Complete Completed

Proposed structure completed but fee structure is reviewed each year

Student fees added for PAD and CPH Examination 1.6

1.9

Investigate use of TracDat (and other learning management systems such as Canvas), for tracking the assessment of program competencies

Implement competency assessment software by 2014-2015

TracDat assessment completed

Development of Canvas completed

Canvas implemented for SPH courses

TracDat found not to be useful and UNTHSC plan for Canvas implementation completed. Competency assessment pilot planned for 2014-2015

2.7.a

1.10 Implement a plan to increase full-time student enrollment

Reduce ratio of part-time to full-time student enrollment ratio to less than 1.5 to 1 (1.5:1) by Fall 2013-2014

Partially completed Completed NA

Initial plan to increase enrollment completed but focus on growth continues with a balance on the quality of student applications

4.3

1.11 Plan SPH role in College of Pharmacy (CoP) and Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM) curricula

Provide course content for CoP and TCOM implement by August 2014

Completed

CoP role established; TCOM role in rural health established

NA

SPH to teach half of CoP introductory health system course and open SPH core courses to CoP students as electives. SPH collaborating with TCOM rural health program.

3.3

1.12

Complete recruitment of: (1) Faculty for EOHS, EPID, and BIOS (2) Chairs for Departments of EPID, BIOS and HMAP1 (3) An Associate Dean for Research

Complete searches by 2013-2014

Associate Dean for Research search deferred

Faculty hired for EOHS, BIOS, EPID, and BIOS Chair

HMAP chair search extended

Chair for combined Biostatistics – Epidemiology Department appointed. Interim Chair of HMAP appointed

1.4 4.1


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to the objectives)

1.13

Prepare and complete self-studies for CAHME2 accreditation of the Master of Health Administration (MHA), and SPH CEPH3 accreditation

Complete CAHME by October 2013. Complete CEPH by May 2015

Completed but dates extended by accreditation bodies

CAHME Self-study completed and submitted

CEPH Self-study ongoing

CAHME accreditation received

1.2.d 2.8

1.14 Implement a revised SPH faculty orientation Complete revisions and implement faculty orientation by 2012-2013

NA

-Plan developed for overall faculty orientation -Orientation conducted for faculty teaching courses

-One-day faculty orientation conducted

-OAAS faculty training on advising conducted

-Orientation conducted for faculty teaching courses

These orientations will continue annually with special attend to new faculty members and those teaching online

4.2

1Health Management and Policy (HMAP) 2Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) 3Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)

GOAL 2 (STRATEGIC INITIATIVE 2): ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

OBJECTIVE: DEVELOP PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND SCIENTISTS DEVOTED TO THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF HEALTH IN TEXAS, NATIONALLY, AND INTERNATIONALLY.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES (Academic Affairs)


to the objectives)

2.1

As part of Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) accreditation, participate in the UNTHSC Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) by implementing higher order thinking principles in target courses.

(1)2011-2012: Identify 3 target courses and revise syllabi to incorporate higher order thinking principles and assessment methods; (2) 2012-2014: Expand QEP principles to 3 courses each year.

Three (3) Health Management & Policy courses identified for QEP program and participation began. (HMAP 5300, HMAP 5324, HMAP 5328)3

QEP participation continues

QEP participation continues

SACS QEP began with 3 courses in HMAP and has expanded to the entire SPH faculty

QEP information available in

Appendix 1.2.c.3 in the Electronic

Resource File

2.2 Number of enrolled students: (1) Headcount (HC) (2) FTE

Varied target by year 2011-12: 340 HC and 260 FTEs 2012-13: 390 HC and 290 FTEs 2013-14: 425 HC and 310 FTEs

HC = 352 students FTE = 283.5

HC = 394 students FTE = 381.5

HC = 436 students FTE = 341.5 FTEs

Continue increasing full-time enrollment through addition of new concentrations (Maternal and Child Health in 2014)

1.7.b 4.3.d 4.3.e 4.3.f


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Outcome Measure Target 2011 - 2012 2012 -2013 2013-14 Action Plan Other Criteria (provide additional information related to the objectives)

2.3 Percentage of diverse students (African American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American)

At least 30% of student body

45% of SPH student body



The school continues to recruit diverse students. Our absolute numbers have increased but relative numbers have declined with increase in international students

1.8

2.4

Student satisfaction with “quality of education”- (survey response to question “Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of my education”)

80% of students will respond “Met” or “Exceeds” on the annual campus-wide Student Satisfaction Survey administered in the Spring

(Total n=209) MPH = 81% (n=143) MHA = 77% (n=30) DrPH = 65% (n=20) PhD = 82% (n=16)



Results reviewed with students through focus groups. Detailed plans created to address each issue

4.1.d 4.4.c

2.5 Student satisfaction with “quality of teaching” – (survey response to level of satisfaction with quality of teaching)

80% of students will respond “Agree” or “Strongly Agree” on the annual campus-wide Student Satisfaction Survey, administered in the Spring




Results reviewed with students through focus groups. Detailed plans created to address each issue

4.1.d 4.4.c

TACTICAL INITIATIVES (Academic Affairs)

2.6 Implement online course offerings for all core courses and two additional courses to create PH certificate and online MPH program

Implement online courses within two academic years (by 2013-2014)

Partially completed Certificate implementation completed

Online MPH program completed

PH Practice Certificate implemented in online format

2.14

2.7 Implement Blackboard, Turnitin, and syllabus template for all courses for all faculty

Implement changes within two academic years (by 2013-2014)

Partially completed Turnitin and syllabus template completed

Shift from Blackboard to Canvas learning platform

Canvas will be implemented for all AY 2015 courses N/A

2.8 Investigate Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health

Secure MOU by Fall 2014 Deferred NA NA Proposal for MOU was rejected N/A

2.9 Implement iWebfolio software for masters and doctoral programs

Implement iWebfolio by Fall 2013 Partially completed Completed NA Portfolio implemented using

Canvas software N/A

2.10 Investigate undergraduate (UG) instruction through area universities

Complete investigation and secure collaboration with at least 2 schools by 2013-2014

Communication begun with four universities

Began work with UNT-Denton and UNT-Dallas.

Work with UNT-Denton and UNT-Dallas continued

SPH is providing assistance to UG programs at UNT-Denton and Dallas

N/A

2.11 Explore a second online degree program at the master’s level

Develop second online degree program and admit first cohort by 2013-2014

NA Rejected NA Decision was made to not go forward at this time 2.14


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Outcome Measure Target 2011 - 2012 2012 -2013 2013-14 Action Plan Other Criteria (provide additional information related to the objectives)

2.12 Investigate dual degree with UNTHSC Physician Assistant (PA) Studies program

Complete investigation of dual program by 2014-2015 NA Deferred Deferred Discussions with PA Studies

program continues 2.13

2.13 Implement a Maternal and Child Health (MACH) concentration in the MPH degree program.

Implement MACH concentration and admit first cohort in Fall 2014

NA Planning begun Planning and implementation completed

First students accepted for Fall 2014

2.1 2.6.c

2.14 Implement utilization of Canvas (a learning management system) in all SPH courses.

Complete implementation of Canvas usage in all courses by Fall 2014

NA NA

Planning completed and implementation of competency assessment in EOHS

Implementation for all Fall 2014 courses 2.7.a

2.15 Launch two certificate programs Complete planning and launch two certificate programs by Fall 2015

NA NA Planning completed for three programs

Awaiting budgetary approval for launch in Fall 2015.

3.3.c

3QEP courses identified were: HMAP 5300 – Introduction to Health Management and Policy/HMAP 5324 Strategic Management & marketing/HMAP 5328 Human Resources Management.

GOAL 3 (STRATEGIC INITIATIVE 3): RESEARCH

OBJECTIVE: DISCOVER, TRANSLATE, AND DISSEMINATE PUBLIC HEALTH KNOWLEDGE THAT IS RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY

PERFORMANCE MEASURES (Research)


to the objectives)

3.1 Total ongoing extramural research funding

Varied Targets by Year (All reported targets were established in conjunction with HSC Provost) 2011-2012: $3 million 2012-2013: $3.5 million 2013-2014: $3.5 million

$8.7 million $6.9 million $6.7 million Targets for each year were exceeded. 3.1.d

3.2 Dollar value of grant applications submitted annually

Varied Targets by Year (All reported targets were established in conjunction with HSC Provost) 2011-2012: $25 million 2012-2013: $28 million 2013-2014: $32 million

$33 million $21 million $24 million Target was not met in past two AYs but awards was exceeded

3.1.d

3.3 Total number of unduplicated peer-reviewed publications (published/in press) 50 publications each year

83 publications

27 publications

55 publications Our publications target was not met in the past two AYs 3.1.d


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TACTICAL INITIATIVES (Research)


to the objectives)

3.4

Improve support for standard aspects of grant applications and implement infrastructure plan with the UNTHSC Research Office (ORA) and the Texas Prevention Institute (TPI)

Create and implement research support structure by Fall 2014

Discussion with TPI and ORA begun Plan developed

TPI-SPH infrastructure implemented

Plan implemented as Office of Research Services. 3.1

3.5 Identify and implement a research plan for each faculty member

Implement research plans for all faculty by Fall 2015 Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing

Plans in place for existing faculty and underdevelopment for new faculty

1.1 3.1

3.6 Implement a research colloquium series for faculty in conjunction with the TPI

Implement research series by 2012-2013 Planning completed Plan implemented NA Work in Progress Series

implements in FY 2013 3.1

3.7 Implement structure to focus SPH research on 5 core areas Implement by 2014-2015 Discussion of

existing plan New Research Manager hired NA

Discussion shifted to development of a new research plan

3.1

3.8 Develop authorship and publication ethics guidelines

Implement guidelines by 2015-2016 NA NA

Authorship and publication ethics guidelines drafted by the Research Committee

Guidelines to be reviewed by faculty during AY 2015 3.3.a

GOAL 4 (STRATEGIC INITIATIVE 4): COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

OBJECTIVE: CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT FACILITATES THE EDUCATION OF EXEMPLARY PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND CREATES AND DISSEMINATES PUBLIC HEALTH KNOWLEDGE PERFORMANCE MEASURES (Research)


to the objectives)

4.1 Number of target participants attending the North Texas Health Forum (NTHF) 200 – 250 participants 150 participants

(April 2012) 250 participants

(April 2013) 230 participants

(April 2014)

North Texas Health Forum has been successfully implemented each year

3.3.b

4.2 Percentage of faculty performing editorial and review duties for journals and agencies At least 75% of all faculty 82.6% of faculty 80% of faculty 76.7% of faculty

This target was met but there has been some decline with the addition of young faculty

3.1


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to the objectives)

4.3 Percentage of faculty engaged in professional consulting and training At least 30% of all faculty 41% of all faculty 36% of all faculty 30% of all faculty

This target was met but there has been some decline with the addition of young faculty

3.2.a

4.4 Percentage of faculty participating in professional organizations At least 95% of all faculty 100% (all faculty) 100% (all faculty) 96.7% of all faculty This target was met 3.3

4.5 Percentage of faculty participating in community service activities At least 70% of all faculty 69.6% of all faculty 72.2% of all faculty 66.7% of all faculty

This target was not consistently met. New faculty members are encouraged to find a role in the community

3.3

TACTICAL INITIATIVES (Research)

4.6 Continue the North Texas Health Forum (NTHF) as a two-day event Implement NTHF annually Completed Completed Completed

The Forum has successfully expanded since its inception in 2008

3.3.b

4.7 Expand development opportunities through the Dean’s Civic Council and other sources

Expand opportunities for SPH Initiatives each year

Ongoing. Title of Civic Council changes to Public Health and Prevention Council (PHPC)

Ongoing Ongoing

Funds have been raised in conjunction with the Development Office for the NTHF

1.6

4.8 Expand alumni involvement in SPH activities

Increase alumni involvement each year in SPH activities (e.g. SPH committees, recruitment events, orientation sessions, internship/practice experience placement, etc.).

Completed Completed Completed

Alumni have been recruited to play a more active role in student recruitment, orientation, and placement

1.2.d 1.5.d 1.8 2.7

3.2.e 4.4.b

4.9

Expand Center for Public Health Preparedness (CPHP) and Texas Public Health Training Center (TPHTC) programs with regard to public health

Expand programs each year and seek alternate sources of funding

Completed Completed Limited by decline in federal funding

Expansion occurred until funds for these units declined. Grant support for these activities has been submitted

3.3.b

4.10 Define and implement the role and function of a DrPH Advisory Council

Create a DrPH Advisory council by 2014-2015 NA

DrPH Advisory Committee discussed with Public Health Prevention Council (PHPC)

DrPH/MPH Advisory Council planned as a priority in reorganization of PHPC

Advisory Council to be implemented in 2014-2015

1.1.e 1.2.b 1.4.c 2.1

4.11

Expand SPH involvement in community planning and evaluation through Biostatistics and Evaluation Services and Training (BEST) Center

Create and implement BEST by 2013-2014 NA

Plan for BEST involvement discussed as part of research plan

Completed Biostatistics and Evaluation Service and Training (BEST) Center implemented

3.1 3.3


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1.2.d. Description of the manner in which the self-study document was developed, including effective opportunities for input by important School constituents, including institutional officers, administrative staff, faculty, students, alumni and representatives of the public health community Development and Implementation of the Self-Study The self-study document was prepared by the CEPH Committee, which was comprised of SPH faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members. This group included:

• Dr. Richard Kurz, Dean of the School of Public Health • Dr. Christine Moranetz, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs (Chair) • Dr. Witold Migala, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology • Dr. David Sterling, Professor and Chair of Environmental and Occupational Health • Dr. Dennis Thombs, Professor and Chair of Behavioral and Community Health • Dr. Liam O’Neill, Associate Professor of Health Management and Policy • Ms. Elizabeth Medders, Director of Admissions • Dr. Misty Smethers, Assistant Director of Student and Academic Affairs • Ms. Catherine Sembajwe-Reeves, Assistant Director of Academic Affairs • Ms. Lindsey Eley, MPH alumna • Dr. Joyce Hood, MPH, DrPH alumna • Ms. Libby Watson, Strategic Collaboration, LLC; former Chair of the Public Health and

Prevention Council; Community Member • Ms. Ginny Hickman, Assistant Vice President, Community Health Outreach, Cook Children’s

Health Care System, Community Member • Mr. Martin Ostensen, MHA student • Dr. Gillian Franklin, MD, MPH, PhD alumna • Ms. Amy Board, DrPH Student • Ms. Neha Patel, MPH Student • Ms. Kari Teigen, MPH Student • Mr. Opeyemi Jegede, MPH Student • Ms. Sofie Tai, MPH alumna

The committee organized itself on a formal basis in late summer of 2013 and distributed assignments to each committee member, with some committee members taking a leadership role for an area and others taking supporting roles. A timeline was developed for these assignments and approved by the committee. The committee met twice monthly and prepared an agenda and minutes for each meeting. Committee members were strongly encouraged to attend each meeting. The faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members were engaged in the process as needed to collect information, to review it, and to comment on its relevance to the self-study. At its completion, the self-study was reviewed by the Provost of the UNTHSC, Dr. Thomas Yorio, and his comments were integrated into the document.


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1.2.e. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. This criterion is met. Strengths: The SPH has developed several formal means of evaluating its activities in order to achieve its mission, goals and objectives. These include the strategic planning process, the additional assessment through UNTHSC metrics, course evaluation using the IDEA system, the annual Student Satisfaction Survey, engagement with the Public Health and Prevention Council as well as other health professionals, assessments of student field experiences, and alumni input. Based upon these wide ranging assessment methods, which are integrated through ongoing administrative and faculty review and used as the basis for school improvements, this criterion is met. The systematic nature of these activities has been a strength for the SPH in that it provides consistent information on which to base decision making and maintains alignment of the SPH mission, goals, and objectives with those of the UNTHSC. An additional strength of these processes is that they provide input from multiple constituencies on a regular and systematic basis. Weaknesses: A weakness of our work has been the difficulty in getting systematic alumni feedback. This activity has been assumed by the UNTHSC through the Office of Community Relation in the Community Engagement Division. These activities have accelerated over the past two years and should provide more systematic feedback to the SPH in the future. However, the SPH is also taking a more active role in this process and is participating in the alumni survey conducted by the ASPPH. Plans: With the hiring of a new President in June of 2013, the planning process of the UNTHSC has changed. Although the SPH was not asked to develop a strategic plan for the 2014 fiscal year, the SPH did so because of the impending CEPH accreditation review. That plan is provided in Appendix 1.1.d.1. The SPH used essentially the same assessment process for that plan. The process for the 2015 plan consisted of the establishment of strategies, goals, and objectives by the UNTHSC Executive Committee and the development of action plans, measures, and targets at both the UNTHSC level and the level of the Schools and other primary non-academic units. This process was completed in the spring and summer of 2014 and a copy of this plan is also included in Appendix 1.1.d.1. No results will be available based on this plan until the summer of 2015.

Criterion 1: The School of Public Health 1.3: Institutional Environment

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1.3 INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT The School shall be an integral part of an accredited institution of higher education and shall have the same level of independence and status accorded to professional Schools in that institution. 1.3.a. A brief description of the institution in which the School is located, and the names of accrediting bodies (other than CEPH) to which the institution responds. The UNTHSC is one of three units of the University of North Texas System, which also includes the University of North Texas at Denton (a comprehensive university) and the University of North Texas at Dallas (a new campus established in the south Dallas area). Each campus has an independent administration that reports to a common Board of Regents and Chancellor. The UNTHSC is composed of five schools and colleges, which include the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the School of Health Professions, the UNT System College of Pharmacy, and the School of Public Health. Each School has a Dean who reports to the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost of the UNTHSC. The UNTHSC responds to fifteen accrediting bodies in addition to the CEPH, and is currently accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The additional accreditation bodies are: the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, the Forensic Quality Services-International, the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for Physician Assistants, the American Association of Blood Banks, Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission, the American Osteopathic Association, the Texas Nurses Association, the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International, the Council on Osteopathic Postdoctoral Training Institutions, the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. In addition to the schools and colleges, the UNTHSC is comprised of divisions with vice presidents for finance, research, community engagement, strategy and excellence, governmental affairs, compliance, human resources, and operations. The UNTHSC also houses UNTHealth, a multi-specialty medical practice with five sites in Fort Worth and Tarrant County. 1.3.b. One or more organizational charts of the university indicating the School’s relationship to the other components of the institution, including reporting lines. Organization Chart for the University of North Texas Health Science Center is presented in Figure 1.3.b.1.


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Figure 1.3.b.1: University of North Texas Health Science Center Organizational Chart


26

1.3.c. Description of the School’s level of autonomy and authority regarding the following: -budgetary authority and decisions relating to resource allocation -lines of accountability, including access to higher-level university officials -personnel recruitment, selection and advancement, including faculty and staff -academic standards and policies, including establishment and oversight of curricula The Dean has authority over all matters needed to ensure the integrity of the SPH within the authority structure dictated by the UNTHSC and the UNT System. Specifically, the Dean has authority for outlining a budget for all operations of the SPH that is annually negotiated with the Provost , and he also allocates resources in conjunction with the associate deans and chairs of the departments. The Dean reports directly to the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs/Provost and sits as a member of the Executive Team, which is chaired by the President of the UNTHSC. The Executive Team is the primary decision making committee under the auspices of the President. The Dean, in conjunction with the faculty and department chairs, has responsibility for the recruitment, selection and advancement of all faculty and staff under rules set forth by the UNT System, the UNTHSC and the SPH. The SPH, through its faculty and administration, sets academic standards and policies with regard to student admission and progress and the development and implementation of curriculum for all of its degree programs. 1.3.d. Identification of any of the above processes that are different for the school of public health than for other professional schools, with an explanation. Autonomy and authority for all of the above processes are identical for all of the colleges and schools of the UNTHSC. 1.3.e. If a collaborative school, descriptions of all participating institutions and delineation of their relationships to the school. Not applicable 1.3.f. If a collaborative school, a copy of the formal written agreement that establishes the rights and obligations of the participating universities in regard to the school’s operation. Not applicable


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1.3.g. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses, and plans relating to this criterion. This criterion is met. Strengths: The institutional structure provides the SPH opportunities for input on all academic and administrative matters that affect its functioning. This occurs not only through Executive Team participation, but also through faculty or staff service on all major committees of the UNTHSC that relate to the SPH operation. Major decisions are never made without an opportunity for review and response by the School. Weaknesses: There are no weaknesses in this structure for the SPH. Plans: The UNTHSC is undergoing a discussion of the structure of the schools and colleges in relationship to the Health Institutes of Texas, which are discussed fully in Criterion 3, section 3.1.a. At this time, no final decisions have been made with regard to restructuring the HSC.

Criterion 1: The School of Public Health 1.4: Organization and Administration

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1.4 ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION The school shall provide an organizational setting conductive to public health learning, research, and service. The organizational setting shall facilitate interdisciplinary communication, cooperation and collaboration that contributes to achieving the school’s public health mission. The organizational structure shall effectively support the work of the school’s constituents. 1.4.a. One or more organizational charts showing the administrative organization of the school, indicating relationships among its component offices, departments, divisions or other administrative units.

Figure 1.4.a.1: University of North Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health Organizational Chart


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1.4.b. Description of the roles and responsibilities of major units in the organizational chart. The roles and responsibilities for the primary units are: Office of the Dean – The Dean of the SPH is responsible for all aspects of the operation of the School with regard to its functions for teaching, research, and service. He is assisted by an Executive Assistant who performs clerical activities, the Research Manager who assists faculty and staff in the development and implementation of research, and the Communications Manager who prepares, coordinates, and distributes information regarding the activities of the SPH and its faculty, staff, and students. The Office of the Dean also includes two associate deans who are responsible for oversight and direction of academic affairs, and of administration and student services, respectively. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs reviews and coordinates the curricula of departments and programs in the SPH and manages compliance and preparation with regard to accreditation and other UNTHSC or System requirements. The Associate Dean for Administration and Student Services has a dual role. He is the financial officer assisting the Dean in the development and monitoring of the SPH budget and other financial matters. He also has oversight for the School’s website and the allocation of space within the SPH. In addition, he is responsible for student services with regard to recruitment, admissions, and academic services through the Office of Admission and Academic Services (OAAS). Office of Admission and Academic Services (OAAS) –This office has two school wide functions. It coordinates the recruitment and admission of all students into each program in the SPH and it provides academic service support to students and faculty with regard to portfolio development and implementation, field placements, and academic and personal issues of students. As indicated on the organizational chart, the functions of OAAS report to the Associate Dean for Administration and Student Services.

Academic Departments – The SPH is organized into five academic departments, the Department of Behavioral and Community Health, the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, the Department of Health Management and Policy, and the Department of Public Health Education (PHED). Each department, with the exception of PHED, is responsible, through the chair and faculty, for the development and implementation of an MPH program and, in the case of the Department of Health Management and Policy, the MHA program. In addition, these departments are responsible for the recruitment and selection of faculty and staff members and for the evaluation and progress of these faculty and staff members through ranks or positions. Finally, these departments are responsible for the advising and progress of students in their programs, a responsibility that includes management of field experience and graduate placement. Field experience placement occurs in conjunction with the Assistant Director of Student and Academic Services and a Field Placement Coordinator. The Department of Public Health Education is somewhat unique in that it has responsibility for the PhD Program and the DrPH Program, which are unified programs across all departments of the SPH. Each doctoral program has a director and acts as a “department” with regard to the selection of students and the development and implementation of curriculum. In addition, the Department of Public Health Education has responsibility for the MPH-Professional Option Program. The faculty members for the latter three programs largely have appointments in the other departments.


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1.4.c. Description of the manner in which interdisciplinary coordination, cooperation and collaboration occur and support public health learning, research and service. Interdisciplinary coordination, cooperation, and collaboration formally occur primarily through the committees of the SPH. The Masters Committee brings all programs together to make student admission decisions, and they review and recommend changes to the MPH or MHA curricula to the faculty. The doctoral committees for the PhD and DrPH programs have representatives for all departments and each committee makes admission decisions and recommends curricula changes. The Practice Committee brings together representatives from all departments to coordinate the development and implementation of both the field experience sites for the MPH Program and the internship sites for the MHA Program. Overall coordination of all school functions occurs through the Executive Council, which consists of the dean, associate deans, and the chairs, with other faculty and staff members participating when they are needed to consider a specific issue. Discussion of coordination resulted, in FY 2014, in the integration of the Department of Biostatistics and the Department of Epidemiology into a single department because of the interdisciplinary nature of their activities in curriculum development and student interests. The SPH has also implemented a new committee, the Program Directors Committee, which brings together directors of all masters and doctoral programs to coordinate any curriculum changes across programs. Interdisciplinary activities occur for all MPH students through PHED 5197 Professional and Academic Development (PAD). All MPH students register for the PHED 5197 over a period of three semesters. This course covers, at a basic level, an introduction to graduate level writing, presentation, resume, and interviewing skills, as well as an introduction to the concept of MPH core competencies and inter-professionalism. Student participation in the HSC wide inter-professional education activities is organized through this course. The focus for this course is to provide students with an understanding of graduate level work and the professionalism and inter-professional expectations of the SPH. The content of this course is delivered through workshops and hands-on experience and interaction. Online students receive the same experience as they interact through discussion posts, the conference feature in Canvas, Skype, and conference calls. Research coordination, cooperation, and collaboration occur informally among faculty members based on similar interests in research topics or funding requirements. More formally, the Research Manager facilitates collaboration based not only on her knowledge of faculty interests, but also through the sponsorship of the “Research Schmooze” (discussed in Criterion 3.1), an informal opportunity for faculty, staff, and students to discuss research interests, and monthly through Works in Progress sessions in which faculty or staff present research ideas that are in a formative stage and receive feedback from their peers. In addition, the Research Committee has representatives from all departments, and develops and implements plans to assist faculty with the research and funding processes. Service coordination, cooperation, and collaboration occur through several entities organized by SPH faculty and administration to provide ongoing community linkages. These entities include the Center for Community Health Community Advisory Board, which is a working group of local health and social service organizational representatives who advise faculty and staff on community intervention projects; the Public Health and Prevention Council, which links executive level community representatives to provide advice to the SPH on development, project advocacy, and project development; and the North Texas Health Forum, which is an annual event sponsored by the SPH to create awareness and action with regard to a local public health problem.


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1.4.d. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion.

This criterion is met. Strengths: The formal structure of the SPH facilitates the accomplishment of its mission, goals, and strategic initiatives through the clear understanding of roles and responsibilities by the departments and programs as well as through the committee structure which facilitates interdisciplinary discussion and action. Because of accreditation requirements, the SPH has many programs, so constant attention to coordination of our activities is required. As noted above, a new Program Directors Committee was implemented in the fall of 2014 to further assist with curricular management. Weaknesses: None Plans: Although the SPH has discussed the integration of departments into fewer units, there are no current plans for changes outside of the recent combination of the Departments of Biostatistics and Epidemiology into a single unit. However, the Provost is proposing a restructuring of the Health Science Center that would integrate all departments in each school into a single academy.

Criterion 1: The School of Public Health 1.5: Governance

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1.5 GOVERNANCE The school administration and faculty shall have clearly defined rights and responsibilities concerning school governance and academic policies. Students shall, where appropriate, have participatory roles in the conduct of the school and program evaluation procedures, policy setting and decision making. 1.5.a. A list of school standing and ad hoc committees, with a statement of charge, composition and current membership for each. The School has ten (10) standing and two (2) important Ad Hoc committees. These are outlined in Table 1.5.a.1. Committee meeting minutes are provided in Appendix 1.5.a.1 in the Electronic Resource File.

Table 1.5.a.1: Standing and Ad Hoc Committees

Committee Title and Charge Composition Current Membership

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (S) Charge: To provide oversight for SPH operations on an ongoing basis and to make or recommend decisions to the faculty regarding all school policies, procedures, and activities.

Dean Associate Deans Chairs

Richard Kurz (DEAN), Chair Matt Nolan Adrignola (AD-AS1) Sharon Homan (BIOS/EPID) Christine Moranetz (AD-AA2, PHED) Thad Miller (HMAP) David Sterling (EOHS) Dennis Thombs (BACH) (Note: If faculty choose to form a faculty assembly, the Chair of the assembly will sit on the Executive Committee)

RESEARCH COMMITTEE (S) Charge: To provide oversight and planning for research activities and to make recommendations to the Executive Council and the faculty.

One or more representatives from each department and the Texas Prevention Institute.

Sharon Homan (BIOS/EPID), Chair Kim Fulda (TPI3) Heather Kitzman-Ulrich (BACH) Kim Linnear (TPI) Youcheng Liu (EOHS) Thad Miller (HMAP) Rajesh Nandy (BIOS) Menghua Tao (EPID) Emily Spence-Almaguer (BACH) Candace Robledo (MACH) Robyn Remotigue, Office of the Dean, ex officio Student Representative

PROMOTION AND TENURE (S) Charge: To review all candidates for tenure and promotion after initial employment and make recommendations to the Dean.

Composition: A tenured associate or full professor from each department

Scott Walters (BACH) , Chair Subhash Aryal (BIOS/EPID) Kristine Lykens (HMAP) David Sterling (EOHS)

IPE COMMITTEE Charge: To provide input and coordination for UNTHSC and School inter-professional activities.

Representatives of academic departments

Dennis Thombs (BACH), Chair Brad Cannell (BIOS/EPID) Katherine Fogelberg (EOHS) Nuha Lackan (HMAP) Emily Spence-Almaguer (BACH) Misty Smethers (OAAS4) ex officio Catherine Sembajwe-Reeves (OAA5) ex officio Student Representative


33


PROGRAM DIRECTORS COMMITTEE Charge: To coordinate curriculum changes across the programs of the SPH.

Directors of all academic programs.

Sumihiro Suzuki (MPH-BIOS), Chair Witold Migala (MPH-EPID) Katherine Fogelberg (MPH-EOHS) Matt Rossheim (MPH-BACH) Candace Robledo (MPH-MACH) Kristine Lykens (MPH-HMAP) Nuha Lackan (HMAP-MHA) David Sterling (PHD) Dennis Thombs (DrPH) Matt Nolan Adrignola (MPH-PO) Christine Moranetz ex officio Catherine Sembajwe-Reeves (OAA) ex officio Misty Smethers (OAAS), ex officio Student Representative

MASTER’S ADMISSION COMMITTEE (S) Charge: To provide oversight and decision making with regard to all MPH and MHA admission and curriculum, including policies and procedures.

A representative for each master’s program

Matt Nolan Adrignola (Admissions), Chair Christine Moranetz (PHED) Matt Rossheim (BACH/MACH) Nuha Lackan (HMAP-MHA) Katherine Fogelberg (EOHS) Witold Migala (BIOS/EPID) Elizabeth Medders, (OAAS) ex officio

PRACTICE COMMITTEE (S) Charge: To provide oversight for field placement and internship activities of all programs.

A representative from each department and the Associate Dean for Administration and Student Services

Misty Smethers (OAAS), Chair Matt Nolan Adrignola (AD-AS) Brad Cannell (BACH) Alisa Rich (EOHS) Witold Migala (EPID) Changshuai Wei (BIOS) Hyo Jung Tak (HMAP) Candace Robledo, MACH Melissa Oden (OD6) ex officio Chelsea Derry (OAAS) ex officio Student Representative

DrPH COMMITTEE (S) Charge: To provide oversight and decision making with regard to all DrPH admission and curriculum, including policies and procedures.

A representative for each department and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Dennis Thombs (BACH), Chair Witold Migala, (BIOS/EPID) Christine Moranetz (AD-AA, PHED) David Sterling (EOHS) Melissa Winborn (HMAP) Erin Carlson (HMAP) (alternate) Misty Smethers, (OAAS) ex officio Elizabeth Medders, (OAAS) ex officio Student Representative

PhD COMMITTEE (S) Charge: To provide oversight and decision making with regard to all PhD admission and curriculum, including policies and procedures.

A representative for each concentration and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

David Sterling (EOHS), Chair Hsueh-Fen Chen (HMAP) Christine Moranetz (AD-AA, PHED) Sumihiro Suzuki (BIOS/EPID) Raheem Paxton (BACH) Sharon Homan (EPID) Misty Smethers, (OAAS) ex officio Elizabeth Medders, (OAAS) ex officio Student Representative


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CEPH COMMITTEE (AD HOC) Charge: To prepare the self-study and manage all activities concerning the 2015 SPH accreditation.

A representative from each of the SPH departments, the Dean, and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Christine Moranetz (PHED), Chair Witold Migala (BIOS/EPID) Richard Kurz, Dean Liam O’Neill (HMAP) David Sterling (EOHS) Dennis Thombs (BACH) Catherine Sembajwe-Reeves (OAA), ex officio Misty Smethers (OAAS) ex officio Elizabeth Medders (OAAS) ex officio Student Representatives Community Representatives Alumni Representatives

SCHOLARSHIP AND AWARDS COMMITTEE Charge: To create, review and approve scholarships for students in the SPH.

A representative from each program.

Misty Smethers (OAAS), Chair Harvey Brenner (BACH) Joon-Hak Lee (EOHS) Hsueh-Fen Chen (HMAP) Sharon Homan (EPID) Matt Nolan Adrignola (PHED) Shande Chen (BIOS)

AD HOC Policy and Procedure COMMITTEE Charge: To review and develop policies and procedures to be proposed to the faculty and the UNTHSC.

Associate Deans and selected staff members

Christine Moranetz (AD-AA), Chair Matt Nolan Adrignola (AD-AS) PHED Liz Medders (OAAS) Catherine Sembajwe-Reeves (OAA) Misty Smethers (OAAS)

1AD-AS: Associate Dean for Administration and Student Services 2AD-AA: Associate Dean of Academic Affairs 3TPI: Texas Prevention Institute 4OAAS: Office of Admission and Academic Services 5OAA: Office of Academic Affairs 6OD: Office of the Dean 1.5.b. Description of the school’s governance and committee structure’s roles and responsibilities relating to the following:

-general school policy development -planning and evaluation -budget and resource allocation -student recruitment, admission and award of degrees -faculty recruitment, retention, promotion and tenure -academic standards and policies, including curriculum development -research and service expectations and policies

• All SPH Committees • General School Policy: SPH policy is formulated by the committees of the School and

reviewed by the Executive Council. The recommendations of the Executive Council are forwarded to the faculty of the School at its meetings for approval. Minor changes in procedure may be approved by the Executive Council without approval by the faculty.

• Planning and Evaluation o Planning for the SPH is conducted by each department and the Executive Council for the

School as a whole. A planning approach is developed by the UNTHSC through the Office


35

of Strategy and Organizational Excellence and distributed to the deans of each school and leaders of other administrative units. This information is forwarded to the chairs and plans are developed to create alignment with regard to the direction of the UNTHSC.

o Evaluation of the plan is conducted by the faculty of the School and the departments, respectively. School review is conducted through one or more retreats each academic year in the early and/or late summer or early fall. Based on input the plan is altered and then forwarded to the Provost and entered into TracDat. Through their meetings, the departments review the accomplishment of the initiatives in their plans and include these in the overall review by the faculty at its retreats. Evaluation of personnel is the responsibility of the supervisor for each individual faculty or staff member. The UNTHSC uses different processes for faculty and staff. Department chairs are responsible for the evaluation of all appointed faculty, and the Dean is responsible for the evaluation of chairs and associate deans. As noted, staff are evaluated by their supervisor.

• Budget and Resource Allocation: Budget development and the subsequent allocation of resources is the responsibility of the Dean in conjunction with the department chairs. Each year the UNTHSC prepares a budget development process, which is distributed to the deans through the Provost. The Dean then creates a budget that is based on stipulations in the budget packet; this is done in conjunction with the chairs. Once approved, the School budget is allocated to the departments; however, by mutual consent, budgeting is largely conducted and managed at the School level, with oversight by the Executive Council. The Associate Dean for Administration and Student Services is responsible for the day-to-day monitoring and management of the budget.

• Student Recruitment, Admission, and Awarding of Degrees: Student recruitment is the responsibility of the Associate Dean of Administration and Student Services and is conducted through the Office of Admission and Academic Services (OAAS). Day-to-day activities are the responsibility of the Director of Admissions and the Recruitment and Outreach Coordinator. Admissions decisions are delegated to the Master’s Committee (MPH and MHA), the PhD Committee, and the DrPH Committee. The School uses SOPHAS and HAMPCAS for the gathering of admissions materials, and this information is prepared for the committees by OAAS staff. Each degree program has established requirements, and the Assistant Director of Student and Academic Services reviews these for each graduating student under the direction of the Associate Dean for Administration and Student Services.

• Faculty Recruitment, Retention, Promotion, and Tenure: Faculty recruitment is the responsibility of each department chair, in conjunction with his or her faculty. In each case, a search committee is created, which may include external members. The committee makes recommendations to the chair based on paper, video, and on-campus reviews. Selections by the chair are reviewed with the Dean and subsequently by the Provost before an offer letter is sent. Faculty retention is the responsibility of the department chairs based on information from annual reviews. If a faculty member is not to be retained, this matter is reviewed with the Dean. Tenure and promotion recommendations are the responsibility of the Tenure and Promotion Committee which, based on a portfolio review, peer input, and external reviews, makes recommendations to the Dean. The Dean, in turn, makes a recommendation to the Provost. The President of the UNTHSC can grant promotion, but only the UNT System Regents can grant tenure.

• Academic Standards and Policies, including Curriculum Development: Final approval of academic standards and policies, including curriculum changes, are the responsibility of the faculty and the Dean. New or changes in standards, policies, and curricula typically


36

emanate from departments or committees and are brought to the Executive Council for review. If approved, they are brought to the faculty for approval. The UNTHSC Provost and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) must approve any new degree programs.

• Research and Service Expectations: Research and service expectations are created by the department chairs, the Dean, and the faculty and are presented in the faculty workload expectations policy. These expectations must be approved by the Executive Council, the Dean, the faculty, and ultimately the Provost.

1.5.c A copy of the school’s bylaws or other policy documents that determine the rights and obligations of administrators, faculty and students in governance of the school. The SPH faculty workload guidelines, bylaws, and tenure and promotion guidelines are provided in Appendix 1.5.c.1 in the Electronic Resource File. The bylaws are also available online at: http://web.unthsc.edu/downloads/file/5177/sph_faculty_bylaws The School is also subject to the policies of the UNTHSC and the Regents Rules found at: UNTHSC Bylaws: http://web.unthsc.edu/info/200129/faculty_affairs/1736/bylaws_of_the_faculty UNTHSC Policies: https://app.unthsc.edu/policies/Home/AllPolicies Regents Rules: http://untsystem.edu/regents-rules.htm 1.5.d Identification of school faculty who hold membership on university committees, through which faculty contribute to the activities of the university. The School’s faculty representation on UNTHSC committees for the current academic year is presented in Table 1.5.d.1.

Table 1.5.d.1: Faculty Membership on University Committees

Committee Representative(s) Executive Team Richard Kurz

Leadership Team Richard Kurz, Matt Nolan Adrignola, Christine Moranetz, Sharon Homan, Thaddeus Miller, David Sterling, Dennis Thombs

Research Advisory Council Thaddeus Miller, Raheem Paxton

Institutional Biosafety Witold Migala

Research Integrity Scott Walters

QEP Executive Committee Thomas Fairchild, Richard Kurz, Doug Mains

Distance Education Matt Nolan Adrignola

Faculty Evaluation/Profile Focus Group David Sterling

Faculty Bylaws Committee Hsueh-Fen Chen, Kristine Lykens

Communications Committee Nellie Berumen, Ywanda Carter, Gail Clark, Elizabeth Medders, Erin Milam-Moore, Lupe Sanchez (These are staff members)

HSC Academic Program Review Team (APART) Catherine Sembajwe-Reeves

Conflict of Interest Rajesh Nandy, Scott Walters

Sustainability Committee Misty Smethers, Youcheng Liu, Leilani Dodgen, Sandy Bauman

Institutional Scholarship, Loans, and Awards Matt Nolan Adrignola

http://web.unthsc.edu/downloads/file/5177/sph_faculty_bylaws

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/200129/faculty_affairs/1736/bylaws_of_the_faculty

https://app.unthsc.edu/policies/Home/AllPolicies

http://untsystem.edu/regents-rules.htm


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Committee Representative(s)

Diversity Council Catherine Sembajwe-Reeves

Faculty Senate Subhash Aryal, Youcheng Liu, Erin Carlson, Scott Walters

Faculty Grievance and Appeal Shande Chen, Emily Spence-Almaguer, Harvey Brenner (alternate)

Intellectual Property Dennis Thombs

IPE Advisory Committee Dennis Thombs, Richard Kurz

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Shande Chen, Dennis Thombs, David Sterling

Values Blueprint Committee Matt Nolan Adrignola, Christine Moranetz, Chelsea Derry, Dianna Hosford

1.5.e Description of student roles in governance, including any formal student organizations. Students’ roles in governance are established through the committees of the SPH as indicated in section 1.5a above. Students are voting/non-voting members of these committees, dependent on committee rules. Students are highly encouraged to participate in search activities for faculty members and to provide feedback to search committees about each candidate. SPH students also have an active association, the Public Health Student Government Association (PHSGA), which has elected officers and meets regularly. PHSGA is responsible for the planning and implementation of co-curricular activities and social events, typically in conjunction with the OAAS. This information is provided in Appendix 1.5.e.1 in the Electronic Resource File. 1.5.f Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. This criterion is met. Strengths: The SPH has a developed governance structure that allows for ongoing input from faculty, staff, and students. Although the SPH must function according to the directives for the UNTHSC and the UNT System, it is given significant latitude in the development and subsequent implementation of policies and procedures, as they relate to public health students and faculty. Although disagreements occur among levels, these are usually resolved through discussion and a building of consensus as to the action that is in the best interest of the SPH and the UNTHSC. Weaknesses: The demands of providing SPH faculty representatives on the many Health Science Center committees with a small faculty are difficult. This increases the administrative service of young faculty members who are beginning their careers. Plans: The only change to the SPH governance structure is the addition of the Program Directors Committee that is described above in Table 1.5.a.1.

Criterion 1: The School of Public Health 1.6: Fiscal Resources

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1.6 FISCAL RESOURCES The school shall have financial resources adequate to fulfill its stated mission and goals, and its instructional, research and service objectives. 1.6.a. Description of the budgetary and allocation processes, including all sources of funding supportive of the instruction, research and service activities. This description should include, as appropriate, discussion about legislative appropriations, formula for funds distribution, tuition generation and retention, gifts, grants and contracts, indirect cost recovery, taxes or levies imposed by the university or other entity within the university, and other policies that impact the fiscal resources available to the school. Description of the Budgetary and Allocation Processes The budget of the SPH is prepared annually based on a process established by the UNTHSC. Typically the UNTHSC, through the Provost, provides each dean with a budgeted amount for the next fiscal year, and the Dean is asked, in conjunction with department chairs, to allocate these funds for personnel and non-personnel items. Funding of the SPH budget comes from five primary sources. First, the SPH receives funds from the State based on a formula that is composed of the number of FTE students (all masters credit hours divided by 24, all doctoral credit hours divided by 18, with these numbers summed to identify the number of FTE students) times a weight for the SPH (1.721 for public health) times an amount allocated for each FTE student (currently $9,527). The formula is calculated for the spring, summer, and fall before the Legislature meets. This amount is taxed by the UNTHSC at approximately 40 percent. As the Legislature in Texas meets every two years, the amount is fixed for a two year period. A second source of funding is investment returns from tobacco settlement dollars that were allocated to the UNTHSC and are held in an endowment. Third, the UNTHSC allocates to the SPH “local funds” which can be used for most purposes without restriction. Fourth, the SPH receives funds from grants and contracts, which recover salary for individual faculty members or staff. Finally, the SPH receives fees for each course and other matters, e.g., admission, technology, and graduation, and these funds can be used for specific purposes by the SPH. The SPH does receive indirect cost recovery from grants and contracts. It receives five percent of the total indirect recovery on a grant or contract. This amount has been relatively small and does not substantially affect the budget. The principal investigator receives 10 percent of indirect recovery, the department receives five percent, and research institutes receive five percent. However, Health Science Center research administration and non-academic operating costs are removed before the indirect cost returns are distributed to the principal investigator, the school, the departments, or the institutes. Once allocations are made to the SPH, the Dean allocates funds for faculty and staff salaries and other non-personnel costs. Each department receives funds for non-personnel expenditures. Through agreement with the departments, salaries are managed centrally through the Dean’s Office.


39

1.6.b. A clearly formulated school budget statement, showing sources of all available funds and expenditures by major categories, since the last accreditation visit or for the last five years, whichever is longer. This information must be presented in a table format as appropriate to the school. See CEPH Data Template 1.6.1. Table 1.6.b.1 below presents a summary of the income and expenditures for the School over the five year period from fiscal year 2010 through 2014. Surpluses result from grant income that will be expended in subsequent years, or open salary lines while search is occurring. Surpluses are held in local or grant accounts that rollover from year to year and typically represent funds that will be used for new salaries or grant expenditures in subsequent years. Deficits are covered by funds from earlier year surpluses. Hence, during any fiscal year, the School has never had actual deficits. The budget, as presented below, is also included in Appendix 1.6.b.1 in the Electronic Resource File.

Table 1.6.b.1: UNTHSC SPH Budget (CEPH Data Template 1.6.1)

Source of Funds by Academic Year

Year 1 2009 - 2010

Year 2 2010 - 2011

Year 3 2011 - 2012

Year 4 2012 - 2013

Year 5 2013 - 2014

University Funds $4,568,441 $4,368,254 $4,530,757 $4,652,482 $5,005,506

Grants/Contracts $2,288,243 $3,204,128 $7,037,933 $6,349,778 $5,468,712

Course Fees $62,571 $119,275 $135,980 $152,230 $157,614

Registration/Application/Conference /Graduation/Miscellaneous Fees $38,183 $39,961 $31,430 $123,359 $185,724

Gifts $2,000 $11,000 $5,000 $450 $100

Total $6,959,438 $7,742,618 $11,741,100 $11,278,299 $10,817,656

Expenditures

Faculty Salaries $3,495,600 $3,688,347 $3,531,315 $3,571,504 $3,695,968

Staff Salaries $1,398,638 $1,255,861 $1,470,452 $1,801,464 $1,802,057

Student Wages $361,144 $582,686 $541,647 $637,202 $644,928

Overtime/Longevity/Lump Sum/Allowances/One-Time Merit $79,892 $93,170 $216,364 $127,278 $67,896

Fringe Benefits $351,257 $444,867 $509,409 $503,381 $479,908

Grant and Contract Expenditures (non-Maintenance & Operations/travel) $467,536 $508,089 $1,071,108 $2,850,165 $2,795,525

Maintenance & Operations (M&O) $535,417 $543,558 $1,107,027 $1,918,864 $1,665,587

Travel $126,937 $105,163 $156,269 $175,295 $195,108

Student Scholarships $37,250 $30,550 $31,250 $61,930 $68,697

Total $6,853,670 $7,252,292 $8,634,841 $11,647,083 $11,415,675


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1.6.c. If the school is a collaborative one sponsored by two or more universities, the budget statement must make clear the financial contributions of each sponsoring university to the overall school budget. This should be accompanied by a description of how tuition and other income is shared, including indirect cost returns for research generated by school of public health faculty who may have their primary appointment elsewhere. Not Applicable 1.6.d. Identification of measurable objectives by which the school assesses the adequacy of its fiscal resources, along with data regarding the school’s performance against those measures for each of the last three years. See CEPH Outcome Measures Template. The SPH assesses the adequacy of its fiscal resources based on the objectives and related targets presented in Table 1.6.d.1.

Table 1.6.d.1: Fiscal Assessment Objectives

Objective Target 2011-2012 (FY 2012)

2012-2013 (FY 2013)

2013-2014 (FY 2014)

30 percent salary recovery on all faculty salaries 30% 20.5% 28.4% 22.8%

Annual increase in FTE credit hours 5% 12.4% 16.8% 6.7%

Annual increase in overall School income, excluding grants and contracts

5% 5.0% 4.9% 8.5%

1.6.e. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. This criterion is met. Strengths: The UNTHSC established a clear budgetary process, providing the SPH with adequate state and local resources to fund the vast majority of its budget. Other resources are acquired through grant and contract salary recovery. Weaknesses: State cutbacks in funding of higher education has resulted in budgetary constraints for the School, reducing its ability to add new faculty and staff members as rapidly as desired. The large number of local and state grants received by faculty has limited the amount of salary recovery available to the SPH. Plans: Plans to increase the SPH income include the development of new certificate programs that are both inside and outside the established tuition structure, and greater participation in UNTHSC development activities.

Criterion 1: The School of Public Health 1.7: Faculty and Resources

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1.7 FACULTY AND OTHER RESOURCES

The school shall have personnel and other resources adequate to fulfill its stated mission and goals, and its instructional, research and service objectives. 1.7.a. A concise statement or chart defining the number (headcount) of primary faculty in each of the five core public health knowledge areas employed by the school for each of the last three years. If the school is a collaborative one, sponsored by two or more institutions, the statement or chart must include the number of faculty from each of the participating institutions. See CEPH Data Template 1.7.1. Table 1.7.a.1 presents the headcount of primary faculty in each of the core areas of public health. Table 1.7.a.2 lists each of the faculty members. Current faculty are also listed in Criterion 4.1.a, Table 4.1.a.1.

Table 1.7.a.1: Primary Faculty Headcount (CEPH Data Template 1.7.1)

1The PHED Department houses interdisciplinary programs that are supported by faculty across all SPH Departments. Two core faculty are responsible for all the administrative functions of these programs and are referenced in the table. Additional support for advising and curriculum development is provided by the faculty on the respective program committees (DrPH Committee and Master’s Admission Committee). Refer to Table 1.5.a.1 for committee descriptions and member lists.

Table 1.7.a.2: Primary Faculty Members in Each of the Core Areas

Department 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015

Behavioral and Community Health (BACH)

(8) Harvey Brenner Brad Cannell Claudia Coggin Mark DeHaven Heather Kitzman-Ulrich Sue Lurie Dennis Thombs Scott Walters

(9) Harvey Brenner Brad Cannell Mark DeHaven Heather Kitzman-Ulrich Jenny Lee Marcy Paul Emily Spence-Almaguer Dennis Thombs Scott Walters

(8) Harvey Brenner Heather Kitzman-Ulrich Marcy Paul Raheem Paxton Matthew Rossheim Emily Spence-Almaguer Dennis Thombs Scott Walters

(9) Harvey Brenner Heather Kitzman-Ulrich Marcy Paul Raheem Paxton Matthew Rossheim Candace Robledo Emily Spence-Almaguer Dennis Thombs Scott Walters

Biostatistics (BIOS)

(6) Subhash Aryal Swati Biswas Shande Chen Sejong Bae Karan Singh Sumihiro Suzuki

(4) Subhash Aryal Shande Chen Rajesh Nandy Sumihiro Suzuki

(4) Subhash Aryal Shande Chen Rajesh Nandy Sumihiro Suzuki

(5) Subhash Aryal Shande Chen Rajesh Nandy Sumihiro Suzuki Changshuai Wei

Environmental and Occupational Health (EOHS)

(4) Terry Gratton Joon-Hak Lee Youcheng Liu David Sterling

(4) Joon-Hak Lee Youcheng Liu Alisa Rich David Sterling

(4) Joon-Hak Lee Youcheng Liu Alisa Rich David Sterling

(5) Katherine Fogelberg Joon-Hak Lee Youcheng Liu Alisa Rich David Sterling

Department (Core Area) 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 Behavioral & Community Health (BACH) 8 9 8 9 Biostatistics (BIOS) 6 4 4 5 Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (EOHS) 4 4 4 5 Epidemiology (EPID) 6 4 5 6

Health Management and Policy (HMAP) 11 10 10 8 Public Health Education (PHED)1 2 2 2 2

Total 37 33 33 35


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Department 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015

Epidemiology (EPID)

(6) Kathryn Cardarelli Mohammed El Faramawi Martha Felini Lori Fishbach Eric Johnson Raquel Qualls-Hampton

(4) Kathryn Cardarelli Sharon Homan Witold Migala Susie Ramisetty-Mikler

(5) Brad Cannell Sharon Homan Witold Migala Suzie Ramisetty-Mikler Menghua Tao

(6) Brad Cannell Sharon Homan M. Douglas Livingston Witold Migala Suzie Ramisetty-Mikler Menghua Tao

Health Management and Policy (HMAP)

(11) Lakshmi Balasubramanian Erin Carlson Hsueh-Fen Chen Richard Kurz Nuha Lackan Kristine Lykens Thaddeus Miller Liam O’Neill Jose Pagan Elizabeth Trevino-Dawson Fernando Wilson

(10) Lakshmi Balasubramanian Erin Carlson Hsueh-Fen Chen Richard Kurz Nuha Lackan Kristine Lykens Thaddeus Miller Liam O’Neill Jose Pagan Elizabeth Trevino-Dawson

(10) Lakshmi Balasubramanian Erin Carlson Hsueh-Fen Chen Richard Kurz Nuha Lackan Kristine Lykens Thaddeus Miller Liam O’Neill Hyo Jung Tak Melissa Winborn

(8) Erin Carlson Hsueh-Fen Chen Richard Kurz Nuha Lackan Kristine Lykens Thaddeus Miller Liam O’Neill Hyo Jung Tak

Public Health Education (PHED)

(2) Matt Nolan Adrignola Christine Moranetz




1.7.b. A table delineating the number of faculty, students and SFRs, organized by department or specialty area, or other organizational unit as appropriate to the school, for each of the last three years (calendar years or academic years) prior to the site visit. Data must be presented in a table format (see CEPH Data Template 1.7.2) and include at least the following information: a) headcount of primary faculty (primary faculty are those with primary appointment in the school of public health), b) FTE conversion of faculty based on % time appointment to the school, c) headcount of other faculty (adjunct, part-time, secondary appointments, etc.), d) FTE conversion of other faculty based on estimate of % time commitment, e) total headcount of primary faculty plus other (non-primary) faculty, f) total FTE of primary and other (non-primary) faculty, g) headcount of students by department or program area, h) FTE conversion of students, based on definition of full-time as nine or more credits per semester, i) student FTE divided by primary faculty FTE and j) student FTE divided by total faculty FTE, including other faculty. All schools must provide data for a), b) and i) and may provide data for c), d) and j) depending on whether the school intends to include the contributions of other faculty in its FTE calculations. **Note: CEPH does not specify the manner in which FTE faculty must be calculated, so the school should explain its method in a footnote to this table. In addition, FTE data in this table must match FTE data presented in Criteria 4.1.a (Template 4.1.1) and 4.1.b (Template 4.1.2). Please refer to Table 1.7.b.1 below.


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Table 1.7.b.1: Faculty, Students, and Student/Faculty Ratios by Department 2011-2014 (CEPH Data Template1.7.2)

1Faculty data for 2014-15 are drawn from tables 4.1.a.1 and 4.1.b.1. Tenured, Tenure track and Non-tenure track faculty full-time equivalent (FTE) is determined by faculty contract. Adjunct faculty with teaching responsibility FTE is set by the UNT system. A three credit hour course is equal to .12 (point twelve) FTE. Adjunct appointed faculty without a teaching responsibility receive a nominal FTE, usually 1% (one percent) time. 2Student FTEs used in all calculations correspond with Table 4.3.c.1. 3PHED houses interdisciplinary programs that are supported by faculty across all SPH Departments. Two core faculty are responsible for all the administrative functions of these programs and are referenced in the table. Additional support for advising and curriculum development is provided by faculty on the DrPH Committee and Master’s Admission Committee). Refer to Table 1.5.a.1 for committee descriptions and member lists.

HC

Prim

ary

Facu

lty

FTE

Prim

ary

Facu

lty

HC

Oth

er F

acul

ty

FTE

Oth

er F

acul

ty

HC

Tota

l Fac

ulty

FTE

Tota

l Fac

ulty

1

HC

Stud

ents

FTE

Stud

ents

2

SFR

by P

rim

ary

Facu

lty

FTE

SFR

by T

otal

Fa

cult

y FT

E

2011-2012 Behavioral and Community Health (BACH) 8 8.0 7 1.059 15 9.06 82 69 8.6:1 7.6:1

Biostatistics (BIOS) 6 6.0 7 .471 13 6.47 44 35 5.8:1 5.4:1 Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (EOHS) 4 4.0 8 .548 12 4.55 39 30 7.5:1 6.6:1

Epidemiology (EPID) 6 6.0 6 .236 12 6.24 57 48 8:1 7.7:1

Health Management and Policy (HMAP) 12 12.0 11 .971 23 12.97 80 65 5.9:1 5:1 Public Health Education (PHED)3 (interdepartmental programs) 2 2.0 0 0 2 2.0 50 36.5 18.2 18.2:1

2012-2013 Behavioral and Community Health (BACH) 9 9.0 12 2.17 21 11.17 94 78.5 8.2:1 7:1

Biostatistics (BIOS) 4 4.0 13 1.28 17 5.28 49 40.5 10.1:1 7.7:1 Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (EOHS) 4 4.0 9 1.33 13 5.33 43 34 8.5:1 6.4:1

Epidemiology (EPID) 4 4.0 11 1.0 15 5.0 61 51.5 12.9:1 10.3:1

Health Management and Policy (HMAP) 11 11.0 20 2.07 31 13.07 92 73.5 6.7:1 5.6:1 Public Health Education (PHED)3 (interdepartmental programs) 2 2.0 3 0.28 5 2.28 49 40.5 20.3:1 17.8:1

2013-2014 Behavioral and Community Health 8 8.0 12 2.17 20 10.17 97 77 9.6:1 7.6

Biostatistics and Epidemiology (BIOS) 4 4.0 13 1.28 17 5.28 51 41.5 10.4:1 7.9 Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (EOHS) 4 4.0 9 1.33 13 5.33 51 39.5 9.9:1 7.4

Biostatistics and Epidemiology (EPID) 5 5.0 12 0.66 17 5.66 82 66.5 13.3:1 11.7

Health Management and Policy 12 12.0 27 2.07 39 14.07 94 79 6.6:1 5.6 Public Health Education (PHED)3 (interdepartmental programs) 2 2.0 4 0.48 6 2.48 61 38 19:1 15.3:1

2014-2015 (as of May 2015)

Behavioral and Community Health (BACH) 9 9.0 12 1.83 21 10.83 87 63 7:1 5.8:1

Biostatistics and Epidemiology (BIOS) 5 5.0 7 0.72 12 5.72 46 36.5 7.3:1 6.4:1 Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences(EOHS) 5 5.0 9 0.72 14 5.72 41 30.5 6.1:1 5.3:1

Biostatistics and Epidemiology (EPID) 6 5.8 13 1.28 19 7.08 115 94.5 16.3:1 13.3:1

Health Management and Policy (HMAP) 8 8.0 22 2.98 30 10.98 100 82 10.25:1 7.5:1

Public Health Education (PHED)3 (interdepartmental programs) 2 2.0 4 0.48 6 2.48 60 35 17.5:1 14.1:1


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Degree programs offered by the departments referenced in Table 1.7.b.1 are outlined below:

Behavioral and Community Health (BACH) • MPH with concentrations in:

- Community Health - Maternal and Child Health

• MPH (dual degree)

- MPH/MS Anthropology

• DrPH (concentration - former) - Behavioral & Community Health

• PhD in Public Health Sciences with a

concentration in: - Behavioral & Community Health

Biostatistics and Epidemiology (BIOS & EPID) • MPH with a concentrations in:

- Biostatistics - Epidemiology

• MPH (joint degree)

- MPH Biostatistics and Epidemiology

• DrPH (concentration - former) - Epidemiology - Biostatistics

• PhD in Public Health Sciences with

concentrations in: - Biostatistics - Epidemiology

Environmental & Occupational Health (EOHS)

• MPH with a concentration in: - Environmental & Occupational Health

Sciences

• MPH (joint degree) - MPH Environmental & Occupational

Health Sciences & Epidemiology

• DrPH (concentration - former) - Environmental & Occupational Health

• PhD in Public Health Sciences with a

concentration in: - Environmental Health Sciences

Health Management and Policy (HMAP)

• MPH with a concentration in: - Health Management and Policy

• MPH (dual degree)

- MPH/MSN

• Master of Health Administration (MHA)

• DrPH (concentration - former) - Health Management and Policy

Concentration

• PhD in Public Health Sciences with a concentration in: - Health Services & Policy

Public Health Education (PHED) • MPH Professional Option (online/campus)

• DO/MPH Dual Degree

(online and campus)

• DrPH in Public Health Practice

• PhD in Public Health Sciences (The departments organize the concentrations although the degree is officially under PHED)


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1.7.c. A concise statement or chart defining the headcount and FTE of non-faculty, non-student personnel (administration and staff). The following individuals are administrative and staff personnel who are not students and do not hold faculty appointments.

Table 1.7.c.1: School Administrative and Staff Personnel

Name of Staff Member Title FTE

Office of the Dean

Sally Crocker Robyn Remotigue Lupe Sanchez Catherine Sembajwe-Reeves Vikas Tomer

Communications Manager Research Manager Executive Assistant Assistant Director of Academic Affairs Web and IT Support Specialist

.75 1 1 1 1

Office of Admissions and Academic Services Diana Crenshaw Chelsea Derry Dianna Hosford Elizabeth Medders Misty Smethers1

Senior Administrative Associate Coordinator of Academic Services Coordinator of Recruitment and Outreach Director of Admissions Assistant Director of Academic and Student Services

1 1 1 1 .8

Departmental Staff Gail Clark Nellie Berumen Ywanda Carter Erin Milam-Moore

Senior Administrative Associate Executive Assistant Senior Administrative Associate Senior Administrative Associate

1 1 1 1

1Misty Smethers is primarily a staff member but does hold a 20% appointment as adjunct faculty in the Department of Public Health Education.

1.7.d. Description of the space available to the school for various purposes (offices, classrooms, common space for student use, etc.), by location. The SPH is housed on the 6th and 7th floors of the Everett Education and Administration (EAD) Building. In 2011, the SPH expanded to the 6th floor to consolidate all aspects of the School in one building. Formerly, three departments were housed in the Center for Biohealth Building on the UNTHSC campus. All faculty members have individual offices. A 20 person conference room with projection capacity and a six person conference room are available to faculty for meetings or other uses on the 6th floor and a 10 person conference room with projection capacity is available on the 7th floor. Administrative staff monitor reservations for conference room use. A fully equipped break room is also available to all faculty and staff on the 6th floor and the 7th floor of the EAD Building. Classroom space for virtually all courses offered by the Program is provided on the 7th floor of the EAD Building. Three classrooms, with accommodations ranging from 48 to 36 students, are equipped with state of the art projection and computer equipment that allows access to the Web. All tables and chairs in these classrooms are on rollers, allowing for flexible configurations based on pedagogical needs of individual courses. The offerings of the core courses (5300 courses) provided by the departments are assigned to larger classrooms in the EAD Building, if needed. All classrooms are centrally allocated by the UNTHSC; hence, the SPH also has access to all other classrooms in the Health Science Center, and can use them if the need arises. Ample and high quality classroom


46

space is adequate for current and projected curricular needs. A common area for students is located on the 7th floor. Research space for faculty projects is located on the 6th and the 7th floors of the building, typically containing cubicles needed for project support staff. 1.7.e. A concise description of the laboratory space and description of the kind, quantity and special features or special equipment. The Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (EOHS) has three laboratories, and the Department of Behavioral and Community Health (BACH) has one laboratory, on the 6th floor in the Education and Administration (EAD) building. EOHS Laboratory 1 is in EAD 624, and it is a laboratory for teaching and shared research projects such as West Nile virus mosquito detection, industrial hygiene and exposure assessment, and environmental chemistry. It has 393 square feet of floor space and is equipped with a SafeAir/Fisher Hamilton fume hood, a LabConCo Purifier Class II biosafety cabinet, and flammable chemical storage cabinets. It is further equipped with direct reading industrial hygiene instruments and sampling devices, such as Larson Davis sound level meters, noise personal dosimeters and calibrators, RAE System VOC monitors, Biosystems multi-gas detectors and single gas detectors, a Graywolf indoor air monitor, a temperature/relative humidity and airflow meter from Biosystems, vane and thermal anemometers from Testo, several RAE and GilAir sampling pumps and chargers, and an electronic airflow calibrator. EOHS Laboratory 2 is in EAD 626 and has 409 square feet of floor space, which is used as a toxicology/biomarker and molecular research laboratory. It is equipped with similar fume hoods, biosafety cabinets, a LabConCo Purifier Horizonal Clean Bench, and advanced instruments and supplies for conducting the analysis on both environmental and biological samples. Some of the instruments include, but are not limited to, -80 0C Thermo Electron deep freezers and a Dryer freezer, a Fisher Scientific Isotemp freezer, New Brunswick MediaMatic MM9 Automated Media Preparator, Austin Air Systems air purifier, Nikon stereo and compound microscopes with digital cameras, Nikon Eclipse 80i Microscope, Millipore Purif-4CL Purifier, Purif4CL II W/UV LI/S, MDL 818 12 Incubator, IECCL31R Tissue Culture, Mediamatic Sterilizer, Pourmatic F/Plates, Thermo Electro IECCL312 Multispeed Centrifuge and a Mettle Toledo semi microbalance with 0.01 mg readability. These freezers and instruments allow faculty to store biological samples and conduct related research such as DNA extraction and West Nile virus identification. Dr. Joon Lee is in charge of this laboratory. EOHS Laboratory 3 is in EAD 616 and has 223 square feet floor space. This laboratory is specifically used for the analysis of environmental samples with advanced equipment. The laboratory has an Agilent Technologies 6890 Network Gas Chromatograph system that is connected with an HP Compaq computer and a Leap Combi PAL Chromatograph, and a microwave oven for metal sample digestion. Dr. Alisa Rich is in charge of this laboratory. BACH Laboratory 1 is located in EAD 630 and contains 418 square feet of floor space. This laboratory is designated as the Behavioral Oncology Laboratory and is equipped with a COSMED portable metabolic cart (K4b2) to test resting energy expenditure and maximal aerobic capacity. The portable metabolic cart is also outfitted with a Quark T12x wireless 12-lead electrocardiogram that has the potential to examine resting and stress electrical activity of the heart when participants are on our TrackMaster medical treadmill. In addition, we have recently acquired a GE Prodigy dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to collect data on soft tissue and bone composition, including bone-mineral density, lean- and fat-tissue mass, and percentage of body fat.


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Additional advanced equipment and instruments for chemical, biological and molecular analysis are available from other school laboratories on campus that are within walking distance. Arrangements can be made to use these facilities. Additionally, at the University’s shared Core Laboratory in the Technology Transfer & Commercialization Department, there is an HPLC available for the departmental faculty to use. The specifications for the HPLC are: Varian Prostar 230 delivery module, Shimadzu UV-Vis detector SPD-10A, Pharmacia LKB FRAC-100 fraction collector, and an Agilent Hp 3395 Integrator for data recording. There is a µBondapak C18 10µm 125A 3.9x300 mm column P/N WAT027324 attached to the system. 1.7.f. A concise statement concerning the amount, location and types of computer facilities and resources for students, faculty, administration and staff. All faculty members are provided with computing equipment and a printer; distribution is based on their stated needs at the time of employment and as their circumstances change. UNTHSC policy allows all units to replace computers that are three years old or older. Color printers are also available to faculty through their computers. A copier is available to faculty and staff on the 6th and 7th floors of the building. This equipment is adequate for current and projected use. Beginning in the fall of 2013, all students are required to have a laptop computer for classroom use. This computer must have a 26Hz processor or faster, 1 GB Ram or greater, and an 80 GB hard drive or larger. Students have access to printers in their common area and the Lewis Library. WiFi access is campus wide. Within the SPH, information technology support is provided by a Web and IT Support Specialist. His role provides support for computer hardware and software installation and use, web site development and implementation, and other uses of information services. He is used extensively, and faculty may contact him directly without barriers. His role is supported by aspects of the UNTHSC Division of Academic and Institutional Resources and Technology, which provides assistance with bioinformatics, information technology services (including classroom technology, copying, the Helpdesk, and infrastructure and security), telecommunication services, media services, and records and information management. These services are used when needed and may be directly accessed by faculty or staff. The SPH also has access to computing facilities in Lewis Library. See section 1.7g below. These labs can be assigned and used for classroom instruction. 1.7.g. A concise description of library/information resources available for school use, including a description of library capacity to provide digital (electronic) content, access mechanisms, training opportunities and document-delivery services. The Gibson D. Lewis Health Science Library (http://library.hsc.unt.edu) supports the education, research, and community service functions of the SPH programs by meeting the information needs of faculty, students, staff, and the local public health community. The Library is a biomedical research library, and its collections, staffing, and services have been developed with this goal in mind. The Library’s facilities, the depth of its collections, and the size and excellence of its staff members give it credibility as a full-service health science library, and place it in a unique position to offer additional services as the UNTHSC grows. Built in 1983, the Library occupies 53,000 square feet, and can accommodate more than 200,000 volumes and more than 600 users.

http://library.hsc.unt.edu/


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URL (faculty resources): http://library.hsc.unt.edu/content/services-resources-faculty URL (student resources): http://library.hsc.unt.edu/content/student-information-school-public-health Featuring the latest information technology, the Library houses three networked computer labs, with Macintosh and Windows computers, available for student, staff and faculty use. The Internet can be accessed in all three labs, and internet access via the UNTHSC network (Ethernet or wireless) is also available to all library patrons using their own properly-equipped computers. The library’s Media Resources Center houses an audio-visual collection of over 5,800 titles, including 340 computer software programs and some 124 anatomical models. Sixteen viewing rooms are equipped with video playback and slide-tape projectors. All UNTHSC students receive the full range of library services, including borrowing privileges, individual and group study areas, photocopying, computer searches, reference help, document delivery services, print indexes, and personal instruction in the use of the library and its collections. This accessibility overcomes any barriers to utilization. 1.7.h. A concise statement of any other resources not mentioned above, if applicable. Community Relations SPH faculty and administration have direct access to the Communications Manager for the School, Ms. Sally Crocker. The Communications Manager supports information dissemination to local, state, and national media with regard to the academic, research or service accomplishments of the Program faculty, staff and students. Faculty members in the SPH are encouraged to have direct contact with Ms. Crocker so that she is fully informed of any of their activities that are worthy of dissemination. Ms. Crocker is supported by the UNTHSC Office of Marketing and Communications which provides support for the dissemination of information for accomplishments, and this support results in greater national or international distribution and in inclusion in UNTHSC publications. These resources are adequate for current and projected faculty needs. Continuing Education The Office of Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) provides sophisticated and accredited support for any SPH faculty members or UNTHSC units wishing to develop continuing education or community service programmatic events. PACE provides expert staff and services that can assist with planning, marketing, implementation, and evaluation of these events. Academic Support The student and academic services support is provided by the School’s Office of Admission and Academic Services. This office is under the direction of Dr. Matt Nolan Adrignola, Associate Dean for Administrative and Student Services, and includes five staff members who provide support for admissions, orientation, financial aid, student organizations, co-curricular activities, and practice experience field placement. This office is used extensively by faculty and program administration, especially with regard to admissions and student counseling. Student and academic services are assisted within the UNTHSC by two divisions. The Division of Academic and Institutional Resources provides assistance through the Center for Interprofessional Practice, the Center for Innovative Learning (CIL) (a professional unit providing support for curriculum development, educational technology, assessment services, online education, and instructional design), and the Lewis Library. SPH faculty members have made extensive use of the CLI through their participation in the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) required as part of our accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Four Health

http://library.hsc.unt.edu/content/services-resources-faculty

http://library.hsc.unt.edu/content/student-information-school-public-health

http://library.hsc.unt.edu/content/student-information-school-public-health


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Management and Policy faculty members participated in the initial QEP activities, participation that has led to greater use of the CIL by other faculty with regard to the development of higher order methods and assessments in courses. A second division, the Division of Student Affairs, provides assistance through the offices of Career Services, the Center for Academic Performance (CAP), Counseling Services, the Founder’s Activity Center (athletic facility), Health Promotion, International Student Services, and the Registrar. The SPH makes most extensive use of (1) the CAP, which provides tutoring services and writing workshops as well as assistance with presentation skills, referencing, citation styles, test anxiety, study strategies, and time management and (2) International Student Services, because of the many issues that occur with the matriculation and continued advancement of these students. Faculty, students, and staff may directly contact these offices without administrative barriers. 1.7.i. Identification of measurable objectives through which the school assesses the adequacy of its resources, along with data regarding the school’s performance against those measures for each of the last three years. See CEPH Outcome Measures Template. Table1.7.i.1. identifies measurable objectives through which the SPH assesses its resource adequacy.

Table 1.7.i.1 Outcome Measures for Resource Adequacy

Outcome Measure Target AY 2011-12 AY 2012-13 AY 2013-14

Number of Primary Faculty

Five or more faculty per academic program

MET

The MPH concentration in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences was supported by only four faculty members

The MPH concentration in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences was supported by only four faculty members

Number of Faculty Support Staff

One FT Staff Member for Each Department

MET

MET

MET

Student-Faculty Ratio

Student-faculty ratio of 10:1 or less for all departments

Met by all departments

Met by all but one

department

Met by all but one

department

Classroom Space for 95% of All School Courses with Appropriate Equipment

Three Classrooms with Flexible Furniture and Web Access

This target was MET during this year with the consolidation of all faculty, the renovation of each classroom, and the installation of appropriate computing equipment and furniture

MET

MET

Adequacy of Research Space

Shared office or cubicle space for all funded positions, as requested

MET

MET

MET


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1.7.j. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. This criterion is met with commentary. Strengths: After a period of state wide financial retrenchment, the SPH is expanding its faculty with the hiring of faculty members who demonstrate the ability or have high potential for excellence in the classroom, as well as the ability to create and conduct a research program. Our ability to expand faculty numbers after a decline is illustrated in the budgets for the SPH over the past five years. Our student-faculty ratios in most departments are generally appropriate and have been maintained below our target despite the growth in our student body. In the last two years student-faculty ratios in biostatistics and epidemiology have exceeded the target but with recent faculty additions to the department, this is being improved. Our classroom space is excellent and fully meets the needs of faculty with pedagogy that is developed not only to create understanding of concepts and methods, but also to apply these ideas through classroom and external methods. Weaknesses: Our laboratory space is adequate to our teaching needs but would need to expand if faculty members develop expanded research projects requiring wet bench access. Plans: The SPH has no immediate plans for major resource changes; however, it is constantly assessing its need for increased space due to expanding academic programming and research funding.

Criterion 1: The School of Public Health 1.8: Diversity

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1.8 DIVERSITY The school shall demonstrate a commitment to diversity and shall evidence an ongoing practice of cultural competence in learning, research and service practices. 1.8.a. A written plan and/or policies demonstrating systematic incorporation of diversity within the school. Required elements include the following:

I. Description of the school’s under-represented populations, including a rationale for the designation.

II. A list of goals for achieving diversity and cultural competence within the school, and a description of how diversity-related goals are consistent with the university’s mission, strategic plan and other initiatives on diversity, as applicable.

III. Policies that support a climate free of harassment and discrimination and that value the contributions of all forms of diversity; the school should also document its commitment to maintaining/using these policies.

IV. Policies that support a climate for working and learning in a diverse setting. V. Policies and plans to develop, review and maintain curricula and other opportunities

including service learning that address and build competency in diversity and cultural considerations.

VI. Policies and plans to recruit, develop, promote and retain a diverse faculty. VII. Policies and plans to recruit, develop, promote and retain a diverse staff.

VIII. Policies and plans to recruit, admit, retain and graduate a diverse student body. IX. Regular evaluation of the effectiveness of the above-listed measures.

I. Description of the school’s under-represented populations, including a rationale for the

designation Since its inception, the SPH has sought to attract and retain diversity in its student population, faculty, and staff. The SPH defines diversity primarily by using the head count of the ethnic and racial groups within the faculty, staff, and students as a reference. We compare ethnic and racial composition to the proportion of the major racial and ethnic groups in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, and US populations. Specifically, our concern has been with the proportion of our student body, faculty, and staff that are from African-American/Black, Hispanic, Asian and other diverse cultures. Table 1.8.a.1 presents the proportion of these groups in the three area populations and in the populations of our student body, faculty, and staff over the past three years. Proportions for the three comparison groups are taken from US 2010 Census data.


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Table 1.8.a.1: Comparison of Student, Faculty, and Staff Diversity to Geographic Populations (CEPH Data Template 1.8.1)

Group White (non-Hispanic)

African American

(non-Hispanic)

Asian (non-Hispanic) Hispanic

United States 63% 12% 6% 17% Texas 44% 15% 4% 38% DFW Metroplex 49% 15% 6% 28%

SPH Students: Data are collected by the UNTHSC Registrar’s Office and reported to the SPH Office of Admission and Academic Services

Target none 15% 10% 10% 2011-12 30% 23% 12% 9% 2012-13 31% 20% 13% 10.5% 2013-14 26% 21% 11% 11% 2014 - Spring 15 25% 18% 10% 10%

Faculty: Data are collected by the Human Resources Division and reported to the Dean’s Office

Target 10% of faculty are black or Hispanic 2011-12 54% 8% 30% 8% 2012-13 61% 0% 33% 6% 2013-14 61% 3% 36% 0%

Staff: Data are collected by the Human Resources Division and reported to the Dean’s Office

Target 30% of staff are black or Hispanic 2011-12 50% 17% 0% 33% 2012-13 54% 23% 0% 23% 2013-14 57% 21% 0% 21%

Students: The percentages in Table 1.8.a.1 do not sum to 100%, as approximately 25% of our student body is composed of international students, and a small percentage identifies themselves as mixed race. We believe that maintaining a significant number of international students adds a cultural diversity to our student body that is necessary, as public health is becoming increasingly global. A complete breakdown of the racial and ethnic composition of the student body is outlined in Appendix 1.8.a.1 located in the Electronic Resource File and will be available for review during the site visit. The table indicates that we have achieved our diversity targets with regard to African American, Asian, and Hispanic students, but have not equaled or exceeded our potential in all of the reference groups. Specifically we have met our target for Hispanic students, but we have not achieved the numbers of Hispanic students that one might anticipate in Texas and the metroplex, based on the percentage of the local and Texas populations of this ethnic group. This continues to be a matter of concern for the SPH, and we currently are working with the Hispanic Wellness Coalition in Tarrant County (Dr. Kurz is a member and past-chair and Dr. Trevino, an adjunct faculty member, is a member) and the Tarrant County Community College, which has a large Hispanic enrollment, to increase awareness of public health as a profession and of the SPH in the local Hispanic community. Faculty: The SPH has identified African Americans and Hispanics as under-represented populations among the faculty, which is a concern because the SPH aims to have a faculty that is


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representative of the diversity of the population in the metroplex, Texas, and the United States, and that reflects the student body we aim to recruit. As Table 1.8.a1 illustrates, the percentage of African American and Hispanic faculty is lower than the national, Texas, and local percentages. A review of the table further shows that, as of August 2014, the SPH has 3% of its core faculty who are African American, and no Hispanic faculty members. The SPH has had success in attracting faculty from these groups in the past. To better serve its students, the SPH aims to increase the faculty in these under-represented populations through our recruitment efforts. Staff: The SPH has maintained a consistently diverse staff over the past three years and throughout its history. We have achieved the target for the number and percentage of Black and Hispanic individuals on our staff. With regard to the reference groups, we exceed the anticipated percentage of Black staff members and have made significant progress regarding the percentage of Hispanic staff members. We have not employed Asian staff members over the past three years.

II. A list of goals for achieving diversity and cultural competence within the school, and a description of how diversity-related goals are consistent with the university’s mission, strategic plan and other initiatives on diversity, as applicable. Using the UNTHSC Values as the foundation for keeping diversity and cultural competence at the forefront, to the value of respect, specifically to the associated behavior of “promoting diversity of thought, ideas and people” through the following:

a. Enhancing recruitment and retention of diverse populations; b. Developing a culture that is supportive of cultural diversity through student and faculty

development, as well as curriculum and research, that is focused on issues of racial and ethnic health disparities;

c. Encouraging the development of cultural competence across all programs through regular evaluation of the respective curricula.

These goals are consistent with the UNTHSC Mission, Vision, and Values.

III. Policies that support a climate free of harassment and discrimination and that value the contributions of all forms of diversity; the school should also document its commitment to maintaining/using these policies. UNTHSC 05.02 Policy for Nondiscrimination: “It is the policy of the UNTHSC not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status or veteran of the Vietnam Era status, in its educational programs, activities, admission, or employment policies and practices. In addition to complying with federal and state equal opportunity laws and regulations, the UNTHSC declares harassment that is based on individual differences (including sexual orientation) to be inconsistent with its mission and educational goals.” UNTHSC 05.02 Policy for Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action: “It is the policy of the UNTHSC to ensure equal employment opportunity to all individuals. The UNTHSC will seek to ensure by all means at its disposal that all prohibited discriminatory conditions in employment are eliminated and will also ensure that the practices of those responsible in matters of employment adhere to this standard.”


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Policies for non-discrimination may be found at: http://www.hsc.unt.edu/policies/PolicyStorePDF/Nondiscrimination-Equal%20Opportunity%20and%20Affirmative%20Action.pdf Every new employee is required to attend a mandatory orientation session within the first week of employment. Participants are provided with information on the University’s policies, including those regarding sexual harassment, discrimination, equal employment and accommodation for individuals with disabilities. All employees are also required to complete sexual harassment training and to abide by the UNTHSC Values.

IV. Policies that support a climate for working and learning in a diverse setting. UNTHSC 05.207 Racial Harassment: The UNTHSC “Nondiscrimination/Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action” policy affirms the requirement for every member of the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC-FW) community to comply with existing Federal and State equal opportunity laws and regulations. The increasing diversity of the members of the UNTHSC community is one of this institution’s greatest strengths. Differences of race, religion, age, gender, culture, physical ability, language, nationality, sexual orientation and lifestyle make it a microcosm of the nation as a whole, reflecting the values of our pluralistic society. As a health science center, UNTHSC-FW is committed to advancing the ideals of human worth and dignity by teaching respect for human beliefs or values and by encouraging open discussion and the rational resolution of conflict. Bigotry, expressions of hatred or prejudice, and harassment of any kind are inconsistent with the UNTHSC’s educational purposes. UNTHSC 05.205 Sexual Harassment: “It is the policy of the University of North Texas Health Science Center that acts of sexual harassment, as defined herein, toward guests of and visitors to the campus or any member of the health science center community including faculty, staff, students and candidates for positions at the health science center (regardless of the individual's gender) will not be tolerated. All members of the administration, faculty, staff and students will be subject to disciplinary action for violation of this policy. Members of the public doing business with the health science center who violate this policy may be subject to sanctions. Conduct constituting sexual harassment, as defined herein, toward another person of the same or opposite sex is prohibited by this policy.”

V. Policies and plans to develop, review and maintain curricula and other opportunities including service learning that address and build competency in diversity and cultural considerations. The curricula of all programs identify diversity and cultural competency as important learning outcomes for all students. These learning outcomes are addressed in several and differing courses in the curricula of school programs. However, two courses specifically address these matters and are open to all students. They include BACH 5324: Introduction to Health Disparities and BACH 6328: Race, Ethnicity, Culture, and Health.

VI. Policies and plans to recruit, develop, promote and retain a diverse faculty.

Policies and plans to recruit a diverse faculty include: 1. Specification in all recruitment advertising that UNTHSC is an equal

opportunity/affirmative action employer. 2. Advertisement through websites and publications that are targeted to culturally diverse

applicants.

http://www.hsc.unt.edu/policies/PolicyStorePDF/Nondiscrimination-Equal%20Opportunity%20and%20Affirmative%20Action.pdf

http://www.hsc.unt.edu/policies/PolicyStorePDF/Nondiscrimination-Equal%20Opportunity%20and%20Affirmative%20Action.pdf


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3. Participation in national, regional, and state wide meetings at which faculty, especially entry-level faculty, may be presenting posters or presentations.

4. Communication with the existing faculty at the UNTHSC or outside UNTHSC who may be aware of candidates with diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds.

5. Recruitment from schools and programs in south Texas where Hispanic students or faculty more frequently enroll or work.

VII. Policies and plans to recruit, develop, promote and retain a diverse staff.

As an equal opportunity employer, the UNTHSC cannot recruit applicants based on racial or ethnic background. However, the fact that the SPH and other units of the UNTHSC have diverse work groups does allow the UNTHSC to attract and hire a diverse staff workforce.

VIII. Policies and plans to recruit, admit, retain and graduate a diverse student body.

Plans to recruit a diverse student body include: 1. Continuing to develop a culture that respects diversity and responds to the disparities that

are often found in the communities of these racial and ethnic groups. Through recruitment materials and campus visits with current students and faculty, prospective students become aware of this culture and the comfort that they will feel being a part of it. One example of this culture is the fact that student leaders and committee members typically reflect the diversity of our student body.

2. Recruitment activities directly with several traditionally black colleges and universities in the south, especially through established contacts on these campuses and alumni who have graduated with a public health degree from the School.

3. Recruitment at the large public university campus in south Texas at which Hispanic enrollment is highest, including campus or regional career fairs.

4. Provision of a scholarship by the Hispanic Wellness Coalition of Tarrant County. 5. Contact with programs at Tarrant County Community College. Although these students do

not receive bachelor’s degrees, much of the student body is Hispanic and many health-related associate degrees and other programs are offered.

IX. Regular evaluation of the effectiveness of the above-listed measures.

The UNTHSC must report each semester to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, including the racial and ethnic diversity of its student body (headcount) and faculty (full-time and part-time), as well as the number of international students. Hence, the UNTHSC has a continuous record of the racial and ethnic diversity of its student body and faculty. This information is shared with the schools and, hence, provides the data for our tracking of these populations. With regard to the student body, the Office of Admission and Academic Services tracks the result of its recruitment activity by noting the number of students inquiring, applying, and enrolling, and their race and ethnicity. Based on this information, the OAAS alters its recruitment efforts to be more effective in subsequent years. For example, although the School continues to do some recruitment fairs to attract Hispanic students, greater efforts are now made to attend placement fairs, as these have proved to be more effective. Contacts with Tarrant County Community College are too recent to establish an effect, as too few students have graduated from bachelor’s programs. Widespread advertising of positions and attendance at national meetings have been the most effective in recruiting diverse faculty members. However, our number of diverse faculty is small, so it is difficult to identify if any of these methods have been more effective than others.


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1.8.b. Evidence that shows the plan or policies are being implemented. Examples may include mission/goals/objectives that reference diversity or cultural competence, syllabi and other course materials, lists of student experiences demonstrating diverse settings, records and statistics on faculty, staff and student recruitment, admission and retention.

1. The newly adopted values for the Health Science Center clearly articulate that one of the behaviors associated with the value of Respect is the promotion of diversity of thought, ideas and people.

2. See the Table 1.8.a.1 for a description of the results of student, faculty, and staff efforts to create diversity in the SPH.

3. Of the field experience sites used by students during the 2012-2013 and 2013-14 academic years, 32% of them serve or collaborate with individuals who are racially and/or ethnically diverse.

4. The SPH offers 12 courses that specially address racial and ethnic diversity and the causes and consequences of disparities among these populations.

1.8.c. Description of how the diversity plan or policies were developed, including an explanation of the constituent groups involved. Planning for the diversity of the student body is primarily the responsibility of OAAS under the direction of Dr. Matt Nolan Adrignola, Associate Dean for Administration and Student Services. As noted above, planning and execution of efforts to increase or maintain diversity involve relationships we have established with Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, as well as with those of our alumni who are from these institutions and have subsequently earned a degree from the SPH. We also use records of city demographics to focus our efforts on institutions that predominantly enroll African American and Hispanic students. This planning and implementation is reviewed by the Master’s, PhD, and DrPH Committees and, subsequently, by the Dean. Plans for faculty diversity in each department are development by the Chair, faculty members, and search committees. Again, diverse alumni from the doctoral programs may be consulted as the procedures for recruitment of diverse students. 1.8.d. Description of how the plan or policies are monitored, how the plan is used by the school and how often the plan is reviewed. The plans for recruitment of a racially and ethnically diverse student body are monitored by the OAAS and the admission committees for each of the major programs. This review occurs annually and as the SPH decides how to allocate resources for the coming academic year and reset its recruitment plans. Through these processes both faculty and staff contribute input to the review. Final review is conducted by the Dean based on the recommendations of these groups. Review of faculty recruitment efforts is conducted by the departments. The number of positions open for recruitment is typically limited to one or, at most, two individuals over a one to two year period. Hence, departments have limited feedback on which to base subsequent efforts to expand the diversity of its faculty. Department are likely to use all methods available to them rather than restricting their approach based on limited past experience.


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1.8.e Identification of measurable objectives by which the school may evaluate its success in achieving a diverse complement of faculty, staff and students, along with data regarding the performance of the program against those measures for each of the last three years. See CEPH Data Template 1.8.1. At a minimum, the school must include four objectives, at least two of which relate to race/ethnicity. For non-US-based institutions of higher education, matters regarding the feasibility of race/ethnicity reporting will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Measurable objectives must align with the school’s definition of under-represented populations in Criterion 1.8.a. The measureable objectives for achieving diversity are:

1. 15% of the student body will be black students with US citizenship 2. 10% of the student body will be Hispanic students with US citizenship 3. 10% of the faculty will be black or Hispanic 4. 20% of the staff will be black or Hispanic

The results for these measures are presented in Table 1.8.a1 above. 1.8.f. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. This criterion is met with commentary. Strengths: The SPH has been successful in creating a culture that is supportive of a culturally diverse student body, faculty, and staff. Students from diverse backgrounds have assumed leadership positions within the SPH and have achieved the highest honors based on their academic achievement and recognition by the faculty and their peers. For example, of the 12 officer positions for the PHSGA over the past three years, nine of the officers were African American and three were Asian or Asian-White. Of the nine major awards for students each year, two have gone to minority students each year for the past three years. Finally, African American students created the Society of Black Public Health Professionals during the 2011-2012 academic year to promote minority enrollment. Weaknesses: The SPH has not succeeded in recruiting Hispanic students at the level it desires. With the growth of this population in Texas, the SPH will continue to focus on this population in its recruitment efforts. In addition, the SPH has not achieved the diversity in its faculty that it sought. This is a difficult area of recruitment, especially given the competing demands for faculty in specific concentration areas of each discipline and the limited number of minority graduate students. However, in its awareness of both of these issues, the SPH currently has five Hispanic doctoral students (four in the PhD program and one in the DrPH program) and five African American doctoral students (1 in the PhD program and 4 in the DrPH program). We have also had racially and ethnically diverse students in the past in these programs.


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Plans Our plans to increase student and faculty diversity focus on the Hispanic population. As noted, there is a large Hispanic population in Texas and in the metroplex. We must continue our effort to increase the awareness of public health as a profession in this population through our work with the Hispanic Wellness Coalition and through greater involvement with the Tarrant County Community College (TCC). We recruit heavily at the two major local universities, the University of Texas at Arlington and the University of North Texas at Denton. However, we believe that we must start earlier in the careers of these students and, hence, must expand our activity with more extensive recruitment at TCC. With regard to faculty, the pool of Hispanic faculty and graduate students in public health from which we can recruit faculty, both in Texas and throughout the United States, is small. Awareness of the quality of instruction and research at the UNTHSC and in the SPH is growing, but other universities and schools seek these faculty members as well. We must be sure that Hispanic graduate students nationwide are aware of the benefits UNTHSC offers, which include a committed involvement in public health at the local level and throughout the state of Texas.

Criterion 2: Instructional Programs 2.1: Degree Offerings

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CRITERION 2: INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS

2.1 DEGREE OFFERINGS The school shall offer instructional programs reflecting its stated mission and goals, leading to the Master of Public Health (MPH) or equivalent professional master’s degree in at least the five areas of knowledge basic to public health. The school may offer other degrees, professional and academic, and other areas of specialization, if consistent with its mission and resources. 2.1.a. An instructional matrix presenting all of the school’s degree programs and areas of specialization. If multiple areas of specialization are available within departments or academic units shown on the matrix, these should be included. The matrix should distinguish between public health professional degrees, other professional degrees and academic degrees at the graduate level, and should distinguish baccalaureate public health degrees from other baccalaureate degrees. The matrix must identify any programs that are offered in distance learning or other formats. Non-degree programs, such as certificates or continuing education, should not be included in the matrix. See CEPH Data Template 2.1.1. The UNTHSC-SPH offers professional degrees at the master and doctoral levels and an academic degree at the doctoral level. The academic doctoral program is a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD in Public Health Sciences) with five concentrations: Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Behavioral and Community Health, Environmental Health Sciences, and Health Services and Policy. The professional doctorate is a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) generalist degree with a focus on leadership in public health practice. The SPH’s professional master’s degrees are the MPH-Professional Option (MPH-PO), a generalist degree with 42 semester credit hours, and the six MPH concentrations with a minimum of 48 semester credit hours: Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Community Health, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Health Management and Policy, and Maternal and Child Health. These degree programs are identified in Table 2.1.a.1. The Program Directors Committee provides the oversight for all of the MPH concentrations. The membership of this committee includes the Program Director for each concentration and a representative for the MPH-PO from the Department of Public Health Education. The DrPH Program Committee’s membership includes representatives from each of the departments in the SPH. The PhD Program Committee is comprised of representatives of each of the five concentrations.


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Table 2.1.a.1: Instructional Matrix (CEPH Data Template 2.1.1)

Degree/Specialization Academic Public Health Professional

Other Professional

Minimum Required

Credits

Master’s Degrees

Master of Public Health – Community Health MPH 48

Master of Public Health - Biostatistics MPH 48

Master of Public Health – Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences MPH 48

Master of Public Health – Epidemiology MPH 48

Master of Public Health – Health Management and Policy MPH 48

Master of Public Health – Maternal and Child Health MPH 48

Master of Public Health – Professional Option (on campus and online) MPH 42

Master of Health Administration MHA 60

Doctoral Degrees

Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health Sciences – Behavioral and Community Health PhD 90

Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health Sciences – Biostatistics PhD 90

Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health Sciences – Environmental Health Sciences PhD 90

Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health Sciences – Epidemiology PhD 90

Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health Sciences – Health Services and Policy PhD 90

Doctor of Public Health DrPH 60

Joint Concentrations

Biostatistics and Epidemiology MPH 54-57

Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences & Epidemiology MPH 54-57

Dual Degree

DO/MPH DO/MPH 42-48

MPH/MS in Applied Anthropology1 MPH/MS 42-48

MPH/MSN2 MHA/MSN 42-48

1This is a dual degree with the MPH concentration in Community Health (Dept. BACH) 2This is a dual with the MPH concentration in Health Management and Policy (Dept. HMAP). The MPH/MSN is being phased out and therefore the SPH did not admit any students in the 2014-2015 academic year. No changes will be made to the existing curriculum and students that are currently enrolled will continue to be advised and move toward degree completion under the same degree plans implemented at the time of matriculation. The program will continue to be active until all enrolled students graduate.


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Master of Health Administration (MHA) The MHA Program is located in the Department of Health Management and Policy in the School of Public Health. The 60 SCH degree program is designed for aspiring and committed early career professionals who are interested in careers in health services administration in such settings as hospitals; managed care organizations; medical group practices; ambulatory, long-term care, insurance and pharmaceutical companies; consulting firms; government agencies; and for-profit and nonprofit sector organizations. Through an internship and a final integrative experience, students are asked to incorporate, synthesize, and apply their knowledge within both an operational and a community context. The result is an organizational perspective that encourages students to integrate knowledge from a range of management and leadership disciplines while emphasizing accountability for effective performance. The MHA student handbook is provided in Appendix 4.4.a.1 in the Electronic Resource File. Master of Public Health Degree (MPH) The UNTHSC-SPH offers the MPH degree program, in which students acquire a sound educational background for competent practice in the field of public health. This professional degree program provides opportunities for students to obtain broad knowledge and basic skills in the core areas of public health. Students who have earned a professional degree, e.g., MD, DO, JD, or another master’s degree or who have at least three years of experience may earn the generalist MPH-Professional Option (MPH-PO). Students who elect to enter an MPH with a concentration acquire proficiency in one or more specialized areas through advanced coursework, and gain experience in applying advanced knowledge in community settings through the public health practice experience. All MPH students are required to complete all five core courses in the essential disciplines of public health: biostatistics (BIOS 5300), epidemiology (EPID 5300), behavioral and community health (BACH 5300), environmental and occupational health sciences (EOHS 5300), and health management and policy (HMAP 5300). Students are able to earn the MPH degree through one of six concentration areas: 1) biostatistics, 2) epidemiology, 3) behavioral and community health, 4) environmental and occupational health, 5) health management and policy, and 6) maternal and child health. A school-wide generalist MPH, the MPH-Professional Option (MPH-PO) admitted its first students in fall 2011. Over the last few years, all of the courses required for this 42 SCH degree program have been made into online course offerings, allowing students to take either face-to-face or online courses, or a combination to complete their degree. Students in the MPH-PO and all six concentrations are required to pass the Certified in Public Health Examination (CPH) offered through the National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE). They may sit for the examination according to the requirements of the NBPHE. Program Profiles for each degree encourage that students sit for the examination approximately mid-way through their degree program and after they have taken all five core courses. All MPH students must pass the CPH to be awarded their MPH degree. MPH students may sit for the CPH examination multiple times until they pass; however, if they fail to pass after the time limit for the degree (six years), they are dismissed from the MPH degree program. Students in the MPH-PO and in all of the six concentrations are required to complete a practice experience that requires a project and poster presentation. The culminating experience for the six concentrations is a comprehensive examination or thesis, while the MPH-PO students take a capstone course. The MPH student handbook is provided in Appendix 4.4.a.1.


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Joint Concentration Offerings The School has established two joint degree concentrations in the MPH in biostatistics and epidemiology, and epidemiology and environmental and occupational health sciences. Students take the required courses and comprehensive examinations in each concentration, select electives from an approved list of courses, and select a practice experience with a focus in one of the concentration areas. Dual Degree Offerings The UNTHSC-MPH has established three dual degree programs: 1) MPH/MS-Anthropology, a collaboration with the Department of Anthropology on the main campus of the University of North Texas (UNT) in Denton, Texas, 2) MPH/DO, a collaboration with the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM) on the same UNTHSC campus where the SPH resides, and 3) MPH/MSN, a collaboration with the School of Nursing at the University of Texas Arlington (UTA) on the main campus of UTA in Arlington, Texas. The latter program has been discontinued and therefore the SPH did not admit any students in the 2014-2015 academic year. No changes will be made to the existing curriculum and students that are currently enrolled in the MPH/MSN will continue to be advised and move toward degree completion under the same curriculum plans implemented at the time of matriculation. The program will continue to be active until all current students have graduated. Doctor of Public Health Degree (DrPH) The UNTHSC-SPH offered the Doctor in Public Health (DrPH) with four concentrations until the fall of 2009. DrPH students were allowed to complete their degrees within their chosen concentration (Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Social and Behavioral Sciences, or Health Management and Policy) or they could apply for a transfer into the new generalist DrPH established in the fall of 2009. The DrPH – Concentration degree programs required completion of 65 SCH, including a comprehensive examination and a dissertation. The DrPH student handbook is provided in Appendix 4.4.a.1. The new DrPH was designed to be an advanced, professional degree that focused on developing public health leaders who would advance the field of public health through the integration and application of the seven domains identified by the ASPPH Core Competency Model: 1) Advocacy, 2) Communication, 3) Community and Cultural Orientation, 4) Critical Analysis, 5) Leadership, 6) Management, and 7) Professionalism and Ethics. This generalist DrPH program is designed for students who have earned a Master’s degree, preferably an MPH. Well-qualified applicants who are “early career” with limited work experience are considered for admission, alongside “mid-career” professionals who have approximately four-five years of experience in public health or a related field. Students admitted to the DrPH without an MPH degree are required to complete the five core MPH courses through the UNTHSC-SPH or may transfer in equivalent courses, up to 12 SCH. DrPH students are required to complete 60 SCH, which includes passing the Certified in Public Health Examination, if they have not already done so during or after their master’s studies, and an Integrated Competency Evaluation (ICE) which is a comprehensive examination focusing on a self-assessment of one’s competency strengths and weaknesses, that occurs over a two to three semester period at the end of their degree program. The DrPH students in doctoral residency apply knowledge and skills in developed competencies while completing public health practice work experience that further develops competencies that have not yet been mastered. Students defend their residency before the DrPH Program Committee, SPH Faculty, and invited public.


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Doctor of Philosophy Degree (PhD) The PhD program in Public Health Sciences prepares professionals for research, teaching, and service with the overall objective of improving the health of populations. To meet this objective, all students in the program pursue excellence in conducting research and disseminating knowledge. The primary focus is on research that advances knowledge and facilitates discovery regarding etiology, interventions, and policies that promote health at the individual, population, societal, and/or global levels. The PhD student handbook is provided in Appendix 4.4.a.1. At the same time that the DrPH-Concentration degree programs were being phased out, the UNTHSC-SPH developed the PhD in Public Health Sciences to be offered within five concentrations: 1) Biostatistics, 2) Epidemiology, 3) Behavioral and Community Health, 4) Environmental Health Sciences, and 5) Health Services and Policy. The PhD degree program was approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) in April 2011 and the first students were admitted in fall 2011. Students who were still active in the DrPH-Concentration degree programs were given the opportunity to apply to the PhD degree program or remain in their DrPH-Concentration degree program. If admitted to the PhD, they were able to apply up to 42 SCH for advanced standing. The PhD degree requires 90 SCH post baccalaureate degree. Entering students work with their Academic Advisor to identify graduate level coursework that can be applied to the PhD core courses and/or the concentration required courses, and/or electives, for approval by the PhD Program Committee. No more than 42 SCH can be included as transfer credits and advanced standing credits. The PhD core courses consist of 33 SCH, which include 15 SCH of the master’s level core courses and an additional18 SCH of advanced courses in biostatistics, methods, ethics, scientific and grant writing, and pedagogy. The concentrations have varied numbers of student credit hours for concentration core courses and elective courses, for a total of 45 SCH. The dissertation across all concentrations is 12 SCH. Table 2.1.a.2 outlines the SCH required for each concentration.

Table 2.1.a.2: SCH Required for Each Concentration

PhD Public Health Sciences

Behavioral & Community

Health

Biostatistics

Environmental

Health Sciences

Epidemiology

Health Services

& Policy

Core 5000-level1 15 15 15 15 15

Core 6000-level2 18 18 18 18 18

Concentration Core3 24 33 21 39 27

Concentration Electives3 21 12 24 6 18

Comprehensive Exam 0 0 0 0 0

Dissertation 12 12 12 12 12

Total 90 90 90 90 90 1Core 5000 are the MPH core courses required for PhD students without an MPH. 2Core 6000 are the doctoral core courses required for all PhD students regardless of concentration. 3Concentration Core and Electives when combined equal 45 semester credit hours in each concentration.


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PhD in Public Health Sciences – Concentration: Behavioral and Community Health The concentration in behavioral and community health provides a rigorous scientific approach to the study of the psychological, social, and cultural factors that impact human health and health behavior. Doctoral graduates are expected to have an understanding of these factors at multiple social-ecological levels, including: individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and population. In addition, the concentration prepares them to perform basic and applied research, to teach, and to serve communities with the goals of promoting healthy lifestyles, reducing risk behaviors, and eliminating health disparities related to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or gender. PhD in Public Health Sciences – Concentration: Biostatistics The concentration in biostatistics focuses on the reasoning and methods for using data as evidence to address public health and biomedical questions. It is an approach and a set of tools for designing studies, analyzing data, quantifying evidence, and making decisions. The doctoral curriculum prepares the student for three roles (researcher, collaborator/communicator, and educator) that are commonly expected of a biostatistician. PhD in Public Health Sciences – Concentration: Environmental Health Sciences The concentration in environmental health sciences prepares doctoral students to research, teach and apply knowledge on the interrelationships between the environment and human health and their regional, national and global significance. Doctoral graduates are expected to be well equipped to apply their research skills and knowledge to recognize, evaluate and prevent exposures that may adversely impact human health and environmental quality, whether in the natural or in the human-made environment. PhD in Public Health Sciences – Concentration: Epidemiology The concentration in epidemiology prepares doctoral students who are contemplating a career as scientists employed in academia, research institutions, or in research units within industry or other agencies and organizations. The program is comprehensive, with a strong emphasis on epidemiologic methodology, theory, and practice. The broad and rigorous training fully equips the graduate with the skills necessary for conducting cutting-edge epidemiologic research within the many areas of public health. PhD in Public Health Sciences – Concentration: Health Services and Policy The concentration of health services and policy prepares doctoral students for careers in research, teaching, and service in the broad field of health care services and policy. The program’s aim is to strengthen students’ knowledge and skills with respect to theories, research methodologies, and analytical skills. Graduates are expected to have developed competencies that address a variety of issues, including health care access, cost-effectiveness, and process quality and outcomes evaluation.


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2.1.b. The school bulletin or other official publication, which describes all degree programs identified in the instructional matrix, including a list of required courses and their course descriptions. The school bulletin or other official publication may be online, with appropriate links noted. Information about the SPH’s academic programs including a list of all required courses is provided on the SPH website at. Detailed course descriptions are provided through the electronic UNTHSC Catalog. The website links are provided below: SPH Programs: http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20005/school_of_public_health/714/future_students UNTHSC Catalog: http://catalog.unthsc.edu/ A schedule of courses and instructors for the last three years is provided in the Electronic Resource File - Appendix 2.1.b.1. All course syllabi organized by degree program, and course evaluations done through the IDEA System are also provided in the same appendix. 2.1.c. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. This criterion is met. Strengths: The UNTHSC-SPH offers multiple degree programs that afford students a wide choice of disciplines on which to focus their professional and academic public health degrees. The students are challenged to succeed academically in a culture of graduate education on a health science center campus whose programs foster academic rigor and professional accomplishment. Given the number and quality of the public health degree programs offered, the UNTHSC-SPH exceeds the requirements set forth by CEPH for accreditation. Weaknesses: The School will be refining the DrPH program with regard to the recommendations of the ASPPH Framing the Future DrPH Committee. Plans: The UNTHSC-SPH has a strong strategic planning process that will guide the improvement of degree programs. The ASPPH Framing the Future for the DrPH will assist in the refinement of this practice-oriented degree. In addition, an MPH/DrPH Advisory Council being formed to provide guidance and counsel to the SPH’s program committees dedicated to these degree programs. Several undergraduate universities have approached the UNTHSC-SPH about possible combination undergraduate/graduate 3-2 programs that will allow undergraduate students to enter into the master’s program in their senior year. Dialogue is ongoing with the College of Education at the University of North Texas-Denton; the Medical Laboratory Sciences program at Tarleton State University, Fort Worth Campus; and in public health at the University of North Texas-Dallas. Joint concentrations in biostatistics and epidemiology and epidemiology and environmental and occupational health sciences have been developed and are being implemented during the 2014-2015 academic year.

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20005/school_of_public_health/714/future_students

http://catalog.unthsc.edu/

Criterion 2: Instructional Programs 2.2: Program Length

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2.2 PROGRAM LENGTH An MPH degree program or equivalent professional public health master’s degree must be at least 42 semester-credit units in length. 2.2.a. Definition of a credit with regard to classroom/contact hours. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) determines the regulations for what constitutes a semester credit hour (SCH). Traditionally-delivered three semester credit hour courses should contain 15 weeks of instruction (45 contact hours) plus a week for final examinations so that such a course contains 45 to 48 contact hours depending on whether there is a final exam. (See Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part I, Chapter 4, Subchapter A, Rule 4.6. http://info.sos.state.tx.us/pls/pub/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=R&app=2&p_dir=&p_rloc=102433&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=102433&ti=19&pt=1&ch=4&rl=6&dt=&z_chk=1730471&z_contains=Semester%20Credit%20Hour%20 Relative to that regulation, the UNTHSC 2014-2015 Catalog states that normally, lectures will meet one hour per week for each semester credit hour (SCH). For the exceptions, the Schedule of Classes will explain meeting times. The SCH formula is 15 contact hours (including examinations) equals 1 SCH for didactic courses. Laboratory based courses require 30 contact/clock hours for 1 SCH. 2.2.b. Information about the minimum degree requirements for all professional public health master’s degree curricula shown in the instructional matrix. If the school or university uses a unit of academic credit or an academic term different from the standard semester or quarter, this difference should be explained and an equivalency presented in a table or narrative All of the MPH degree concentrations offered at the UNTHSC-SPH require at least 42 semester credit hours (units) (SCH). The MPH-PO requires 42 SCH and all single-concentration MPH degree programs require at least 48 SCH. The MPH degree programs with joint concentrations require 54-57 SCH. In the dual degree programs, student complete between 42 and 48 SCH for the MPH degree. 2.2.c. Information about the number of professional public health master’s degrees awarded for fewer than 42 semester credit units, or equivalent, over each of the last three years. A summary of the reasons should be included. No MPH degrees are awarded with less than 42 SCH.

http://info.sos.state.tx.us/pls/pub/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=R&app=2&p_dir=&p_rloc=102433&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=102433&ti=19&pt=1&ch=4&rl=6&dt=&z_chk=1730471&z_contains=Semester%20Credit%20Hour%20



Criterion 2: Instructional Programs 2.2: Program Length

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2.2.d. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. This criterion is met. Strengths: All MPH degree programs offered at the UNTHSC-SPH require a minimum of 42 semester credits for graduation. Weaknesses: None Plans: The UNTHSC-SPH reviews all of our degree programs on an annual basis. Our strategic planning process ensures that we set new goals for achieving excellence in our academic offerings. There are no plans to change required SCH for any degree program or concentration.

Criterion 2: Instructional Programs 2.3: Public Health Core Knowledge

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2.3 PUBLIC HEALTH CORE KNOWLEDGE All graduate professional degree public health students must complete sufficient coursework to attain depth and breadth in the five core areas of public health knowledge. 2.3.a. Identification of the means by which the school assures that all graduate professional degree students have fundamental competence in the areas of knowledge basic to public health. If this means is common across the school, it need be described only once. If it varies by degree or program area, sufficient information must be provided to assess compliance by each program. See CEPH Data Template 2.3.1. All the graduate professional degree programs (MPH and DrPH) require that students take at least one course that covers fundamental principles and concepts in each of the five core areas of public health. These core courses are listed in Table 2.3.a.1 (syllabi are included in Appendix 2.1.b.1). All MPH students are required to take these courses as part of the curriculum, and DrPH students who do not have an MPH are required to take them as a pre-requisite. The learning objectives for these required courses contribute to the MPH core competencies (see Criterion 2.6) and provide students with a strong foundation of public health core knowledge. In circumstances where students request a transfer of MPH core coursework, the appropriate department representative, usually the department chair or program director, assesses all syllabi for content equivalency. Courses completed in CEPH accredited programs and schools of public health are considered comparable to the core courses taught in the SPH. More detailed reviews are performed in cases where the coursework taken is in programs and schools not accredited by CEPH. To ensure successful achievement of the competencies and learning outcomes associated with the core courses, upon completion of the core courses, all MPH students and students that do not have an MPH are required to enroll in PHED 5000 – CPH Comprehensive Examination. In this course students take the Certified in Public Health Examination (CPH) that covers the five core areas of knowledge and eight cross cutting areas. The CPH Exam is a required milestone for all MPH students.

Table 2.3.a.1: Core Public Health Knowledge for MPH and DrPH Degrees (CEPH Data Template 2.3.1)

Core Area of Knowledge Course Number and Title1 Credits

Social & Behavioral Sciences BACH 5300 Theoretical Foundations of Individual & Community Health 3

Biostatistics BIOS 5300 Principles of Biostatistics or BIOS 5301 Foundations of Biostatistics (for Biostatistics concentration students) 3

Epidemiology EPID 5300 Principles of Epidemiology 3

Environmental Health Sciences EOHS 5300 Environmental Determinants of Health I 3

Health Services Administration HMAP 5300 Introduction to Health Management & Policy 3 1Syllabi are included in Appendix 2.1.b.1

Criterion 2: Instructional Programs 2.3: Public Health Core Knowledge

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2.3.b. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. This criterion is met. Strengths: All students in the MPH and the DrPH Programs are required to take a foundational course in each of the five core areas. The required courses were designed to provide the content and learning experiences needed to achieve the public health core competencies, which are discussed in detail in Criterion 2.6. Upon completion of the core courses, students are required to enroll in PHED 5000 and successfully pass the Certified in Public Health Examination. Weaknesses: Results from the CPH Examination suggest that the content in core courses should be reviewed relative to the content anticipated by the field as reflected in the examination. Although the CPH examination is only one measure of appropriate core content, it does provide a national standard against which to review our courses. Plans: We plan on continuing to require the 5 MPH core courses and the CPH Examination for the MPH Program and for DrPH students. In addition, after completion of the CEPH self-study and review process, the School will evaluate the results of the ASPPH Framing the Future MPH report as one means of assessment of the core content as the field evolves.

Criterion 2: Instructional Programs 2.4: Practical Skill

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2.4 PRACTICAL SKILLS All graduate professional public health degree students must develop skills in basic public health concepts and demonstrate the application of these concepts through a practice experience that is relevant to students’ areas of specialization. 2.4.a. Description of the school’s policies and procedures regarding practice experiences, including the following:

– selection of sites – methods for approving preceptors – opportunities for orientation and support for preceptors – approaches for faculty supervision of students – means of evaluating student performance – means of evaluating practice placement sites and preceptor qualifications – criteria for waiving, altering or reducing the experience, if applicable

The DrPH and MPH both require a practice experience. The policies and procedures regarding the practice experience in these two programs are outlined below. MPH Program MPH students enroll in PHED 5297 - MPH Practice Experience, after completion of 21 semester credits. These credits include the MPH core courses and PHED 5197 - MPH Professional and Academic Development (PAD). The Practice Experience is completed in a variety of settings that provide the opportunity for students to observe, engage, and be mentored in the application of public health knowledge as it relates to their areas of concentration. The practice experience requires a minimum of 200 contact hours and culminates in a final project that consists of an oral and a poster presentation at the end of the semester. The internship process for each student involves (1) The Coordinator of Academic Services (oversees all administrative requirements), (2) the Practice Experience Liaison (oversees site identification), (3) the Academic Advisor (concentration specific faculty advisor) and (4) the Assistant Director for Student and Academic Services who also serves as the instructor for PHED 5297 (oversees student conduct and performance while on-site). Descriptions of each role are provided in Appendix 2.4.a.1 in the Electronic Resource File. Selection of Sites Selection of practice sites is a joint process that involves the student, the Practice Experience Liaison and the Academic Advisor. The primary criterion for selecting the site is that each site must be able to place the student with a project that aligns with the overall MPH competencies as well as with the competencies of the individual concentration. This is enforced through the project agreement. The practice experience liaison will meet with each potential site and provide the site with a site supervisor packet that includes information about the School of Public Health and each concentration, as well as the roles and responsibilities of the student, academic advisor, site supervisor, coordinator, liaison, and instructor of the course, as well as the timeline and expectations of the site supervisor. At that time, the liaison will review the list of projects that the site has available to determine if a project meets the MPH competencies as well as the departmental competencies.


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Approval of MPH Site Supervisors Site supervisors are approved through a formal process that requires the site supervisor to submit the site supervisor identification form, which requests information regarding their educational background and years of experience in the field of public health. Site supervisors for the Public Health Practice Experience are required to have an advanced degree in public health or a related field, and/or a minimum of 5-years related experience in the department where the intern will be placed. Agencies and site supervisors that have worked with the MPH students in the past three academic years are provided in Appendix 2.4.a.2 in the Electronic Resource File. Site supervisor qualifications, including job titles and credentials, are also included. Orientation and Support for MPH Site Supervisors All site supervisors receive a site supervisor packet when they are approved to participate in the practice experience. This packet includes the roles and responsibilities of the student, academic advisor, site supervisor, coordinator, liaison, and instructor of the course. Site supervisors also receive a timeline and a list of expectations for the student, academic advisor, and site supervisor. In addition, the Assistant Director contacts the site at the beginning of the semester, twice during the semester, and at the conclusion of the semester to monitor the student and solicit feedback from the site supervisor. Faculty Supervision of Students Once a student is eligible for the practice experience, they initiate the process by contacting the Coordinator for Academic Services. The Coordinator for Academic Services is responsible for meeting with the student and verifying eligibility, discussing the type of practice experience desired, reviewing the resume/CV and the cover letter, and going over the professional conduct requirements. The Coordinator for Academic Services then refers the student to the Practice Experience Liaison, who assists in identifying potential sites. The student is then responsible for initiating contact and setting up interviews. Once the student has secured a potential site, their Academic Advisor does a final review to ensure that:

1. The site supervisor/preceptor has the appropriate skills to guide the practice experience.

2. The site appropriately matches the student’s area of specialization. 3. The proposed practice experience and related project will engage and reinforce the

required competencies. When approved, the Academic Advisor works closely with the student to develop the Project Agreement and any related IRB approvals. The administrative oversight in this process is provided by the Coordinator who is responsible for maintaining all signed agreements, providing the student with the permission number required for enrollment in the MPH Practice Experience (PHED 5297), and overseeing any further documentation required by the site. During the practice experience, students are expected to maintain regular contact with their Academic Advisors, while providing periodic updates on their progress. To ensure that communication is maintained, the student is required to check-in at the beginning, at mid-point, and prior to completion of the practice experience. The Academic Advisor is responsible for approving the final project and related poster presentation and through regular consultations to ensure that all competencies and goals are being addressed.


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At the beginning of each semester, all academic advisors are required to attend a mandatory orientation to the practice experience. During this session, the expectations of the academic advisor, site supervisor, and student are communicated to each advisor. Each advisor receives a packet of information at that time to include a timeline, a breakdown of responsibilities, and a document that delineates each person’s role. Evaluation of Student Performance Once the student is on-site, the Assistant Director for Student and Academic Services works closely with the site supervisor to assess the student’s progress, conduct, and overall professionalism. The Assistant Director also works closely with the student to ensure they are satisfied with the placement and the overall experience. The Academic Advisor is included on all communication, ensuring transparency and providing oversight in the event that problems arise. As explained earlier, before a student can begin the practice experience, a project agreement that identifies the competencies to be addressed must be completed and signed. The Faculty Advisor works closely with the student to ensure that the proposed project aligns with specific MPH core and concentration competencies. Once the project agreement is approved, the student is then able to begin working on site. Throughout the practice experience that site-supervisor assesses student performance against the competencies. Towards the end of the experience, after approval from the Academic Advisor and the site-supervisor, the student prepares an oral presentation and a poster outlining their final project. The student then presents their work at the practice experience poster session that occurs at the end of each semester. The Assistant Director, Academic Advisor, and site supervisor all review the poster and provide individual assessments. This feedback, along with the site supervisor’s evaluation of the student’s performance, professional behavior, contribution to the agency, and competency mastery, is used to assign a final grade for the MPH Practice Experience (PHED 5297). Sample student posters and all evaluation forms are provided in Appendix 2.4.a.1. To improve the practice experience, each semester focus groups are conducted to gather feedback from students. This information, along with the feedback provided by the site supervisor, is reviewed by the Practice Committee, where suggestions for improvement are addressed and implemented. An example of one such improvement is that in AY 2014-2015 students will now be completing an oral presentation, in addition to the poster session presentation. Evaluation of Practice Sites and Site Supervisor Qualifications Each student provides an evaluation of the internship site and preceptor at the completion of the internship. This information, as well as feedback from the Faculty Advisory and Assistant Director, are used by the program to determine whether to continue to use the site.

Waiving, Altering or Reducing the Experience All MPH students are required to successfully complete the MPH Practice Experience prior to graduating from the program. UNTHSC-SPH does not accept or permit waivers, alterations, or reductions to the practice experience. DrPH Program The DrPH Residency is intended to assist students with developing evidence-based leadership skills by interaction and collaboration with senior public health practitioners through a “hands on" application experience in a health service organization. The purpose of this residency is to provide the student with a practice-based leadership experience in which the student can apply the DrPH Core Competencies learned in the classroom and from previous work experiences. In addition, the


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residency will provide the student with an opportunity to appreciate the complexity of public health organizations and the individuals who comprise them, and will also provide insight for further development of skills and knowledge needed throughout their public health careers. Selection of Sites The selection of the Residency site and the Major Project are developed in a collaborative process involving the student, site supervisor, faculty mentor, and DrPH Program Director (Academic Advisor). The student’s Faculty Mentor and DrPH Program Director may recommend a student to a particular site based on their academic performance and prior work experience, as well as the competencies that need to be developed. Once the student and site supervisor have completed the Residency Learning Contract and have agreed upon a Major Project, the DrPH Program Director obtains final approval of the Residency from the DrPH Committee. Approval of DrPH Site Supervisors Potential site supervisors are interviewed by the DrPH Program Director. The purpose of this interview is to assess the potential site supervisor’s knowledge of the DrPH degree competencies and their commitment to helping prepare DrPH-level practitioners. The findings from these interviews and the candidate’s qualifications are shared with the DrPH Committee. The Committee approves the appointment of site supervisors. A preferred qualification includes the DrPH degree. In cases in which the potential site supervisor does not hold the DrPH degree, the DrPH Committee considers the academic training, years of experience in the field, and expertise of the candidate. Agencies and site supervisors that have worked with the DrPH students are provided in Appendix 2.4.a.2. Site supervisor qualifications, including job titles and credentials, are also included. Orientation and Support for DrPH Site Supervisors The DrPH Program Director has primary responsibility for the orientation of the DrPH site supervisors. Orientation takes place after DrPH Committee approval and prior to the start of the DrPH student’s Residency. The orientation includes an onsite visit with the site supervisor and follow-up communication as needed. The Faculty Mentor has primary responsibility for the support of site supervisors during a student’s Residency. This support includes at least two onsite visits with the site supervisor and their student mentee. Faculty Supervision of Students Faculty Mentors communicate closely with site supervisors, and are responsible for reporting to the DrPH Program Director on the student’s progress in the Residency. Faculty Mentors are responsible for conducting mid-residency and end-of-residency reviews of the DrPH student.

Faculty Mentors expect site supervisors to assume the role of a professional mentor, by actively supervising his/her residency student and sharing valuable leadership and management tools that were used over the years and have helped to shape his/her career path. Faculty Mentors also expect the site supervisor to include their DrPH mentee in the operational activities of the organization’s leadership team. Thus, while the responsibility of mentoring the DrPH student is a shared responsibility of the Faculty Mentor and the site supervisor, other organizational leaders and staff members invariably mentor the DrPH student as well. Evaluation of Student Performance Pre-Residency: In Professional Development II (PHED 6124), the student identifies residency preferences based on an assessment of their competencies and professional interests. This process is evaluated by the course instructor and the DrPH Program Director. The student is then responsible for collecting information on potential residency sites. After a Residency Site has been


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approved by the DrPH Program Director in consultation with the site supervisor and Faculty Mentor, the student is responsible for developing a Learning Contract. A final Learning Contract must be approved by the DrPH Program Director, site supervisor, and Faculty Mentor, preferably prior to the start of the Residency, but no later than the third week of the Residency. In addition, the student is responsible for completing a Major Project Outline and securing IRB approval.

During Residency: The DrPH Residency (PHED 6397) consists of a minimum of 720 contact hours, to be completed in a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 36 calendar weeks, depending on the number of hours per week that the student dedicates to their Residency. In many Residencies, the number of hours will exceed 720. When to begin and conclude their residency and how many hours per week the student will complete has to be outlined in the Residency Learning Contract, which is an agreement between the student, site supervisor, the Faculty Mentor, and the DrPH Program Director.

Although each experience will have its own unique characteristics, all DrPH Residencies must have five major components that are designed to achieve the program's objectives and develop the DrPH competencies:

1. The opportunity for the student to work under the direction of a senior-level executive who serves as the student’s site supervisor;

2. An orientation to the mission, vision, goals and objectives of the organization, including a period of time devoted to an organizational rotation;

3. A position within the organization with leadership and management responsibilities, which should include planning and directing meetings, as well as writing documents and providing oral presentations of the tasks accomplished;

4. The assignment of a Major Project that meets both the student's training needs and the needs of the organization, which, at the end of the Residency, is presented at their Residency Defense.

5. Sufficient exposure to the internal and external environment of the organization.

An important Residency assignment is the Major Project, which must be a substantive contribution to public health practice and to the Residency site and for which the student must be fully responsible. In addition, the student must demonstrate competency development. In collaboration with the site supervisor and the Faculty Mentor, the student develops a Major Project concept and outline prior to the beginning of the Residency. The scope of the project is defined and developed by the site supervisor. The student is responsible for developing a proposal that includes a work plan, and this proposal is presented and approved by the Faculty Mentor and DrPH Program Director early in the Residency. In addition, the Major Project protocol is reviewed by the UNTHSC Institutional Review Board (IRB) for approval. The completed Major Project will be presented at the Residency site and at their Residency Defense before the DrPH Committee.

The student has to defend the DrPH Residency to the DrPH Program Committee and address, at a minimum, the following:

• Description of the Residency site; • Residency activities; • Significant contributions; • Value of Residency experience; • Competencies mastered and enhanced, and • Major Project overview.


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Throughout the Residency, the student is responsible for maintaining a Student Work Log, which is reviewed every two weeks by their site supervisor and their Faculty Mentor. At the end of the Residency, the student is responsible for completing the Major Project Report which is reviewed by the site supervisor and Faculty Mentor.

Post-Residency: After the Residency is completed, the site supervisor evaluates the DrPH student. This evaluation is submitted to the DrPH Program Director. The student is responsible for submitting the Reflection and Self-Evaluation to the DrPH Program Director. In preparation for the Residency Defense before the DrPH Committee, the student prepares a Residency Binder that contains all materials developed during the course of the residency. In advance of the Residency Defense, the contents of the binder are reviewed by members of the DrPH Committee. The student’s final grade in the DrPH Residency is based on the DrPH Committee’s overall evaluation of the Learning Contract, Work Log, Major Project Report, Site Supervisor Evaluation, student Reflection and Self-Evaluation, Residency Defense performance, and Residency Binder quality. All required forms for the DrPH Residency are provided in Appendix 2.4.a.1. Samples of hard-copy student residency binders will be available for review during the site visit. Evaluation of DrPH Residency Sites and Site Supervisor Qualifications After completion of the Residency, the student is responsible for completing the Evaluation of Residency Site form. The form is not shared with the site supervisor. In addition, the DrPH Program Director receives a confidential report from the Faculty Mentor about the performance of the site supervisor. Waiving, Altering or Reducing the Experience All DrPH students are required to successfully complete the Residency prior to graduating from the Program. UNTHSC-SPH does not accept or permit waivers, alterations or reductions to the Residency experience. 2.4.b. Identification of agencies and preceptors used for practice experiences for students, by program area, for the last two academic years. Over the past two academic years (2012-13 and 2013-14), MPH students have obtained their practice experience in 187 different agencies. These agencies include ones in local, state, national and international settings. This practice experience also includes work with such entities as governmental and non-governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, health care organizations, and industry. Agencies and site supervisors that have worked with the MPH and DrPH students in the past three academic years are provided in Appendix 2.4.a.2. 2.4.c. Data on the number of students receiving a waiver of the practice experience for each of the last three years. The MPH and DrPH Programs do not permit waivers of the practice experience requirement. 2.4.d. Data on the number of preventive medicine, occupational medicine, aerospace medicine and general preventive medicine and public health residents completing the academic program for each of the last three years, along with information on their practicum rotations. Not applicable


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2.4.e. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. The criterion is met. Strengths: Students in the two professional programs (MPH and DrPH) are required to demonstrate their public health competency though a formal practice/residency experience. Both programs further require that students fulfill Professional and Academic Development (PAD) requirements prior to the experience. The PAD, a co-curricular requirement in all programs in the UNTHSC-SPH, is designed to enhance student academic and professional development through activities that focus on building public health knowledge and competency development. MPH Identified strengths of the MPH Practice Experience include the centralization for all practice experience information in the Office of Admission and Academic Services. This fosters cohesion in communication between students, faculty, staff, and site supervisors. The Practice Experience is a clearly defined process that involves three key support roles (the Coordinator of Academic Services, the Practice Experience Liaison, and the Assistant Director for Student and Academic Services), that all handle the administrative and programmatic functions of the practice experience. This support enables the Academic Advisor to spend time mentoring the student, ensuring related competencies are being strengthened, and providing consultative support on the development of the final project and poster presentation. DrPH Two major strengths identified in the DrPH program are that students obtain a significant amount of professional experience in their Residencies and that considerable attention has been given to the development of a form to document important requirements and milestones in the Residency experience. The Residency includes opportunities for students to work on developing the DrPH competencies in a real-world setting. Weaknesses: MPH The site supervisor, academic advisor, and Assistant Director all use the same assessment form to evaluate the student. Consideration needs to be given to the development of a separate assessment form that allows the preceptor to evaluate the student on all levels of performance, including competency mastery. DrPH It is sometimes difficult to identify senior site supervisors who have the time to adequately supervise DrPH students and to integrate these students into clear leadership roles. A formal process for identifying the capacity of Residency Sites to provide leadership training should be developed. Plans: Future plans include the cultivation and development of residency and practice experience sites in the DFW Metroplex, the engagement of site supervisors in an appreciation lunch, process improvement to begin engaging residency and practice sites much earlier in the process, and, beginning academic year 2014-2015, each site will be visited at least once or will receive a follow-up conference call (if out of state).

Criterion 2: Instructional Programs 2.5: Culminating Experience

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2.5 CULMINATING EXPERIENCE All graduate professional degree programs, both professional public health and other professional degree programs, identified in the instructional matrix shall assure that each student demonstrates skills and integration of knowledge through a culminating experience. 2.5.a. Identification of the culminating experience required for each professional public health and other professional degree program. If this is common across the school’s professional degree programs, it need be described only once. If it varies by degree or program area, sufficient information must be provided to assess compliance by each. MPH The culminating experience for MPH students in all concentrations; biostatistics, community health, environmental and occupational health sciences, epidemiology, health management and policy, maternal and child health, and the professional option, occurs in two parts. (1) The first part of the culminating experience is the Certified in Public Health Examination (CPH). All MPH students are required to take the CPH examination and pass. The SPH considers the CPH examination an adequate assessment of the core knowledge and competencies that students in public health are expected to have. Upon completion of the five cores courses, students register for CPH examination and must pass it as a requirement for successful academic progress. The SPH uses the CPH as a direct assessment of competency mastery in the core area of public health and the related core competencies. (2) The second part of the culminating experience is the concentration-specific comprehensive examination for all concentrations except the MPH professional option which has a capstone course requirement. The capstone and each comprehensive examination address the competencies and learning outcomes specific to each concentration. Departments are provided with the flexibility to develop comprehensive exams in any chosen format, however, all questions must map back to identified concentration competencies. In certain circumstances students opt to take the thesis option in lieu of the comprehensive examination. In these cases, faculty advisors work closely with students to identify competencies and learning outcomes to be addressed. The MPH comprehensive examination in each concentration is outlined below. Sample comprehensive examinations are provided in Appendix 2.5.a.1 located in the Electronic Resource File. MPH Concentration Comprehensive Examinations The Departments administer the concentration comprehensive examinations every fall and spring semester. Students are allowed three attempts to pass the departmental comprehensive examination. All students must register for the concentration comprehensive examination under the appropriate zero credit hour course number, i.e., BACH 5001, BIOS 5001, EOHS 5001, EPID 5001, HMAP 5001, or MACH 5001. The purpose of the comprehensive examination is to test the student’s broad knowledge and concentration competencies, and the application and integration of the knowledge and competencies to solve problems in different areas of public health. All questions directly relate back to concentration competencies and are a direct assessment of competency achievement. Biostatistics: Three-hour exam, free-response with some multiple choice and true-false questions. Students are allowed to use a calculator and bring two pages of written or typed notes. The Comprehensive Exam Coordinator completes initial review, i.e., “marks” the exam answers. The exam is then circulated to all faculty members for feedback and verification of marks. All questions


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are mapped to the MPH biostatistics concentration competencies. Sample examination questions from each concentration with answer keys showing competency mapping are included in Appendix 2.5.a.1. Community Health: Three-hour-140-item multiple choice examination completed in a proctored classroom. Students are not allowed to use any materials during the examination or ask questions of faculty proctor. The examination items were created by a BACH faculty committee specifically for the purpose of creating a psychometrically sound instrument. The items were designed to assess higher order thinking in seven related areas: health behavior theory, data management and statistical computing, participatory approaches to improving community health, community assessment and program planning, quantitative research methods, qualitative research methods, and community health program evaluation. Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences: Three-hour examination completed in a proctored classroom. Two faculty members grade the exam. The grading faculty members follow a system in which 3 scores are used in each question. Depending on how the student’s response meets the expectations, a score is assigned to the question: 2 for a satisfactory response, 1 for a good response, and 0 for a response that needs much improvement. There are a total of 11 questions. The maximum score a student can receive is 22. The cut-off score is 13, which means that if a student has 13 and higher, the student will pass the exam. Sample examination questions and answer keys showing competency mapping are included in Epidemiology: Three-hour exam, mostly multiple choice with free-response and short answer questions, and problems that examine students’ qualitative and quantitative knowledge of epidemiology methods and information. This is a closed book, proctored exam wherein the student can bring only a calculator. The exam is usually given on a Friday morning. Currently, the MPH exam is 82 questions in length. The faculty generates and circulates an MPH Comprehensive Examination grading rubric. The Comprehensive Examination Coordinator marks the examination accordingly and disseminates the results. Health Management and Policy: Four-hour exam, short answer and essay questions, administered with faculty proctors present. If a consensus is not reached among faculty graders or if remediation is deemed appropriate, the same committee may choose to provide an opportunity for part or all of the exams to be retaken as an oral exam. The exam assesses student ability to apply knowledge to health management and policy concepts formulated around the concentration competencies. Maternal and Child Health: Essay exam completed over the course of 72 hours. The exam will be administered to students by e-mail on Friday morning at 9AM and will be due the following Monday morning at 9AM. Students are allowed to use their texts and/or lecture notes and materials. The exam is designed to assess the student’s competency mastery through higher order thinking by applying their knowledge of social and behavioral science theory, community health, research methods and/or knowledge of policy and advocacy to address a designated maternal child health problem. The exam will be graded by two faculty members using an MPH Comprehensive Examination rubric. Faculty graders will reach a consensus as to whether the student has passed or failed the exam.


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MPH Thesis Option: Students who complete the thesis option must obtain approval from the academic advisor, MPH Director, and the Department Chair. It is recommended that the thesis be completed over a period of 2 semesters. The thesis option is only recommended to those students who are pursuing a career in research. MPH Professional Option Capstone: MPH Professional Option students are required to complete a capstone course (PHED 5302) which is designed to allow students the opportunity to apply principles, methods and techniques learned in the MPH-PO program to a practical public health problem. Professional Option students participate as members of a team to conduct a project in partnership with a local public health organization that is focused on a public health problem or need. DrPH The culminating experience for students in the DrPH program consists of three parts: (1) the Certified in Public Health Examination (CPH), (2) the Integrated Competency Evaluation (ICE) examination, and (3) the Doctoral Residency which includes the Major Project. These are outlined below. CPH Examination (CPH) If a DrPH student has not earned the CPH upon admission to the program, he/she must take and pass the Certified in Public Health Examination (CPH). If the student comes into the program without an MPH, he/she must take all five core courses to qualify for taking the CPH. Passing the CPH is required as it is considered that the CPH is an adequate assessment of the core knowledge and competencies that students in public health are expected to have. Integrated Competency Evaluation (ICE) To be advanced to candidacy, the DrPH student must pass the Integrated Competency Evaluation (ICE) which is the comprehensive examination for the DrPH degree program. The ICE is a self-assessment that is prepared in a prescribed written format and presented in a binder to the DrPH Committee for review. The binder contents represent a portfolio of the student’s work based on competency mastery. The student defends their ICE written work in an oral presentation before the DrPH Committee. Each DrPH student is expected to provide a Self-Assessment of each of the 54 competencies defined under the seven domains as outlined in the ASPH Education Committee – Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Core Competency Model, Version 1.3, November 2009. Students have two attempts to successfully pass the ICE. Should a student not pass, the DrPH Committee prescribes a Professional Development Plan for the student to carry out before taking the exam again. Those who do not pass after two attempts are dismissed from the program.

The minimum requirements for sitting for the ICE are as follows:

• Completion of all required courses except for PHED 6124. • Enrollment in the Integrated Competency Examination (ICE) course (PHED 6000) in the

semester in which the ICE is taken. • Permission of the DrPH Program Director.

DrPH Residency/Major Project The DrPH Residency provides students with leadership experience in public health practice through directed work in practice settings. Students are required to commit a minimum of 720 contact hours to the residency experience and produce a doctoral-level Major Project that relates to the work conducted within the residency, contributes to the field of public health practice, and


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meets DrPH program competencies. Placements and practice activities are selected to complement the student's academic and professional plans. The DrPH residency may be completed over the period of two or three semesters with approval of an academic advisor. The student must maintain continuous enrollment in PHED 6397 until the requirements are complete; a minimum of 9 SCH is required. Pass/No Pass grading is used. Other Professional Programs – MHA HMAP 5302 – MHA Capstone serves as the culminating experience for students in the MHA Program. All MHA students are required to successfully complete and pass the course in order to graduate and receive their degree. The capstone course is designed to allow students the opportunity to apply methods and techniques learned in the MHA Program to a practical health administration problem. Students participate in a capstone project that highlights the challenges in the healthcare industry, showing the need for increased transparency, communication, and service integration. Capstone Project The capstone project requires students to identify a new service, product or innovative process to integrate into the current healthcare environment. Students are organized into teams of 2-3, depending on class size, and are asked to create a business plan to implement this new delivery of care. The business plan requires students to identify macro and micro healthcare industry trends, understand the voice of the customer, conduct a financial analysis, define marketing and promotion plans, and design an implementation/operational plan. All these elements culminate in a business plan that provides feasible implementation and financial returns for what they are proposing. Students are then asked to organize into teams that are aligned with their experience/expertise and interests. Each team uses in-class time and outside class time to organize, develop, advance, and finalize its business plan. Students are evaluated on the development of their project plan and their business plan, which includes interim reports and presentations as well as the final written business plan and presentation. The use of this approach in the Capstone course allows the Program to assess students’ application and integration of key knowledge, skills and competencies gained throughout the Program’s facets, including that of the MHA internship.


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2.5.b. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. This criterion is met. Strengths: The School has developed a two-step process for the comprehensive examination for the MPH degree. Using the CPH examination allows the School to have a standardized assessment of our students on core public health knowledge and competencies. We believe that this is an approach that should become more typical for the MPH degree and that adds to the professionalization of the field. Each Department can then design concentration comprehensive examinations and grading processes that meet the needs of students in specific concentrations. Additionally, the DrPH program has developed a unique method of assessing competency mastery through the Integrated Competency Evaluation (ICE). Weaknesses: The School has not yet formalized a process to evaluate those students who are not successful with the CPH examination or the comprehensive examinations. Plans: The School will continue to improve on methods for assessing demonstration of competencies mastery in the culminating experience. In addition, the data provided by the National Board of Public Health Examiners on the pass/fail rate of the Certified in Public Health Examination taken by our students will be analyzed and reviewed. This process will address the efficacy of the CPH requirement as part of the culminating experiences for the MPH and DrPH degree plans.

Criterion 2: Instructional Programs 2.6: Required Competencies

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2.6 REQUIRED COMPETENCIES For each degree program and area of specialization within each program identified in the instructional matrix, there shall be clearly stated competencies that guide the development of degree programs. The school must identify competencies for graduate professional public health, other professional and academic degree programs and specializations at all levels (bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral). 2.6.a. Identification of a set of competencies that all graduate professional public health degree students and baccalaureate public health degree students, regardless of concentration, major or specialty area, must attain. There should be one set for each graduate professional public health degree and baccalaureate public health degree offered by the program (e.g., one set each for BSPH, MPH and DrPH) Upon graduation from all programs in the SPH, students are expected to have achieved a high level of competency mastery in both the program core and the concentration specific competencies. Each program has a uniquely defined set of competencies and learning outcomes that are used to guide the development of the curriculum and set a standard for the public health knowledge and skills students are expected to gain. The MPH core competencies and DrPH competency domains are listed below. Section 2.6.c provides a comprehensive outline of competencies and learning outcomes for all programs in the School of Public Health; MPH – core and concentration, DrPH, PhD and MHA. MPH Core Competencies The MPH core competencies were adopted from the Association of Schools of Public Health Education Committee, MPH Core Competency Project (Version 2.3, May 2007) and address the five core areas of public health as outlined in Criterion 2.3. The core competencies are listed below. • MPH Core C1: Public Health Knowledge & Skills

The MPH student will apply basic knowledge and skills of the core public health sciences that include: biostatistics, epidemiology, health management and policy, behavioral and community health, and environmental and occupational health, to the prevention of illness and injury and the promotion of population health.

• MPH Core C2: Integration of Theory and Practice The MPH student will demonstrate the effective integration of theory and practice related to public health issues that affect diverse populations, through a thesis or comprehensive examination and a practice experience.

• MPH Core C3: Communication and Informatics The MPH student will gather, organize, and manage data and information effectively to address public health issues through oral and written communications to diverse professionals and lay audiences.

• MPH Core C4: Diversity and Culture-The MPH student will demonstrate the ability to interact with both diverse individuals and communities to produce or impact an intended public health outcome.


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• MPH Core C5: Professionalism-The MPH student will apply ethical principles to the practice of public health in a variety of settings, demonstrating personal integrity while embracing diverse communities.

DrPH Core Competencies UNTHSC-SPH has adopted the DrPH Core Competency Model developed by the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) to identify competencies essential for the successful development of leaders in the field of public health practice. The DrPH Residency is intended to develop and strengthen the competencies listed under each domain, which include advocacy, communication, community/cultural orientation, critical analysis, leadership, management, and professionalism/ethics. DrPH Core Competencies are developed and improved upon through practical experiences, as well as through completion of projects and tasks during the residency. Site supervisors are asked to evaluate the student's competence in each of the areas at the end of the residency. The DrPH Competency domains are presented below. A complete matrix of the DrPH competency domains and learning outcomes is presented in 2.6c. • DrPH – C1 (Domain A): Advocacy

The ability to influence decision-making regarding policies and practices that advance public health using scientific knowledge, analysis, communication, and consensus-building.

• DrPH – C2 (Domain B): Communication The ability to assess and use communication strategies across diverse audiences to inform and influence individual, organization, community, and policy actions.

• DrPH – C3 (Domain C): Community/Cultural Orientation

The ability to communicate and interact with people across diverse communities and cultures for development of programs, policies, and research.

• DrPH – C4 (Domain D): Critical Analysis

The ability to synthesize and apply evidence-based research and theory from a broad range of disciplines and health-related data sources to advance programs, policies, and systems promoting population health.

• DrPH – C5 (Domain E): Leadership

The ability to create and communicate a shared vision for a positive future; inspire trust and motivate others; and use evidence-based strategies to enhance essential public health services.

• DrPH – C6 (Domain F): Management

The ability to provide fiscally responsible strategic and operational guidance within both public and private health organizations for achieving individual and community health and wellness.

• DrPH – C7 (Domain G): Professionalism and Ethics

The ability to identify and analyze an ethical issue; balance the claims of personal liberty with the responsibility to protect and improve the health of the population; and act on the ethical concepts of social justice and human rights in public health research and practice.


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2.6.b. Identification of a set of competencies for each concentration, major or specialization (depending on the terminology used by the program) identified in the instructional matrix, including professional and academic graduate degree curricula and baccalaureate public health degree curricula These competencies are provided in the matrices in section 2.6.c. 2.6.c. A matrix that identifies the learning experiences (eg, specific course or activity within a course, practicum, culminating experience or other degree requirement) by which the competencies defined in Criteria 2.6.a and 2.6.b are met. If these are common across the program, a single matrix for each degree will suffice. If they vary, sufficient information must be provided to assess compliance by each degree or specialty area. See CEPH Data Template 2.6.1. Students in the SPH acquire the fundamental knowledge and skills necessary to achieve mastery of program competencies through required coursework, field experiences such as the MPH Practice Experience and the DrPH Residency, various integrative learning experiences including the CPH examination, the concentration-specific comprehensive examinations, preliminary examinations, and professional and academic development (PAD) requirements, as well as other co-curricular activities. These experiences and how they relate to competency achievement are mapped in program-specific competency matrices that are all provided in the Electronic Resource File in Appendix 2.6.c.1. Each matrix identifies the relationship between courses, competencies, and learning outcomes, and also identifies primary assessment methods used each course. To help student’s relate the competency matrix to the courses they enroll in, the SPH has a standard syllabus template that includes a section where faculty are required to display requires the competencies , learning outcomes and assessment methods primarily covered in the course. All syllabi are located in Appendix 2.1.b.1. Competency /Learning Outcome Key: In each competency matrix, I indicates a course where a competency is primarily introduced/gained, and R indicates a course where a competency is further reinforced. Whenever a competency is identified as being assessed in a course, the learning outcomes that will be primarily gained are identified with an X. Finally, a PR indicates that the competencies and LOs may possibly be gained through different activities including co-curricular activities, field experiences, and comprehensive examinations. While each of these experiences involves different goals, activities and objectives, they all provide students with the opportunity to expand on one or more of the program competencies and further reinforce mastery. The key is presented below:

• I = (introduced): Competency is formally introduced and gained through exposure to key public health concepts.

• R = (Reinforced): Competency is further reinforced through the synthesis of public health concepts

• X = Learning Outcome (LO) is primarily gained in the course • PR = Competencies and LOs may possibly be reinforced

While all competency matrices are available in the Electronic Resource File, for reference, the DrPH competencies as well as the MPH and PhD core competencies are presented below: Figures 2.6.c.1, 2.6.c.2, and 2.6.c.3.

Criterion 2: Instructional Programs 2.6 Required Competencies

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Figure 2.6.c.1: MPH CORE Competencies and Learning Outcomes (CEPH Data Template 2.6.1)

KEY Introduced (I) - Competency is formally introduced Reinforced (R) - Competency is reinforced X - Learning Outcome (LO) is primarily gained PR – Competency and LOs may possibly be reinforced (while each experience involves different goals and activities, they all provide opportunities to expand on one or more competencies)

MPH-Core Competency 1: Public Health Knowledge & Skills The MPH student will apply basic knowledge and skills of the core public health sciences that include: biostatistics, epidemiology, health management and policy, behavioral and community health, and environmental and occupational health, to the prevention of illness and injury and the promotion of population health.

Assessment Methods Used: Exams, papers, projects and reports, oral presentations, case studies, reflections, class participation, simulations, PeerWise, practice experience.

BACH 5300

BIOS 5300

BIOS 5301

EOHS 5300

EPID 5300

HMAP 5300

PHED 5197

PHED 5000

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LO 1.1 Comprehend competency based education. X X X X X X X PR PR

LO 1.2 Discuss the inter-relationship among the five core areas of public health. X X X X X X X PR PR

LO 1.3 State the core functions of public health. X X X X X X X PR PR

LO 1.4 Identify the relationship between public health and other professions (inter-professionalism). X X X X X X X PR PR

LO 1.5 Explain “population health” and contrast it to individual health. X X X X X X PR PR

LO 1.6 Describe the impact that legislative and judicial processes, respectively, may have on public health. X PR PR

LO 1.7 Describe consequences of health behaviors, especially in relationship to morbidities and mortality. X PR PR

LO 1.8 Explain the importance of a theoretically driven and evidence-based approach to health promotion. X X X X X X PR PR

LO 1.9 Recognize the importance of a social ecological approach to health promotion planning. X PR PR

LO 1.10 Participate in research, evaluation, and quality improvement planning in professional practice settings. X X X X X X PR PR

LO 1.11 Appropriately employ and interpret descriptive and inferential statistical techniques including tables, graphs, t-tests, chi-square tests, and regression analysis. X X X PR PR

LO 1.12 Calculate, interpret and understand how to use unadjusted and adjusted rates, odds ratios, relative and attributable risks. X X PR PR

LO 1.13 Interpret environmental and occupational impacts on health. X X PR PR

1Students register for the course in their respective departments/concentrations (BACH, MACH, BIOS, EPID, EOHS, HMAP, PHED)


86

MPH-Core Competency 2: Integration of Theory and Practice

The MPH student will demonstrate the effective integration of theory and practice related to public health issues that affect diverse populations, through a thesis or comprehensive examination and a practice experience


BACH 5300

BIOS 5300

BIOS 5301

EOHS 5300

EPID 5300

HMAP 5300

PHED 5197

PHED 5000

DEPT1 5297

Theo

reti

cal

Foun

dati

ons

of

Indi

vidu

al a

nd

Com

mun

ity

Hea

lth

Bios

tati

stic

s fo

r Pu

blic

Hea

lth

I

Foun

dati

ons

of

Bios

tati

stic

s

Envi

ronm

enta

l D

eter

min

ants

of

Hea

lth

Prin

cipl

es o

f Ep

idem

iolo

gy

Intr

oduc

tion

to

Hea

lth

Man

agem

ent a

nd

Polic

y

Prof

essi

onal

and

Ac

adem

ic

Dev

elop

men

t (P

AD)

Cert

ified

in

Publ

ic H

ealt

h Ex

amin

atio

n

Publ

ic H

ealt

h Pr

acti

ce

Expe

rien

ce

Culminating Experience I I I I I I I PR PR

LO 2.1 Identify and strengthen the skills required for the thesis or comprehensive exam, and the practice experience. X X X X X X X PR PR

LO 2.2 Define and identify theories and models that are used to explain human behaviors on both the individual and community level. X X X X PR PR

LO 2.3 Select theories that are applicable and relevant to specific intervention targets and settings. X X X X X X PR PR

LO 2.4 Explain initiation, maintenance, and cessation of risk behaviors using theoretical constructs. X PR PR

MPH-Core Competency 3: Communication and Informatics

The MPH student will gather, organize, and manage data and information effectively to address public health issues through oral and written communications to diverse professionals and lay audiences.


BACH 5300

BIOS 5300

BIOS 5301

EOHS 5300

EPID 5300

HMAP 5300

PHED 5197

PHED 5000

DEPT1 5297

Theo

reti

cal

Foun

dati

ons

of

Indi

vidu

al a

nd

Com

mun

ity

Hea

lth

Bios

tati

stic

s fo

r Pu

blic

Hea

lth

I

Foun

dati

ons

of

Bios

tati

stic

s

Envi

ronm

enta

l D

eter

min

ants

of

Hea

lth

Prin

cipl

es o

f Ep

idem

iolo

gy

Intr

oduc

tion

to

Hea

lth

man

agem

ent a

nd

Polic

y

Prof

essi

onal

and

Ac

adem

ic

Dev

elop

men

t (P

AD)

Cert

ified

in

Publ

ic H

ealt

h Ex

amin

atio

n

Publ

ic H

ealt

h Pr

acti

ce

Expe

rien

ce


LO 3.1 Comprehend the tools used to gather data and information at the graduate level. X X X X X X X PR PR

LO 3.2 Produce graduate level written and oral presentations for diverse audiences in both formal and informal settings. X X X X X X PR PR

LO 3.3 Use statistical software to manage data, create reports and solve statistics problems. X X PR PR

LO 3.4 Make clear and meaningful written and oral presentations based on a statistical analysis, to health professionals and educated lay audiences. X X PR PR

LO 3.5 Interpret study results. X X PR PR

LO 3.6 Explain how the collection and measurement of data pertain to health care management. X PR PR

LO 3.7 Craft and present, both orally and in writing, a stance on a health policy or health care management issue X PR PR

LO 3.8 Demonstrate an ability to identify, collect and interpret relevant environmental and occupational health information and communicate findings. X PR PR



87

MPH-Core Competency 4: Diversity and Culture

The MPH student will demonstrate the ability to interact with both diverse individuals and communities to produce or impact an intended public health outcome. Assessment Methods Used: Exams, papers, projects and reports, oral presentations, case studies, reflections, class participation, simulations, PeerWise, practice experience.

BACH 5300

BIOS 5300

BIOS 5301

EOHS 5300

EPID 5300

HMAP 5300

PHED 5197

PHED 5000

DEPT1 5297

Theo

reti

cal

Foun

dati

ons

of

Indi

vidu

al a

nd

Com

mun

ity

Hea

lth

Bios

tati

stic

s fo

r Pu

blic

Hea

lth

I

Foun

dati

ons

of

Bios

tati

stic

s

Envi

ronm

enta

l D

eter

min

ants

of

Hea

lth

Prin

cipl

es o

f Ep

idem

iolo

gy

Intr

oduc

tion

to

Hea

lth

man

agem

ent a

nd

Polic

y

Prof

essi

onal

and

Ac

adem

ic

Dev

elop

men

t (P

AD)

Cert

ified

in

Publ

ic H

ealt

h Ex

amin

atio

n

Publ

ic H

ealt

h Pr

acti

ce

Expe

rien

ce


LO 4.1 Comprehend the impact of public health in the community. X X X X X X X PR PR

LO 4.2 Explore the meaning of diversity in preparation for practice experience. X X X X X X X PR PR

LO 4.3 Differentiate among availability, acceptability, and accessibility of health care across diverse populations. X X PR PR

LO 4.4 Understand the existence of health disparities in the U.S. and populations affected. X X X X X PR PR

LO 4.5 Work with students from a variety of backgrounds to solve public health problems. X X X X X X X PR PR

MPH-Core Competency 5: Professionalism

The MPH student will apply ethical principles to the practice of public health in a variety of settings, demonstrating personal integrity while embracing diverse communities.


BACH 5300

BIOS 5300

BIOS 5301

EOHS 5300

EPID 5300

HMAP 5300

PHED 5197

PHED 5000

DEPT1 5297

Theo

reti

cal

Foun

dati

ons

of

Indi

vidu

al a

nd

Com

mun

ity

Hea

lth

Bios

tati

stic

s fo

r Pu

blic

Hea

lth

I

Foun

dati

ons

of

Bios

tati

stic

s

Envi

ronm

enta

l D

eter

min

ants

of

Hea

lth

Prin

cipl

es o

f Ep

idem

iolo

gy

Intr

oduc

tion

to

Hea

lth

man

agem

ent a

nd

Polic

y

Prof

essi

onal

and

Ac

adem

ic

Dev

elop

men

t (P

AD)

Cert

ified

in

Publ

ic H

ealt

h Ex

amin

atio

n

Publ

ic H

ealt

h Pr

acti

ce

Expe

rien

ce


LO 5.1 Develop a professional resume and cover letter. X PR PR

LO 5.2 Identify individual communication style and strengths. X PR PR

LO 5.3 Produce professional presentations. X PR PR

LO 5.4 Comprehend the guidelines and procedures for IRB and CITI training. X X X PR PR

LO 5.5 Describe the guidelines and regulations related to use of confidential data and ethical design of research studies. X X X X X X PR PR

LO 5.6 Describe basic statistical concepts that are presented in public health. X X PR PR

LO 5.7 Comprehend the application of ethics in epidemiologic studies. X PR PR



88

Figure 2.6.c.2: DrPH Competencies and Learning Outcomes (CEPH Data Template 2.6.1)


(Domain A) DrPH Competency 1: Advocacy The ability to influence decision-making regarding policies and practices that advance public health using scientific knowledge, analysis, communication, and consensus-building.

HM

AP 6

322:

Org

aniz

atio

nal

Man

agem

ent

PHED

612

2: P

rofe

ssio

nal

Deve

lopm

ent i

n PH

I

PHED

631

4: M

etho

ds fo

r PH

St

udie

s I

BACH

630

0: A

dvan

ced

Theo

ries

of

Indi

vidu

al &

Com

m. H

ealth

EPID

631

1: A

pplie

d EP

ID fo

r PH

PHED

611

8: M

etho

ds fo

r PH

St

udie

s II

PHED

631

6: A

dv. P

rogr

am D

esig

n &

Eva

luat

ion

for P

HP

PHED

632

5: E

vide

nce

– Ba

sed

Publ

ic H

ealth

HM

AP 5

328:

Hum

an R

esou

rces

M

anag

emen

t

HM

AP 5

340:

Pub

lic H

ealth

Law

HM

AP 5

330:

Hea

lth F

inan

ce I

HM

AP 6

310:

Adv

ance

d H

ealth

Po

licy

HM

AP 6

320:

Lea

ders

hip

for

Publ

ic H

ealth

HM

AP 6

360:

Eth

ical

Issu

es in

Pu

blic

Hea

lth

PHED

612

4:Pr

ofes

sion

al

Deve

lopm

ent i

n PH

II

PHED

605

0: P

rofe

ssio

nal &

Aca

d.

Deve

lopm

ent(

PAD)

PHED

600

0: P

relim

inar

y Ex

am

PHED

600

2: In

tegr

ated

Co

mpe

tenc

y Ev

al. (

ICE)

PHED

639

7: D

rPH

Re

side

ncy1


I R I I I R R R I PR PR PR

LO. 1.1 Present positions on health issues, law, and policy. X X X X X X PR PR PR

LO 1.2 Influence health policy and program decision-making based on scientific evidence, stakeholder. X X X X X PR PR PR

LO 1.3 Utilize consensus-building, negotiation, and conflict avoidance and resolution techniques. X X X X X PR PR PR

LO 1.4 Analyze the impact of legislation, judicial opinions, regulations, and policies on population health. X X X X X X PR PR PR

LO 1.5 Establish goals, timelines, funding alternatives, and strategies for influencing policy initiatives. X X X PR PR PR

LO 1.6 Design action plans for building public and political support for programs and policies. X X X X X PR PR PR

Assessment Methods Used: participation, self-assessments, faculty-assessments, projects, community leadership, workshops, reflections, journal club, manuscripts, papers, statistical applications, proposals, oral testimony, PeerWise, simulations, policy-briefs, in-class examinations, preliminary examination, comprehensive examination, residency, PAD


89

(Domain B) DrPH Competency 2: Communication The ability to assess and use communication strategies across diverse audiences to inform and influence individual, organization, community, and policy actions.

HM

AP 6

322:

Org

aniz

atio

nal

Man

agem

ent

PHED

612

2: P

rofe

ssio

nal

Deve

lopm

ent i

n PH

I

PHED

631

4: M

etho

ds fo

r PH

St

udie

s I

BACH

630

0: A

dvan

ced

Theo

ries

of I

ndiv

idua

l &

Com

m. H

ealth

EP

ID 6

311:

App

lied

EPID

for

PH

PHED

611

8: M

etho

ds fo

r PH

St

udie

s II

PHED

631

6: A

dv. P

rogr

am

Desi

gn &

Eva

luat

ion

for P

HP

PHED

632

5: E

vide

nce

– Ba

sed

Publ

ic H

ealth

HM

AP 5

328:

Hum

an

Reso

urce

s Man

agem

ent

HM

AP 5

340:

Pub

lic H

ealth

La

w

HM

AP 5

330:

Hea

lth F

inan

ce I

HM

AP 6

310:

Adv

ance

d H

ealth

Po

licy

HM

AP 6

320:

Lea

ders

hip

for

Publ

ic H

ealth

HM

AP 6

360:

Eth

ical

Issu

es in

Pu

blic

Hea

lth

PHED

612

4:Pr

ofes

sion

al

Deve

lopm

ent i

n PH

II

PHED

605

0: P

rofe

ssio

nal &

Ac

ad. D

evel

opm

ent(

PAD)

PHED

600

0: P

relim

inar

y Ex

am

PHED

600

2: In

tegr

ated

Co

mpe

tenc

y Ev

al. (

ICE)

PHED

639

7: D

rPH

Re

side

ncy


I I R R R R I R I PR PR PR

LO 2.1 Discuss the inter-relationships between health communication and marketing. X X PR PR PR

LO 2.2 Explain communication program proposals and evaluations to lay, professional, and policy audiences.

X X PR PR PR

LO 2.3 Employ evidence-based communication program models for disseminating research and evaluation outcomes.

X X PR PR PR

LO 2.4 Guide an organization in setting communication goals, objectives, and priorities. X X X X PR PR PR

LO 2.5 Create informational and persuasive communications. X X X X PR PR PR

LO 2.6 Integrate health literacy concepts in all communication and marketing initiatives. X PR PR PR

LO 2.7 Develop formative and outcome evaluation plans for communication and marketing efforts. X X PR PR PR

LO 2.8 Prepare dissemination plans for communication programs and evaluations. X X X PR PR PR

LO 2.9 Propose recommendations for improving communication processes. X X X X PR PR PR



90

(Domain C) DrPH Competency 3: Community/Cultural Orientation The ability to communicate and interact with people across diverse communities and cultures for development of programs, policies, and research.

HM

AP 6

322:

Org

aniz

atio

nal

Man

agem

ent

PHED

612

2: P

rofe

ssio

nal D

evel

opm

ent

in P

H I

PHED

631

4: M

etho

ds fo

r PH

Stu

dies

I

BACH

630

0: A

dvan

ced

Theo

ries

of

Indi

vidu

al &

Com

m. H

ealth

EPID

631

1: A

pplie

d EP

ID fo

r PH

PHED

611

8: M

etho

ds fo

r PH

Stu

dies

II

PHED

631

6: A

dv. P

rogr

am D

esig

n &

Ev

alua

tion

for P

HP

PHED

632

5: E

vide

nce

– Ba

sed

Publ

ic

Hea

lth

HM

AP 5

328:

Hum

an R

esou

rces

M

anag

emen

t

HM

AP 5

340:

Pub

lic H

ealth

Law

HM

AP 5

330:

Hea

lth F

inan

ce I

HM

AP 6

310:

Adv

ance

d H

ealth

Pol

icy

HM

AP 6

320:

Lea

ders

hip

for P

ublic

H

ealth

HM

AP 6

360:

Eth

ical

Issu

es in

Pub

lic

Hea

lth

PHED

612

4:Pr

ofes

sion

al D

evel

opm

ent

in P

H II

PHED

605

0: P

rofe

ssio

nal &

Aca

d.

Deve

lopm

ent(

PAD)

PHED

600

0: P

relim

inar

y Ex

am

PHED

600

2: In

tegr

ated

Co

mpe

tenc

y Ev

al. (

ICE)

PHED

639

7: D

rPH

Res

iden

cy


I I I I R R R I R R I PR PR PR

LO 3.1 Develop collaborative partnerships with communities, policy makers, and other relevant groups X X X X X PR PR PR

LO 3.2 Engage communities in creating evidence-based, culturally competent programs. X X X PR PR PR

LO 3.3 Conduct community-based participatory intervention and research projects. X PR PR PR

LO 3.4 Design action plans for enhancing community and population-based health. X X X X X X PR PR PR

LO 3.5 Assess cultural, environmental, and social justice influences on the health of communities. X X X X X X X X X PR PR PR

LO 3.6 Implement culturally and linguistically appropriate programs, services, and research. X X PR PR PR



91

(Domain D) DrPH Competency 4: Critical Analysis The ability to synthesize and apply evidence-based research and theory from a broad range of disciplines and health-related data sources to advance programs, policies, and systems promoting population health.

HM

AP 6

322:

Org

aniz

atio

nal

Man

agem

ent

PHED

612

2: P

rofe

ssio

nal

Deve

lopm

ent i

n PH

I

PHED

631

4: M

etho

ds fo

r PH

St

udie

s I

BACH

630

0: A

dvan

ced

Theo

ries

of

Indi

vidu

al &

Com

m. H

ealth

EPID

631

1: A

pplie

d EP

ID fo

r PH

PHED

611

8: M

etho

ds fo

r PH

St

udie

s II

PHED

631

6: A

dv. P

rogr

am

Desi

gn &

Eva

luat

ion

for P

HP

PHED

632

5: E

vide

nce

– Ba

sed

Publ

ic H

ealth

HM

AP 5

328:

Hum

an R

esou

rces

M

anag

emen

t

HM

AP 5

340:

Pub

lic H

ealth

Law

HM

AP 5

330:

Hea

lth F

inan

ce I

HM

AP 6

310:

Adv

ance

d H

ealth

Po

licy

HM

AP 6

320:

Lea

ders

hip

for

Publ

ic H

ealth

HM

AP 6

360:

Eth

ical

Issu

es in

Pu

blic

Hea

lth

PHED

612

4:Pr

ofes

sion

al

Deve

lopm

ent i

n PH

II

PHED

605

0: P

rofe

ssio

nal &

Ac

ad. D

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opm

ent(

PAD)

PHED

600

0: P

relim

inar

y Ex

am

PHED

600

2: In

tegr

ated

Co

mpe

tenc

y Ev

al. (

ICE)

PHED

639

7: D

rPH

Re

side

ncy


R I I I I R R R R R R I PR PR PR

LO 4.1 Apply theoretical and evidence-based perspectives from multiple disciplines in the design and implementation of programs, policies, and systems

X X X X X PR PR PR

LO 4.2 Interpret quantitative and qualitative data following current scientific standards X X X X X X PR PR PR

LO 4.3 Design needs and resource assessments for communities and populations. X X X PR PR PR

LO 4.4 Develop health surveillance systems to monitor population health, health equity, and public health services.

X X PR PR PR

LO 4.5 Synthesize information from multiple sources for research and practice X X X X X X X X X X PR PR PR

LO 4.6 Evaluate the performance and impact of health programs, policies, and systems X X X X X X X X X X PR PR PR

LO 4.7 Weigh risks, benefits, and unintended consequences for research and practice. X X X X X X X X X PR PR PR



92

(Domain E) DrPH Competency 5: Leadership The ability to create and communicate a shared vision for a positive future; inspire trust and motivate others; and use evidence-based strategies to enhance essential public health services.

HM

AP 6

322:

Org

aniz

atio

nal

Man

agem

ent

PHED

612

2: P

rofe

ssio

nal

Deve

lopm

ent i

n PH

I

PHED

631

4: M

etho

ds fo

r PH

St

udie

s I

BACH

630

0: A

dvan

ced

Theo

ries

of

Indi

vidu

al &

Com

m. H

ealth

EPID

631

1: A

pplie

d EP

ID fo

r PH

PHED

611

8: M

etho

ds fo

r PH

St

udie

s II

PHED

631

6: A

dv. P

rogr

am D

esig

n &

Eva

luat

ion

for P

HP

PHED

632

5: E

vide

nce

– Ba

sed

Publ

ic H

ealth

HM

AP 5

328:

Hum

an R

esou

rces

M

anag

emen

t

HM

AP 5

340:

Pub

lic H

ealth

Law

HM

AP 5

330:

Hea

lth F

inan

ce I

HM

AP 6

310:

Adv

ance

d H

ealth

Po

licy

HM

AP 6

320:

Lea

ders

hip

for

Publ

ic H

ealth

HM

AP 6

360:

Eth

ical

Issu

es in

Pu

blic

Hea

lth

PHED

612

4:Pr

ofes

sion

al

Deve

lopm

ent i

n PH

II

PHED

605

0: P

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Deve

lopm

ent(

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PHED

600

0: P

relim

inar

y Ex

am

PHED

600

2: In

tegr

ated

Co

mpe

tenc

y Ev

al. (

ICE)

PHED

639

7: D

rPH

Res

iden

cy


R I R R I PR PR PR

LO 5.1 Communicate an organization’s mission, shared vision, and values to stakeholders. X X X PR PR PR

LO 5.2 Develop teams for implementing health initiatives. X X PR PR PR

LO 5.3 Develop capacity-building strategies at the individual, organizational, and community level. X X PR PR PR

LO 5.4 Influence others to achieve high standards of performance and accountability. X X PR PR PR

LO 5.5 Guide organizational decision-making and planning based on internal and external environmental research.

X X PR PR PR

LO 5.6 Prepare professional plans incorporating lifelong learning, mentoring, and continued career progression strategies.

X X X X X PR PR PR

LO 5.7 Create a shared vision. X X X PR PR PR

LO 5.8 Develop capacity-building strategies at the individual, organizational, and community level. X X X PR PR PR

LO 5.9 Demonstrate a commitment to personal and professional values. X X X X X PR PR PR



93

(Domain F) DrPH Competency 6: Management The ability to provide fiscally responsible strategic and operational guidance within both public and private health organizations for achieving individual and community health and wellness. H

MAP

632

2 Or

gani

zatio

nal

Man

agem

ent

PHED

612

2: P

rofe

ssio

nal

Deve

lopm

ent i

n PH

I

PHED

631

4: M

etho

ds fo

r PH

St

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BACH

630

0: A

dvan

ced

Theo

ries

of

Indi

vidu

al &

Com

m. H

ealth

EPID

631

1: A

pplie

d EP

ID fo

r PH

PHED

611

8: M

etho

ds fo

r PH

St

udie

s II

PHED

631

6: A

dv. P

rogr

am D

esig

n &

Eva

luat

ion

for P

HP

PHED

632

5: E

vide

nce

– Ba

sed

Publ

ic H

ealth

HM

AP 5

328:

Hum

an R

esou

rces

M

anag

emen

t

HM

AP 5

340:

Pub

lic H

ealth

Law

HM

AP 5

330:

Hea

lth F

inan

ce I

HM

AP 6

310:

Adv

ance

d H

ealth

Po

licy

HM

AP 6

320:

Lea

ders

hip

for P

ublic

H

ealth

HM

AP 6

360:

Eth

ical

Issu

es in

Pu

blic

Hea

lth

PHED

612

4:Pr

ofes

sion

al

Deve

lopm

ent i

n PH

II

PHED

605

0: P

rofe

ssio

nal &

Aca

d.

Deve

lopm

ent(

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PHED

600

0: P

relim

inar

y Ex

am

PHED

600

2: In

tegr

ated

Co

mpe

tenc

y Ev

al. (

ICE)

PHED

639

7: D

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R R I R I PR PR PR

LO 6.1 Implement strategic planning processes. X X X PR PR PR

LO 6.2 Apply principles of human resource management. X X X X PR PR PR

LO 6.3 Use informatics principles in the design and implementation of information systems. X X PR PR PR

LO 6.4 Align policies and procedures with regulatory and statutory requirements. X X X X PR PR PR

LO 6.5 Deploy quality improvement methods. X X X PR PR PR

LO 6.6 Organize the work environment with defined lines of responsibility, authority, communication, and governance.

X X X X PR PR PR

LO 6.7 Develop financial and business plans for health programs and services. X X PR PR PR

LO 6.8 Establish a network of relationships, including internal and external collaborators. X X PR PR PR

LO 6.9 Evaluate Organizational performance in relation to strategic and defined goals. X X X X X PR PR PR



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(Domain G) DrPH Competency 7: Professionalism and Ethics The ability to identify and analyze an ethical issue; balance the claims of personal liberty with the responsibility to protect and improve the health of the population; and act on the ethical concepts of social justice and human rights in public health research and practice.

HM

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LO 7.1 Manage potential conflicts of interest encountered by practitioners, researchers, and organizations. X X X X PR PR PR

LO 7.2 Differentiate among the administrative, legal, ethical, and quality assurance dimensions of research and practice.

X X X PR PR PR

LO 7.3 Design strategies for resolving ethical concerns in research, law, and regulations X X X PR PR PR

LO 7.4 Develop tools that protect the privacy of individuals and communities involved in health programs, policies, and research.

X X X PR PR PR

LO 7.5 Prepare criteria for which the protection of the public welfare may transcend the right to individual autonomy.

X X X X PR PR PR

LO 7.6 Assess ethical considerations in developing communications and promotional initiatives. X X X X X PR PR PR

LO 7.7 Demonstrate cultural sensitivity in ethical discourse and analysis. X X X X PR PR PR



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Figure 2.6.c.3: PhD CORE Competencies and Learning Outcomes (CEPH Data Template 2.6.1)


PhD-Core C1 Research Theories: Synthesize historical, contemporary, and emerging theories and paradigms of significance to public health.

BIOS 5310 Biostatistics

for Public Health II

BIOS 5311 Regression and ANOVA

BIOS 6300 Advanced

Methods in BIOS

HMAP 6360

Ethical Issues in

Public Health

PHED 6310 Methods for

Public Health Studies

PHED 6118 Seminar in

Public Health

Research

PHED 6220 Scientific &

Grant Writing

PHED 6321 Pedagogy in

Public Health

DEPT1 6000 Doc.

Dissertation

DEPT 6395 PhD

Comp Exam

DEPT 6051

Prof. & Acad.

Devlpt


I R I R R PR PR PR

LO 1.1 Synthesize literature-based information using systematic processes.

X X X X X PR PR PR

LO 1.2

Apply appropriate theories and conceptual framework/models to address public health issues and research.

X X X X PR PR PR

Assessment Methods Used: participation, self-assessments, faculty-assessments, projects, community leadership, workshops, reflections, journal club, manuscripts, papers, statistical applications, proposals, teaching, written/oral critiques, NIH Mock Study, comprehensive examination, dissertation, PAD

PhD-Core C2 Critical Analysis: Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of existing research evidence and identify significant gaps in knowledge.




BIOS 6300 Advanced

Methods in BIOS

HMAP 6360

Ethical Issues in

Public Health




Public Health

Research

PHED 6220

Scientific Grant

Writing


Public Health

DEPT 6000 Doc.

Dissertation

DEPT 6395 PhD

Comp Exam

DEPT 6051

Prof. & Acad.

Devlpt

Culminating Experience I R I R R R PR PR PR

LO 2.1 Identify the strengths, weaknesses and limitations of existing literature.

X X X X X X PR PR PR

LO 2.2 Formulate a research questions/hypothesis to address knowledge gaps.

X X X X PR PR PR


96


PhD-Core C3 Research Methodology: Comprehend, design and apply relevant and advanced research methods based on rigorous standards of evidence.




BIOS 6300 Advanced

Methods in BIOS

HMAP 6360

Ethical Issues in

Public Health




Public Health

Research


Grant Writing


Public Health

DEPT 6000 Doc.

Dissertation

DEPT 6395 PhD

Comp Exam

DEPT 6051

Prof. & Acad.

Devlpt

Culminating Experience I I I I R R PR PR PR

LO 3.1 Apply various research methods in public health. X X X PR PR PR

LO 3.2 Apply a study design to a specific public health research question.

X X X X PR PR PR

LO 3.3 Analyze data to address research questions. X X X X PR PR PR


PhD-Core C4 Scientific Communications: Develop professional skills in scientific and grant writing, oral communication, and teaching.




BIOS 6300 Advanced

Methods in BIOS

HMAP 6360

Ethical Issues in

Public Health




Public Health

Research


Grant Writing


Public Health

DEPT 6000 Doc.

Dissertation

DEPT 6395 PhD

Comp Exam

DEPT 6051

Prof. & Acad.

Devlpt


I I I R I R R R PR PR PR

LO 4.1 Prepare and submit peer reviewed publications and abstracts.

X X X PR PR PR

LO 4.2 Use effective communication strategies for different audiences.

X X X X X X X PR PR PR

LO 4.3 Prepare research/grant proposals. X X

PR PR PR


97


PhD-Core C5 Ethics: Uphold the highest ethical standards in all professional endeavors, including the design and implementation of research and the participation of human subjects.




BIOS 6300 Advanced

Methods in BIOS

HMAP 6360

Ethical Issues in

Public Health




Public Health

Research


Grant Writing


Public Health

DEPT 6000 Doc.

Dissertation

DEPT 6395 PhD

Comp Exam

DEPT 6051

Prof. & Acad.

Devlpt

Culminating Experience R I R R PR PR PR

LO 5.1 Identify ethical issues associated with public health practice and research.

X X X X PR PR PR

LO 5.2 Apply ethical concepts in the conduct of research. X X PR PR PR

LO 5.3 Assess ethical consideration in developing and evaluating programs.

X PR PR PR

Assessment Methods Used: participation, self-assessments, faculty-assessments, projects, community leadership, workshops, reflections, journal club, manuscripts, papers, statistical applications, proposals, teaching, written/oral critiques, NIH Mock Study, comprehensive examination, dissertation, PAD PhD-Core C6 Discovery and Translational Theory: Conduct investigative research, including areas that facilitate the translation and application of discovery to practice.




BIOS 6300 Advanced

Methods in BIOS

HMAP 6360

Ethical Issues in

Public Health




Public Health

Research

PHED 6220

Scientific Grant

Writing


Public Health

DEPT 6000 Doc.

Dissertation

DEPT 6395 PhD

Comp Exam

DEPT 6051

Prof. & Acad.

Devlpt

Culminating Experience R PR PR PR

LO 6.1 Interpret research findings and derive implications for public health.

X

PR PR PR

LO 6.2 Demonstrate how evidence influences or is translated into public health.

X

PR PR PR


1Students register for the course in their respective departments/concentrations (BACH, BIOS, EPID, EOHS, HMAP, PHED)


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2.6.d. Analysis of the completed matrix included in Criterion 2.6.c. If changes have been made in the curricula as a result of the observations and analysis, such changes should be described. The matrices in Criterion 2.6.c represent an ongoing evaluative process that the School uses to measure student achievement of the competencies. To date, feedback on student mastery has come from student and alumni self-assessment measures, practice experience projects, site supervisor feedback and student/advisor meetings. Each year, this feedback is discussed in departmental faculty meetings and school of public health retreats where necessary modifications of curricula are identified. Examples of school-wide changes that have resulted from this process include the development of PAD for all programs, introduction of MPH competency self-assessments, an introductory seminar on MPH core and concentration competencies, the identification of concentration program coordinators, and the introduction of the competency alignment process. This process requires all SPH departments to develop measurable learning outcomes for competencies in each program and to use the 5 point scale as a universal way of measuring competency achievement across all programs. This requirement is further discussed in Criterion 2.7. Concentration-specific competency reviews occur annually. Examples of curricular changes that have resulted from competency reviews in recent years include: Behavioral and Community Health In the fall of 2013, the School of Public Health decided to launch a new MPH concentration in maternal and child health. This decision grew out of the significant amount of faculty involvement in maternal and child research and practice, particularly in the areas of infant mortality and violence against women. The new MPH-MACH concentration is housed within the Department of Behavioral and Community Health. In August 2014, five new MPH students were admitted to the MACH concentration. In September 2014, a new faculty member, with a background in reproductive epidemiology, was hired to serve as Director of the new concentration. Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences The Department organized a meeting of local environmental and occupational health professionals in AY 2010 that resulted in revision of EOHS competencies. After their recommendations, the competencies were better directed towards professional needs of employers and changing professional requirements. Moreover, they associated specific generalized learning outcomes that were identified as either core (all MPH students) or concentration (EOHS Concentration) and specific to each competency. These competency revisions resulted in modifications of core courses in order to better integrate competency content, development of new courses (such as EOHS laboratory and methods course), and development of a certificate program in Geographic Information Systems, for public health assessment. 2.6.e. Description of the manner in which competencies are developed, used and made available to students The development of competencies for all degree programs is a school-wide effort. Department chairs lead the developmental efforts within the concentrations for the MPH and the concentrations in the PhD program. The DrPH Program Committee which contains representatives from across the SPH is responsible for the development and management of the competencies for the DrPH degree.


99

The Program Directors Committee (formerly the Curriculum Committee) is responsible for the oversight and final approval of all professional and academic programs. This committee is responsible for coordinating efforts with regard to curriculum development and integration of programs, and of academic policies and procedures. Competencies for all degree programs are posted on the SPH website and are outlined in the “Program Profile” documents that are utilized in the SPHAAR orientation sessions upon matriculation, and by Academic Advisors in their counseling and advising sessions with students across all programs. In addition, the course syllabi list all relevant competencies covered within courses. MPH Competencies: The competencies for each of the concentrations were developed by the faculty within the department that offers the concentration. Multiple resources were utilized to finalize the competencies including national resources, professional organizations, accreditation standards, community advisory groups and professionals in their respective disciplines. Core competencies were developed similarly. Departmental faculty members reviewed the competencies and mapped them to each of the courses required in their concentrations. Reviews occur every academic year and courses are modified as needed to ensure identified competencies are covered. DrPH Competencies: In 2009 the SPH moved toward the development of a sole DrPH degree program, and away from the previous model with concentrations. The appropriate competencies agreed upon by the DrPH Program Committee were taken from work carried out by the ASPPH (formerly the ASPH). Several of the SPH faculty members were active in the ASPH work groups and contributed to the refinement of guidelines for a DrPH degree aimed at preparing individuals for public health evidence-based leadership. The domains identified in the ASPH Education Committee’s Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Core Competency Model, Version 1.3, November 2009 ASPH were adopted as the core competencies for the DrPH degree program. PhD Competencies: As the DrPH with concentrations was phased out, the SPH developed the PhD in Public Health Sciences degree program with the five concentrations. The PhD Program Committee served as a task force to study different public health PhD degree programs across the nation, assess the regional demands, and gather input from colleagues in the public health field on the structure of the degree and the core and concentration-specific competencies. The committee garnered input from the SPH faculty before finalizing the competencies, which have been reviewed on an annual basis. Other Instructional Programs MHA Competencies: Development of competencies in the MHA is guided by academic, professional and accreditation standards of the discipline. The MHA is accredited by the Commission on Education of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). CAHME criteria require that programs have competencies that align with the mission and targeted employment market, and that are periodically reviewed for relevance. The MHA program competencies were originally developed with input from students, faculty, the MHA Advisory Council, and the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL). The first step in this process involved mapping all MHA Program courses with all the competencies that were identified in the NCHL Model across the three domains (Transformation, Execution and People). Once all the courses were mapped, the NCHL provided input into the level of coverage of each competency by course and helped faculty identify which competencies were critical to developing early career leaders.


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These basic competency domains that are crucial in the training of early career leaders were then augmented with other competencies aligned with the mission and vision of the MHA Program. This alignment required revising the relevant content in courses to make sure that all competencies were fully covered. Competencies are now reviewed annually and updates are made available to students during orientation, PAD and on the MHA program website. 2.6.f. Description of the manner in which the program periodically assesses changing practice or research needs and uses this information to establish the competencies for its educational programs. The School assesses changing practice needs in several ways. First, the School has active engagement with the community through the Public Health and Prevention Council, a group of senior health and health-related leaders in Tarrant County who provide ongoing input into specific projects and into the school’s strategic plan. This body decided in the summer of 2014 to develop a subunit which would serve as an Advisory Council for the MPH and DrPH programs. Members of this subgroup would be individuals who lead major public health organizations and hire our graduates, preceptors for both programs, and alumni of both programs. The Council would focus directly on competencies for these programs and other changes needed in the curriculum of each. A separate group that was organized for our MHA program has been very effective in this regard. School faculty members also serve on numerous boards, councils, committees, and advisory bodies in the Metroplex, providing immediate insight into how the competencies of our professional programs should be altered in response to changes in the structure and functioning of these grassroots organizations. These organizations are identified in Section 3.2: Service. At the broader level of the state and nation, school faculty engage in the activities and serve on units of professional bodies that provide opportunities to understand the changing world of public health practice. For example, Dr. Kurz is the Chair of the National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE), which constantly reflects on the content of the Certified in Public Health Examination. Most recently, the NBPHE completed a job task analysis for entry and middle level public health roles funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and, although this information is not yet published, Dr. Kurz can bring his insights from this work to the School as it assesses its competencies on an ongoing basis. Participation in the annual and semi-annual meetings of the Association of Schools and Programs in Public Health (ASPPH), Academy Health, and disciplinary professional bodies provide additional opportunities for valuable insight on changes in the field of public health and competency development. For example, our initial competency development for the DrPH program began with active involvement in the ASPPH DrPH competency development project. The School will be paying careful attention to the ASPPH Framing the Future initiative which will impact the direction of the MPH and the DrPH programs. The School assesses research needs that affect our competencies in several ways. First, several school faculty members serve on review panels for the National Science Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other organizations. This service provides direct insight into the changing demands of the research community at the highest levels, insights the School must consider as it refines its competencies. In addition, the School works in conjunction with the Texas Prevention Institute, one of the nine Health Institutes of Texas at the Health Science Center, to sponsor the Office of Research Services (ORS). This unit brings faculty and others together from across the Health Science Center and from outside groups who are interested in prevention and health services research through a Works in Progress Series, Research Schmoozes, and content focused groups. Through these activities, the School stays current on the needs of research teams


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studying many topics and how these needs should impact the competencies that drive our degree programs. See Section 3.1: Research for a more detailed description of these ORS activities. Information from these sources is integrated into our curricula through self-assessment processes such as school retreats, annual reviews of the strategic plan, departmental operational assessments and self-study requirements. As indicated in 2.6.d, these processes develop a foundation for continual competency development that incorporates the changing needs in practice and research. 2.6.g. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. This criterion is met. Strengths: Each program has a set of required competencies with clearly identified learning outcomes that are made available to students at orientation and on the School’s website. These competencies are periodically reviewed and feedback from program stakeholders, which include faculty, students, alumni, site supervisors, and employers is used to guide curricula changes and overall competency development. In AY 2014-2015, the school is piloting the competency alignment process, which aims to assess competency achievement through the assessment of learning outcomes using information based on the formal assessment of learning outcomes through course activities. In this way, the School is attempting to get beyond perceptional assessments of competency acquisition, although this information can be useful, to include direct measures based on performance of tasks by students as part of course requirements. These measures may be used to grade students, but the School believes that these measures should be summed across students to demonstrate the level of competency acquisition through specific related learning outcomes. Weaknesses: At this time, the primary weakness is the difficulty of integrating these direct measures in a routine fashion through Canvas, our learning management system. The Health Science Center’s academic technology staff and key staff are working with us to accomplish the task of creating an easily applied method of summing learning outcomes and relating them to a rubric which identifies the extent to which the learning outcome has been achieved by students in the program. Plans: Competencies and associated learning outcomes will continue to be updated using many sources of information. The competency alignment process will be implemented across all programs by fall of 2014, with completion by fall of 2015, and data will be used to inform the success of curricula and competency development and implementation.

Criterion 2: Instructional Programs 2.7 Assessment Procedures

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2.7 ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES There shall be procedures for assessing and documenting the extent to which each professional public health, other professional and academic degree student has demonstrated achievement of the competencies defined for his or her degree program and area of concentration. 2.7.a. Description of the procedures used for monitoring and evaluating student progress in achieving the expected competencies, including procedures for identifying competency attainment in practice and culminating experiences. The SPH uses several methods to monitor and evaluate student progress in achieving the expected program competencies. At the point of admission, students are provided with the competencies. As they begin their program, competencies are provided at orientation, highlighted on their curriculum plans, and made available on the website. Competencies are measured and tracked in a number of ways that are outlined below. School Level Competency Assessments SPH Academic Program Assessment Each year the SPH prepares an assessment report on the progress of its academic and professional programs. This report uses the established competencies as the primary evaluation measure to track both student and program performance. The reporting mechanism used is the TracDat system which enables schools and programs to document outcome measures, targets, assessments methods, results and action plans from year to year. The areas that the SPH has chosen to track on an annual basis to assess student competency development and achievement are:

• The Certified in Public Health Examination (a measure of student achievement of the public health core competencies)

• Departmental Comprehensive Examinations (a measure of student achievement of the concentration-specific competencies)

• Site Supervisor/Preceptor evaluations of student performance and competency mastery (a measure of a student’s ability to perform the competencies in the field)

• Professional and Academic Development - PAD (A course within each program designed to provide students with professional development skills pertinent to the degree and required competencies)

The SPH believes these are important targets to track, as they directly assess student competency mastery of the core and concentration specific competencies. The results also highlight areas that need improvement and provide the opportunity for innovative action plans to be developed around competency mastery. For example, in the fall of 2013 the UNTHSC established the Academic and Program Assessment Review Team (APART), a team that was charged with reviewing the assessment plans, results, and proposed actions of each program, and with reporting findings to the provost and Council of Deans. The review of the SPH by the APART was extremely beneficial and led the SPH to explore a more in-depth way of assessing competency mastery at the course level. In the fall of 2014, the SPH introduced the “Competency Alignment Process” (discussed below) as a way of reinforcing competency-based education through faculty engagement. The APART assessment report of the SPH 2012-2013 program outcome measures and the SPH response to the Provost are included in Appendix 2.7.a.1 located in the Electronic Resource File.


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SPH Competency Alignment Process All courses in the SPH assess competency mastery through various assessment methods that include quizzes, tests, in-depth papers, oral presentations and examinations. At the course level, faculty outline competencies on their syllabi and map them to assessments that are done throughout the semester, enabling student to see how competencies are introduced and reinforced throughout the curriculum. To further engage faculty in assessing student progress through competencies and not just through traditional grades, in the fall of 2014 the SPH implemented the Competency Alignment Process. This 10-step process, outlined in Appendix 2.6.c.1 in the Electronic Resource File, requires all SPH departments to develop measurable learning outcomes for competencies in each program and to use the 5 point scale as a universal way of measuring competency achievement across all programs:

5: Outstanding (Met – High achievement) 4: Good (Met - Clearly acceptable) 3: Acceptable (Met – Satisfactory achievement) 2: Needs Improvement (Not met – Less than satisfactory) 1: Unacceptable (Not met – Not acceptable)

To enable data to be collected in an electronic format, the SPH is collaborating with the UNTHSC Center for Innovative Learning (CIL) to use Canvas, the learning management system adopted by the University as the primary medium for faculty to link their course assessments to the learning outcomes and competencies. This linkage is intended to allow faculty to directly measure student competency achievement at the course level, and will enable departments and program directors to review competency achievement at both the course and program level. In the spring of 2014, this pilot was first tested with courses in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Sciences. In the fall 2014, select faculty from the other SPH departments began assessing competency mastery in Master’s level courses, with some using canvas to do this assessment. In the spring of 2015, select faculty teaching courses online and at the doctoral level also began implementing competency assessment. Although still a pilot project, the SPH has experienced the positive impact of developing learning outcomes for each defined competency and using this process to provide students with both the traditional letter grade and the competency achievement score on a 5 point scale. Students are beginning to assess their performance and public health skillset in direct relation to the learning outcomes and competencies defined in a course, helping them further prepare to enter the public health workforce. The SPH aims to have all courses implementing this assessment by the spring of 2016. Results of this initial pilot are provided in the Appendix 2.6.c.1. Graduating Student Survey All graduating students in the SPH are sent the Graduating Student Survey, which gives them an opportunity to assess their educational experience. The survey aims to gather feedback on the entire student experience starting at the point of recruitment and admission, and continuing through to graduation and subsequent employment. The survey also asks students to assess their readiness to enter the public health workforce by asking questions related to competency achievement and overall mastery. The SPH Dean, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, and the Department Chairs review the feedback and use it to inform programmatic developments. It is through this type of student feedback that both strengths and weaknesses in advising are identified and improvements systematically made to the programs and student competency development. The survey tool and analysis of results are further discussed in Criterion 2.7.e.


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Program Level Competency Assessments Professional Public Health Degree Program Assessments MPH Students register for PHED 5197 Professional and Academic Development in the first semester of enrollment. The first class is dedicated to providing an introduction to public health, with an in-depth look at the five core areas of public health and the related cross-cutting core and concentration-specific competencies. Students in the PAD course take pre and post competency assessments that help establish a foundation for the core courses. Upon completion of the five cores courses, MPH students are required to register for, and successfully pass, the Certified in Public Health Examination (CPH). The SPH uses the CPH as a direct assessment of competency mastery in the core area of public health and the related core competencies. A final programmatic assessment is done through the concentration-specific comprehensive examination. These examinations directly measure student mastery in the concentration competencies. DrPH DrPH students register for PHED 6122 Professional Development 1 in their first semester. In this course students receive an in-depth competency overview and put together a professional development plan that highlights the competencies and how they plan to achieve them. This is further reinforced by the DrPH PAD course, which focuses on building competency through targeted doctoral –level activities that are approved and assessed by the DrPH Director and the DrPH Committee. Competency development is further assessed through the preliminary examination that DrPH students take after completion of the first year. The examination helps determine the competency areas that students need to reinforce in preparation for the Integrated Competency Evaluation (ICE) and the Doctoral Residency. During Residency, student competency is assessed by the site supervisor and if there are areas of competency deficiency, the DrPH Director, with input from the DrPH Committee, works with the student to develop an action plan to move them towards competency mastery. Academic Degree Program Assessments PhD The PhD program uses the following methods to monitor and evaluate each student’s academic progress. (1) Each competency and associated learning outcome is identified in the syllabi of the associated required courses for each program. For each of the PhD required core courses (see Table 2.12.d.1), the instructor, through an assessment of the associated learning outcomes, performs an evaluation of mastery of each core competency addressed in the course. The concentration specific competencies are similarly evaluated for each required concentration course. (2) Depending on earned credit hours, each PhD student is required to perform a minimum number of activities associated with professional and academic development. This performance is submitted at the end of each academic year for evaluation by the student’s advisor and PhD Committee. (3) Specific milestones of the program, such as the timing of the comprehensive exam, dissertation proposal, and dissertation defense, are identified and progress followed. Timely achievements of these milestones are indicators of successful progress and competency achievement. And, (4) indirectly tied to competencies is the student’s semester and cumulative GPA. At the end of each academic year each of these are evaluated by the advisor/mentor, department chair, and PhD committee. The department chair, working with the advisor/mentor prepares a progress letter for each student in their respective concentration indicating satisfactory or unsatisfactory progress based on these evaluations. If satisfactory progress is reported, then the letter repeats expectations for continued satisfactory progress. If the progress is not found satisfactory, the student’s letter will outline where the deficiency is and what actions need to be


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taken, and typically will require consultation between the student and advisor for development of remediation plans. Although this letter will be developed at the end of each academic year, the student and academic advisor/mentor will typically be meeting on a regular bases and identify unsatisfactory progress early. Other Instructional Program Assessments MHA The MHA Program assesses student competency mastery in multiple ways. At the program level competency mastery is assessed through targeted student self-assessments done at 4 points in the student’s MHA career (first semester, pre-internship, post internship, and at graduation). These data along with feedback from internship site supervisors is used to measure the student’s competency progression, providing multiple data points for any intervention needed. At the course level, the MHA program is participating in the Competency Alignment Process and gathering data on competency mastery in two courses, HMAP 5050 Professional and Academic Development and HMAP 5394 Internship. 2.7.b. Identification of outcomes that serve as measures by which the program will evaluate student achievement in each program, and presentation of data assessing the program’s performance against those measures for each of the last three years. Outcome measures must include degree completion and job placement rates for all degrees included in the unit of accreditation (including bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees) for each of the last three years. See CEPH Data Templates 2.7.1 and 2.7.2. If degree completion rates in the maximum time period allowed for degree completion are less than the thresholds defined in this criterion’s interpretive language, an explanation must be provided. If job placement (including pursuit of additional education), within 12 months following award of the degree, includes fewer than 80% of graduates at any level who can be located, an explanation must be provided. See CEPH Outcome Measures Template. Degree Completion Rates All SPH program graduation rates for the last three years are summarized in Table 2.7.b.1. For each degree program summarized in the table, the percent graduated was determined by the number who enrolled in a given cohort, divided by the number who graduated within the maximum time to graduate. For example, the MPH program allows six years for completion in order to accommodate part-time students. The percent graduated for 2013-14 is therefore based on the cohort that started 6 years earlier, in 2009-2010. All percentages are derived from data in the degree completion tables for all programs (MPH, MHA, DrPH and PhD) are provided in Appendix 2.7.b.1 in the Electronic Resource File. DrPH A review of Table 2.7.b.1 below shows that while degree rates are reasonably high for the PhD, MPH and MHA, the DrPH concentration-specific degree program fell below 70% in AY 2012-2013, and 2013-2014. After considerable review of the DrPH, in the fall of 2009 the SPH made the decision to re-envision the program and shift it from a concentration-specific focus in the areas of biostatistics, clinical research, disease prevention and control, environmental health sciences, epidemiology, health management and policy, and social and behavioral sciences, to a focus in public health practice. This new focus has been successful in attracting and retaining strong students, and, as noted in the table, graduation rates are much higher. The School graduated the first DrPH Practice student in AY 2011-2012, and to date, a total of 16 students have graduated.


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PhD The PhD Program began in the fall of 2011 and has graduated a total of 6 students. These numbers are not referenced in the table as the allowable time to graduate is 7 years. A detailed overview of the completion rates for the PhD program is available in Appendix 2.7.b.1. MHA The MHA Program, (also presented in detail in Appendix 2.7.b.1) began in the fall of 2008 and graduated the first cohort of students in 2012-2013. The Program allows 6 years for completion and has therefore not recorded graduation data for 2011-2012.

Table 2.7.b.1: Summary of Degree Completion Rates (CEPH Data Template 2.7.1)

Program

Maximum time to

Graduation (MTTG)

Percent Graduated (based on MTTG)

2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014

MPH 6 Years Cohort

Entering 2007-2008

69% Cohort

Entering 2008-2009

73.4% Cohort Entering 2009-2010 70%

MHA 6 Years Cohort

Entering 2007-2008

N/A Cohort

Entering 2008-2009

90% Cohort Entering 2009-2010 100%

DrPH Concentration Specific (former)

7 Years Cohort

Entering 2006-2007

N/A Cohort

Entering 2007-2008

30.1% Cohort Entering 2008-2009 66.7%

DrPH Practice (current) 7 Years

Cohort Entering

2006-2007 N/A

Cohort Entering

2007-2008 N/A Cohort Entering

2008-2009 100%

PhD 7 Years Cohort

Entering 2006-2007

N/A Cohort

Entering 2007-2008

N/A Cohort Entering 2008-2009 N/A

Job Placement Rates Table 2.7.b.2 below shows job placement rates for graduates of the MPH, DrPH, PhD and MHA for the past three years. These data are collected through surveys done at the time of graduation and is supplemented by information gathered by the Office of Admission and Academic Services (OAAS) through contact with Alumni within 12 months of graduation. Placement and destination information is reported each year in the CEPH Annual Reports which are available in Appendix 2.7.b.2 in the Electronic Resource File.


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Table 2.7.b.2: Job Placement/Destination of Graduates (CEPH Data Template 2.7.2)

1Individual program data are presented in the table below

Program and Destination (Summary of all Programs)1

Number (n) and Percent (%)

2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014

(MPH, DrPH, PhD & MHA combined totals) (n) (%) (n) (%) (n) (%)

Employed 64 91% 86 83% 109 92%

Continuing Education/Training (not employed) 0 0 6 6% 8 7%

Actively Seeking Employment 6 9% 8 8% 0 0

Not Seeking Employment (not employed and not seeking education or training) 0 0 3 3% 1 1%

Unknown 0 0 0 0 0 0

Total 70 100% 103 100% 118 100%

Program and Destination (summary by individual program)

Number (n) and Percent (%) 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014

MPH (n) (%) (n) (%) (n) (%)

Employed 39 91% 62 81% 87 91%

Continuing Education/Training (not employed) 0 0 6 7% 8 8%

Actively Seeking Employment 4 9% 7 9% 0 0

Not Seeking Employment (not employed and not seeking education or training) 0 0 2 3% 1 1%

Unknown 0 0 0 0 0 0

MPH Total 43 100% 77 100% 96 100%

Program and Destination Number (n) and Percent (%)

2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014

DrPH (n) (%) (n) (%) (n) (%)

Employed 16 91% 8 100% 6 100%

Continuing Education/Training (not employed) 0 0 0 0 0 0

Actively Seeking Employment 1 9% 0 0 0 0

Not Seeking Employment (not employed and not seeking education or training) 0 0 0 0 0 0

Unknown 0 0 0 0 0 0

DrPH Total 17 100% 8 100% 6 100%


2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014

PhD (n) (%) (n) (%) (n) (%)

Employed 1 100% 3 100% 1 100%


Actively Seeking Employment 0 9% 0 0 0 0


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2.7.c. An explanation of the methods used to collect job placement data and of graduates’ response rates to these data collection efforts. The program must list the number of graduates from each degree program and the number of respondents to the graduate survey or other means of collecting employment data. At the time of graduation, all students complete the Graduating Student Survey (discussed in Criteria 2.7.a and 4.4.c) that requires they provide post-graduation contact information and details pertaining to employment. Post-graduation, contact information is used to update alumni records through personal correspondence, the use of social media such as LinkedIn and Facebook, and alumni receptions at national conferences including the American Public Health Association (APHA) annual conference. In the summer of 2014, the SPH also participated in the ASPPH pilot alumni survey, gathering employment information on graduates from 2013. In the fall of 2014, the SPH developed a supplemental alumni survey to be completed by January 2015. Through these mechanisms, alumni employment data are kept current. Alumni graduation and employment data, including the ASPPH Alumni Survey, the Graduating Student Survey, and the SPH Alumni Survey, are located in Appendix 2.7.c.1 in the Electronic Resource File.

Table 2.7.c.1: Job Placement Data Collection Methods and Response Rates

1Response rate is 100% as all graduating students are required to complete the Graduating Student Survey (refer to Appendix 2.7.c.1) 2Response rate is 25%. Survey was sent to 118 alumni, all graduates from 2013. A total of 54 responded. (Refer to Appendix 2.7.c.1) 3SPH alumni survey was sent to 200 MPH, 15 MHA, 16 DrPH, and 5 PhD students. 3Other Mechanisms are supplemental to formal collection measures. These include personal communication, social media (Facebook and LinkedIn), alumni receptions and faculty communication with former advisees.

Not Seeking Employment (not employed and not seeking education or training) 0 0 0 0 0 0

Unknown 0 0 0 0 0 0

PhD Total 1 100% 3 100% 1 100%


2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014

MHA (n) (%) (n) (%) (n) (%)

Employed 8 89% 13 87% 15 100%


Actively Seeking Employment 1 0 1 7% 0 0

Not Seeking Employment (not employed and not seeking education or training) 0 0 1 7% 0 0

Unknown 0 0 0 0 0 0

MHA Total 9 100% 15 100% 15 100%

Program

Data Collection Methods and Response Rates Graduating Student

Survey1

(# Graduates from 2011-12 to 2013-14)

ASPPH Alumni Survey2

(# Graduates Spring, Summer, Fall 2013)

SPH Alumni Survey3

(# Graduates from 2011-12 to 2013-14)

Other Mechanisms4

(Information available through OAAS)

MPH 245 100% 37/89 42% 92/200 46% 50/245 20%

DrPH 21 100% 5/5 100% 6/16 38% 16/21 76%

PhD 5 100% 3/3 100% 3/5 60% 4/6 50%

MHA 31 100% 2/15 13% 13/15 87% 21/31 68%


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2.7.d. In fields for which there is certification of professional competence and data are available from the certifying agency, data on the performance of the program’s graduates on these national examinations for each of the last three years. The Certified in Public Health Examination (CPH) offered through the National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE) is a required milestone for all students in the MPH Program and is also required for students who enter the DrPH and PhD programs without a prior MPH. After successful completion of the five core courses, students enroll in PHED 5000 – CPH Comprehensive Examination and are registered for the CPH Examination by the SPH. Students may sit for the examination multiple times until they pass; however, if they fail to pass after the time limit for the degree (six years for the MPH), they are dismissed. The SPH covers registration costs for the first three attempts. Table 2.7.d.1 shows the pass rate for SPH students and alumni over the past four years. For each of the years presented the UNTHSC SPH results have either been close to, or above, the national average. The overall pass rate for UNTHSC SPH test-takes for February 2011 – May 2014 is 82%. The confidential NBPHE reports that provide all examination pass rates will be made available for review during the site visit.

Table 2.7.d.1: Pass Rates on Certified in Public Health (CPH) Examination 2011-2014

CPH Examination Pass Rate (# who took the exam)

2011 2012 2013 2014

February February October February October February May October

SPH Students1 100% (1) 100 (3) 81% (26) 83% (67) 90% (73) 79% (50) 80% (20) N/A

SPH Alumni 70% (16) 77% (44) 73% (11) 67% (4) 75% (3) 100% (3) 100% (1) N/A

All Test Takers2 86% 84% 82% 85% 76% 79% 79% N/A

1NBPHE data reports on the CPH pass rate for all UNTHSC SPH students and alumni will be available for review during the site-visit. 2Test was offered once in 2011, twice in 2012 and 2013, and three times in 2014. Results for October 2014 have not yet been received. 2.7.e. Data and analysis regarding the ability of the program’s graduates to perform competencies in an employment setting, including information from periodic assessments of alumni, employers and other relevant stakeholders. Methods for such assessment may include key informant interviews, surveys, focus groups and documented discussions. The competency of SPH graduates is assessed through data from four main sources: employers, site supervisors, graduating students, and alumni. For all SPH graduates, competency is assessed at graduation through the Graduating Student Survey, and once they are in the field, through an alumni survey. For students in the MPH and DrPH programs, additional data are gathered from site supervisors after the practice (MPH)/residency (DrPH) experiences, and from employers. Both the alumni survey and the employer survey were implemented in the fall of 2014. Prior to this, alumni and employers were contacted through informal measures. Data for the MPH and DrPH programs are presented in Tables 2.7.e.1 and 2.7.e.2. Employer Assessments of MPH and DrPH Graduates In the fall of 2014, the SPH interviewed and surveyed employers that have hired MPH and DrPH graduates. 20 employers that represent hospitals, health care providers, non-profit organizations, and state and local government were surveyed and asked to provide feedback on the ability of graduates to perform competencies on the job. They were also asked to recommend areas for inclusion in the curriculum. A total of seven employers responded (a 35% response rate) and


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although their observations show that are satisfied with the ability of graduates to perform the competencies on the job, it was only a small group that responded. This is the first time that the SPH has administered a formal employer survey and we were only able to get 7 employers to participate. Steps are now being taken to build a database of employer contact information that can be used to solicit feedback on a regular basis. To collect this information the SPH is taking immediate action in two ways. First, employer information will now be collected through the Graduating Student Survey that students are required to complete at the time of graduation. Collecting employer contact information at graduation will enable the Office of Admission and Academic Services (OAAS) to follow-up with employers within 6 to 12 months of a student’s employment and receive feedback on how prepared our new graduates are when first entering the workforce. Secondly, as we continue to survey alumni that have been in the field longer than 12 - 24 months, we will now request employer information, both past and current, enabling us to assess employer perceptions of our graduates over time. Maintaining accurate employer information will not only enable the SPH to use employer feedback for continuous quality improvement of program curricula and related competencies, it will possibly create career placement opportunities for new graduates. Data collected from the employer survey are presented below in Tables 2.7.e.1 (assessment of MPH graduates) and 2.7.e.2 (assessment of DrPH graduates). The survey tool and responses are provided in Appendix 2.7.c.1.

Table 2.7.e.1: Employer Assessment of MPH Program Graduates’ Ability to Perform Competencies on the Job

MPH Program Core/Cross-Cutting

Competencies (n=7)

Level of proficiency demonstrated at the time of employment

(based on core competencies)

1=Excellent 2=Average 3=Below Av 4=Poor

Overall, How well prepared were the graduates for the positions they were

employed for?

1-Very Well Prepared 2- Somewhat Prepared 3-Not Prepared at All

Public Health Knowledge and Skills 1.5 Very Well Prepared

Integration of Theory and Practice 1.5 Very Well Prepared

Communication and Informatics 1.8 Very Well Prepared

Diversity and Culture 1.3 Very Well Prepared

Professionalism 1.3 Very Well Prepared

Table 2.7.e.2: Employer Assessment of DrPH Program Graduates’ Ability to Perform Competencies on the Job

DrPH Program Competency Domains

(n=7)

Level of proficiency demonstrated at the time of employment

1=Excellent

2=Average 3=Below Av 4=Poor

Overall, How well prepared were the graduates for the positions they were

employed for?

1-Very Well Prepared 2- Somewhat Prepared 3-Not Prepared at All

Advocacy 2 Very Well Prepared

Communication 1 Very Well Prepared

Community/Cultural Orientation 1 Very Well Prepared

Critical Analysis 1 Very Well Prepared

Leadership 2 Very Well Prepared

Management 2 Very Well Prepared

Professionalism and Ethics 1 Very Well Prepared


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Site Supervisor Assessments At the completion of the MPH Practice Experience and the DrPH Residency, site supervisors complete student evaluations that are used by each program to assess graduating student preparedness for employment in the field. Feedback includes both quantitative and qualitative measures that continue to be used for overall program quality improvement. MPH Prior to the summer of 2014, the MPH site supervisor evaluation did not directly assess student competency. It focused primarily on overall student performance and asked site supervisor to complete a 1 rubric that assessed quality of work. The program used this information to assess student ability to perform in the field. In 2013-2014 the mean score of student performance was 9.48 on a 10-point scale showing that students were well prepared for the field. To supplement these data, in summer/fall 2014 the MPH Practice Committee made the decision to update the rubric and include competency measures directly related to the student practice experience. This updated site supervisor evaluation will be implemented in the spring of 2015. All MPH practice experience forms are included in Appendix 2.4.a.1 in the Electronic Resource File. DrPH Site supervisors complete an evaluation that asks them to assess (i) student performance and (ii) student skill and development on a scale of 1 (needs improvement) to 4 (exemplary). Under performance, site-supervisors assess the student on dependability, resourcefulness, ability to work as a team member, communication skills (oral, written and presentation skills) and overall ability to apply academic preparation to the residency setting. In the skill and development section, site-supervisors are asked to rate student ability in each of the domain areas. In 2013-2014, one student completed the DrPH Residency. The mean score received in performance was 3.6/4 and the mean score received in skill and knowledge development (competency achievement) was 3.7/4. Both scores showed that the student was well-prepared for work in the field. All DrPH Residency forms are located in Appendix 2.4.a.1. Self-Assessments: Graduating Student Survey and SPH Alumni Survey In addition to data received from the employer and site supervisor surveys, data on the ability of program graduates to perform competencies in employment settings has primarily been gathered from the Graduating Student Survey. In the fall of 2014, the SPH sent a survey to alumni who graduated between fall 2011 and spring 2014. This survey asked them to provide feedback on their perception of competency mastery at the time of entering the workforce and asked alumni to select the competencies they used most in the field. The survey also asked their suggestions for program improvement as well as ways they wanted to stay involved. Data from both surveys on the MPH, DrPH and PhD are presented below in Tables 2.7.e.3 – 2.7.e.5. Overall, both graduating students and alumni felt they had achieved competency mastery and were well prepared to enter the workforce. The SPH Alumni Survey and the Graduating Student Survey are provided in Appendix 2.7.c.1.


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Table 2.7.e.3: Self-Assessment of Competency Achievement - MPH Program Graduating Students and Alumni

MPH Concentration Areas1

Graduating Student Survey (Summer 2013-

Summer 2014)1

Scale: 1=Excellent 2= Good 3 = Fair 4=Poor

MPH Alumni Survey (Graduates from 2011-2014)

Scale: 1=Excellent 2=Average 3=Below Average 4=Poor

(n) Total Responses2

Mean Score


Mean Score

Did the competencies adequately prepare you to work in the field?

BACH n = 29 1.8 n = 24 1.7 Yes = 81% BIOS n = 16 1.6 n = 6 1.4 Yes = 83% EOHS n = 17 1.6 n = 6 1.4 Yes = 83% EPID n = 14 1.5 n = 29 1.3 Yes = 86% HMAP n = 19 1.9 n = 22 1.6 Yes = 81% MPH Professional Option n = 10 1.3 n = 5 1.1 Yes = 80%

1Mean score of graduating student self-assessment of concentration-area competencies. 2Response rate of Graduating Student Survey = 100%. All graduating students are required to complete the survey. 3Response rate MPH Alumni Survey = 46%. Survey was sent to 200 MPH alumni and 92 responded.

Table 2.7.e.4: Self-Assessment of Competency Achievement - DrPH Program Graduating Students and Alumni

DrPH Competency Domain

Areas

Graduating Student Survey (Summer 2013-

Summer 2014)1


DrPH Alumni Survey (2011-2014)3



Mean Score


Mean Score


Advocacy n = 5 1.6 n = 6 1.4 Yes = 83%

Communication n = 5 1.4 n = 6 1.4 Yes = 83%

Community/Cultural Orientation n = 5 1.6 n = 6 1.4 Yes = 83%

Critical Analysis n = 5 1.4 n = 6 1.8 Yes = 66%4

Leadership n = 5 1.4 n = 6 1.6 Yes = 83%

Management n = 5 1.4 n = 6 1.1 Yes = 83%

Professionalism and Ethics n = 5 1.4 n = 6 1.6 Yes = 83%

1Mean score of graduating student self-assessment of DrPH competency domains. 2Response rate of Graduating Student Survey = 100%. All graduating students are required to complete the survey. 3Response rate of DrPH Alumni Survey = 38%. Survey was sent to 16 DrPH alumni and 6 responded. 4Critical analysis is consistently rated lower than other domains. To address this issue, in fall 2013 the DrPH implemented a preliminary exam and the Professional and Academic Development (PAD) course which both reinforce critical analysis.


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Table 2.7.e.5: Self-Assessment of Competency Achievement – PhD Program Graduating Students and Alumni

PhD Core Competencies

Graduating Student Survey (Summer 2013- Summer

2014)1


PhD Alumni Survey (Graduates 2011-2014)



Mean Score

(n) Total Respons

es3

Mean Score


Research Theories n = 5 1.6 n = 4 1 Yes = 100%

Critical Analysis n = 5 1 n = 4 1.5 Yes = 100%

Research Methodology n = 5 1.4 n = 4 1 Yes = 100%

Scientific Communications n = 5 1.8 n = 4 1 Yes = 100%

Ethics n = 5 1.2 n = 4 1 Yes = 100%

Management n = 5 1.4 n = 4 1 Yes = 100%

Discovery and Translational Theory n = 5 1.2 n = 4 1.5 Yes = 100%

1Mean score of graduating student self-assessment of PhD core competencies. 2Response rate of Graduating Student Survey = 100%. All graduating students are required to complete the survey. 2Response rate PhD Alumni Survey = 80%. Survey was sent to 5 PhD alumni and 3 responded.

2.7.f. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the program’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. This criterion is met with commentary. Strengths: The SPH has established procedures for evaluating student progress and achievement of competencies. The CPH exam is required and students and alumni perform close to, or above, the national average. Competency achievement is also assessed in various ways and new measures have been implemented to formally measure competencies at the course level. Competency achievement is well evidenced by feedback from employers, as well as by student and alumni self-assessment of competency achievement. MPH and DrPH students remain positive about their preparation for careers in practice and PhD students report high self-rating on the competencies that prepare them for careers in research and academia.

Weaknesses: Previously the SPH did not request competency evaluation from MPH site supervisors. Beginning spring 2014, competencies will now be assessed. Competency measurement at the course level was implemented in the fall of 2014 using the Canvas learning management system. Plans: The SPH will continue to use stakeholder feedback for quality improvement. In addition, formal surveys will be sent to employers and alumni on a more regular timeline and the feedback will be used to further assess program curricula and competencies.

Criterion 2: Instructional Programs 2.8 Other Graduate Professional Degrees

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2.8 OTHER GRADUATE PROFESSIONAL DEGREES If the school offers curricula for graduate professional degrees other than the MPH or equivalent public health degrees, students pursing them must be grounded in basic public health knowledge. 2.8.a. Identification of professional degree curricula offered by the school, other than those preparing primarily for public health careers, and a description of the requirements for each. The other professional degree program listed in the instructional matrix, table 2.1.a is the Master of Health Administration (MHA). A detailed description of the program can be found on the program website and in the CAHME accreditation documents in Appendix 2.8.a.1 located in the Electronic Resource File. Credits: 60 Length: 5 Semesters Practical Experience: Internship Culminating Experience: capstone Accrediting Body: Commission on Education of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) Website: http://web.unthsc.edu/info/200511/mha The mission of the Master of Health Administration (MHA) Program is to create solutions for a healthier community by preparing early career students for effective organizational management through full and part-time campus study that is based on competencies and evidence-based practices needed to become exceptional managers and leaders. The program is designed for aspiring and committed early career professionals who are interested in careers in health services administration in such settings as hospitals; managed care organizations; medical group practices; ambulatory, long-term care, insurance and pharmaceutical companies; consulting firms; government agencies; and for-profit and nonprofit sector organizations The MHA is a 60 SCH residential program that requires an internship and a final integrative experience which, in combination, allow students to incorporate, synthesize, and apply their knowledge within both an operational and a community context. The result is an organizational perspective that encourages students to integrate knowledge from a range of management disciplines while emphasizing accountability for effective performance. 2.8.b. Identification of the manner in which these curricula assure that students acquire a public health orientation. If this means is common across these other professional degree programs, it need be described only once. If it varies by program, sufficient information must be provided to assess compliance by each program Students in the MHA program are required to complete three of the five core courses completed by all MPH students: BIOS 5300: Principles of Biostatistics, EPID 5300: Principles of Epidemiology, and HMAP 5300: Introduction to Health Management and Policy. Students are also required to complete HMAP 5328: Human Resources Management, which considers occupational health issues. Social and Behavioral Science content is considered in HMAP 5350: Health Economics, as well as HMAP 5320: Health Services Management and HMAP 6224: Healthcare Management and Quality

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/200511/mha

Criterion 2: Instructional Programs 2.8 Other Graduate Professional Degrees

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Improvement, which consider institutional approaches to population health and patient behavior. In addition, MHA students participate in SPH inter-professional education events that further expose them to public health concepts. 2.8.c. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. This criterion is met. Strengths: The MHA is accredited by CAHME, showing that it meets the requirements for the standard of excellence in healthcare management education. The curriculum is also designed to orient students to public health through coursework and inter-professional activities. Weaknesses: None identified at this time. Plans: MHA students will continue to take the identified public health cores and participate in inter-professional activities that expose them to public health. The program will continue assessing course content to assure that public health content is regularly updated.

Criterion 2: Instructional Programs 2.10 Other Bachelor’s Degrees

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2.9 BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN PUBLIC HEALTH If the school offers baccalaureate public health degrees, they shall include the following elements: -Required coursework in Public Health Core Knowledge -Elective Public Health Coursework -Capstone Experience 2.9.a. Identification of all bachelor’s-level majors offered by the school. The instructional matrix in Criterion 2.1.a. may be referenced for this purpose Not applicable The UNTHSC School of Public Health does not have any bachelor’s degrees. 2.9.b. Description of specific support and resources available in the school for the bachelor’s degree programs Not applicable 2.9.c. Identification of required and elective public health courses for the bachelor’s degree(s). Note: The school must demonstrate in Criterion 2.6.c that courses are connected to identified competencies (ie, required and elective public health courses must be listed in the competency matrix in Criterion 2.6.d). Not applicable 2.9.d. A description of school policies and procedures regarding the capstone experience Not applicable 2.9.e. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. Not applicable

Criterion 2: Instructional Programs 2.10 Other Bachelor’s Degrees

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2.10 OTHER BACHELOR’S BEGREES If the school offers baccalaureate degrees in fields other than public health, students pursing them must be grounded in basic public health knowledge. 2.10.a. Identification of other baccalaureate degrees offered by the school and a description of the requirements for each. The instructional matrix in Criterion 2.1.a may be referenced for this purpose. Not applicable The UNTHSC School of Public Health does not have any other bachelor’s degrees. 2.10.b. Identification of the manner in which these curricula assure that students acquire a public health orientation. If this means is common across these degree programs, it need be described only once. If it varies by program, sufficient information must be provided to assess compliance by each program. Not applicable 2.10.c. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. Not applicable

Criterion 2: Instructional Programs 2.11 Academic Degrees

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2.11 ACADEMIC DEGREES If the school also offers curricula for graduate academic degrees, students pursuing them shall obtain a broad introduction to public health, as well as an understanding about how their discipline-based specialization contributes to achieving the goals of public health. 2.11.a. Identification of all academic degree programs, by degree and area of specialization. The instructional matrix in Criterion 2.1.a may be referenced for this purpose. The School offers one academic degree, the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Health Sciences, with concentrations in the five areas of (1) Epidemiology, (2) Biostatistics, (3) Behavioral and Community Health, (4) Environmental Health Sciences, and (5) Health Services and Policy. The PhD is presented in Criterion 2.1.a, Table 2.1.A.1. The PhD handbook is available in the Electronic Resource File - Appendix 4.4.a.1. 2.11.b. Identification of the means by which the school assures that students in academic curricula acquire a public health orientation. If this means is common across the school, it need be described only once. If it varies by degree or program area, sufficient information must be provided to assess compliance by each. All PhD students obtain a public health orientation through required exposure to the curriculum of the five core courses of the MPH Program (Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Environmental Health, Behavioral and Community Health, and Health Management and Policy), and courses in public health research methods, ethics, and pedagogy. Additional public health emphasis occurs through the incorporation of public health concepts required in the concentration area, elective doctoral courses, and participation in required Professional and Academic Development (PAD) components (journal club, engagement in public health research and professional development activities, public health based professional and community service, and teaching in public health courses). Additionally, the combination of students from each of the five disciplines in the classroom for core and other courses ensures a rich diversity of opinions and viewpoints that are related to the public health curriculum presented. National, regional and local speakers are invited to present on a diversity of public health and prevention-oriented seminars through the five departments and the Texas Prevention Institute. These serve as a forum to exchange and disseminate information on public health; provide student academic and professional development; and afford students the opportunity to learn about faculty service and research interests, as well as to interact with faculty, academic professionals, public health experts and community partners. In addition to these seminars, there are numerous other opportunities presented for exposure to public health concepts and the exchange of ideas. These include the annual North Texas Health Forum and Conference on Health Disparities; the monthly works in progress series (WIPS) offered through the SPH Research Committee; the UNTHSC annual research appreciation day, where students and faculty present their ongoing work; and promotion and support for students to attend local, state, and national meetings, e.g., American Public Health Association, Texas Public Health Association, Academy Health, and concentration specific organization meetings.


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2.11.c. Identification of the culminating experience required for each academic degree program. If this is common across the school’s academic degree programs, it need be described only once. If it varies by degree or program area, sufficient information must be provided to assess compliance by each. PhD The PhD Program has three components in its culminating experience. The first component is the PhD comprehensive examination. In order to advance to candidacy for a PhD, students are required to pass a doctoral qualifying examination. The purpose of this examination is to evaluate whether the student has satisfactorily met the doctoral-level competencies and is prepared to proceed with dissertation research. Comprehensive exams for the PhD program are offered one-time each year, typically during the first full week of June. Students who do not pass the exam are offered one re-take. The re-take must be taken no sooner than one full semester later to allow for remedial actions, and no later than June the following year. The Department Chair and PhD Program Director must be notified by the student, with approval from the faculty mentor, at least two-months prior to the planned retake to schedule a date. If a student fails the exam a second time, he or she will normally be given the option to apply their credit-hours toward a terminal Master of Public Health degree. Each concentration implements the comprehensive examination in a different manner, but with similar expectations of rigor with examinations that that map back to program competencies. ample comprehensive examinations are provided in Appendix 2.5.a.1 located in the Electronic Resource File. Behavioral and Community Health: The examination is comprised of a “closed book” written examination that occurs in two 5-hour sessions on consecutive days. The student must submit their responses at the end of each day. An evaluation committee of at least two regular faculty members and another regular faculty member from another SPH department will write and evaluate the examination. The result of the evaluation will be based on consensus or majority vote of the faculty. Students receive a grade of “Pass,” “Pass with Reservations,” or “Fail” on each question. Students must receive a grade of at least “Pass with Reservations” on all sections of the examination to advance to candidacy. If the faculty examination committee believes one or more examination questions need further evaluation, they may request a follow-up oral examination after the first examination responses are graded. Oral examinations are scheduled within two weeks of the student being notified of the results of their examination. Students who fail any part of the examination may be assigned remedial work by their faculty committee, including the possibility of additional coursework. Students will be allowed to re-take the comprehensive examination one time. Biostatistics: The examination is a two-part exam. Part one is a 3-hour written exam constructed of free-response questions covering mainly mathematical statistics, and is completely closed reference. Part two is a three-day take-home exam covering, mainly, statistical methods and data analysis. The written examination is usually given on a Friday morning. After completion, the student is given the take-home portion to be returned the following Monday. The exam is initially graded by the department Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam Coordinator, then distributed to the Biostatistics faculty for evaluation and a recommendation of “Pass,” “Reassess,” “Conditional Fail,” or “Fail.” Students must receive a “Pass” to advance to candidacy. Students who receive a “Fail” are immediately terminated from the program, whereas a “Conditional Fail” allows the student to sit for the exam again during the next testing cycle. Students who receive a “Reassess,” are administered an additional oral examination within two weeks of the written exam, after which, the student will receive either a “Pass” or “Conditional Fail.”


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Environmental Health: This written comprehensive examination is in the form of a seven-day take-home exam consisting of three question types covering the competency areas of the doctoral program and concentration. The question types include: (1) critical analysis of a peer-reviewed manuscript; (2) organization and analyses of a database; and (3) an evaluation of a case-study. Each of the 3 questions is judged independently by a minimum of three primary review faculty members and presented at a meeting of department faculty. Students must receive a “Pass” on all sections of the examination to advance to candidacy. If the faculty examination committee believes one or more examination questions need further evaluation, they may request a follow-up oral examination. Students who receive a “Not Pass” for any section of the examination, in consultation with their faculty committee, will be assigned remedial work, including the possibility of additional coursework, and only need to retake the failed portion(s). Epidemiology: This written comprehensive examination is in the form of a 7-day take-home exam consisting of five question types covering the overarching competency areas of Research Theory, Critical Analysis, Research Methodology, Scientific Communication, Ethics and Discovery/Translational Research. The question types include: (1) critical analysis of a peer-reviewed manuscript; (2) organization and analyses of a database; (3) development of a study design and analytic methodology to address a self-generated hypothesis; (4) critical evaluation of a contemporary ethical issue; and (5) application and articulation of methods to resolve a methodological issue. Each of the 5 questions is judged independently by a minimum of three primary review faculty members, and presented at a meeting of department faculty. The student’s response to each question will be considered a “Pass” if the majority of the faculty vote “Pass.” In order to pass the examination, a student must pass by majority vote 4 of the 5 questions. An oral presentation may be requested for one or more questions if the faculty decides, by majority vote, that further evaluation or clarification is needed in order to determine whether the student has adequately demonstrated competency. Those students who receive a “Not Pass” for two or three questions are given one opportunity to re-take the exam for the questions receiving a “Not Pass.” If more than three questions receive a “Not Pass” the student must retake the entire exam. Health Services and Policy: In consultation with the doctoral exam committee students choose to do either (1) a 5 day open-book, closed session (8am - 5pm) exam where they write an NIH format grant proposal on a given topic, or (2) a 5 day open-book, closed session (8am - 5pm) where they are asked to answer a research question using a dataset that is provided. After completion of (1) or (2), the student gives an oral presentation of the project to the doctoral exam committee. The exam addresses all HMAP PhD competencies and is administered after completion of required coursework. Within one week following completion of the project, the student will be required to present his/her findings to the doctoral exam committee. The exam may receive either a “Pass” or “Fail,” as determined by majority vote of the doctoral exam committee. In the event of a tie, the department chair casts the deciding vote. Students are notified of exam results, and comments from the doctoral exam committee are also provided. In the event of a “Fail,” the student is required to retake the exam when it is next offered. The student will be expected to consult with the doctoral exam committee and advisor/major professor regarding preparation for the next scheduled exam. This preparation may include retaking relevant courses. The second and third component of the PhD culminating experience is the submission of a written and oral defense of the dissertation proposal, and then the final dissertation defense. These components are the same for all concentrations. This process allows for demonstration of: integration and synthesis of critical analysis in identifying knowledge gaps and proposing questions in the form of goals, aims and hypothesis to address these needs; design of ethical research


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methodologies to answer the developed questions; and skill in communication. It is required that a student receive unanimous approval for the dissertation proposal defense from the Dissertation Committee prior to beginning the dissertation research. If the dissertation proposal is found to be not acceptable the candidate must address the inadequacies or propose a different research question. The final component is the dissertation defense, where the student is required to submit a written dissertation and perform an oral defense as the final academic assessment. If a dissertation is found to be not acceptable by the student’s PhD Dissertation Committee, even with major revisions, the candidate is not recommended for the degree and may be dismissed from the program. 2.11.d. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. This criterion is met. Strengths: Students in all the concentrations of the PhD in Public Health Sciences degree program acquire a broad public health orientation, as well as a depth of education in a specific discipline. They accomplish this by taking core public health courses in combination with their concentration specific courses, interacting with students in different areas, performing extra curricula professional and academic development activities, and participating in school-wide activities that address core public health competencies. Weaknesses: None Plans: We will continue to provide a competency-based program. We plan on expanding opportunities for doctoral students to gain teaching experiences, and on determining ways to get academic students even more involved with professional development-based activities.

Criterion 2: Instructional Programs 2.12: Doctoral Degrees

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2.12 DOCTORAL DEGREES The school shall offer at least three doctoral degree programs that are relevant to three of the five areas of basic public health knowledge. 2.12.a. Identification of all doctoral programs offered by the school, by degree and area of specialization. The instructional matrix in Criterion 2.1.a may be referenced for this purpose. If the school is a new applicant and has graduates from only one doctoral program, a description of plans and a timetable for graduating students from the other two doctoral programs must be presented, with university documentation supporting the school’s projections. The School of Public Health offers two doctoral degrees, which comprise a total of six areas of specialization. Both advanced degree programs are designed to prepare leaders to advance the field of public health. The Doctor of Public Health Degree in Public Health Practice (DrPH) emphasizes the scholarship of application. DrPH students focus on optimizing public health practice through the application of existing research. During the program, students develop skills in translating research findings into evidence–based practice in real-world community and health system settings. Courses focus on theory, research methods, organizational management, policy, advocacy, implementation science, program planning and evaluation, and community engagement. The prior DrPH, with concentrations, had offered specialization in the areas of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Health Management and Policy and Social and Behavioral Science. In the fall of 2011, this program was modified to a single DrPH in Public Health Practice, and a PhD program with the five concentration areas began. Students in the DrPH Concentration with fewer than 24 SCH were offered the opportunity to apply to the PhD program or, the new DrPH program, or to complete the program into which they were originally accepted. The Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Public Health Science (PhD) emphasizes the scholarship of discovery and integration. The program consists of five areas of concentration (Behavioral and Community Health, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Environmental Health Sciences, and Health Services and Policy). PhD students focus on the creation of new knowledge through the testing of hypotheses. During the program, students develop skills in generating research questions to advance knowledge, research design, grant proposal development, collection and analysis of data, and communication of scientific findings. Courses focus on theory, research methods, statistics, and scientific writing. The doctoral programs were identified in Table 2.1.a.1 under Criterion 2.1.a. 2.12.b. Description of specific support and resources available to doctoral students including traineeships, mentorship opportunities, etc. Previously, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs acted as the Director for both doctoral programs, however, due to the growth of the doctoral programs, each now has its own Director. This allows for greater attention for overseeing student progress and program development. Each doctoral program also has a committee for program oversight. Both the PhD and DrPH program committees are composed of a faculty member from each department or concentration within the School of Public Health that is active within the respective doctoral programs, and these individuals


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serve as voting committee members. Also on each committee is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, staff members from the Office of Admission and Academic Services representing both recruitment and student services, and a student representative elected through the Public Health Student Government Association. In support of the importance that mentoring plays in the careers of doctoral students, doctoral students are accepted into the PhD program that have a match to a faculty member that can be a mentor based on the concentration and focus area. This promotes involvement in research activities from the beginning of the student’s program of study. Similarly, beginning in their first semester, DrPH students are also matched to faculty with existing community-based or health system-based projects in the DFW Metroplex. In the DrPH program, links with community organizations and health systems are important, and as such faculty mentors involve DrPH students in the academic-community partnerships of the School of Public Health. The School has an orientation process for all students. As many activities concern all students, MPH and doctoral students are together for these sessions. For content specific to the doctoral programs, doctoral students meet together. The objectives of this orientation program are to 1) provide incoming students with relevant programmatic and institutional information needed to be successful; 2) establish close connections to the faculty; and 3) foster academic and social relationships with other members of their cohort. Up to fifteen PhD and six DrPH doctoral students each year are offered a four-year partial scholarship starting the first year. Ten additional one-year competitive scholarships based on academic performance are available and offered following review by both the PhD and DrPH Doctoral committees and the School of Public Health Scholarship Committee. For doctoral students who meet the exceptional criteria, receive competitive scholarships, and are out of state, these scholarships allow for in-state tuition during the year these scholarships are provided. Doctoral students are also granted priority status for assignment as teaching assistantships, which often helps fund students in subsequent years if they are not fully supported through their faculty mentors or other funding awards. Advanced doctoral students may also be eligible to qualify as Teaching Fellows and be reimbursed for academic teaching. The School continues to work on growing its scholarship funds to be able to provide additional funding and funding for continuous years to all doctoral students. For 2013-2014, teaching or research assistant positions were offered to 83% of the PhD and 100% of the DrPH new entering students, and to 41% of all PhD and 39% of all DrPH students. For 2014-2015, teaching or research assistant positions were offered to 83% of the PhD entering students, and 67% of the DrPH entering students, and 46% of all PhD and 60% of all DrPH students. The SPH offered funding of some type to all PhD students. The mentoring and instructional opportunities resulting from these assistantships enhance the training students receive in the classroom. 2.12.c. Data on student progression through each of the school’s doctoral programs, to include the total number of students enrolled, number of students completing coursework and number of students in candidacy for each doctoral program. See CEPH Template 2.10.1. Table 2.12.c.1 below shows progression of students through the doctoral programs.


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Table 2.12.c.1: Doctoral Student Data for AY 2013-2014 (CEPH Data Template 2.10.1)

DrPH Public

Health Practice

PhD Public Health Science

DrPH Conc. Specific

# Newly Admitted in AY 2013-2014 5 5 0

# Currently Enrolled (Total) 17 25 1

# Completed Coursework during AY 2013-2014 0 1 0

# Advanced to Candidacy (Cumulative) during AY 2013-20141 0 2 0

# Graduated in AY 2013-2014 0 2 4

1For the PhD program this is satisfactory completion of the comprehensive exam. For the DrPH program this is satisfactory completion of the integrated competency exam. 2.12.d. Identification of specific coursework, for each degree, that is aimed at doctoral-level education. Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health Sciences Program The PhD program in Public Health Sciences prepares professionals for research, teaching, and service with the overall objective of improving the health of populations. To meet this objective, all students in the program pursue excellence in conducting research and disseminating knowledge. The primary focus is on research that advances knowledge and facilitates discovery regarding etiology, interventions, and policies that promote health at the individual, population, societal, and/or global levels. The PhD program requires a minimum of 90-semester credit hours (SCH) and a post-baccalaureate degree and is offered on a full time basis. The credit hours are divided between public health sciences core courses (33 SCH), the dissertation (12), and concentration area courses (45). A student may apply up to 42 SCH of previously taken graduate level courses toward the completion of the PhD coursework (Advanced Standing). All such courses are subject to approval by the Academic Advisor and the PhD Program Committee. In addition, all students must satisfactorily complete a comprehensive exam and professional and academic development (PAD) requirements. Upon completion of the PhD in Public Health Sciences core courses, the student will have demonstrated proficiency in the following competencies:

• Research Theories: Synthesize historical, contemporary, and emerging theories and paradigms of significance to public health.

• Critical Analysis: Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of existing research evidence and identify significant gaps in knowledge.

• Research Methodology: Comprehend, design and apply relevant and advanced research methods based on rigorous standards of evidence.

• Scientific Communications: Develop professional skills in scientific and grant writing, oral communication, and teaching.

• Ethics: Uphold the highest ethical standards in all professional endeavors, including the design and implementation of research and the participation of human subjects.

• Discovery and Translational Theory: Conduct investigative research, including areas that facilitate the translation and application of discovery to practice.

Common requirements are shown in Table 2.12.d.1 below. Following sections indicate the additional course work required as part of each concentration.


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Table 2.12.d.1: PhD Program Core Courses

Course # Credit Hours Course Name

BIOS 5300 or BIOS 5301 3 Principles of Biostatistics EOHS 5300 3 Environmental Determinants of Health I EPID 5300 3 Principles of Epidemiology HMAP 5300 3 Intro to Health Management and Policy BACH 5300

3 Theoretical Foundations of Individual and Community Health

BIOS 5310 3 Intermediate Biostatistics BIOS 6300 3 Advanced Methods for Biostatistics HMAP 6360 3 Ethical Issues in Public Health PHED 6314 3 Research Methods for Public Health Studies I PHED 6118 1 Research Methods for Public Health Studies II PHED 6220 2 Scientific and Grant Writing PHED 6321 3 Pedagogy in Public Health

Total Core Courses 33 60001 0 PhD Comprehensive Exam 6395 12 Doctoral Dissertation 60512 0 PhD Professional and Academic Development

Total Culminating Experiences/Dissertation 12 Total Core Program Credit Hours 45

1 Prefix for course number is based on department offerings (BACH, BIOS, EOHS, EPID, HMAP, and PHED) 2 New course number beginning fall of 2015. Professional and Academic Development (PAD) experiences comprise annual activities in the areas of research, service, teaching and journal club, with the accumulations of minimum points each year based on cumulative credit hours earned. Biostatistics PhD Concentration The concentration in biostatistics (presented in Table 2.12.d.2) focuses on the reasoning and methods for using data as evidence to address public health and biomedical questions. It is an approach and a set of tools for designing studies, analyzing data, quantifying evidence, and making decisions. The PhD curriculum will prepare the student for three roles (researcher, collaborator/communicator, and educator), that are commonly expected of a Biostatistician. Upon completion of the PhD in Public Health Sciences degree with a concentration in Biostatistics, the student will have demonstrated additional proficiency in the following research competencies:

• Perform independent research where original/new biostatistical foundations, methodologies or applications are developed.

• Review and synthesize literature and proposals critically from a biostatistical point of view in preparation for future peer-reviewed publications and grant proposals.

• Adapt and apply existing statistical methods as dictated by the needs of a particular study or project as it relates to, but not limited to, study design and analysis.

• Effectively translate biostatistical ideas, methods, and results to collaborating colleagues. • Identify biostatistical concepts and methods needed by specific population groups. • Disseminate the concepts and methods effectively through lectures and written materials.


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Table 2.12.d.2: Biostatistics Concentration


BIOS 6310 3 Probability and Statistical Inference BIOS 6311 3 Linear Models BIOS 6312 3 Methods of Survey Sampling BIOS 6314 3 Categorical Data Analysis BIOS 6320 3 Biostatistical Research and Consulting BIOS 6322 3 Longitudinal Data Analysis BIOS 6324 3 Survival Analysis BIOS 6326 3 Methods of Clinical Trials EPID 5312 3 Survey Research & Questionnaire Design EPID 5313 3 Intro to Database Management and Statistical Computing EPID 5310 3 Intermediate Epidemiology Total Concentration Core Required Courses 33

Concentration Electives1 12 Total Concentration Courses Credit Hours 45

1Electives - 12 semester credit hours with no more than 9 semester credit hours at the 5000 level. Advisor approval must be provided for all electives. Behavioral and Community Health PhD Concentration The concentration in behavioral and community health (presented in Table 2.12.d.3) provides a rigorous scientific approach to the study of the psychological, social and cultural factors that impact human health and health behavior. An understanding of these factors at multiple social-ecological levels, including individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and population levels, will be expected. Students will be prepared to perform basic and applied research, to teach, and to serve communities with the goals of promoting healthy lifestyles, reducing risk behaviors, and eliminating health disparities related to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or gender. Upon completion of the PhD in Public Health Sciences degree with a concentration in Behavioral and Community Health, the student will have demonstrated proficiency in the following additional competencies:

• Identify the role and impact of the psychological, behavioral, social, and cultural factors that promote population health as well as those which contribute to increased morbidity and mortality.

• Effectively engage communities as partners in promoting health, reducing risk behavior, and changing social conditions that undermine public health and safety.

• Develop, test, and implement interventions designed to achieve social and behavioral change.

• Conduct scientifically rigorous research on the social and/or behavioral determinants of health, and ways to reduce health disparities.


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Table 2.12.d.3: Behavioral and Community Health Concentration


BACH 5314 3 Quantitative Research Methods BACH 6300 3 Advanced Theories of Individual and Community Health BACH 6310 3 Qualitative Research Methods BACH 5313 3 Introduction to Statistical Packages BIOS 6312 3 Methods of Survey Sampling BIOS 6314 3 Categorical Data Analysis EPID 5310 3 Intermediate Epidemiology HMAP 6380 3 Health Services Research I Total Concentration Core Required Courses 24 Concentration Electives1 21

Total Concentration Courses Credit Hours 45 1Electives-21 semester credit hours with no more than 9 semester credit hours at the 5000 level. Advisor approval must be provided for all electives. Environmental Health Sciences PhD Concentration The concentration in environmental health sciences (presented in Table 2.12.d.4) will prepare students to research, teach and apply knowledge on the interrelationships between the environment and human health and their regional, national and global significance. Students will be equipped to apply their research skills and knowledge to recognize, evaluate and prevent exposures that may adversely impact human health and environmental quality, whether in the natural or human-made environment. Upon completion of the PhD in Public Health Sciences degree with a concentration in Environmental Health Sciences, the student will have demonstrated proficiency in the following additional competencies:

• Identify environmental agents and their sources, and discuss and describe the implications of sources, transport mechanisms, toxicodynamics, genetics, physiologic, psychological, social and cultural factors that influence exposure and/or health outcomes.

• Apply risk assessment and management strategies to environmental and occupational hazards.

• Employ the paradigms of environmental and occupational health (nature and sources of hazards; exposure, risk assessment and outcomes measures; susceptibility, culture, behavior, and disparities) to assess and design studies with environmental and occupational health implications.

Table 2.12.d.4: Environmental Health Sciences Concentration


EOHS 5331 3 Environmental & Occupational Sampling and Analysis Methods EOHS 6340 3 Human Health Risk Analysis and Exposure Assessment EOHS 5350 3 Environmental & Occupational Toxicology EOHS 6300 3 Environmental Determinants of Health 2 EOHS 6391 3 Advanced Topics in Environmental and Occupational Health

Sciences EPID 5310 3 Intermediate Epidemiology BIOS 6314 3 Categorical Data Analysis

Total Concentration Required Courses 21 Concentration Electives1 24

Total Concentration Courses Credit Hours 45

1Electives-24 semester credit hours with no more than 15 semester credit hours at the 5000 level, and 9 semester based credit hours must be methods courses. Advisor approval must be provided for all electives.


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Epidemiology PhD Concentration The concentration in epidemiology (presented in Table 2.12.d.5) prepares students contemplating a career as scientists employed in academia, research institutions, or in research units within industry or other agencies and organizations. The program is comprehensive, with a strong emphasis on epidemiologic methodology, theory, and practice. This broad and rigorous training will fully equip students with the skills they need to be engaged in conducting cutting-edge epidemiologic research within the many areas of public health. Upon completion of the PhD in Public Health Sciences degree with a concentration in Epidemiology, the student will have demonstrated proficiency in the following additional competencies: • Describe the theory underlying epidemiological methods, • Comprehend and apply epidemiologic methods to solve a variety of public health problems, and • Conduct primarily etiologic or other analytic and descriptive research studies through

appropriate formulation of a health problem, and the collection, assimilation, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of data on human populations and the physical, chemical and biologic environment.

Table 2.12.d.5: Epidemiology Concentration Course # Credit

Hours Course Name

EPID 5312 3 Survey Research and Questionnaire Design EPID 5313 3 Intro to Database Management and Statistical Computing EPID 5314 3 Applied Data Analysis in Epidemiology EPID 5318 3 Chronic Disease Epidemiology EPID 5320 3 Infectious Disease Epidemiology EPID 5310 3 Intermediate Epidemiology EPID 6328 3 Secondary Data Analysis EPID 6310 3 Advanced Methods in Epidemiology I EPID 6312 3 Advanced Methods in Epidemiology II EPID 6316 3 Molecular Epidemiology BIOS 6326 3 Methods of Clinical Trials BIOS 6314 3 Categorical Data Analysis BIOS 6324 3 Survival Analysis

Total Concentration Required Courses 39 Concentration Electives1 6 Total Concentration Courses Credit Hours 45

1Electives-6 semester credit hours with no more than 3 semester credit hours at the 5000 level. Advisor approval must be provided for all electives. Health Services and Policy PhD Concentration The concentration of health services and policy (presented in Table 2.12.d.6) prepares students for careers in research, teaching, and service in the broad field of health care services and policy. The program’s aim is to strengthen students’ knowledge and skills with respect to theories, research methodologies, and analytical skills. By developing these tools, students will be able to address a variety of issues, including health care access, cost-effectiveness, and process quality and outcomes evaluation. Upon completion of the PhD in Public Health Sciences degree with a concentration in Health Services and Policy, the student will have demonstrated proficiency in the following additional competencies:

• Apply knowledge of the structures, performance, quality, policy, and environmental context of health and health care to formulate solutions for health policy problems.

• Identify and compare survey, qualitative and mixed methods of collecting primary health and health care data, and assemble secondary data from existing public and private sources.

• Develop a conceptual model to specify study constructs for a health services and policy


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research question and develop variables that reliably and validly measure these constructs. • Ensure the ethical and responsible conduct of research in the design, implementation, and

dissemination of health services research.

Table 2.12.d.6: Health Services and Policy Concentration Course # Credit

Hours Course Name

HMAP 5326 3 Public Health Program Planning and Evaluation HMAP 5350 3 Health Economics HMAP 6300 3 Health Care Systems HMAP 6310 3 Advanced Health Policy HMAP 6330 3 Health Insurance and Managed Care HMAP 6340 3 Health Care Law HMAP 6350 3 Advanced Health Economics HMAP 6380 3 Health Services Research I HMAP 6382 3 Health Services Research II Total Concentration Core Required Courses 27

Concentration Electives1 18 Total Concentration Courses Credit Hours 45

1Electives-18 semester credit hours with no more than 9 semester credit hours at the 5000 level. Advisor approval must be provided for all electives.

Doctor of Public Health Practice Program The Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree in Public Health Practice (presented in Table 2.12.d.7) is an indication of distinguished scholarly accomplishment in the professional field. The DrPH program requires a minimum of 60-semester credit hours (SCH) post master’s degree, and is offered on a full time or part-time basis. The DrPH curriculum integrates the five core areas of public health, emphasizing work experience relevant to this advanced degree and addressing learning methods in the context of public health practice. To develop leadership skills, students interact and collaborate with senior public health practitioners through a variety of courses and the residency. Program content and learning experiences will address the public health competencies identified by the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH). Overall, upon completion of the DrPH program, the graduate will be able to demonstrate competencies in:

• Advocacy - Use scientific knowledge and ethical considerations to create and sustain active support for a cause or position with the intent of influencing decision-making regarding policies, practices and beliefs that advance public health at local, tribal, state, national, and international levels.

• Communication - Study and use communication strategies to inform and influence individual and community decisions that enhance health.

• Community/Cultural Orientation - Interact and communicate effectively with people of different cultures. This includes having:

o An awareness of one's own cultural worldview; o Mature attitudes toward cultural differences; o Knowledge of different cultural practices and worldviews; and o Possession of cross-cultural skills.

• Critical Analysis - Develop, synthesize, interpret, and apply evidence-based research and theory from a broad range of disciplines and health-related data sources to facilitate studies, interventions and policies for promoting population health.


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• Leadership - Inspire trust and motivate individuals and teams to use evidence-based strategies to envision and communicate a positive future that enhances essential public health services for all populations.

• Management - Provide fiscally responsible strategic and operational guidance for a variety of health -related organizations, both public and private, for the purpose of achieving individual and community health wellness.

• Professionalism and Ethics - Identify ethical issues, balance the claims of personal liberty against concerns about population health, consider the full spectrum of the determinants of health, identify the range of options for interventions, demonstrate the values and professional practices which form the basis of public health practice; understand and act upon the ethical concepts of social justice, virtue, and human rights; model accountability; and formulate and commit to personal and institutional development plans.

Table 2.12.d.7: DrPH in Public Health Practice


Pre-requisite required courses, or equivalent, prior to starting DrPH Program

HMAP 53001 3 Intro to Health Management & Policy BIOS 53001 3 Principles of Biostatistics EOHS 53001 3 Environmental Determinants of Health I BACH 53001 3 Theoretical Foundations of Individual & Community Health EPID 53001 3 Principles of Epidemiology DrPH Program Required Courses BACH 6300 3 Advanced Theories of Individual and Community Health HMAP 6322 3 Organizational Management HMAP 5330 3 Health Finance I HMAP 5328 3 Human Resources Management HMAP 5340 3 Public Health Law HMAP 6320 3 Leadership for Public Health HMAP 6360 3 Ethical Issues in Public Health HMAP 6310 3 Advanced Health Policy EPID 6311 3 Applied Epidemiology for Public Health PHED 5000 0 CPH Comprehensive Examination PHED 6000 0 Preliminary Examination PHED 6002 0 Integrated Competency Evaluation PHED 6050 0 DrPH Professional and Academic Development PHED 6122 1 Professional Development in Public Health Practice I PHED 6314 3 Methods for Public Health Studies I PHED 6316 3 Advanced Program Design & Evaluation for Public Health Practice PHED 6118 1 Methods for Public Health Studies II PHED 6325 3 Evidence-Based Public Health PHED 6124 1 Professional Development in Public Health Practice II PHED 6397 9 Doctor in Public Health Residency Total Credit Hours Required Courses 48 Concentration Electives2 12

Total Credit Hours 60 1MPH Core pre-requisite courses required for students entering DrPH program without an MPH. 2Electives - 12 semester credit hours with no more than 6 semester credit hours at the 5000 level. Advisor approval must be provided for all electives.


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2.12.e. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. This criterion is met. Strengths: Two distinct doctoral programs have been developed, one on the scholarship of research and the other on the scholarship of practice. The PhD program allows for five areas of specialization culminating in a dissertation and an oral defense. The DrPH program culminates in a residency experience and project, and a residency oral defense and symposia presentation. These programs provide students with courses that address public health knowledge, practice and leadership. Weaknesses: The SPH continues its development of its new DrPH degree program. An important area for improvement is the perception of some faculty members of an applied doctoral degree. As most faculty members have a PhD degree, developing an understanding of the legitimacy of the new DrPH degree, which does not include a traditional dissertation, is ongoing. Second, the DrPH degree must develop more advanced courses to increase elective offerings. Areas for potential courses might include implementation science, participatory approaches to community practice, the history of public health, and public health systems and organizations. Plans: The school is working to increase the funding, scholarship amount, and funding period for doctoral students in both programs to make it more competitive with that of similar schools of public health, as well as to improve recruitment and retention of promising students. With the addition of new faculty, the respective departments are adding additional advanced course work for doctoral students. The School is also following the results of the ASPPH Framing the Future initiative with regard to recommendations for the DrPH degree.

Criterion 2: Instructional Programs 2.13: Joint Degrees

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2.13 JOINT DEGREES Joint Degrees. If the school offers joint degree programs, the required curriculum for the professional public health degree shall be equivalent to that required for a separate public health degree. 2.13.a. Identification of joint degree programs offered by the school. The instructional matrix in Criterion 2.1.a may be referenced for this purpose The UNTHSC-SPH defines dual degree programs as formal programs that result in the awarding of two degrees. In this capacity, the SPH has three dual degree programs with the MPH. These programs are outlined in the instructional matrix in Criterion 2.1.a. and are also listed below:

• MPH/MS-Anthropology, a collaboration with the Department of Anthropology at the University of North Texas - Denton

• MPH/MSN, a collaboration with the School of Nursing at the University of Texas - Arlington • MPH/DO, a collaboration with the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM) at the

UNTHSC. Students in these programs are evaluated and admitted separately to each school. Admission to one program does not assure admission to the other. Students complete requirements for each degree separately and receive diplomas and transcripts from each of the participating schools. In each of the following programs, students must complete the MPH core curriculum, which includes a course in biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health, health management and policy, and community health. Table 2.13.a.1 shows new student enrollment for each of the dual-degree programs from 2011-12 to present.

Table 2.13.a.1: New Enrollment in Dual Degree Programs Dual Degree Program 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015

MPH/MS-Anthropology 0 0 6 3

MPH/MSN 0 0 1 1

MPH/DO 0 4 2 1

2.13.b. A list and description of how each joint degree program differs from the standard degree program. The school must explain the rationale for any credit sharing or substitution as well as the process for validating that the joint degree curriculum is equivalent. Students in the dual degree programs are accepted using the same admission process and criteria required for all MPH students. The required course of study signifying the MPH coursework, shared coursework, and the required coursework from the secondary program is outlined in each program profile found online at: http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20005/school_of_public_health/2994/2014-2015_program_profile MPH/MS-Anthropology The MPH/MS Applied Anthropology dual degree program prepares public health professionals with an in-depth knowledge of medical anthropology. Students learn how to apply anthropological concepts to problems in public health practice. Students are prepared to perform community-based

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20005/school_of_public_health/2994/2014-2015_program_profile



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research, analyze social and cultural influences on health and illness, and advocate for the elimination of local and global health disparities. This 2.5 year program prepares students for careers in research, public health, and public policy planning relating to health and health care in the U.S. or in an international setting. The MPH/MS Applied Anthropology dual degree program is comprised of 63 credit hours. Students complete 36 credit hours in Public Health and 27 credit hours in Applied Anthropology to satisfy master’s degree requirements in both Public Health and Applied Anthropology. Within the later 27 credit hours, 18 hours are shared by the UNTHSC School of Public Health and the Department of Applied Anthropology at UNT-Denton. A total of 12 of these credit hours from UNT-Denton (ANTH 5210, ANTH 5201, ANTH 5031, & ANTH 5041) are transferred to the students’ MPH degree program to satisfy UNTHSC degree requirements. With the exception of Quantitative Research Methods (BACH 5314) and Qualitative Research Methods (BACH 6310), students in the MPH/MS Applied Anthropology dual degree program complete all required coursework in the UNTHSC MPH-Community Health concentration. Ethnographic and Qualitative Methods (ANTH 5031) and Quantitative Methods (ANTH 5041) at UNT-Denton are substituted for BACH 5314 and BACH 6310. Students complete Public Health Practice Experience (BACH 5297) and Applied Thesis (ANTH 5950) concurrently. Applied Thesis (ANTH 5950) includes a field experience that focuses on some aspect of public health. Consistent with School of Public Health policy, students in the MPH/MS Applied Anthropology dual degree program do not take the MPH Comprehensive examination because they complete a thesis. The MPH/MS Applied Anthropology curriculum is presented in Table 2.13.b.1.

Table 2.13.b.1: MPH/MS Applied Anthropology Dual Degree (63 Credits)

SPH Required Courses 36 Credit Hours BACH 5300 Theoretical Foundations of Individual and Community Health 3 BIOS 5300 Biostatistics for Public Health I 3 EOHS 5300 Environmental Determinants of Health 3 EPID 5300 Principles of Epidemiology 3 HMAP 5300 Introduction to Health Management and Policy 3 BACH 5313 Data Management and Statistical Computing 3 BACH 5340 Community Assessment and Program Planning 3 BACH 5345 Participatory Approaches to Improving Community Health 3 BACH 5350 Community Health Program Evaluation 3 Elective (any course in SPH) 3 Elective (any course in SPH) 3 BACH 5297 Public Health Practice Experience (Students take BACH 5297 and ANTH 5950 –

Applied Thesis concurrently) 1.5

PHED 5197 MPH Professional and Academic Development 1.5 Courses Accepted from UNT-Denton Department of Applied Anthropology 18 Credit Hours

ANTH 5210 Anthropology in Public Health 3 ANTH 5201 Medical Anthropology 3 ANTH 5031 Ethnographic and Qualitative Methods 3 ANTH 5041 Quantitative Methods 3

UNT MS Anthropology Required Courses 9 Credit Hours ANTH 5010 Thought and Praxis I 3 ANTH 5021 Thought and Praxis II 3 ANTH 5050 Preparation for Practice and Applied Thesis 3

Culminating Requirements 6 Credit Hours PHED 5000 Certified in Public Health Examination 0 ANTH 5950 Applied Thesis (6 SCH) 6


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DO/MPH The primary goal of the DO/MPH program is to provide clinical professionals with specialized public health training to develop, integrate, and apply culturally competent social, psychological, and biomedical approaches to the promotion and preservation of health. Physicians with training in public health may work in a wide range of positions in public, private, or academic settings. The MPH degree offers the physician a significant advantage when seeking jobs that involve planning and managing health systems, performing clinical research, determining the causes of disease, or planning and implementing disease control strategies. Physicians with the MPH degree work in health departments, federal agencies, managed care and other health provider organizations, schools of public health and medicine, in the private practice arena, and in many other federal and international agencies. The MPH/DO student completes the coursework as outlined in the 42-credit Professional Option program profile using 12 semester credit hours that are transferred from the DO rural medicine program as elective credit. The DO/MPH curriculum is presented in Table 2.13.b.2.

Table 2.13.b.2: DO/MPH Dual Degree (42 Credits)

SPH Required Courses 25.5 Credit Hours BACH 5300 Theoretical Foundations of Individual and Community Health 3 BIOS 5300 Biostatistics for Public Health I 3 EOHS 5300 Environmental Determinants of Health 3 EPID 5300 Principles of Epidemiology 3 HMAP 5300 Introduction to Health Management and Policy 3 HMAP 6360 Ethical Issues in Public Health 3 HMAP 6320 Leadership in Public Health 3 HMAP 5320 Health Services Management 3 PHED 5000 Certified in Public Health Examination 0 PHED 5197 Professional and Academic Development 1.5

Courses Accepted/Transferred from Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM) 12 SCH MEDE 7411 Fundamentals of Rural Medicine Practice I 3 MEDE 7624 Applied Principles of Rural Medicine I 3 MEDE 7416 Fundamentals of Rural Medicine Practice II 3 MEDE 7220 Applied Principles of Rural Medicine II 3

Culminating Requirements 4.5 SCH PHED 5297 Public Health Practice Experience 1.5 PHED 5302 MPH-PO Capstone 3 MPH/MSN The MPH/MSN is a 57 semester credit hour cooperative program offered by the University of North Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health and the University of Texas at Arlington School of Nursing (UTA-SON). The Health Management & Policy concentration is oriented toward nursing professionals who want to supplement their training with practical public health experience that is specifically geared toward management and policy. The UNTHSC School of Public Health is not currently accepting applications for the MPH/MSN dual degree program due to the restructuring of the MSN program at the University of Texas –Arlington. At this time, their program is not accepting applications. The students who are currently enrolled will continue to follow the coursework that was provided to them upon admission. The MPH/MSN curriculum is presented in Table 2.13.b.3.


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Table 2.13.b.3: MPH/MSN Dual Degree (57 Credits)

SPH Required Courses 24 Credit Hours BACH 5300 Theoretical Foundations of Individual and Community Health 3 BIOS 5300 Biostatistics for Public Health I 3 EOHS 5300 Environmental Determinants of Health 3 EPID 5300 Principles of Epidemiology 3 HMAP 5300 Introduction to Health Management and Policy 3 HMAP 5326 Program Planning and Evaluation 3 HMAP 5350 Health Economics 3 HMAP 5340 Public Health Law 3

Courses Accepted/Transferred from UTA School of Nursing 9 Credit Hours NURS 5382 Health Policy (Pre-req N5327) (Credit for HMAP 5312 – Health Politics and Policy) 3 NURS 5341 Financial Management (Pre-req N5327) (Credit for HMAP 5330 – Health Finance I; 45

Practicum Hours) 3

NURS 5342 Management of Nursing Operations (Pre-req N5341) (Credit for HMAP 5320 – Health Services Management; 45 Practicum Hours) 3

UTA School of Nursing Required Courses 18 Credit Hours NURS 5327 NURS 5327 Theory FA/SP 3 3 NURS 5301 NURS 5301 Research FA/SP 3 3 NURS 5328 NURS 5328 Theory & Research Application (Pre-req N5327 & N5301) FA/SP 3 3 NURS 5311 NURS 5311 Nursing Management (Pre-req N5327) FA 3 3 NURS 5339 NURS 5339 Role of Administrator (Pre-req N5311) (1-6 90 Practicum Hours) FA 3 3 NURS 5340 NURS 5340 Management Seminar (1-6 90 Practicum Hours) (Students will take HMAP

5397 3

Culminating Requirements 6 Credit Hours HMAP 500 Comprehensive Exam 0 Elective (SPH course approved by advisor) 3 Elective (SPH course approved by advisor) 3 OR OR HMAP 5395 Thesis 6

2.13.c. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. This criterion is met. Strengths: All dual degree students receive the same MPH learning experiences and are assigned the same designated program advisor within their respective departments. In addition, with new leadership at UNTHSC and the new push toward inter-professional education, the School of Public Health is consistently asked to have greater integration with clinical degree programs. Challenges: The major challenge is increasing the enrollment in our dual degree programs. Plans: The UNTHSC School of Public Health is not actively engaged in creating new dual degree programs at this time.

Criterion 2: Instructional Programs Distance Education and Executive Degree Programs

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2.14 DISTANCE EDUCATION AND EXECUTIVE PROGRAMS Distance Education or Executive Degree Programs. If the school offers degree programs using formats or methods other than students attending regular on-site course sessions spread over a standard term, these programs must a) be consistent with the mission of the school and within the school’s established areas of expertise; b) be guided by clearly articulated student learning outcomes that are rigorously evaluated; c) be subject to the same quality control processes that other degree programs in the school and university are; and d) provide planned and evaluated learning experiences that take into consideration and are responsive to the characteristics and needs of adult learners. If the school offers distance education or executive degree programs, it must provide needed support for these programs, including administrative, travel, communication and student services. The school must have an ongoing program to evaluate the academic effectiveness of the format, to assess learning methods and to systematically use this information to stimulate program improvements. The school must have processes in place through which it establishes that the student who registers in a distance education or correspondence education course or degree is the same student who participates in and completes the course or degree and receives the academic credit. 2.14.a. Identification of all degree programs that are offered in a format other than regular, on-site course sessions spread over a standard term, including those offered in full or in part through distance education in which the instruction and student are separated in time or place or both. The instructional matrix in Criterion 2.1.a may be referenced for this purpose. As indicated in the Instructional Matrix, Table 2.1.a.1, the School offers the MPH Professional Option (MPH PO) in an online distance learning format. The MPH PO requires 42 credit hours and can be completed in two years. The first cohort of students was admitted in AY 2010-2011. And since program inception, 15 students have graduated. Degree completion rates for the MPH PO are located in Appendix 2.7.b.1 in the Electronic Resource File. 2.14.b. Description of the distance education or executive degree programs, including an explanation of the model or methods used, the School’s rationale for offering these programs, the manner in which it provides necessary administrative and student support services, the manner in which it monitors the academic rigor of the programs and their equivalence (or comparability) to other degree programs offered by the School, and the manner in which it evaluates the educational outcomes, as well as the format and methodologies. Online courses were developed to supplement courses offered in the classroom. To date, all courses offered in the online format have been courses that were converted from the classroom version. Online classes are offered in an eight-week format, which is different from the typical sixteen week semester classroom version. This allows for five sessions to be offered in an academic year: Fall I,


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Fall II, Spring I, Spring II and Summer. The purpose of the eight week format is to allow the adult learner to concentrate on one course at a time. The first online course was offered in the Fall I session of 2012. Subsequent semesters offered additional courses until the entire curriculum of the MPH Professional Option program was available in online courses as of Spring II, 2014. Methods Used Canvas is the Learning Management system used, and is one of the most user-friendly, open-source learning platforms available. Content delivery is achieved using multiple methods, which include recorded audio lectures that are combined with Power Point overheads through the use of Camtasia Relay software and screen-capture technology, required readings combined with case-study evaluations and discussion groups, and so on. For recorded lectures, Camtasia, or similar software, is a cost-effective way for faculty to record live lectures and meetings from a Mac or PC. These recordings are then uploaded to the class website on Canvas. This allows students to view lectures they could not attend and repeat lectures they did not understand. Each class requires three to four hours per week of asynchronous lectures. Faculty and teaching assistants moderate online discussion groups for an additional six hours per week. Participation in online discussion groups is either encouraged or required. Other course activities may include reading textbooks, study guides, or other literature; participating in group or individual projects; and submitting recorded presentations and written work. Rationale The decision to offer classes in the online format was based on the results of the annual Student Satisfaction Survey conducted by UNTHSC (discussed in detail in Criterion 4.4.c). From several years of information obtain from the Survey, students requested that courses be offered in an alternative delivery method. Students stated that as undergraduate students, they had experienced online courses and were interested in the same offering for graduate courses. Online classes provide access to high-quality educational opportunities for students unable to attend the campus-based classes. The online format better meets the needs of working professionals seeking advanced training and credentials. Among these working professionals are physicians, nurses, veterinarians, dentists, and public health workers. Student and Administrative Support The UNTHSC Center for Innovative Learning, formerly the Center for Online Education, provides support services for faculty and students. The center also provides training and instruction for a variety of technology applications. The center provides various services for students, such as online tutoring and accommodations for students with disabilities. The center assists faculty in course development and provides ongoing technical support. Faculty advising is based on the program a given student is enrolled in. The MPH Online Program Director serves as the faculty advisor to all students who are in the MPH Professional Option, and the Certificate in Public Health Program. Students who take online courses associated with other programs all have designated advisors. Academic Rigor Distance learning classes use the same course learning outcomes, competencies, and the same evaluation methods as the campus classes. All online classes have the same expectations of student performance. There is no distinction made during the admission process as to whether students will be taking classes in an online or campus-based format.


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Course syllabi are nearly identical to the course offered in the classroom. All competencies and learning outcomes are the same. The only difference is that the online syllabi include additional instructions on etiquette and standardized week start/stop times to ensure consistency amongst online courses. In addition, students evaluate all online courses through the IDEA System which is also used to evaluate campus courses. IDEA course evaluations are presented in Appendix 2.1.b.1 and will be available for review during the site-visit. The same survey instrument for teaching evaluations is used for both online and campus courses. Students’ assessment of the quality of instruction is not significantly different for the online as compared to campus classes. All student papers are submitted to Turn-It-In, a similarity checking service. This service evaluates student manuscripts and identifies duplicate content that may indicate plagiarism. The Quality Matters™ Program (www.qualitymatters.org) is a research-centered approach to quality assurance and continuous improvement for online learning. The goal of the program is to enable faculty to increase student engagement, learning, and satisfaction in online courses by implementing better course design. In January, 2014, one of our online classes (BIOS 5300) was certified by Quality Matters, receiving 93 out of a possible 95 points. As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, plans are underway for all online classes to be certified using Quality Matters. How Outcomes Are Evaluated Online and onsite courses are developed and delivered using identical competencies. Competency assessment is guided by standardized rubrics that are utilized by faculty and practicum preceptors. Competency assessments are based on various approaches, such as written papers, exercises, and practical skills. Course evaluations and student competency self-assessments did not find any significant differences between the online vs. campus classes. 2.14.c. Description of the processes that the school uses to verify that the student who registers in a distance education course or degree is the same student who participates and completes the course or degree and receives the academic credit. During the AY 2010-1011, the SPH launched a series of policies and procedures that would lead to a culture of academic integrity. After an orientation and explanation of expectations for professional behavior and integrity, incoming SPH students sign an “Academic Integrity Agreement” indicating that they will adhere to the Student Code of Conduct and Discipline and all other policies related to ethical behavior during matriculation as a student within the SPH. This agreement is required of all students, including those who participate and complete online courses. In addition, each student signs an “Honor Statement for Examinations” for each of their examinations stating that no unauthorized assistance was given or received in the completion of the assessment. To promote further the expectation of academic honesty and to provide high integrity online courses, the SPH has worked closely with the Center for Innovative Learning. Most recently in the fall of 2014, a work team led by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs from the SPH joined members from the Center for Innovative Learning, the Office of Testing and Evaluation Services, the Vice-Provost and the Assistant Vice-Provost to explore options for online proctoring tools. The work team reviewed different resources for proctoring students in an online course format. The team identified ProctorTrack, an online proctoring tool developed by Canvas’ premier partner Verificient Technologies, as being superior in quality and a strong match for utilization within the SPH and the UNTHSC.


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The SPH piloted the implementation of Proctortrack in a single course during the fall of 2014, BACH 5313/EPID 5313, Introduction to Database Management and Statistical Computing. At the completion of the pilot, the faculty instructor and the students provided feedback to the work team. Several factors including cost effectiveness, ease of use by the students, ease of utilization via Canvas by the online support staff, and the effectiveness in monitoring students' integrity were considered in the final selection of an online proctoring tool. After further deliberation with the Assistant Vice Provost, our Associate Dean for Academic Affairs finalized the implementation of the ProctorTrack for all of the SPH's online courses effective the spring of 2015. The SPH will continue to work closely with the Center for Innovative Learning in the roll-out of this initiative. 2.14.d. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met. This criterion is met. Strengths The online process used by the SPH has several strengths. The course competencies, learning outcomes and academic rigor are the same for both online and campus classes. Course evaluation results for the online courses are not significantly different than those for the evaluations in the campus courses using the IDEA system. In addition, the Center for Innovative Learning provides support for distance learning to faculty and students. Moreover, the number of online courses offered, as well as the overall enrollment, has increased since its inception in 2012. Weaknesses The SPH does not currently use a verification service for student examinations, but is implementing ProctorTrack software for the spring 2015 semester. Plans As noted, the SPH plans to employ a third party verification service for all online examinations. Moreover, we plan to keep pace with new technologies for improving the student’s experience and to achieve Quality Matters certification for all online classes. Additional online classes are under development in order to increase flexibility for distance students.

Creation, Application and Advancement of Knowledge 3.1: Research

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CRITERION 3: CREATION, APPLICATION AND ADVANCEMENT OF KNOWLEDGE

3.1 RESEARCH The school shall offer instructional programs reflecting its stated mission and goals, leading to the Master of Public Health (MPH) or equivalent professional master’s degree in at least the five areas of knowledge basic to public health. The school may offer other degrees, professional and academic, and other areas of specialization, if consistent with its mission and resources. 3.1.a. The school shall pursue an active research program, consistent with its mission, through which its faculty and students contribute to the knowledge base of the public health disciplines, including research directed at improving the practice of public health. Overview Active Research Program, Consistent with Mission The UNTHSC School of Public Health pursues an active research program that is consistent with the SPH and Health Science Center mission to create solutions for a healthier community. The research program aims to improve public health through the discovery and application of knowledge, the evaluation of programs and policies, and the communication of relevant knowledge and evidence for improving public health practice. Faculty and students collaborate to contribute to the knowledge base of public health in and across disciplines, through funded research and evaluation, publication and active dissemination of scholarly work, interdisciplinary scholarly exchange, and translation of research into practice settings. The SPH research program is an essential part of the educational mission of the SPH. There are formal and informal mechanisms to support faculty and students in their public health research efforts within and across disciplines; to advance development and dissemination of public health knowledge; and to promote hands-on, mentored and shared scholarship opportunities for students throughout their studies. Formal mechanisms include the Texas Prevention Institute and affiliated research centers, the North Texas Health Forum, the Memoranda of Agreement with public health partners, Research Appreciation Day, the Office of Research Services, the BEST Scholarship Program, Journal Club, Research Assistantships, and Thesis and Dissertation Committees. Seeking and Advancing Solutions Together Equally important are the strong informal research mechanisms that support the mission of the SPH, which is to create solutions for a healthier community and our vision, which is to be the team of choice. UNTHSC SPH is known in the community and region as the go-to organization for testing ideas for community initiatives, e.g., Blue Zones, putting research skills into practice, e.g., West Nile mosquito surveillance, and evaluating innovative health improvement and behavioral health strategies. Faculty and students join with community partners to conduct environmental and epidemiologic investigations, as well as to conduct research and evaluation studies. A common model of working together is a vertically integrated research team (faculty member(s), doctoral student(s), 2nd year MPH and 1st year MPH students). This model enables faculty members to


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sustain academic-community partnerships, develop student research and leadership capacity, produce scholarly work, and respond nimbly to requests from public health partners, e.g., focus group facilitation, needs assessment support, GIS work, and survey data analyses. Here are a few examples of solution-driven research initiatives aimed at improving public health practice, and involving interdisciplinary teams of faculty and students:

• Safe Sleep, which aims to reduce African American infant mortality in Tarrant County; • Reaching Teens, which is web-based resiliency training that is evaluated for the Mental

Health Connection of Tarrant County and is in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics;

• MAPIT, an innovative web-based intervention targeting substance abuse treatment in the criminal justice system, developed and tested via a multisite randomized trial;

• TB Control Economic Evaluation which is in partnership with CDC and Tarrant County Public Health;

• Telehealth-Monitoring System for chronically-ill Medicaid patients – the initiative includes its implementation and evaluation;

• Asthma 411, a pilot implementation of an evidence-based school focused approach for the management of Asthma, in partnership with the Fort Worth Independent School District.

Strategic Research Focus Research and scholarship in the School of Public Health are organized around a school-level research plan targeting these five areas:

• Pulmonary disease, including Airways Management (Asthma and COPD), and tuberculosis management;

• Prevention of substance abuse and other high risk behaviors; • Cancer prevention; • Economic evaluation; and • Translational and community-based research.

With the solutions-focused mission of UNTHSC, the SPH is currently engaging in research on strategic planning and implementation. While continuing the targeted research effort in the five areas identified above, the SPH is (1) bringing these research activities together under the umbrella of the Texas Prevention Institute with a shared strategic research goal; (2) restructuring and improving research services, including expanding the methodological support (research methods core); and (3) engaging faculty in identifying the four or five public health challenges that SPH researchers aspire to tackle and make a difference in the next decade. SPH Research Strategic Plan for AY 2013 – AY 2014 Goal: Strengthen our research program and capacity to engage in research related to pressing public health concerns across the lifespan, with attention to the social determinants of health and the opportunities to develop public health solutions at multiple levels (Fort Worth, Texas, national, international) and sectors of society, e.g., transportation, housing, education.

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20005/school_of_public_health/623/airways_management_asthma_and_copd

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20005/school_of_public_health/625/cancer

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20005/school_of_public_health/625/cancer

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20005/school_of_public_health/626/economic_evaluation

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20005/school_of_public_health/626/economic_evaluation

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20005/school_of_public_health/627/translation_and_community-based

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20005/school_of_public_health/627/translation_and_community-based


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Objectives: 1. Build research infrastructure (AY 2013): Develop an SPH Office of Research Services

(ORS) that provides proactive, user-friendly, responsive research support. Outputs: (1) SPH-TPI research administration infrastructure (oversight by SPH Research Committee; director hired; organizational chart and reporting relationships approved; roles defined, positions approved, and staff hired; professional development and training plan); (2) workshops and training (including NIH new investigator grant writing workshop, Cayuse training); (3) an internal peer review process; (4) NIH and other grant templates (e.g., PHS 398 Resources); (5) an advisory committee; (6) an internal communication plan, including publication of quarterly Research Insight.

2. Expand collaborations and partnerships for research and evaluation that are public health solutions-focused, with particular attention to Fort Worth. Outputs: (1) expand collaboration with Tarrant County Public Health with regard to existing and new projects identified as mutual concern regarding local public health; (2) Collaborate with the John Peter Smith (JPS) Health System (local public hospital and medical provider) in the development of the JPS Research Institute, through which joint resources could be used to investigate local delivery problems.

3. Create an integrated research methods core (AY 2014): Develop a methods core that includes tools and support for community-based participatory research, biostatistics, evaluation, measurement, health outcomes, data analytics, and genomics. The core will provide robust research support and methodological innovation, with particular attention to tools and methods for supporting research in health disparities. Outputs: (1) inventory of research methods, tools and faculty skill sets; (2) Biostatistics and Evaluation Services and Training (BEST) consulting service business plan and cost center; (3) BEST sponsored workshop series on research methods.

4. Increase visibility of SPH researchers and their contributions (AY 2013 and AY 2014). Outputs: (1) Web-based (Zotero) electronic repository of all publications of SPH researchers; (2) professional videos (displayed on SPH webpage, YouTube) of each faculty member’s research emphasizing “public health solutions;” (3) system for tracking all SPH research and evaluation projects and funding; Research Gate enrollment of all faculty members, linked to UNTHSC SPH faculty profile page.

5. Promote research culture and collaboration (AY 2013 and AY 2014) among SPH and TPI researchers and students, UNTHSC colleagues, agency and community partners, health care and public health systems. Outputs: (1) Monthly Works-In-Progress (WIPs) lunch sessions; (2) Research Schmooze (SPH and UNTHSC); (3) BEST trainings in methods – statistical programming, use of secondary data sources, project management.

6. Identify 4 to 5 public health challenges that we aspire to tackle and make a difference in the next decade (AY 2014), e.g., mobilizing and engaging Fort Worth community partners in multi-sector approaches to promoting healthy lifestyles and creating safe and walkable neighborhoods. Outputs: Identification of long-term solutions-focused research areas of excellence, key partners, opportunities and resources.


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Research Infrustructure

Health Institutes of Texas (HIT) http://web.unthsc.edu/research/HIT The UNTHSC supports nine, cross-school research centers and institutes, forming the Health Institutes of Texas (HIT). HIT leverages UNTHSC’s growing expertise in public health, interdisciplinary scientific research, and health sciences training and delivery. These institutes use a common solutions-focused framework:

1. Determine/refine problem 2. Solve the problem using multidisciplinary approach to translational research 3. Implement the solution through student and provider education, prevention, etc. 4. Measure outcomes

Utilizing this framework, UNTHSC researchers and the HIT work collaboratively to improve the health of Texans by reducing disparities, developing new treatments and therapies, and improving access to care in rural and underserved communities in Texas (http://web.unthsc.edu/research/HIT, accessed August 24, 2014).

The nine HIT centers and institutes are:

• Cardiovascular Research Institute (CRI) URL: http://web.unthsc.edu/hscsites/CardiovascularResearchInstitute/

• Center for Fluorescence Technologies and Nanomedicine (CFTN) http://web.unthsc.edu/cftn/

• Focused on Resources for her Health Education and Research (FOR HER) http://web.unthsc.edu/research/forher/

• Institute for Aging and Alzheimer s Disease Research (IAADR) http://web.unthsc.edu/research/IAADR

• Institute for Cancer Research (ICR) http://web.unthsc.edu/research/ifd/ICR/

• Institute of Applied Genetics (IAG) http://web.unthsc.edu/info/200210/forensic_and_investigative_genetics/883/institute_of_applied_genetics_iag

• North Texas Eye Research Institute (NTERI) http://www.nteri.org/

• The Texas Center for Health Disparities (TCHD) http://web.unthsc.edu/research/TPI/healthdisparities

• Texas Prevention Institute (TPI) http://web.unthsc.edu/research/TPI/healthdisparities

School faculty may choose to work in any of these institutes. SPH faculty members are primarily engaged with two institutes, the Texas Prevention Institute and the Texas Center for Health Disparities.

Texas Prevention Institute (TPI) http://web.unthsc.edu/research/TPI/healthdisparities Researchers engage in community-based participatory research (CBPR) as well as clinical and organizational primary care research in a large number of research studies and under the umbrella

http://web.unthsc.edu/research/HIT

http://web.unthsc.edu/research/HIT

http://web.unthsc.edu/hscsites/CardiovascularResearchInstitute/

http://web.unthsc.edu/cftn/

http://web.unthsc.edu/research/forher/

http://web.unthsc.edu/research/IAADR

http://web.unthsc.edu/research/ifd/ICR/

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/200210/forensic_and_investigative_genetics/883/institute_of_applied_genetics_iag

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/200210/forensic_and_investigative_genetics/883/institute_of_applied_genetics_iag

http://www.nteri.org/

http://web.unthsc.edu/research/TPI/healthdisparities




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of the Texas Prevention Institute, the most significant of the institutes for the School. Physically housed in the SPH, the Texas Prevention Institute (TPI) functions as a core entity for supporting, developing, and improving research and training programs. Aiming to reduce the burden of chronic disease in under-served communities, TPI researchers apply methods of community engagement, health promotion, comparative effectiveness, clinical practice, basic science, and health policy research approaches for the purpose of preventing diseases among high-risk populations. Some faculty members perform studies under the auspices of one of the two centers in the TPI, i.e., the Center for Community Health and the Center for Primary Care Research, but others work directly through the TPI.

For example, Dr. Heather Kitzman-Ulrich conducts several projects associated with the TPI. These include two National Institutes of Health funded research studies evaluating weight management programs, one in Hispanic families conducted in the YMCA, and an NIH R01 study evaluating a tailored face-to-face and online program for African American families. She is also conducting a USA YMCA funded project to evaluate community to clinic gaps related to obesity related health disparities. In addition, she conducts several student facilitated weight management programs in community centers in collaboration with the YMCA of both Dallas and Tarrant County, and with Cook Children’s Medical Center neighborhood clinics. She has recently completed an obesity prevention program and outcome evaluation of activities related to community policy for obesity prevention, as well as a community garden program that is set up within faith-based centers to improve access to healthy foods in food desert communities.

Center for Community Health (CCH) http://web.unthsc.edu/research/tpi/cch Within TPI, the Center for Community Health (CCH) supports four major community health initiatives that are led by school faculty and staff:

• Breast Cancer Program: http://web.unthsc.edu/info/200611/center_for_community_health/2491/dallas_breast_cancer_project

• H3: Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies, Healthy Community: http://web.unthsc.edu/info/200611/center_for_community_health/1097/healthy_moms_healthy_babies_healthy_community

• Obesity Prevention and Outreach: http://web.unthsc.edu/info/200611/center_for_community_health/2599/obesity_prevention_and_outreach

• Tarrant County Cancer Disparities Coalition: http://web.unthsc.edu/info/200611/center_for_community_health/2897/tarrant_county_cancer_disparities_coalition

The Breast Cancer Program is described here to illustrate the scope and magnitude of community health improvement research. Several SPH students are actively involved in this project which focuses on reducing breast cancer disparities in vulnerable and underserved populations in Dallas County, Texas. The Breast Cancer Program includes:

• The Dallas Cancer Disparities Community Research Coalition project is a $299,930 Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) grant. The purpose of this project is to implement an innovative community-based education intervention to reduce and eliminate breast cancer disparities in the South Dallas/Fair Park area. (Project completed.)

http://www.hsc.unt.edu/research/tpi/

http://web.unthsc.edu/research/tpi/cch

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/200611/center_for_community_health/2897/tarrant_county_cancer_disparities_coalition

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/200611/center_for_community_health/2897/tarrant_county_cancer_disparities_coalition


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• The Comprehensive Breast Cancer Prevention for High Risk Women in Dallas County project, funded by a $1.4 million Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) grant, expands the ongoing work to encompass all of Dallas County. The project implements a comprehensive, integrated breast cancer prevention program, including outreach and education, delivery of screening services, follow-up navigation, and cancer-preventive behavior maintenance, targeted to the highest risk women, who are age 40 and older, in Dallas County.

Center for Primary Care Research (CPCR) http://web.unthsc.edu/research/tpi/pcrc The mission of the CPCR is “to improve the health of Texas citizens through interdisciplinary primary care and public health service, research, and education.” A major aspect of the CPCR is NorTex, a network of over 100 primary physicians and clinical researchers who are located in and around North Texas. For example, Dr. Roberto Cardarelli developed a cancer screening education program for high risk cancer cluster regions in Texas. This rural health initiative was funded by the Texas Cancer Prevention and Research Institute, a state initiative funded by $3 billion dollars in bonds to support prevention and research activities by Texas investigators. Texas Center for Health Disparities (TCHD) The TCHD, a HIT institute, focuses on biomedical and population-based research and education aimed at identifying factors impacting health disparities in the United States. A major initiative of the TCHD is a P20 program grant funded by NIMHD. Faculty members of the SPH play key roles in the community outreach and research cores of the project. The outreach core was initially led by Dr. Kathryn Cardarelli, but, with her departure, its leadership has been assumed by Dr. Emily Spence-Almaguer. One of the three projects of the research core is led by Dr. Heather Kitzman-Ulrich. In addition to its research and community outreach activities, the TCHD presents a national conference on health disparities each year for which SPH faculty members have been organizers and presenters. The Office of Research Services During the 2012 and 2013 academic years, the SPH Research Committee, with strong support from Dean Kurz and Provost Yorio, proposed and implemented a new school-level research infrastructure and strategic plan. In the fall of 2012, Dean Kurz, in response to recommendations from the faculty during the summer 2012 Faculty Retreat, tasked the SPH Research Committee to recruit and hire a Research Coordinator. The SPH hired Robyn Remotigue, CRA on September 1, 2013. During AY 2013, the SPH Research Committee, with input from the SPH faculty as a whole, developed the SPH Research Strategic Plan for AY 2013 - AY 2014, and began implementing this plan. Objective 1 in the SPH Research Strategic Plan was accomplished with creation of the SPH Office of Research Services (SPH ORS). The SPH ORS supports both the Texas Prevention Institute (TPI) and the School of Public Health. See Figure 3.1.a.1 SPH ORS Organizational Chart. The Office of Research Services (ORS), launched in April 2014 and fully functional in September 2014, is composed of a Research Manager who oversees three Research Administrators who are trained in the areas of pre-award, post-award and compliance administration (see Figure 3.1.a.1). Cross training allows them to grow professionally, and provides adequate coverage in assisting the faculty with their research efforts. Training for ORS staff, conducted in cooperation with the

http://web.unthsc.edu/research/tpi/pcrc


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University's Office of Grant and Contract Management, consists of training modules for stages of the life cycle of an award. In addition, ORS staff will have opportunities to participate in continuing education that is provided by the National Council of Research Administrators (NCURA). The overall goal is to have credible, resourceful ORS staff with the necessary tools to achieve their Certified Research Administrator (CRA) credentials. The Chair of the Research Committee, Sharon Homan, PhD, provides direction to the SPH ORS and serves as the SPH representative to the ASPPH Research Section. Robyn Remotigue oversees the SPH ORS, cross-trains the staff on the pre-award, post-award and IRB aspects of grants management and support, and interfaces with the UNTHSC research offices. As of September 1, 2014, the newly created SPH ORS became fully operational, and to support its research mission works collaboratively with the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Office of Grant and Contract Management (OGCM), the SPH Research Committee, the Office of Research Compliance (OReC), the Institutional Review Board, the Office of Research Development & Commercialization, Human Resource Services, the UNTHSC Foundation, and SPH external sponsors. The SPH ORS abides by the established research policies, procedures and practices, and actively informs and assists SPH researchers to promote understanding and compliance.

Figure 3.1.a.1 SPH Office of Research Services Organizational Chart


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Research Policies, Procedures, and Practices Policies The SPH is required to follow all UNTHSC research policies. The UNTHSC Office of Research Compliance (OReC) is responsible for specific components of research compliance and for University research oversight committees. This office plays a critical advisory role to faculty to help ensure they are compliant with University policies and federal regulations related to their research activity. These include policies on research conflicts of interest (RCOI), responsible conduct of research, and ethical conduct of human and animal research. The University and the SPH recognize the potential for conflict that could compromise, or may have the appearance of compromising, a faculty member's professional judgment in conducting or reporting research. The OReC offers trainings, policies and procedures to help the faculty understand reporting requirements. Prior to submitting any disclosure, faculty members are required to successfully complete the RCOI training, which remains valid for four years. An integral part of the policy is an annual disclosure whereby faculty members regularly review their activities. The SPH Office of Research Services coordinates with OReC to ensure that faculty members are completing the necessary training prior to responding to PHS funding opportunities. Federal regulations make it necessary that all key personnel identified in research projects complete required educational training on the protection of human research subjects. This also includes all individuals responsible for the design and conduct of the study. OReC offers online training through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) which is available on the University Institutional Review Board (IRB) web site. Successful completion (passing grade) of this training is required to conduct research involving human subjects. ORS works with the faculty prior to the proposal submission process to ensure those engaged in human subject research have met the necessary requirements. Effective fall of 2013, all students must successfully complete CITI certification during their first semester. There are also policies to support faculty development in research, as well as financial incentives for consistent attainment of research support. In terms of faculty development, the SPH allocates $1500 per year per full time faculty member to cover travel to academic conferences and training, as well as for research expenses e.g., data and software. These funds are supplemented by strategic investments from the School of Public Health through recovered facilities and administrative (F&A) costs (Policy 13.120 Facilities and Administrative Costs Recovery and Distribution Policy Statement) and other sources. This policy reallocates F&A recovered monthly on grant accounts to an institutional “local F&A recovery account.” The recovered funds are allocated as follows: Principal Investigator (PI) (10%); Dean (5%); Department Chair (5%); and Institute (5%). The PI’s F&A funds are discretionary funds to support research-related activities. The Dean and Department Chairs use the F&A returns to support research-related activities. Recent examples include: supporting faculty to participate in the use of TreeAge Pro software for decision tree and cost-effectiveness modeling; presenting work and networking at the AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting; participation in the NIMHD Translational Health Disparities Course: Integrating Principles of Science, Practice and Policy in Health Disparities Research; and training in methods of big data. The UNTHSC Faculty Compensation Plan establishes the guidelines for compensating faculty for achieving consistent research-funded salary support at a 30% level or higher.


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Faculty evaluation policies govern review of individual faculty members, including research productivity, scholarship, and trajectory. Annual faculty member review by the Department Chair includes an assessment of research productivity and scholarship, as well as an opportunity for the Department Chair to provide input and mentoring to each individual faculty member. Promotion and Tenure guidelines govern the review of faculty pre-tenure, for advancement in rank and/or tenure, and post-tenure review with regard to research productivity and trajectory. The SPH Bylaws and Tenure and Promotion Guidelines are provided in Appendix 1.5.c.1 located in the Electronic Resource File and can also be found online at: http://web.unthsc.edu/downloads/file/5177/sph_faculty_bylaws Procedures Faculty research activity in the School of Public Health is self-initiated. Faculty members establish their own research agendas. As research investigators, faculty members actively collaborate with colleagues within the SPH and UNTHSC, with professional colleagues in the US and around the world; and, with practitioners, communities, and organizations. The Office of Research Services (ORS) proactively seeks opportunities and resources, and identifies collaborators and community partners to support researchers and their research teams. Many faculty members in the SPH are early in their careers and/or new to the UNTHSC and to the Fort Worth region. The ORS, along with research staff in TPI and CCH, provides vital linkages for new investigators. Faculty receive mentoring, advice and encouragement from colleagues, their Department Chairs, the ORS, the Dean's Office, the Office of the Provost, the Office of the Vice President for Research, and the UNTHSC Division of Research & Innovation. This arrangement, which provides academic freedom, emphasizes the commitment of faculty to the goals of the institution. Efforts are made to keep faculty apprised of current research funding opportunities. In addition, there are opportunities to collaborate campus-wide as well as in the community. The Health Institutes of Texas (HIT) are open to collaboration, frequently seek expertise in public health, and are committed to interdisciplinary scientific research. These institutes provide an innovative way to translate information and research into new models of prevention, health care and training. Overall, this places the SPH in an interdisciplinary environment in which faculty members can generate new research ideas. Students are actively engaged in research with faculty mentors in the SPH, as well as in the UNTHSC. Practices The Research Manager position was created by the SPH Research Committee in response to requests made by faculty for assistance in the area of research. The Research Manager was charged with using the first three months for discovery and data gathering. Time was spent on taking an inventory of SPH tools and on ascertaining what we have in place in regards to resources for assisting faculty. Time was also spent reaching out to various departments and units on campus to better understand available resources to our faculty. However, individually meeting with faculty proved to be the most valuable time spent during the "discovery." Faculty shared their specific research interests, desires, and recommendations regarding ways to maximize their success in research. More importantly, some faculty shared their vision of a research structure that would support and elevate the SPH in research. This information informed the work of the SPH Research Committee in developing the SPH Research Strategic Plan for AY 2013 - AY 2014. Since the addition of the Research Manager, new practices have been instituted to engage faculty in research and to get them excited about possibilities to collaborate. More importantly, opportunities have been created for SPH faculty to get to know each other better and to learn about each other’s research. Research Insight is a quarterly publication, two-pages in length, highlighting upcoming



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SPH research events that lists faculty members who have submitted proposals along with their titles and funding agency. Works in Progress (WIPS), offered monthly, is a one hour session that provides faculty members the opportunity to present their research proposal and the chance to receive candid feedback from their peers. Many take this opportunity to present before submitting large grant proposals in response to a funding announcement. Following the Yale School of Public Health's model of Research Schmooze, which is a method that facilitates new collaborations among faculty, the SPH hosts research schmoozes for the faculty. For example, the first event was held off campus and offered pre-arranged meetings with researchers, gourmet pizza and ice cold beverages, and the opportunity to share research ideas. Information concerning federal and national funding opportunities is made available weekly to the faculty through email. Feedback from the Schmooze events has been overwhelmingly positive so this will be a repeat offering. A recent endeavor by the SPH is the production of Research for Solutions in Public Health videos. We are working with our University Marketing & Communications to produce video clips with faculty showcasing their research areas and projects. We help the faculty by providing a simple script that gives them flexibility to explain their research projects. These videos will demonstrate how our research makes a difference and how it impacts the communities. It also builds awareness of our work to attract future students, as well as raise awareness in the community. To answer the needs of our junior faculty, a two-day Grant Writing Workshop was hosted by the SPH that will focus on the basics of writing and NIH K awards. To build on the writing, we are offering Writing Days where we provide a quiet, comfortable designated writing space two days a week. This is a chance to dust-off proposal drafts, develop ideas, and collaborate with fellow faculty members. Coffee and tea are provided too. Research Appreciation Day (RAD) is an institutional tradition encompassing medicine, public health, pharmacy, the health professions, and basic science. The program provides an opportunity for students and faculty to share their research efforts with the campus community and the public. RAD also encourages the development of joint research projects and increases the community’s awareness of the outstanding quality of research conducted at the University. Many of our SPH students have participated in RAD poster and oral competitions, and have been selected by the panel of judges to receive top awards in their category. RAD is further discussed in Criterion 3.1.e. 3.1.b. Description of current research undertaken in collaboration with local, state, national or international health agencies and community-based organizations. Formal research agreements with such agencies should be identified. The SPH collaborates with multiple health agencies and community-based organizations at the local, state, and national levels in conducting record-based and intervention research. A limited amount of international research is conducted. Formal and informal agreements support these efforts. An identification of the level of school research for all projects is presented in section 3.1.c. In the section that follows, we emphasize research that is based on interventions regardless of the intended impact level of the research. As an institution focused on the mission of solutions for a healthier community, the School has its most extensive involvement at the local level. This involvement addresses several community problems including cancer prevention, infant mortality, obesity, childhood asthma, and mosquito control. As noted above, school faculty members are actively engaged in breast cancer prevention initiatives in Dallas, which have begun expansion to Fort Worth and Tarrant County. These programs involve several community organizations through a Community Advisory Board, as well as community centers and religious groups. The issue of infant mortality is addressed through an SPH initiative, Healthy Moms-Healthy Babies-Healthy Community (H3) which resulted from one of


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the annual North Texas Health Forums (see Section 3.2: Service). H3 brings together more than 40 community organizations to create interventions based on information derived from focus groups and a concept mapping process. The Safe Sleep project mentioned above is an example of these interventions. Obesity, especially childhood obesity, is a community concern that the SPH has addressed through interventions in both the Dallas area and Tarrant County. These programs are often focused on weight management in families, especially in African American and Hispanic populations. The rate of diagnosed childhood asthma in the six counties of the western metroplex is twice the national average. Through the Asthma 411 program, faculty are working with school districts to create a structure in which each child has an asthma action plan and a physician link to allow immediate action by the school nurse. A final example of these community relationships is the West Nile mosquito control study conducted by the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Science in conjunction with Tarrant County Public Health. This program collects mosquitoes to identify the patterns of spread and to create interventions to address effective mosquito control. School faculty members have also been active at the state and regional levels. Dr. Sharon Homan has been the evaluator for the Mountain States Genetics Regional Collaborative. The core of this work is to identify family history tools, the barriers to their use in medical homes, and a process for their greater integration into medical practice in these settings. In addition to the local efforts to address asthma that are mentioned above, school faculty members also have addressed this condition through the Texas Environmental Health Initiative. Prevalence estimates of asthma in children living near Superfund sites have been developed for comparison to estimates for other parts of Texas. At the national level, two major areas of activity have occurred. Dr. Thad Miller has worked with the CDC to increase the efficiency of TB control programs. This work uses economic evaluation methods to improve the allocation of resources and to predict the progression of disease. Second, Dr. Scott Walters has used motivational interviewing theory and interactive technologies to address problems of parolees, dual diagnosis Medicaid patients, and veterans. This work is conducted with funding from the National Institute for Drug Abuse, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Finally, our most prominent international research was conducted in conjunction with the Technische Universitat in Berlin, Germany. This records based work considers the macro-level impact of tobacco use on age specific rates of cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer.


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3.1.c. A list of current research activity of all primary faculty identified in Criterion 4.1.a., including amount and source of funds, for each of the last three years. These data must be presented in table format and include at least the following information organized by department, specialty area or other organizational unit as appropriate to the school: a) principal investigator, b) project name, c) period of funding, d) source of funding, e) amount of total award, f) amount of current year’s award, g) whether research is community based and h) whether research provides for student involvement. See CEPH Data Template 3.1.1; only research funding should be reported here. Extramural funding for service or training/continuing education grants should be reported in Template 3.2.2 (funded service) or Template 3.3.1 (funded training/workforce development), respectively. Table 3.1.c.1, located in the Electronic Resource File - Appendix 3.1.c.1, details the funded research activity of primary faculty in fiscal years 2011, 2012, and 2013. Table 3.1.c.2 below provides a summary of this research activity.


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Table 3.1.c.2: Summary of Research Activity FY 2011-2014 (CEPH Data Template 3.1.1)

Table 3.1.c.2 Summary of Research Activity FY 2011-2014

Behavioral and

Community Health

Biostatistics Epidemiology

Environmental and

Occupational Health

Health Management and

Policy Dean, SPH School of Public

Health TOTAL

Total Number of SPH Awards 63 16 31 11 47 1 1 170

Total Dollar Amount of SPH

Awards $6,447,074 $788,848 $5,726,374 $700,547 $10,885,283 $76,569.00 $60,000.00 $24,684,695

# % # % # % # % # % # % # % # %

Community-Based Projects 30 47.6% 3 18.8% 19 61.3% 2 18.2% 7 14.9% 1 100.0% 0 0.0% 62 36.5%

Projects Involving Students

19 30.2% 9 56.3% 18 58.1% 7 63.6% 24 51.1% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 77 45.3%


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3.1.d. Identification of measures by which the school may evaluate the success of its research activities, along with data regarding the school’s performance against those measures for each of the last three years. For example, schools may track dollar amounts of research funding, significance of findings (eg, citation references), extent of research translation (eg, adoption by policy or statute), dissemination (eg, publications in peer-reviewed publications, presentations at professional meetings) and other indicators. See CEPH Outcome Measures Template. Outcome measures and targets for research are presented in Table 3.1.d.1. All reported targets were established in conjunction with the HSC Provost.

Table 3.1.d.1: Outcome Measures and Targets for Research

Outcome Measure Target 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014

Total ongoing extramural research funding

Varied Targets by Year (All reported targets were established in conjunction with HSC Provost) 2011-2012: $3 million 2012-2013: $3.5 million 2013-2014: $3.5 million

$8.7 million $6.9 million $6.7 million

Dollar value of grant applications submitted annually

Varied Targets by Year (All reported targets were established in conjunction with HSC Provost) 2011-2012: $25 million 2012-2013: $28 million 2013-2014: $32 million

$33 million $21 million $24 million

Total number of unduplicated peer-reviewed publications (published/in press)

50 publications each year 83 publications 27 publications 55 publications

The decline in publications over the past two academic years is a function of three factors. First, our primary emphasis over the past five years has been to increase grant and contract funding as the base for expanded research. This has been successful. In addition, faculty research shifted to an emphasis on community based participatory research projects, which do not result in as many immediate publications as studies based on existing data sets, which had been more typical among faculty. Finally, the School has experienced an increase in the number of young faculty members who are beginning research studies and the departure of two senior faculty members. 3.1.e. Description of student involvement in research. Student involvement in research occurs or is facilitated through: (1) work on faculty projects (2) course requirements, (3) the BEST Scholarship Program, and (4) participation in the UNTHSC Research Appreciation Day or other professional meetings. Faculty Research Projects Student participation in faculty research is presented in Table 3.1.c.1 located in Appendix 3.1.c.1. As the table illustrates, 41 students participated in FY 2011, 27 students in FY 2012, 59 students in FY 2013, and 68 students in FY 2014. As the amount of our research has increased over the past


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seven years, the number of students who have had the opportunity to be engaged in these research programs has also increased. Moreover, this table indicates that this participation is spread across the departments of the School. Specifically, 19 projects in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health engaged students, nine projects in the Biostatistics, 18 projects in Epidemiology, six projects in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, and 24 in Health Management and Policy. Course Based Research Activity The primary courses in which students engage in research are the MPH field experience (four letter department code 5297), the DrPH residency (PHED 6397), and the PhD dissertation (four letter department code 6395). Research conducted through the MPH field experience is frequently through a community intervention conducted by an agency or an evaluation of a project that is ongoing and engages the student. These activities do not constitute formal hypothesis testing but, rather, practice-based research that provides evidence for the agency and, perhaps, a wider audience. As a requirement of the practice experience, each MPH student produces a poster and participates in a refereed poster session attended by students, faculty, and practitioners. For example, three students performed their field experience in India, working with two school faculty members and a CDC Division of Tuberculosis Elimination (DTBE) staff member to conduct an evaluation of the national TB control program in India. The students met with health care professionals at all levels of the Indian health care system to collect data about how TB control is conducted in India. They also prepared and delivered a formal presentation of their work as part of the requirements for the field experience. The DrPH residency requires a project that may again constitute practice-based research. The basis for these projects may be the application of existing evidence to create an intervention or the development and implementation of a new practice to create evidence for an agency’s future action. For example, a DrPH student created the database for a county Fetal Infant Mortality Review program, which was then used as the basis for program development and decision making by the inter-professional council that oversaw the FIMR. Finally, dissertations in the PhD program all require systematic hypothesis testing based on existing or collected data that leads to discovery of new knowledge and that must be of publishable quality. Twelve additional courses and one activity engage students in research activity.

• In HMAP 6350: Advanced Health Economics and HMAP 6380 Health Service Research I, students are requested to perform a literature review, identify and develop testable hypotheses, analyze data (using public data and Stata software) and write 10-page final report.

• In BACH 5340: Community Assessment and Program Planning students do research on priority areas in Tarrant County, designing an intervention based on the objectives of Healthy People 2020.

• In PHED 6316: Advanced Program Design and Evaluation for Public Health Practice, students do research on the community, designing an evaluation plan for a community health intervention.

• In BACH 5314: Research Methods, students develop a self-report survey to evaluate a behavioral health outcome using a theoretical framework. Students collect data on 20 individuals with the survey, and then enter, score, and calculate basic statistics in SAS. A manuscript and oral presentation are developed from the results.

• BACH 5350: Community Health Program Evaluation: Each semester a community-partner organization is invited to participate in an empowerment evaluation process with the class as a whole, as well as with a subset of students who use the project for their service learning requirement. The empowerment evaluation model includes a series of


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dialogues with stakeholder groups and ends with evaluation products co-developed with the organization.

• In BACH 6310: Qualitative Research Methods, students develop a qualitative focus group study to evaluate a behavioral health condition based on a theoretical framework. Students are required to conduct one focus group with at least 5 individuals, or 5 individual interviews. Data are transcribed and entered into N Vivo where students use Classic Content Analysis to evaluate themes and frequencies. Results are used to develop a manuscript and oral presentation (structured in a conference format) to the class.

• In PHED 6314: Methods for Public Health Studies 1 and PHED 6118: Methods for Public Health Studies 2, PhD and DrPH students taking the two courses in sequence in consecutive semesters submit a manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal. In the first semester, the students develop a research question, find a data source, and write the introduction and methods sections of the paper. In the second semester, the students conduct the analysis, write the results and discussion sections, and submit to a journal.

• BIOS 6320: Biostatistical Research and Consulting. Students are required to participate in research and consulting projects, as well as to produce a variety of deliverables (at least one per student) including research reports, posters, and data analysis plans. Each student needs to prepare poster for RAD. Some posters also submitted to John Peter Smith Hospital Research Day.

• EPID 5314: Applied Data Analysis in Epidemiology. Each student works in a team of 3-5 students to design an epidemiologic study using the National Survey of Children’s Health data, submit DUA and IRB protocols, develop quality assurance plan, document SAS code, obtain peer reviews and prepare a manuscript for submission for a specific journal.

• BIOS 5300: Principles of Biostatistics. Each student is required to do CITI training. Students do secondary analyses of data from a published study of a classic public health problem, e.g., the El Paso ASARCO pediatric environmental health study, and are required to write research report, document and submit annotated SPSS syntax, and do an oral presentation. The oral presentation includes the research question, methods and findings, as well as discussion of public health policy and the ethical implications of findings.

• Finally, outside of the formal curriculum, one faculty member has formed a weekly research group for students on the topic of aging. Participants are required to submit an abstract for the Texas Public Health Association meeting and are encouraged to produce a product that can be presented at a national meeting or published in a peer reviewed journal.

BEST Mentored Research Scholarships One month prior to the start of the fall and spring semesters, the Biostatistics and Evaluation Services and Training (BEST) Center sponsors a competition for BEST Mentored Research Scholarships, supported by funds donated by faculty members from consulting, project funds, and departmental funds. The competition is open to any MPH student that meets the scholarship criteria. Between seven to fifteen BEST scholarships are awarded each semester. The competition is formal, requiring a student essay, polished resume and CITI certification, as well as strong academic record and practical research skills. The SPH Scholarship Committee (outlined in Criterion 1.5.a) conducts the review, selects scholars and submits their recommendations to the UNTHSC Scholarship Committee for consideration of in-state tuition awards to accompany the $1000 scholarship. The scholars commit to work with a faculty mentor for about 75 hours (roughly 4 to 5 hours/week) during the semester. Students typically produce a scholarly product, e.g., meta-analysis publication, as well as hone their research skills, e.g., use GIS to produce maps for the Komen Foundation, analyze the NSCSHCN national survey data for the Mountain States Genetics Regional Collaborative, and develop logic models for the evaluation of the Second Chance Mentoring


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Program. BEST scholars benefit from mentoring, as well as from opportunities such as presenting at a professional meeting, learning practical skills such as how to develop a Scope of Work or manage a project for a client. Seven BEST Scholarship awards were awarded in FY 2013, eight scholarships were awarded in FY 2014, and 13 scholarships were awarded in FY 2015. The list of best scholars is provided in Appendix 3.1.e.1 located in the Electronic Resource File. Student Research Posters and Presentations Students are also highly encouraged to submit posters or presentations to Research Appreciation Day (RAD), a UNTHSC-wide competition, as well as to other forums. RAD provides students with an opportunity to present their research to a panel of judges who select prize winners from each school. Students submitted 22 posters or presentations for the 2013 competition and 27 posters or presentations for the 2014 competition. Appendix 3.1.e.2 in the Electronic Resource File provides a list of the student RAD submissions for the last 2 years. Students also frequently co-author manuscripts and submit posters to professional societies. For example, 10 presentations and posters were presented by students during the 2013 American Public Health Association and 9 were presented during the 2014 meeting. 3.1.f. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. This criterion is met. Strengths: The SPH has developed and maintained a strong and productive research program. This program focuses primarily on health issues in the local community, a focus that is consistent with the mission of the School and the Health Science Center. In addition, the School has developed a research infrastructure through the Office of Research Services which links the Health Science Center emphasis on the Health Institutes of Texas, specifically the Texas Prevention Institute, with the strategic plan for research of the School. This structure allows the School to create a strong foundation for the advancement of the scholarship of our faculty, especially our large number of young faculty, while identifying research interests that emphasize the expertise of our existing and future faculty members. Weaknesses: To fund the Office of Research Services, contributions from the School and the Provost’s Office have been needed. The School and the Texas Prevention Institute must find external support through philanthropy by working in conjunction with the Health Science Center’s Development Office. The SPH has also had a reduced number of publications over the past two academic years. Our primary emphasis over the past five years has been to increase grant and contract funding as the base for expanded research. This has been successful. The School must now find ways to address this issue as community based projects are completed and as young faculty members begin to receive the results of their current research.


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Plans: Our plans for the future are articulated in the strategic plan for the SPH, which was developed by the Research Committee and is outlined in section 3.1.a. During FY2015, we will emphasize the identification and development of research groups who, through collaboration within the SPH or across schools, can expand our research and service activities in areas of local, state, or national need, building on the established expertise and scholarly record of our faculty and staff. The Health Science Center is increasing its emphasis on the Health Institutes of Texas. Development of these groups is consistent with this increased emphasis and will allow greater Health Science Center support of school research and service activities.

Criterion 3: Creation, Application and Advancement of Knowledge 3.2 Service

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3.2 SERVICE The school shall pursue active service activities, consistent with its mission, through which faculty and students contribute to the advancement of public health practice. 3.2.a. Description of the school’s service activities, including policies, procedures and practices that support service. If the school has formal contracts or agreements with external agencies, these should be noted. The School of Public Health was established in response to community requests for a local school of public health that would address local, state and national public health problems, and hence service has always been an essential component of the School's mission. Our faculty, students, and staff are engaged in a wide range of professional and community service projects, volunteer activities, and institutional collaborations. For faculty members, there has been significant engagement in these activities since the School’s inception. The past three years of this engagement is illustrated in Table 3.2.a.1 below. The detailed list of service activities is discussed in Criterion 3.2.c and a full listing of faculty service activities is outlined in Appendix 3.2.c.1 located in the Electronic Resource File.

Table 3.2.a.1: Percent of Faculty Participating in Service by Category, 2012-2014

Service Category 2012 2013 2014

Percentage of faulty participating in editorial and review activities for journals and agencies

83%

80%

77%

Percentage of faculty engaged in professional consulting and training

41%

36%

30%

Percentage of faculty participating in professional organizations

100%

100%

97%

Percentage of faculty participating in community service activities

70%

72%

67%

Our school formally supports service involvement through its policies, procedures, and practices, including (a) its promotion and tenure guidelines that emphasize service, (b) an annual "Service Award" to recognize the faculty member who contributed most to service, and (c) recognition in faculty workload expectations by both the HSC and the School that faculty members will spend a percentage of their time in service activities. Formal Agreements and Contracts Formal agreements and contracts related to service may also be viewed as research activities. This occurrence is especially true of evaluation projects for local, state, or national agencies. Faculty members often agree to do these evaluations to support the agencies and to provide students with an opportunity to practice evaluation skills learned in courses. The support of these projects by faculty occurs as significantly reduced requests for funding and little or no indirect cost recovery, in


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most instances. Student participation is often structured through the BEST program which is discussed in Criterion 3.1.e. A list of these all funded research projects is provided in Criterion 3.1.c. Evidence of another approach to the school’s commitment to the community is demonstrated through its participation and funding of the Hispanic Wellness Fair (HWF) over the past 15 years. This is a county wide community event that the SPH has proudly sponsored since its inception in 1999. This event provides faculty, staff, and students the opportunity to collaborate with non-profit health organizations and hospitals to plan the fair and participate by volunteering the day of the event. The HWF, whose goal is to provide access to prevention and health promotion services and information to those who cannot afford it, is held every year in August. Since its inception, the HWF has grown gradually, totaling over 100,000 people in attendance since 1999. The Hispanic Wellness Fair's main objective is to introduce the Hispanic population to the community's health resources and to break the barriers of communication by introducing health services to participants and by building trust among the providers and those in need. The Salud para Su Corazon program advanced the service component of the School by training and placing promotores in areas of Fort Worth that have high numbers of Latino citizens. Promotores are lay health workers who provide health information and education. Many of these informal collaborations have been sustained and grown into formal collaborations for several objectives, such as sponsoring students for field experiences. Listed below are a few of the organizations with which formal agreements were established.

• Alzheimer's Association North Central Texas Chapter • Catholic Charities Diocese of Fort Worth • Dallas Independent School District (DISD) Health Services • Diamond Hill Health Center • Fort Worth Housing Authority at Hunter Plaza • Near Northside Community Center • Tarrant County Public Health Department

At the state level, the School has established a formal agreement over the past three years with the Texas Department of State Health Services to support the development of local health departments for Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) accreditation. The agreement has resulted in the development of a Toolkit website; a master plan for accreditation of local departments; facilitation of contacts between departments and colleges, universities, and health care providers; and placement annually of three to seven MPH graduate fellows, who work in the department for a three month period. In addition, all MPH and DrPH students must complete a practice experience or residency, respectively, at a health agency, hospital, or other public health-related organization in partial fulfillment of their graduate degree requirements. Students perform many valuable services to the community through these practice and residency experiences. Over 60 community sites are committed to providing SPH students the opportunity to work with their agency and enhance their public health skills. Appendix 2.4.a.2 displays the list of organizations in which the MPH practice experiences and the DrPH residencies have occurred over the last three years.


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3.2.b. Description of the emphasis given to community and professional service activities in the promotion and tenure process. The promotion and tenure guidelines were revised in 2010 to clarify expectations and to provide additional guidance with respect to research, teaching, and service. As part of the third-year review, junior faculty are asked to provide a narrative of their service to the school, the university, the profession, and the public health community, including their plans for service over the next three years. Service is also an important criterion for tenure and promotion from Assistant to Associate Professor, and from Associate to Full Professor. As stated in the Guidelines for Promotion and Tenure for Assistant to Associate Professor, professional and community service can be categorized as follows: (1) committee assignments at the School and University level; (2) responsibilities for directing School programs; (3) developing new and cooperative programs; (4) designated administrative responsibilities; (5) serving as a consultant to professional groups; (6) leadership in national and regional professional associations; (7) editorial service to nationally recognized peer reviewed journals or scholarly publications; (8) serving as a professional consultant to public health groups or constituencies; and, (9) serving on community boards and contributing to community organizations. For promotion to Full Professor additional criteria include: holding positions of officer/director on advisory, review or editorial boards or national and international professional societies; awards and prizes; and other notable academic achievements including the organization of national/international symposiums or meetings, development and/or directing of new and cooperative programs, and chairing or showing major impact on institutional committees and community activities. 3.2.c. A list of the school’s current service activities, including identification of the community, organization, agency or body for which the service was provided and the nature of the activity, over the last three years. See CEPH Data Template 3.2.1. Projects presented in Criterion 3.1 should not be replicated here without distinction. Funded service activities may be reported in a separate table; see CEPH Data Template 3.2.2. Extramural funding for research or training/continuing education grants should be reported in Templates 3.1.1 (research) and 3.3.1 (funded workforce development), respectively. Faculty service is defined and categorized as one of the following: involvement in professional organizations, professional consulting or training, membership on editorial boards and referee panels, or community-based service. During academic years 2012-2014, faculty participated in over 200 service activities as defined above. This is presented in Appendix 3.2.c.1 (CEPH Data Template 3.2.1) located in the Electronic Resource File. SPH faculty are members of numerous professional organizations and affiliated with them through leadership positions. Faculty are affiliated with 84 professional organizations, provide professional consulting and or training for 46 organizations, serve on editorial/review boards or act as referee for 69 journals and grant programs, and have provided service for over 50 community-based organizations. 3.2.d. Identification of the measures by which the school may evaluate the success of its service efforts, along with data regarding the school’s performance against those measures for each of the last three years. See CEPH Outcome Measures Template. Outcome measures and targets for services are presented in Table 3.2.d.1 below. The complete listing of faculty service is available in Appendix 3.2.c.1.


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Table 3.2.d.1: Outcome Measures and Targets for Service

Outcome Measure Target Academic Year 2011-2012

Academic Year 2012-2013

Academic Year 2013-2014

Number of target participants attending the North Texas Health Forum (NTHF)

200 – 250 participants

150 participants (April 2012)



Percentage of faculty performing editorial and review duties for journals and agencies

At least 75% of all

faculty 82.6% of faculty 80% of faculty 76.7% of faculty

Percentage of faculty engaged in professional consulting and training

At least 30% of all

faculty 41% of all faculty 36% of all faculty 30% of all faculty

Percentage of faculty participating in professional organizations

At least 95% of all

faculty 100% (all faculty) 100% (all faculty) 96.7% of all

faculty

Percentage of faculty participating in community service activities

At least 70% of all

faculty 69.6% of all faculty 72.2% of all faculty 66.7% of all

faculty

3.2.e. Description of student involvement in service, outside of those activities associated with the required practice experience and previously described in Criterion 2.4. Students play an active role in many service activities in the Dallas/Fort Worth community. Organization of student participation in service is facilitated by OrgSync which is a university-wide program that is managed through the UNTHSC Student Services Division. It aims to coordinate community service and volunteer opportunities for all students. Their goal is to match students with volunteer opportunities, based on their skills and interests, with consideration for time constraints. In addition, the Public Health Student Government Association (PHSGA) and its ‘volunteer/service subgroup and the UNTHSC Student Chapter of the Medicine/Public Health Initiative (MPH) have also organized several service opportunities in which students take part. The following is a list of some of the activities in which students have been involved in the last three years. • Hispanic Wellness Fair: Students volunteer their time to the planning of the fair and the day of

the event in assisting health care providers and participants and carrying out evaluation of the fair. This fair provides access to health care prevention services and information to those who cannot afford it. Its main objective is to introduce the Hispanic population to the community's health resources and to break the barriers of communication by introducing health services to participants and building trust among the providers and those in need.

• Community Health Fairs: Students volunteer their time for several community health fairs offered by various UNTHSC clinics in collaboration with local health departments.

• Public Health Week: Public Health Student Government Association members coordinate several activities during this national awareness week. Past activities have included guest speakers from area public health professionals, community-wide field days, alumni panel discussions, public health related movie screenings, and community service projects.

• Mentorship Program: Students have acted as science mentors for middle school students at the Fort Worth Academy.


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• Fort Worth West Nile Virus Program: A WNV surveillance team with 5 students and a faculty monitors the virus activities in mosquito populations in the City of Fort Worth. Each week the team collects mosquitoes for West Nile virus testing, and provides a recommendation for appropriate interventions based on the exposure risk of West Nile virus in the City. This program has played a role in increasing awareness of and reducing human cases from the deadly West Nile virus in North Texas.

• Student Outbreak Response Team (SORT): The SORT is a student organization that provides support for outbreak and infection control activities in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. This is primarily a SPH organization, with Dr. Witold Migala as faculty representative. The SORT has established numerous partnerships, ones with the Fort Worth Office of Emergency Management, the Emergency Safe Transitions for Elderly Patients (STEP) Project, the Tarrant County Public Health Department Point of Dispensing (POD) program, Vaccination support, Tarrant County Medical Reserve Corps, and the TDHS Region 2/3 Infection Control Committee.

• Tarrant County Challenge, Inc: This agency coordinates substance abuse prevention and treatment services for Tarrant County and advocates for the support of these services at the state level. Students assisted in Tarrant County Challenge’s successful effort to repeal UPPL provisions in state law. These legal provisions previously impeded the delivery of emergency medical care to persons who were under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.

• The Gatehouse: This non-profit agency provides a safe, supportive residential community where women and their children in crisis can live for up to 2.5 years. Gatehouse provides education in vocational and parenting skills, as well as medical and mental health services. Students have volunteered their time to plan, implement, and evaluate agency services.

SPH Courses Several courses contain a “service learning” component that goes beyond the required practicum experience described in Section 2.4. Service learning seeks to foster civic responsibility and encourage community outreach. These courses include: • BACH 5310: Participatory Approaches to Improving Community Health: Student spend the

first half of the semester in the classroom understanding the theoretical and methodological foundation of participatory research. In the second half they engage in a variety of exercises demonstrating the interconnections of theory, method, and practice. For example, students have facilitated a Photovoice project with high school students in an underserved community, collaborated with the Morningside Children’s Partnership (MCP) to provide the leadership team and community with a needs assessment of the assets and barriers in MCP, and participated in a community initiative aimed to address safe sleep for babies.

• BACH 5345: Communication Health Strategies is another course in which students engage in a community experience. A real client with a communication/media need works closely with students to engage them in the full process of creating a media campaign. For example, students worked with a community program, The Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School, to create media messages regarding healthy behaviors for male teens. Two projects resulted; a message about teen stress and a message about eating healthy.

• BACH 5350: Community Health Program Evaluation has two key service learning components. First, all students are required to identify a non-profit organization and contribute a minimum of 15 service learning volunteer hours. They also must use that organization as a basis for their course assignments and share at least two written assignments with the organization. Second, each semester we invite a community organization to be our Empowerment Evaluation partner. Up to 3-4 students are permitted to also select this organization as their service learning site. Representatives from the community partner organization attend 6 class sessions in which the class as a whole works through an


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empowerment evaluation process with them. In between class sessions, the service learning team works to complete additional tasks to support the empowerment evaluation project. Organizational representatives include staff, volunteers, consumers, administrators and board members. The goal is to help the organization increase their evaluation capacity through the empowerment model.

• EOHS 5331: Environmental Sampling: Enrolled students visit the nearby Paintless Dent Removal Autobody Shop in order to observe safety practices and perform testing of paint for toxic compounds that can cause asthma.

• HMAP 5342: Leadership and Legislative Policy Experience: Students spent their 2013 Spring Break in Austin to visit the Texas Legislature. The students tour the Capital Building and meet with state representatives, such as Senator Wendy Davis, while observing meetings of the House and Senate. Students are required to select a current bill to study and track. In 2014, the class traveled to Washington, D.C., in order to better understand the legislative process at the Federal level.

3.2.f. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. This criterion is met. Strengths: The School has strong and growing ties with the Fort Worth and Tarrant County communities, as well as with other communities in the metroplex. SPH faculty are committed to professional service at the local, state, and national level, with more than 95% of SPH faculty participating in professional organizations, and more than two-thirds engaged in community service. The school is frequently called upon to provide assessment and evaluation services for community organizations, which often need to be conducted on a pro bono basis. Because of these relationships with numerous organizations, the School has been able to establish field experiences for our MPH and DrPH students that both challenge these students and respond to their practice interests. Moreover, these service relationships have allowed us to expand our CBPR activities in both the Fort Worth and Dallas areas. This mission-centric activity has created for the School and the Health Science Center a reputation as a community player that is committed not only to its own interests but also to the advancement of the area. Weaknesses: The demands of our faculty for teaching and research at times limits their ability to be as engaged in community activities as they would like to be. This is especially true for our faculty who are in the early stages of their careers for whom teaching and research are the central elements against which they will be judged for tenure and promotion. A uniform reporting system for gathering service activities also needs to be further developed. Plans: Our plans are to continue to be responsive to the concerns of the community and to address them using our expertise through such mechanisms as the North Texas Health Forum and the BEST program. If we limit our activities only to those areas of interest to the School or the Health Science Center, our reputation as a community asset will suffer, negatively impacting our instructional and research programs.

Criterion 3: Creation, Application and Advancement of Knowledge 3.3 Workforce Development

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3.3 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT The school shall offer instructional programs reflecting its stated mission and goals, leading to the Master of Public Health (MPH) or equivalent professional master’s degree in at least the five areas of knowledge basic to public health. The school may offer other degrees, professional and academic, and other areas of specialization, if consistent with its mission and resources. 3.3.a. Description of the ways in which the program periodically assesses the continuing education needs of the community or communities it intends to serve. The assessment may include primary or secondary data collection or data sources. The School has not conducted a formal assessment of continuing education needs in the metroplex community. It has relied on its intensive engagement in the community through three community advisory groups for feedback on needs: the Center for Community Health Community Advisory Board; the Public Health and Prevention Council, and the MHA Advisory Council. In addition, faculty members of the School, including the Dean, are actively involved in the MAPP process to assess community needs sponsored by Tarrant County Public Health. Also, as indicated in Tables 3.1.c and 3.2.b, school faculty are members of numerous community organizations through which they acquire information on the needs of professionals and other engaged in public health practice. 3.3.b. A list of the continuing education programs, other than certificate programs, offered by the program, including number of participants served, for each of the last three years. Those programs offered in a distance-learning format should be identified. Funded training/ continuing education activities may be reported in a separate table. See CEPH Data Template 3.3.1 (ie, optional template for funded workforce development activities). Only funded training/continuing education should be reported in Template 3.3.1. Extramural funding for research or service education grants should be reported in Template 3.1.1 (research) or Template 3.2.2 (funded service), respectively. Continuing Education Programs are outlined in Table 3.3.b.1. The School of Public Health has participated extensively in workforce development locally and in the State of Texas. The School collaborates with the University of Texas School of Public Health and the Texas A&M School of Rural Public Health in the operation of the Texas Public Health Training Center (TPHTC) and the Texas Preparedness Center. Texas Public Health Training Center The Texas Public Health Training Center (TPHTC) provides competency-based training and education in public health. TPHTC is a partnership among local and state health departments and three schools of public health in Texas: the University of Texas School of Public Health, Texas A&M University School of Public Health, and the University of North Texas School of Public Health. Funded through a $3.2 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the TPHTC provides training to thousands of public health professionals across the State of Texas each year in government-sector public health as well as in non-profit organizations; academic institutions; corporations, as well as other sectors; and graduate students in public health and related fields. The Center was unfortunately not selected in the recent funding competition.

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/200529/homepage

http://www.sph.uth.tmc.edu/research/centers/tphtc/

http://www.srph.tamhsc.edu/

http://www.srph.tamhsc.edu/

http://www.hsc.unt.edu/education/sph/


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Preparedness Center Funded by the CDC, the Training and Education Collaborative System – Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers (TECS-PERLC) is a collaboration of the three Texas schools of Public Health, led by Texas A&M University. The charge of the TECS-PERLC is to train the existing public health workforce on emerging and existing practices is public health preparedness and emergency response. Though the CDC cut funding for the program in 2012, Texas A&M University has elected to keep the collaborative functional by providing a minimal level of funding to the center sites at UNTHSC and UT Houston. Thus, the UNTHSC site of the TECS-PERLC continues to offer annual medical reserve corps training to the Denton County Public Health Department. Biostatistics and Evaluation Service and Training (BEST) Center In addition, the School recently developed the Biostatistics and Evaluation Service and Training (BEST) Center to provide technical training in biostatistics and epidemiology for professionals in the community and others in the Health Science Center. The School has also sponsored for the past seven years the North Texas Health Forum to provide information and opportunities for action by professionals and residents with regard to local public health concerns. Finally, school faculty members have used the Center for Community Health in the Texas Prevention Institute as a mechanism for workforce development programs. These five structures provide a strong, ongoing infrastructure for our activities in this area and have been supplemented by the work of other faculty and staff members when the school has received requests for continuing professional education. Specific data on the extent of involvement by students and faculty in the programs listed in Table 3.3.b.1 were not collected. Footnotes in the table indicate events (1) where students participated, (2) where faculty participated, and (3) where the event was restricted to an outside audience.


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Table 3.3.b.1: Funded and Unfunded Workforce Development Activities, 2011-2012 to 2013-2014

2011-2012

Name of Program Sponsoring Unit Key Faculty Dates/ Attendance Format Collaborating Organizations (* Funder)

Texas Public Health Accreditation Workshop School of Public Health Richard Kurz

October, 2011 100 participants from LHDs 1, 2

Off-campus, 3-day conference for LHDs interested in accreditation in Austin, Texas

• Texas Association of Local Health Officials • Texas Public Health Training Center Public

Health Accreditation Council of Texas

The Future of Community Health: Evidence-based Programming and Funding

Texas Public Health Training Center

Eduardo Sanchez, Nancy Whitelaw, David Sterling, Alan Stevens, Nancy Wilson, Marcia Ory, Jennifer Severance, Anne S. Rafal, Cindy Quinn, Steve Kelder, Amy Adams, Matthew Smith

November, 2011 109 participants3

Off-campus program provided for health professionals, CEOs and CFOs of non-profits, social workers, and hospital administrators

Community Health Worker Certification and Continuing Education


Nuha Lackan and TPHTC staff 2011-2014

337 participants3

On- and Off-campus for community health workers

• Health Services and Resources Administration*

Public Health Core Competency Training


Jose Pagan, Robert Kaman, Kristine Lykens, Nuha Lackan, Neda Moayad, Erin Carlson

February – September, 2012 37 participants from Tarrant County Public Health3

Off-campus, provided the managers and others from Tarrant County Public Health

• Tarrant County Public Health*

Survival Spanish for Health Professionals


Erin Carlson March-May, 2012

19 participants1 On-campus for UNTHSC Students • Other UNTHSC Departments

North Texas Health Forum - Addressing Community Alcohol Abuse Problems Through a Public Health Lens

School of Public Health Dennis Thombs, Scott Walters, Richard Kurz

April 2012 150 attended1, 2

On-campus, Free and open to an invited group of professionals and interested individuals

• U of FL College of Medicine • Mothers Against Drunk Driving • Tarrant County Challenge • Other Units of the HSC


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2nd Annual Texas Local Health Department Accreditation Workshop

School of Public Health Richard Kurz May, 2012

80 participants from LHDs 1, 2

Off-campus, 2-day conference for LHDs

interested in accreditation in Austin,

Texas

• Texas Public Health Association* • Texas Department of State Health Services* • Texas Association of Local Health Officials • Texas Public Health Training Center • Public Health Accreditation Council of Texas • CDC*

UNTHSC Grant Rounds: CHW’s and Cultural Competency


Nuha Lackan April, 2012

50 participants 1, 2

On-campus session for faculty, staff and students

of the UNTHSC

Epi Boot Camp Texas Public Health

Training Center

Raquel Qualls-Hampton, Sumi Suzuki, Martha Felini

May, 2012 120 participants 1, 2

On-campus workshop for faculty, students, public

health professionals

• Texas Department of State Health Services • Other UNTHSC Departments

Public Health Law Workshop El Paso Health Department Robert Kaman, Robert Galvin

June, 2012, 2013 45 area public

health professionals each year 3

Off-campus, 1 and a half day workshop in El Paso,

Texas • El Paso Health Department*

UNTHSC Grant Rounds: Geriatrics

Texas Public Health Training Center Maudia Gentry August, 2012

37 participants 1, 2

On-campus session for faculty, staff and students

of the UNTHSC

Solution Focused Victim Assistance for Domestic Violence

One Safe Place Emily Spence-Almaguer and Derrelynn Perryman

August 2012, 8 participants 3 Off campus, 8 hours • One Safe Place

Community Health Workers Across Texas: Working Together for Healthy Texas Babies


Maudia Gentry, Jeff Moon August, 2012

300 participants 2

Sessions at a three-day conference in Austin,

Texas for those interested in infant mortality

Texas Department of State Health Services


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2012-2013


Return on Investment and Public Health Advocacy: A TB Case Study in Applied Economics


Thad Miller, Erin Carlson, Nuha Lackan

January, 2013 65 TDSHS employees 3

Off-campus, 1-day program in Austin, Texas

• HRSA* • Texas Department of State Health Services

(TDSHS)

Public Health Core Competency Training


Jose Pagan, Robert Kaman, Kristine Lykens, Nuha Lackan, Neda Moayad, Erin Carlson

April, 2013 62 participants from Tarrant County Public Health 3

Off-camp provided for the managers and others from Tarrant County Public Health

• Tarrant County Public Health*

North Texas Health Forum: Childhood - Obesity: Accomplishments and Challenges

School of Public Health Richard Kurz, Heather Kitzman-Ulrich

April 2013 250 attended 1, 2

On-campus, Free and open to the professionals and the general public

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas* • Dannon* • Fort Worth Independent School District, • Health Industry Council • City of Fort Worth • A B Christian Learning Center • Other Units of the HSC

3rd Annual Texas Local Health Department Accreditation Workshop

School of Public Health Richard Kurz May, 2013 62 participants from LHDs 1, 2

Off-campus, 2-day conference for LHDs interested in accreditation in Austin, Texas

• Texas Public Health Association* • Texas Department of State Health Services* • Texas Association of Local Health Officials • Texas Public Health Training Center • Public Health Accreditation Council of Texas • Public Health Quality Improvement

Exchange • CDC*

Health Literacy Symposium – Building Health Literate Organizations

School of Public Health Kathryn Cardarelli, Richard Kurz June 2013 156 attending 1, 2

Off-campus, Free and open to professionals and the general public

• UNTHSC Texas Prevention Institute • Area Agency on Aging of Tarrant County*

United Way of Tarrant County


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Name of Program Sponsoring Unit Key Faculty Dates/ Attendance Format Collaborating Organizations

(* Funder)

Rural Osteopathic Medical Education and Public Health in Texas Project

Biostatistics and Evaluation Services and Training (BEST)

Center

Sharon Homan Ann Davis Linda Sterling

2013, 2014 15 participants 3

12-hour online/in-class course modules

• Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine • HRSA*

West Nile Surveillance and Response School of Public Health Joon Lee

2013, 2014 5 City of Fort Worth

employees 3

Off-campus, one half day workshop in Fort Worth,

Texas • City of Fort Worth*

2013-2014

Motivation Interviewing: Helping People Change

Aging and Disability Resource Center, Texas Department of Aging and Disability

Scott Walters

September, 2013 30 participants

each 3

Off-campus, 2 four hour workshops over two days

for agency employees Austin, Texas

• Aging and Disability Resource Center*

Biostatistics and SPSS Programming for Epidemiologists

Biostatistics and Evaluation Services and Training (BEST) Center

Sharon Homan Ann Davis Opeyemi Jegede

Fall, 2013 and Summer, 2014

16 and 15 participants,

respectively 3

On-campus, 2-day conference for local

professionals • Texas Department of State Health Services*

Secondary Analysis of National Datasets Using SAS


Fei Fei Wei (Faculty member from Arkansas School of Public Health)

November, 2013 45 attending 1, 2

On-campus workshop for state and local

epidemiologists and students

• Texas Department of State Health Services*

Leadership and Community Collaboration


Sharon Homan Kenneth Homan

January-February, 2014

14 attending 3

Off-campus, 2-day workshop for Cook

Children’s Medical Center outreach team and

leadership

• Cook Children’s Medical Center*


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Name of Program Sponsoring Unit Key Faculty Dates/ Attendance Format Collaborating Organizations

(* Funder)

North Texas Health Forum - Built Environment, Lifestyle, and Health

School of Public Health Richard Kurz April 2014, 230 attended 1, 2

On-campus, Free and open to the professionals

and the general public

• Gamtex Industries • United Way of Tarrant County • Cook Children’s Medical Center • Tarrant County Public Health • City of Fort Worth • Mental Health Connection • Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas • Samaritan House • UT-A Schools of Architecture, Social Work,

and Urban and Public Affairs* • Urban Land Use Institute of North Texas • Texas Health Resources* • AIA Fort Worth Chapter • Midwest Texas Chapter of the APA • Texas Society of Professional Engineers • Other Units of the HSC

Health Literacy Symposium – Health Literacy in Tarrant County Adults: A Systems Approach

School of Public Health Erin Carlson, Richard Kurz April 2014 151 attending 1, 2

Off-campus, Free and open to professionals and

the general public • Texas Prevention Center

Vital Statistics Summer Conference School of Public Health Richard Kurz June 2014

55 attending 2 On-campus, 1-day

conference • Texas Public Health Association*

Solution Focused Case Management for Victim Services Providers

Tarrant County Sexual Abuse Advisory Council Annual Conference

Emily Spence-Almaguer & Derrelynn Perryman

April 2013, 40 attending 2

Off campus ½ day conference • Tarrant County Victim Services Association

1Students Participated 2Faculty Participated 3The event was restricted to an outside audience


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3.3.c. Description of certificate programs or other non-degree offerings of the program, including enrollment data for each of the last three years. Certificate program enrollment is presented in table 3.3.c.1 below. The Certificate in Public Health Practice is designed for individuals who wish to acquire core knowledge and competencies in public health. It consists of the five core courses of the MPH program. Some of these individuals intend to complete the Certification in Public Health Examination. The Geographic Information Systems Certificate is designed to advance participants’ knowledge of mapping, research and spatial analysis as a valuable tool in public health to better understand the geography of disease and its risk factors. Five courses are open to individuals with a relevant background and a bachelor’s degree. The courses included in these certificate programs are provided in Appendix 3.3.c.1 in the Electronic Resource File. Students and other qualified individuals may complete either certificates on-campus or online. As noted in the table, the School also initiated three new certificates. The Certificate in Global Health consists of three core courses and two electives, selected from a list offered by the School. This certificate is being created in collaboration with the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine that will provide elective courses for medical students. The Certificate in Food Security consists of five courses that encompass content in the vulnerability of growing, processing, storing, transporting and distributing of food and the risks and effect on population health. The Biostatistics Certificate for Clinical and Health Professionals is formulated for working health professionals who are seeking fundamental knowledge of biostatistics through an online, three course sequence, each course consisting of four semester credit hours. Again the courses included in these certificates are presented in Appendix 3.3.c.1. The SPH also has students who complete courses as non-degree students; however, this number has declined sharply with the initiation of the Graduate Certificate in Public Health. These students select these courses for several reasons: (1) to acquire knowledge in a public health discipline with bachelor’s degrees from varied universities, (2) as part of the course exchange program that we have established with the Neely School of Business at Texas Christian University, and (3) through relationships with undergraduate or graduate programs at the University of North Texas at Denton.


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Table 3.3.c.1: SPH Certificate and Non-Degree Programs

Program Name Enrollment 2011-12

Enrollment 2012-13

Enrollment 2013-14

Enrollment 2014-May 15

Certificate in Public Health Practice campus: 2 online: N/A

campus: 36 online: 30



Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Certificate

campus: N/A online: N/A

campus: 6 online: N/A

campus: 3 online: N/A

campus: 2 online: 0

Biostatistics Certificate for Clinicians and Health Professionals N/A N/A N/A campus: 1

online: 0

Graduate Certificate in Food Security and Public Health

N/A N/A N/A campus: 1 online: 0

Graduate Certificate in Global Health N/A N/A N/A

campus: 1 online: 0

Non-Degree – Acquire Knowledge campus: 32 online N/A



campus: 13

online: 0

Non-Degree – Neely School campus: 10 online: N/A

campus: 2 online: 0

campus: 5 online: 1

campus: 4 online: 0

Non-degree – UNT-Denton campus: 4 online: N/A

campus: 2 online: 0

campus: 7 online: 0

campus: 3 online: 0

3.3.d. Description of the program’s practices, policies, procedures and evaluation that support continuing education and workforce development strategies. As indicated above, the School routinely offers continuing education programs and certificate programs to the professional workforce in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex as well as the State of Texas. These offering are often free of charge to facilitate participation by individuals from local agencies who have limited funding to participate in such activities. To offer these free or low cost programs, the School has sought support from local foundations, health providers, and other institutions to fund the travel and honoraria of speakers for these sessions and other expenses. If outside sources are not sufficient, the School has provided the additional funding needed to create and deliver these events. A major collaborator for continuing education is the Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) Office in the Health Science Center. The Office of Professional and Continuing Education is the department responsible for the University of North Texas Health Science Center’s continuing education and professional outreach. Each year, it registers thousands of healthcare providers and awards more than 100,000 credits for public health professionals, physicians, nurses, PAs, pharmacists, certified health educators, social workers and other professionals. PACE provides the following services:

• Turn-key continuing education planning, logistics, accreditation, implementation and evaluation

• Joint sponsorship on activities for physicians, nurses and other healthcare providers • On-site CME monitoring


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• Brochure design and print coordination • Registration and confirmation services • Evaluation and outcomes design • Non-accredited (strictly non-promotional) event planning • Continuing Education consultation • Speaker development

All continuing education and certificate programs are evaluated using the IDEA Course Evaluation System, which is used for all school courses. IDEA evaluation results are presented in the Electronic Resource File - Appendix 2.1.b.1 and will be available for review during the site-visit. 3.3.e. A list of other educational institutions or public health practice organizations, if any, with which the program collaborates to offer continuing education. Refer to Table 3.3.b.1. 3.3.f. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. The criterion is met. Strengths: The School of Public Health in conjunction with many other local, state, and national organizations have provided training to the public health workforce in a timely manner for areas in which there was need as defined by an organization or the public health community. The School has provided funding and/or in-kind support for many of the events described above. As the number of participants indicates, these events were successful in advancing the knowledge and/or skills of a significant segment of the public health workforce. The School has played a special role state wide in the accreditation of local health departments through workshops as well as other activities. The School has also played a key role in training of professionals and community residents with regard to key issues through the North Texas Health Forum which has occurred annually for the past seven years. Finally, the School working with the Texas Public Health Training Center has been a resource for ongoing, certified training for community health workers and for the competency needs of Tarrant County Public Health and the Texas Department of State Health Services. Weaknesses: The primary weakness in this area is that the School has not had the resources to conduct a formal workforce development needs assessment. Based on the resources available to it through research and service funding, the School has been able to identify the workforce needs for many groups. Plans: The School plans to continue its activities in local, state, and regional training through the Public Health Training Center for the region including Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, although a recent grant to continue this work was not funded. The School will also continue to support the annual North Texas Health Forum to provide information and awareness to the local public health professional community and area residents. Finally, the School has completed planning for three additional certificate programs in food security, global health, and biostatistics and is awaiting funding decisions regarding them from the Health Science Center.

Criterion 4: Faculty, Staff and Students 4.1 Faculty Qualifications

174

CRITERION 4: FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS

4.1 FACULTY QUALIFICATIONS

The program shall have a clearly defined faculty which, by virtue of its distribution, multidisciplinary nature, educational preparation, practice experience and research and instructional competence, is able to fully support the program’s mission, goals and objectives. 4.1.a. A table showing primary faculty who support the degree programs offered by the school. It should present data effective at the beginning of the academic year in which the self-study is submitted to CEPH and should be updated at the beginning of the site visit. See CEPH Data Template 4.1.1. As of fall 2014 the UNTHSC-SPH has a total of 35 primary faculty members as outlined in Criterion 2, Table 1.7.a.1. Key qualifications of primary faculty supporting all of the degree programs are shown in Table 4.1.a.1. Curricula Vita for all primary faculty are located in Appendix 4.1.a.1 in the Electronic Resource File. A full faculty directory is also available online at: http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20005/school_of_public_health/621/faculty As represented in Table 4.1.a.1, there is a solid base of faculty members in each department and discipline area who support the various academic programs. The faculty appointments range from instructor to full professor, and include both tenure and non-tenure track. The majority of non-tenure track faculty are community and applied/practice-based, while the tenure track faculty are research-based. This breadth in experience and focus provides the foundation for the various academic programs, mentoring of junior faculty and students, and diversity for solid academic and research programs. Academic and community-based instruction is further supported by adjunct faculty who have the academic training and/or practice expertise to teach both lower and advanced level graduate courses and students. Adjunct faculty are outlined in Table 4.1.b.1.

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20005/school_of_public_health/621/faculty


175

Table 4.1.a.1: Current Primary Faculty Supporting Degree Programs, by Department, Fall 2014 (CEPH Data Template 4.1.1)

Dept. Name Title/

Academic Rank

Tenure Status FTE Grad

Degrees Institution Discipline Teaching Area Research Interest

Department of Behavioral and Community Health (BACH)

1 BACH Brenner, Harvey Professor Tenured 1.0 PhD, MA Yale University Sociology

Foundations of Community Health, Health Disparities, Global Health

Impact of the international economy on global health

2 BACH Kitzman-Ulrich, Heather

Assistant Professor Tenure track 1.0 PhD Southern Methodist

University Psychology Quantitative Research Methods, Qualitative Research Methods

Obesity prevention and treatment in underserved populations

3 BACH Paul, Marcy Instructor Non-tenure 1.0 MA Univ. of Illinois at Chicago Communication

Community Health, Health Communication Strategies, Maternal and Child Health

Health Disparities, Maternal and Child Health, Infant Mortality; Social and Cultural Studies

4 BACH Paxton, Raheem

Assistant Professor Tenure track 1.0 PhD, MS

Univ. of South Carolina, Kansas State Univ.

Public Health, Kinesiology - exercise psychology

Health Promotion Education and Behavior

Reducing risk of recurrence, new primaries, and comorbid conditions in high-risk cancer survivors, particularly ethnic minorities

5 BACH Rossheim, Matthew Instructor Non-tenure 1.0 MPH Univ. of Florida Public Health

Theory and Foundations of Community Health; Injury and Violence Prevention, Tobacco Control and Prevention

Harmful impacts of alcohol and tobacco product attributes and industry marketing strategies on consumers, particularly socially and economically vulnerable populations

6 BACH Robledo, Candace

Assistant Professor Tenure Track 1.0 PhD, MPH

University of Oklahoma HSC, Texas A&M University System HSC

Epidemiology Maternal and Child Health, epidemiologic methods, environmental epidemiology

Reproductive/Perinatal Epidemiology, Environmental factors that influence maternal and child health, specifically gestational diabetes and birth size. Vulnerable populations such as pregnant women with asthma, racial/ethnic minorities and border populations.

7 BACH Spence-Almaguer, Emily

Associate Professor Non-tenure 1.0 PhD,

MSW

Florida International Univ., Florida State Univ.

Social Work Community Programming Evaluation & Intervention

Program evaluation, community assessment, solution-focused practice methods, homelessness/poverty, service learning, inter-personal violence, participatory research, risk and resiliency


176

Dept. Name Title/

Academic Rank



8 BACH Thombs, Dennis Professor Tenured 1.0 PhD, EdS,

MA Univ. of Maryland, Univ. of South Florida

Health Education, Community Mental Health Counseling

Evidence Based Public Health, Tobacco Control Prevention, Scientific and Grant Writing

Additive behavior, specifically alcohol and drug use in emerging adulthood

9 BACH Walters, Scott Professor Tenured 1.0 PhD, MA Univ. of New Mexico,

San Diego State Univ. Psychology Motivational interviewing, Social and Behavioral Theories, Addictive Behaviors

Addictive behaviors via motivational interviewing

Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology (Biostatistics - BIOS )

1 BIOS Aryal, Subhash

Associate Professor Tenured 1.0 PhD, MS Univ. of Illinois at

Chicago Biostatistics Biostatistics, Advanced Topics, Applied Categorical Data Analysis, Intro to Statistical Packages

Statistical methodological development, statistical application

2 BIOS Chen, Shande Professor Tenured 1.0 PhD MA Univ. of Rochester Statistics Regression Analysis, Clinical Trials & Survival Analysis, Analysis of Variance

Biostatistical Applications: Cancer, HIV, Cardiovascular Disease, Stroke, Aging, Physiology, Statistical Methodology

3 BIOS Nandy, Rajesh

Assistant Professor Tenure track 1.0 PhD,

M.Stat University of Washington, Seattle

Mathematics, Statistics

Biostatistics for Public Health, Advanced Topics in Biostatistics,

Bayesian Statistical Methods, Optimal Designs, Neuroimaging data

4 BIOS Suzuki, Sumihiro

Associate Professor Tenured 1.0 PhD, MS Univ. Of Texas at

Dallas Statistics

Biostatistics for Public Health, Probability & Statistical Inference, Methods for Public Health Studies

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Sequential Analysis, Applications to clinical trials.

5 BIOS Wei, Changshuai

Assistant Professor Tenure Track 1.0 PhD, MS Michigan State

University Biostatistics Statistical Genetics, Biostatistics for Public Health

Statistical Genetics, Non-parametric Statistics, Machine learning

Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology (Epidemiology - EPID)

1 EPID Cannell, Brad Assistant Professor Tenure track 1.0 PhD, MPH Univ. of Florida, Univ.

of Louisville Epidemiology, Public Health

Statistical Packages, Public Health and Aging, Injury Violence Prevention

Healthy aging and late-life quality of life

2 EPID Homan, Sharon Professor Tenured 1.0 PhD MS Univ. of Iowa

Biostatistics, Preventive Medicine & Environmental Health

Biostatistics for Public Health, Biostatical Research and Consulting

Maternal and child health, mental health, homelessness, substance abuse, family violence


177

Dept. Name Title/

Academic Rank



3 EPID M. Douglas Livingston

Assistant Professor Tenure track 1.0 PhD University of Florida Epidemiology

Statistical Packages, Bias in Observational Research, Quasi-experimental Trial Design

Design and analysis of quasi-experimental trials, Measurement error

4 EPID Migala, Witold

Assistant Professor Non-tenure 1.0 PhD, MPH Univ. of North Texas

Health Science Center

Preventive Medicine, Public Health

Principles of Epidemiology, Applied Epidemiology, Epidemiology of Disasters, Medical Sciences Epidemiology

Emergency Management, Domestic Abuse, Bioterrorism Surveillance, Early Childhood Development, Community Needs Assessment

5 EPID Ramisetty-Mikler, Suhasini

Assistant Professor Non tenure 0.8 PhD,

MPH, MS

Iowa State Univ., Univ. of North Texas Health Science Center

Child Development, Epidemiology, Counselor Education

Community Assessment, Principles of Epidemiology, Social & Behavioral Research Methods, Secondary Data Analysis

Alcohol epidemiology, family violence, adolescent risk behaviors, alcohol/drug use

6 EPID Tao, Menghua

Assistant Professor Tenure track 1.0 PhD Univ. of California, Los

Angeles Epidemiology

Cancer Epidemiology, Molecular Epidemiology, Advanced Epidemiology Method, Nutrition Epidemiology

Research interest: cancer epidemiology, gene-environmental interaction, epigenetic epidemiology, and cancer prevention

Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (EOHS)

1 EOHS Fogelberg, Katherine

Assistant Professor non-tenure 1.0 PhD, DVM

Texas A&M University DVM; Texas Christian University

Veterinary medicine, Science Education

Environmental Health, zoonotic diseases; animals in public health; food security, quality and safety; inter-professional education

Improving Professional Development at the university level; Discourse Analysis; informal education; zoonotic disease; attitudes and beliefs; inter-professional education

2 EOHS Lee, Joon-Hak Assistant Professor Tenure track 1.0 PhD, MS Iowa State Univ., Seoul

National Univ. Entomology

Environmental Health, Evaluation and Control of Biological and Infections Agents, Water and Public Health, Genomics and Public Health, Texas-Mexico Border Health Issues

Ecology and epidemiology of vector-borne infectious diseases


178

Dept. Name Title/

Academic Rank



3 EOHS Liu, Youcheng

Associate Professor Tenure track 1.0 ScD, MPH,

MS Harvard Univ. Environmental Health

Recognition, Evaluation & Control of Environmental Hazards, EOHS Sampling and Analysis

Occupational and environmental exposures to chemicals and cardiopulmonary health

4 EOHS Rich, Alisa Assistant Professor Tenure track 1.0 PhD, MPH

Univ. of Texas at Arlington, Univ. of North Texas Health Science Center

Environmental Science, Environmental Toxicology

Air Pollution and Health, Environmental & Occupational Toxicology, Human Health Risk Analysis & Exposure Assessment

Chemical exposures, effects of pollution on onset of aging and Alzheimer’s’ disease, emissions from natural gas extraction

5 EOHS Sterling, David Professor Tenured 1.0 PhD, MS

Univ. of Texas as Houston, Univ. of Cincinnati

Environmental Science

Environmental Determinants of Health, Research Methods

Asthma in school aged children and assessment of population health risks associated with exposure to chemicals in the environment.

Department of Health Management and Policy (HMAP)

1 HMAP Carlson, Erin Assistant Professor Tenure track 1.0 DrPH,

MPH

Univ. of North Texas Health Science Center, Univ. of Nebraska

Health Management & Policy, Public Health

Introduction to Health Management & Policy

Health care safety net utilization and disease prevention

2 HMAP Chen, Hsueh-Fen

Assistant Professor Tenure track 1.0 PhD, MS

Virginia Commonwealth Univ., National Taiwan Univ.

Health Administration

Human Resources, Management, Health Services Research, Health Services Management, Introduction to Health Management & Policy

Quality of care and patient safety , telehealth monitoring, re-hospitalizations

3 HMAP Kurz, Richard Professor Tenured 1.0 PhD Univ. of North Carolina – Chapel Hill Sociology

Leadership for Public Health, Introduction to Health Disparities/Issues in the U.S.

Quality of and access to health services, Health services management, Leadership and Workforce Development

4 HMAP Lackan, Nuha Associate Professor Tenure track 1.0 PhD, MA

Univ. of Texas Medical School at Galveston, Incarnate Word Univ.

Preventive Medicine & Community Health, Social Gerontology

Master of Health Administration Capstone

Health services research, aging, minority health, health disparities, end of life care

5 HMAP Lykens, Kristine

Associate Professor Tenured 1.0 PhD, MPA Univ. of Texas at

Dallas Political Economy, Social Science

Health Politics and Policy, Leadership & Policy Legislative Experience, Advanced Health Policy

Evaluation of local health programs, children’s health, international child health and nutrition.


179

Dept. Name Title/

Academic Rank



6 HMAP Miller, Thaddeus

Associate Professor Tenured 1.0 DrPH,

MPH Univ. of North Texas Health Science Center

Health Management & Policy

Health Care Systems, Health Insurance and Managed Care, Scientific and Grant Writing

Health policy, Health economics, domestic tuberculosis elimination

7 HMAP O’Neill, Liam Associate Professor Tenured 1.0 PhD, MS

Pennsylvania State Univ., Univ. of North Carolina, Wesleyan Univ.

Operations Management, Operations Research, Mathematics

Health Services, Research, Health Information Systems, Health Care Operations Management, Advanced Health Economics

Health care operations and information systems, hospital efficiency analysis, hospital marketing

8 HMAP Tak, Hyo Jung Assistant Professor Tenure track 1.0 PhD, MA Univ. of Chicago Public Policy,

Economics Health Economics, Advanced Health Economics

Health insurance choice and health care utilization, health care quality, outcome and expenditure in inpatient care

Department of Public Health Education (PHED)

1 PHED Adrignola, Matt Nolan

Assistant Professor Non-tenure 1.0 EdD, MBA Saint Louis University

Higher Education Administration, Business Administration

Practice Experience in Public Health

Higher Education Administration, Online Instruction

2 PHED Moranetz, Christine

Associate Professor Non-tenure 1.0 PhD, MS Univ. of Kansas,

Oklahoma State Univ.

Exercise Physiology & Nutrition, Health and Physical Education

Professional Development in Public Health, Pedagogy: Art & Science of Teaching

HIV/AIDS Prevention; Program Evaluation


180

4.1.b. Summary data on the qualifications of other program faculty (adjunct, part-time, secondary appointments, etc.). Data should be provided in table format and include at least the following: a) name, b) title/academic rank, c) title and current employment, d) or % time allocated to the program, e) highest degree earned (optional: programs may also list all graduate degrees earned to more accurately reflect faculty expertise), f) disciplines in which listed degrees were earned and g) contributions to the program. See CEPH Data Template 4.1.2. Additional faculty members who support the academic mission and are not primary faculty are classified as joint or cross appointments or adjunct faculty members. Joint-appointments designate faculty appointed to more than one department or school with financial support for the position shared between the departments or schools the faculty is appointed to. Cross appointments designate faculty appointments to more than one department or school, with financial support for the position coming from only one of the units. Adjunct faculty hold positions outside the UNTHSC, although a few adjunct faculty are UNTHSC employees. In all cases the functions of each appointment is to participate in teaching, research, and/or service activities, and may include advising and mentoring students, as well as serving on student or school committees. For joint or cross appointments, the rank in the SPH are at the same rank as their primary appointment. Table 4.1.b.1 lists the faculty members who have a joint, cross or adjunct appointment by program concentration. All joint, cross, or adjunct faculty are appointed to the department most aligned with their expertise, which allows them to more effectively interact with SPH faculty on research, teaching and service projects. Percent effort for these appointments are computed using the following criteria: specified effort on contract or grant, 15% effort for each course taught, one % effort for each weekly participation or guest lecture in a course, two % effort for service on a standing committee, one % effort for each assigned masters student for advising and two % for each masters committee chair, three % effort for doctoral student mentoring and two % for service on each doctoral committee.


181

Table 4.1.b.1: Other Faculty used to Support Teaching Programs (CEPH Data Template 4.1.2)

Department Name Title/Academic Rank

Title & Current Employer FTE Graduate

Degrees Discipline Teaching/Participation Areas

Department of Behavioral & Community Health(BACH)

1 BACH Cardarelli, Roberto

Adjunct Associate Professor

Associate Professor U of KY SoM .016 DO, MPH Medicine, Public Health Research Collaboration

2 BACH Connors, Shahnjayla K.

Adjunct Assistant Professor

Assistant Director Genome Inst., Wash U-StL .125 PhD, MPH,

CPH Molecular Biology and Public Health Teaching Ethnicity, Culture and Health

3 BACH Lopez, Tania Adjunct Assistant Instructor

UNTHSC - Obstetrics & Gynecology .125 MS, CNW Nursing Clinical Aspects of Reproductive Health

4 BACH Martin, Marcus Adjunct Assistant Professor 2M Research Services .016 PhD

Statistics, Research Methods, Medical Sociology/Social Inequality

Research Collaboration

5 BACH Menchaca, John Adjunct Assistant Professor

Pediatrician Cook Children’s MC .016 MD Pediatrics Research Collaboration

6 BACH Moayad, Neda Adjunct Assistant Professor UNTHSC .31 DrPH Social & Behavioral Sciences Assessment & Community Program Planning

7 BACH Thomas Moorman Adjunct Assistant Professor UNTHSC .016 EdD Higher Education Administration Administrative Support

8 BACH Oden, Melissa Adjunct Instructor UNTHSC .56 DHeD, LMSW Social Work Maternal & Child Health, Human Sexuality and Health

9 BACH Pealer, Lisa Adjunct Associate Professor CDC .375 PhD Health & Human Performance,

Health Behavior Theoretical Foundations of Individual & Community Health

10 BACH Petrovich, James Adjunct Assistant Professor

Assistant Professor Texas Christian Univ. .016 PhD Social Work Research Collaboration

11 BACH Vosvick, Mark Adjunct Associate Professor

Associate Professor UNT-Denton .125 PhD, MeD,

MBA Health Psychology Teaching HIV/AIDS

12 BACH Wolfe, Susan Adjunct Associate Professor

Owner Susan Wolfe and Assoc. .125 PhD Community Psychology Teaching Issues in Mental Health and Mental

Illness

Department of Biostatistics & Epidemiology (Biostatistics - BIOS)

1 BIOS Amatya, Anup Adjunct Assistant Professor

Assistant Professor Univ. of New Mexico .125 PhD Biostatistics Teaching Biostatistics for Public Health

2 BIOS Biswas, Swati Adjunct Assistant Professor

Associate Professor U of Texas- Dallas .016 PhD Biostatistics Research Collaboration

3 BIOS Kurian, Anita Adjunct Assistant Professor

Tarrant County Public Health .125 DrPH Epidemiology Infectious Disease Epidemiology

4 BIOS Mikler, Armin Adjunct Associate Professor

Professor UNT-Denton .016 PhD Computer Science Teaching in GIS Certificate Program


182




5 BIOS Moonan, Patrick Adjunct Assistant Professor

Senior Epidemiologist CDC .016 DrPH Epidemiology Preceptor for Field Experiences

6 BIOS Ndetan, Harrison Adjunct Assistant Professor

Research Faculty Parker Research Inst. .375 DrPH Biostatistics Teaching Biostatistics for Public Health

7 BIOS Qualls-Hampton, Raquel


Assistant Professor UNTHSC TCOM .047 PhD Epidemiology & Biostatistics Doctoral Mentor

Department of Biostatistics & Epidemiology (Epidemiology – EPID)

1 EPID Baptiste-Roberts, Kesha

Adjunct Assistant Professor University of Alabama .125 PhD, MPH Epidemiology Teaching Maternal and Child Health

Epidemiology

2 EPID Cardarelli, Kathryn

Adjunct Associate Professor

Associate Professor and Associate Dean U of KY SPH

.016 PhD, MPH Epidemiology Research Collaboration

3 EPID Cervantes, Diana Adjunct Assistant Professor

Lead Epidemiologist Texas Dept. of State Health Services

.25 DrPH MS Epidemiology Teaching Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Surveillance

4 EPID Felini, Martha Assistant Professor Associate Professor UNTHSC TCOM .031 PhD, DC, MPH Epidemiology Doctoral Advisor

5 EPID Fernando, Shane Assistant Professor Assistant Professor UNTHSC TCOM .25 PhD Epidemiology Teaching Principles of Epidemiology, Survey

Methods

6 EPID Filardo, Giovanni Adjunct Associate Professor

Director of Epidemiology Baylor Scott & White .016 PhD, MPH Epidemiology, Chronic Disease

Epidemiology Teaching Principles of Epidemiology

7 EPID Fulda, Kimberly Associate Professor Associate Professor UNTHSC TCOM .047 DrPH Clinical Research Principles of Epidemiology

8 EPID McGaha, Paul Adjunct Assistant Professor

Regional Director Texas Dept. of State Health Services

.016 DO, MPH Medicine Curriculum Advising

9 EPID Meeks, Jacquelynn


Cook Children’s Health Care System .25 DrPH, MBA Epidemiology Teaching Principles of Epidemiology

10 EPID Priest, Elisha Adjunct Assistant Professor

Director, Clinical Effectiveness Data Center Baylor Scott & White

.016 DrPH Epidemiology Teaching Secondary Data Analysis

11 EPID Ruggiere, Paul Adjunct Assistant Professor

Assistant Professor UNT-Denton .125 PhD Sociology Teaching Survey Methods

12 EPID Schneiwess, Fred Adjunct Associate Professor Alcon .125 PharmD, MS Pharmacy Pharmaco Epidemiology

13 EPID Zoretic, James Adjunct Assistant Professor

Texas Dept. of State Health Services .016 MD Medicine Curriculum Advisin Business Administration


183




Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (EOHS)

1 EOHS Clark, Sharon Adjunct Assistant Professor

Occupational Physician BNSF/Retired .016 DO Medicine Occupational Disease

2 EOHS Clements, Bruce Adjunct Instructor Texas Dept. of State Health Services .016 MPH Environmental Health Emergency Preparedness

3 EOHS Gratton, Terrance Adjunct Associate Emeritus Professor Emeritus Faculty .125 DrPH Environmental & Occupational

Health Sciences Environmental Determinants of Health

4 EOHS Jacoby, Jonathan Adjunct Assistant Professor

Afton Oil, Illinois/ Saint Louis University School of Public Health

.016 PhD Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences Environmental Determinants of Health

5 EOHS King, Christopher Adjunct Assistant Professor

Saint Louis University School of Public Health .375 PhD Public Policy Analysis Environmental Determinants of Health

6 EOHS Lary, David Adjunct Professor Univ. of Texas at Dallas .016 PhD Atmospheric Sciences GIS and Spatial Analysis

7 EOHS Oppong, Joseph Adjunct Professor UNT-Denton .016 PhD Geography Medical Geography

8 EOHS Ramphal-Naley, Lily

Adjunct Assistant Professor Blue Cross .125 MD Medicine Occupational Diseases & Health Practice

9 EOHS Tiwari, Chetan Adjunct Assistant Professor UNT- Denton .016 PhD Geography/GIS GIS and Health

Department of Health Policy & Management (HMAP)

1 HMAP Akuoko, Mathias Adjunct Assistant Professor UNTHSC .016 PhD, MPH Health Management & Policy

2 HMAP Cron, William Adjunct Professor Professor Texas Christian Univ. .016 DBA, MBA Business Administration Teaching Business School Courses in

TCU/MHA Agreement

3 HMAP Dugan, John Adjunct Instructor Senior care Centers .125 MHA Long-term Care LTC Administration

4 HMAP Fairchild, Thomas Associate Professor UNTHSC .31 PhD Sociology Healthcare Management & Quality Improvement, Strategic Management & Marketing

5 HMAP Garner, William Adjunct Assistant Professor

Univ. of Chicago Medical Center .25 DrPH, MPH Health Management & Policy Leadership in Public Health

6 HMAP Harman, John Adjunct Associate Professor UNTHSC .016 MBA Health Finance Curriculum Advising

7 HMAP Homan, Ken Adjunct Associate Professor

Sisters of Charity Health System .125 PhD Health Ethics Ethics in Public Health


184




8 HMAP Hovde, Emily Instructor Senior Care Centers .125 MHA Health Administration, Professional Practice/LTC

MHA Professional and Academic Development (PAD)

9 HMAP Jacob, Steven Adjunct Instructor Baylor Scott & White Senior Marketing and PR Consultant

.625 MPH, MA Health Management & Policy Intro to Health Management & Policy, Health Services Management

10 HMAP Kaman, Robert Adjunct Professor NTHSC .375 PhD, JD Health law Public Health Law, Health Care Law, Public Health Preparedness

11 HMAP Mains, Doug Adjunct Associate Professor UNTHSC .1825 DrPH Health Planning and Evaluation Public Health Program Planning & Evaluation

12 HMAP Miao, Winjie Tang Adjunct Assistant Professor

Texas Health Resource Alliance, President .016 MHA Health Administration MHA Capstone Course

13 HMAP Mohon, Monty Adjunct Instructor UNTHSC .016 MBA Health Administration Curriculum Advising

14 HMAP Willis, Susan Adjunct Instructor UNT Health – CFP .25 Healthcare Finance Healthcare Finance

15 HMAP Pagan, Jose Adjunct Professor New York Academy of Medicine, VP Research .016 PhD Health Economics Research Collaboration and Doctoral Advising

16 HMAP Pasipanodya, Jotam


Univ. of Texas – Southwestern Medical Center, Post-Doc

.125 MD, DrPH Health Management & Policy Health Care Systems

17 HMAP Roberson, Jerry Adjunct Assistant Professor UT-Houston SPH .016 DrPH Health Management & Policy Research and Service Collaboration

18 HMAP Rule, Scott Adjunct Assistant Professor

Vice President JPS Health Network .016 JD Law Class Lecturing

19 HMAP Salyer-Caldwell, Ann Adjunct Instructor Tarrant County public

Health .016 MPH, RD/LD Nursing Research and Service Collaboration

20 HMAP Sosland, Steven Adjunct Instructor UNTHSC .016 MS Business Administration Curriculum Advising

21 HMAP Elizabeth Trevino-Dawson Assistant Professor

North Texas Area Community Health Care/UNTHSC

.31 DrPH MPH Health Management & Policy Seminar in Healthcare Management,

Professional Development

22 HMAP Zavadsky, Matt Adjunct Assistant Professor

Director-Public Affairs MedStar EMS – Fort Worth

.016 MS Healthcare Administration Healthcare Administration


185




Department of Public Health Education (PHED)

1 PHED Burton, Bing Adjunct Assistant Professor

Director – Retired Denton County Health Department

.25 PhD Public and Urban Administration Teaching Public Health Professional Option Capstone

2 PHED Raines-Milenkov, Amy Assistant Professor Assistant Professor

UNTHSC TCOM .016 DrPH Maternal & Child Health, Refugee Health

Teaching Program Design, Planning & Evaluation.

3 PHED Sterling, Linda Adjunct Assistant Professor

UNTHSC and Independent Consultant .016 DrPH, MPH Public Health Community and Environmental Health, health

care facility health and safety

4 PHED Smethers, Misty Adjunct Instructor UNTHSC .20 MAE, EdD Higher Education Administration, Student Affairs in Higher Education

MPH Professional and Academic Development (PAD), Practice Experience in Public Health, Advising for Certificate Students


186

4.1.c. Description of the manner in which the faculty complement integrates perspectives from the field of practice, including information on appointment tracks for practitioners, if used by the program. Faculty with significant practice experience outside of that which is typically associated with an academic career should also be identified. The mission of the SPH (“creates solutions for a healthier community”) emphasizes community-based engagement of faculty in their research, service and teaching. As presented in Criterion 3, faculty members are involved with many community-based projects that include the public and private sector. Information from these projects is used by faculty members to provide current examples of public health practice for the classroom and cases for student analysis and discussion. Faculty members with significant practice experience include Dr. Richard Kurz, Dr. Witold Migala, Dr. Elizabeth Trevino-Dawson, Dr. Christine Moranetz, Dr. Thomas Fairchild, Dr. Katherine Fogelberg, Dr. Sharon Homan, Dr. Emily Spence-Almaguer, Dr. Brad Cannell, Ms. Marcy Paul, Dr. Kristine Lykens, and Dr. Alisa Rich. Practitioners who have appointments with the School are appointed with adjunct ranks. The SPH also has a number of academic professionals who do not hold faculty appointments but have expertise in specific areas of public health and contribute significantly to the mission of the SPH. These individuals serve in key administrative positions; play significant roles in research and community service programs; and contribute to the instruction of students by leading courses, providing guest lectures and supporting internships through their network of community partners. For example, Reverend Ralph W. Emerson, Senior Pastor at the Rising Star Baptist Church and Ms. Loretta Burns, CEO of the AB Christian Learning Center, both lead the community-based participatory research project, Healthy Moms-Healthy Babies-Healthy Community Infant Mortality Initiative. Another example, Ann Salyer-Caldwell, Associate Executive Director of Tarrant County Public Health has assisted with multiple community based projects. 4.1.d. Identification of measurable objectives by which the program assesses the qualifications of its faculty complement, along with data regarding the performance of the program against those measures for each of the last three years. See CEPH Outcome Measures Template. Faculty members are evaluated against a number of measures, which are identified in the SPH faculty workload expectations, as well as in the SPH Promotion and Tenure Guidelines. The primary measures are outlined in Criterion 1 and can be found in Appendix 1.5.c.1 or online at: http://web.unthsc.edu/downloads/file/5177/sph_faculty_bylaws. Although the overall evaluation through departmental chairs occurs at least annually, faculty members are also provided teaching evaluations each semester. Table 4.1.D.1 summarizes these faculty performance measures. Almost 100% of the SPH faculty have doctoral degrees and, for the past three years, have exceeded the target of 90%. Although the target for funded research is 80%, on average 60% of faculty have funding each year. Over the past year a concerted effort has been made to provide resources to more fully help faculty compete for external funding; this effort included hiring for, and development of, the SPH Office of Research Services. Additionally, a number of faculty are identified as primarily teaching and advising with no expectations of research, and these have been included in the calculation. Overall the student satisfaction surveys (further discussed in Criterion 4.4.c and provided in Appendix 4.4.c.1 located in the Electronic Resource File) for all programs except one have exceeded the target of 80%. The DrPH program transitioned from concentrations



187

to a single degree program. Students were allowed to transfer to the new program if they were in the early stages of the program while students in the later stages of the former degree were allowed to complete it. This transition and the new expectations of the single degree created dissatisfaction that has not been resolved. We conducted mid-semester course evaluations and focus groups to attempt to resolve these issues.

Table 4.1.d.1: SPH Faculty Performance Measures Measures Target 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014

Percentage of Faculty with Doctoral Degrees 90% 97% 94% 97%

Percentage of Faculty with Funded Research

80% 55% 64% 60%

Student satisfaction with “quality of teaching” – (Student Satisfaction Survey responses to level of satisfaction with quality of teaching)

80% of students will respond “Agree” or “Strongly Agree” on the annual campus-wide Student Satisfaction Survey, administered in the Spring.




1Student Satisfaction Survey: UNTHSC survey distribute to all students once a year in the spring semester. The average response rates for each program by year are as follows: 2011-2012: MHA = 86% MPH=36% DrPH=50% PhD=42% 2012-2013: MHA = 54% MPH=36% DrPH=50% PhD=42% 2013-2014: MHA = 65% MPH=36% DrPH=55% PhD=63% 4.1.e. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. This criterion is met with commentary. Strengths: The faculty of the School has the diverse academic backgrounds and practice experiences needed to support the community oriented focus of our academic programs, research, and service. The School in conjunction with the Health Science Center has established clear and rigorous policies that guide faculty duties and responsibilities in a manner that supports our mission and strategic plans. Weaknesses: The School has not yet fully resolved the dissatisfaction of some DrPH students with the development and implementation of the single DrPH degree although systematic attempts to address these issued have been and continue to be implemented. Plans: The School continues to seek funds to expand our faculty in all of the core disciplines of public health while maintaining faculty excellence in academic background and practice experience and focusing on opportunities to increase the diversity of the faculty. Moreover, greater attempts are being made to increase faculty expertise in disciplinary subareas to better address selected public health issues. For example, we have developed the material and child focus in the MPH program within the Department of Behavioral and Community Health.

Criterion 4: Faculty, Staff and Students 4.2 Faculty Policies and Procedures

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4.2 FACULTY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES The program shall have well-defined policies and procedures to recruit, appoint and promote qualified faculty, to evaluate competence and performance of faculty, and to support the professional development and advancement of faculty. 4.2.a. A faculty handbook or other written document that outlines faculty rules and regulations. Recruitment Upon approval by the Provost of the Health Science Center for a new faculty position, the designated department chair organizes a search committee composed of members of the department, members of other school departments, and external members from the other HSC units or the community, when appropriate. The department chair appoints a chair for this committee. The committee develops a description of the position and an announcement for the position, to be distributed nationally. The description and the announcement are reviewed by the department chair and the Dean. Applications may be received by letter including a copy of the applicant’s curriculum vitae and a listing of three references. Other materials are acquired for candidates who make a “short list” for further consideration. All applications must also complete the Health Science Center’s electronic application. After review of applications by the committee, the committee interviews the short list by Skype or a similar process. Based on the consideration of these interviews, final candidates are brought to campus for a one day and a half interview with all faculty members and the Dean, which includes a formal presentation. The committee provides the department chair with a ranking of the candidates and from this ranking, the chair makes a selection that is communicated to the Dean for review and approval. Before a formal offer is made to the selected candidate, a confirmatory letter is sent to the candidate summarizing the position and any expectations or requests of the candidate. The candidate signs this letter and returns it to the department chair. Upon receiving this letter, the department chair in conjunction with the Dean and the Provost forward to the candidate a formal offer signed by the President of the Health Science Center. If tenure is involved in the offer, it must be approved by the Regents of the UNT System. Evaluation, Promotion, and Tenure Each new faculty member is provided an electronic copy and/or a link to the UNTHSC Faculty Bylaws and the SPH Faculty Bylaws. The most recent version of the SPH Faculty bylaws were adopted on May 4, 2012, and the UNTHSC Faculty bylaws September 11, 2014. The School of Public Health at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) functions under the Board of Regents, President, Provost, Dean of the School of Public Health (SPH) and other educational administrative officers, and is subject to the policies, procedures and regulations of the University. It is the purpose of these Bylaws to foster an active, informed faculty, and to promote open communication among all members of the community of the School of Public Health. The UNTHSC Bylaws outline the institution guidance and policies. The articles of the UNTHSC Bylaws cover the overall organization of the University of North Texas System and UNTHSC, faculty composition and voting privileges, academic freedom and responsibilities, faculty rank descriptions, faculty appointment process, faculty evaluation procedures, reappointment of faculty, salary and merit


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raises, promotion and tenure, post-Tenure review, appeals, faculty misconduct, grievance by a faculty member, financial exigency, the Faculty Assembly, faculty Senate, standing committees, and modification and amendment procedures. Web link: http://web.unthsc.edu/info/200129/faculty_affairs/1736/bylaws_of_the_faculty

The SPH Bylaws provide a framework that defines the school specific roles of the Dean and the faculty in shared governance activities of initiating recommendations, formulating decisions, and communicating the basis for decision to those affected. The sections of the SPH Bylaws cover mission, vision and values; Office of the Dean, Executive Committee; meetings of the Faculty; academic departments; committees; the faculty; the Faculty Forum; promotion and tenure; and amendments. Web link: http://web.unthsc.edu/downloads/file/5177/sph_faculty_bylaws

The section on Promotion and Tenure is further outlined in a separate SPH document specifically dealing with the Promotion and Tenure Process and Guidelines. This document was last approved by the faculty November 12, 2013. This document outlines the Promotion and Tenure Committee, procedures and deadlines, portfolio material requirements, and promotion and tenure guidelines and criteria. Web Link: http://web.unthsc.edu/downloads/file/5398/sph_p_and_t_criteria Each School at the UNTHSC has an established workload expectation document. This document identifies, in general, the annual expectations of SPH faculty in regards to teaching, research and service. Between the UNTHSC and SPH Faculty Bylaws, the SPH workload expectations and the SPH P&T Guidelines, the policies, processes and criteria for faculty recruitment, promotion, and tenure are clearly indicated. A copy of the UNTHSC and SPH Faculty Bylaws, workload expectations, and P&T Guidelines is provided in the Electronic Resource File-Appendix 1.5.c.1. Additional information is available online through the Office of Faculty Affairs: Web Link: http://web.unthsc.edu/info/200129/homepage 4.2.b. Description of provisions for faculty development, including identification of support for faculty categories other than regular full-time appointments. The SPH encourages and fully supports the continuous development of faculty in all areas of academic performance. Faculty development funds of $1,500 are provided for each full-time, tenured, tenure track, and non-tenure track faculty through each department for use at an individual faculty member’s discretion for such activities as attendance at meetings, workshops, conferences, and purchase of materials. Each department has additional discretionary funds to support developmental requests by both full and part-time faculty that are in alignment with individual faculty improvement goals or the school and department strategic plans, and are funded on a case-by-case basis. Funds are also available through the Dean’s office for similar uses for all faculty members. Additionally, faculty principal investigators receive 10%, departments 5%, and the SPH 5% of research indirect funds. These are discretionary funds that are not part of the faculty member's annual salary. The Department actively seeks matching funds from the school and Health Science Center to help with specific needs that support school and institutional goals. Available to all faculty are development opportunities offered through the on-campus Center for Innovative Learning (CIL). The center offers faculty development opportunities focused on instructional strategies, technologies and assessment techniques with an emphasis on improving student-learning outcomes. The Center provides four key services to faculty members:

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/200129/faculty_affairs/1736/bylaws_of_the_faculty


http://web.unthsc.edu/downloads/file/5398/sph_p_and_t_criteria

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/200129/homepage


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• Workshops and Seminars: Faculty-teaching workshops and seminars designed to offer best practice principles to advance student learning, especially students’ higher order thinking (HOT) skills.

• Individual Consultations: One-on-one and group consultations on topics related to teaching, learning, assessment, multimedia development, research design, evaluation methodology, and statistical analysis for research projects.

• Observation and Feedback: Observation of faculty teaching sessions as requested and feedback for enhancement.

• Customized Production: Development of customized surveys, instructional multimedia, and marketing promotion videos.

• Online Learning Support: Individual and program support for the transition of courses from campus to online format.

Currently, the CIL is providing an Innovative Teaching Workshop Series with sessions on course design, promoting active learning and higher order thinking, assessing student learning, incorporating online components in face-to-face teaching, inter-professional practice education, and understanding today’s learner. These sessions may be taken individually or as a series. More on the CIL can be found online at: http://web.unthsc.edu/departments/cld/. In addition, as the School moves toward systematic measure of the learning outcomes associated with degree competencies, the CIL is assisting faculty members to integrate this measurement into their routine use of Canvas, the Health Science Center wide learning management platform.

The Division of Research and Innovation (http://web.unthsc.edu/research/) offers support for research activities. Support includes help with identifying potential funding opportunities, technical support such as access to the Cayuse system for grant preparation, grant pre-review, and other traditional pre and post grant/contract requirements. Internally, as outlined in Criterion 3, the SPH launched the Office of Research Services (ORS) in April 2014. Composed of a Research Manager and three Research Administrators trained in the areas of pre-award, post-award and compliance administration (see Figure 3.1.a.1), the ORS provides adequate coverage and assists faculty with all research efforts. The SPH and Research Committee have also collaborated with one of the University of North Texas Health Science Center Health Institutes of Texas, the Texas Prevention Institute (http://web.unthsc.edu/research/TPI/healthdisparities), to share resources to help faculty develop opportunities, collaborations, grant writing skills, and pre- and post-award support. See Section 3.1.a regarding Practices for the specific aspects of support provided by the ORS in collaboration with the Texas Prevention Institute. Mentoring of junior faculty is performed through the Department Chair and the Research Committee. The Department Chair will identify potential collaborators and mentors, and include those activities as part of annual reviews. For senior faculty this is one of the criteria for promotion, as well as post-tenure review, and in this manner supplies mentoring for junior faculty and opportunities for more senior faculty to become mentors. Additionally, through the research committee, new activities such as ‘Research Schmooze’, enhance knowledge of and contact with other researchers, both in the School and in the Health Science Center, who may act as mentors and/or collaborators. Adjunct faculty members are invited to all faculty events, such as faculty meetings and retreats, at which educational activities occur, as well as routine faculty academic and administrative business. In addition, in August of each year, the SPH, in conjunction with the CIL, presents a day-long seminar for those teaching online courses. The participants often include adjunct faculty members.

http://web.unthsc.edu/departments/cld/

http://web.unthsc.edu/research/



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The School funds travel and lodging for out of town adjunct faculty members who attend the seminar. 4.2.c. Description of formal procedures for evaluating faculty competence and performance. The SPH has an annual performance review process that allows faculty members to demonstrate their competence and performance regarding their teaching, research and service. The review process consists of an online portion and face-to-face meeting with the department chair. The online portion consists of each faculty evaluating their attainment of the objectives identified the prior year, supplying information to support their activities, and outlining their goals for the following academic year. Each year’s goals are based, in general, on the SPH faculty workload expectations, P&T requirements, the SPH and departmental strategic plans, and the individual faculty goals. The department chair reviews this information, requests additional information as needed, inputs their evaluation feedback and for applicable evaluation areas, assigns a rating of ‘exceeds expectations’, ‘meets expectations’, ‘not meeting expectations’ or ‘unsatisfactory’. The evaluation areas include:

• Teaching – type and number of courses instructed, number of students, course evaluations, guest/invited presentations and activities in other courses, student advising and mentoring.

• Research – grants/contracts submitted, received, salary support, peer reviewed publications, other publications and presentations, support of junior faculty and students, progress on research plan.

• Service – Local, state, national and international professional associations, committees, and peer review panels; institutional committees and activities; and community advisory boards, unfunded partnerships, and other organizational services.

• Administration – Only included if it is a supervisory role to other faculty or administrative structure. Would include strategic planning, setting and meeting of goals, and support and development of those supervised.

Performance review primarily occurs at the department level, but the SPH Dean and UNTHSC Provost also review all faculty evaluations. Although each Department Chair regularly meets with the department faculty for continuous improvement, an important and final part of the annual evaluation is an in-person meeting to review each faculty’s past year achievements and alignment with goals and expectations, and setting of the goals and expectations for the next year. This process provides information back to faculty members so they can use it to prepare for promotion, tenure, or post-tenure reviews of tenured faculty. The SPH Dean and Provost evaluate department chairs, and assistant and associate deans, and the Provost evaluates the SPH Dean. The IDEA course survey is a primary source of feedback and improvement for a faculty member with regard to teaching. IDEA evaluations are distributed towards the end of each course and reports are returned to the faculty instructor the following semester. Faculty members are encouraged to use the IDEA information to identify areas worth keeping and strengthening, and those that need improvement or modification. The Department Chair will assist with continuous improvement in teaching and/or research with each faculty as needed. One of the primary tools used for instructional improvement is the Center for Learning and Development. The IDEA course evaluations are available in Appendix 2.1.b.1 and will be available for review during the site-visit. Tenure track, non-tenured faculty are reviewed following the third and sixth academic year. The SPH Promotion and Tenure (P&T) Committee oversees this performance review. The intention of


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this review is to provide substantive feedback to the faculty member concerning their progress toward promotion and tenure. Where deficiencies are identified, the P&T Committee makes recommendations. These recommendations may also be to supervisors; for example in situations where the P&T Committee feels there are indications of insufficient resources or release time for a faculty member to successfully progress, this will be brought to the attention of both the Department Chair and SPH Dean. Faculty are notified during the spring of the prior academic year of the need to submit a portfolio for review to the Department Chair the following September. The Department Chair prepares a review letter and forwards the portfolio and letter to the P&T committee. The P&T Committee reviews the information forwarded and submits a review to the faculty member, with copies to the Department Chair and SPH Dean. The portfolio is expected to be in the format that would be used for submittal for promotion and/or tenure. (See SPH P&T Guidance and Policy). The final tenure review is conducted no later than the 9th year for faculty with original appointments at the rank of Assistant Professor, and the 6th year for faculty appointments at the rank of Associate or Full Professor. All promotion processes for tenure-eligible or tenured individuals are subject to review by the Provost. The President of the Health Science Center may grant promotions; however, the Regents of the UNT System grant tenure. Promotion and Tenure guidelines are included in Appendix 1.5.c.1. Briefly, promotion and tenure guidelines for appointment and promotion formalize achievement expectations for specific ranks. In all cases for consideration of promotion and/or tenure, faculty on the tenure track are expected to demonstrate outstanding performance in two of the three areas of teaching, research and service, with a minimum of quality performance in the third. The distinction between promotion and tenure evaluations is the consideration of future performance as a major factor during the review. Non-tenure track faculty members being considered for promotion are expected to have demonstrated continued outstanding performance in meeting the obligations in accordance with their annual contract. Underlying these guidelines is the notion of scholarship in four separate, yet overlapping functions: discovery, application, integration, and teaching. It is the responsibility of faculty members to pursue scholarship in an ethical and professional manner. In addition, to be successful in achieving promotion and/or tenure, the faculty member is expected to provide evidence of continuing and increasing scholarship over the period of evaluation. Additionally, the School places an emphasis on applied/practice research, where research findings can have application to benefit the health of the public. For faculty appointments on a tenure track, appointments to Assistant Professor must demonstrate promise in the areas of teaching, research and service. Promotion to Associate Professor with tenure is achieved by additionally demonstrating documented excellence in teaching and mentoring, providing indicators of a national reputation in scholarly activity, demonstrating leadership and excellence in service to the institution, and service at the regional or national level. Promotion to full Professor is achieved by further demonstrating international recognition for scholarly contributions, continued excellence in teaching, a national or international reputation in service, and also a demonstrated leadership role in mentoring junior faculty. Tenured faculty that are not considered administration (administrative faculty are Assistant and Associate Deans, Deans, Vice Presidents and President) are required to undergo post-tenure reviews at a minimum of each sixth year. The process is similar to that of the tenure track three-year reviews. The evaluation is based on the rank of the faculty member. Faculty that receive a non-favorable review are required to work with the Department Chair and the P&T Committee in the formation of a development plan which may be up to three years in duration. After completing the development plan, the faculty member again submits for post-tenure review.


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Non-tenure eligible faculty requirements for appointment to rank are identical to those for tenure eligible, except that their responsibilities may be in one/two of the three evaluated areas (i.e., research/scholarship, teaching, service). Non-tenure eligible appointments or promotions are reviewed by the School Promotion and Tenure Committee, the Dean, and the Provost for integrity of process. Both the UNTHSC as an institution and the SPH recognize outstanding performance by its faculty and academic professionals with annual awards for teaching and research. The SPH members compete successfully for these university-wide awards and have won several of them since 2011. These university-wide awards include the President’s Award for Education Excellence, the Research Rising Star, the President’s Awards for Research Excellence, and the Hero Award for Teaching. 4.2.d. Description of the processes used for student course evaluation and evaluation of instructional effectiveness. Faculty members receive feedback from students through several processes. The IDEA student rating system (http://ideaedu.org/services/student-ratings) has been used since the spring of 2009. For in-class courses, it is completed by students during one of the final class sessions at the end of each semester in a paper format. Written forms are returned by having a designated student drop a sealed envelope in a secure drop box immediately following completion by the class. For students enrolled in the online courses, the evaluation is online starting the last week of the course. The results are forwarded to the faculty member, Department Chair, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and the Dean after final grades have been completed. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the Department Chairs review all course evaluations to determine problem courses or to help remediate instructor difficulties. Access to the IDEA evaluation results for all courses will be made available during the site-visit The SPH also provided a mechanism for students to anonymously provide mid-semester feedback to faculty through the Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Initiative. This utilized a student survey for new PHED courses and DrPH core courses during the launch of the revised DrPH degree program and for the first few years of accepting students into that program. This brief evaluation asked students to provide their perspective on the course strengths, weaknesses and areas for improvement. Each faculty was then able to modify or respond to major issues during the same semester. The last semester CQI surveys were utilized in the spring of 2012. The DrPH CQI evaluation report from spring 2012 is provided in the Electronic Resource File - Appendix 4.2.d.1. In addition, an annual online student satisfaction survey (Criterion 4.4.c) is performed every spring semester throughout the Health Science Center. The only level of student identification is to which program the student is matriculated. Various questions on this survey relate to curriculum content, quality of teaching, quality of teaching assistance, and online instruction. Following the results of the survey, student focus groups are held to obtain further detail in order to better address issues that may have been raised. It is required for each school to identify specifically the issues and how they will be addressed, and this report is reviewed by the UNTHSC Provost and forwarded to all students. Additionally, faculty members assess guest lectures or audit particular lectures in their courses. This also allows the opportunity for informal evaluation and feedback. Finally, when courses are taught for the first time, there is substantial exchange between individual instructors and department chairs, based on student feedback.

http://ideaedu.org/services/student-ratings


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4.2.e. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. This criterion is met. Strengths: The SPH has defined policies and procedures that support the recruitment, appointment and promotion of qualified faculty. The School also has several mechanisms to support faculty development, and to help faculty identify areas that need additional development. Faculty performance is supported by the institution and school administrations, and by peers, on a continual basis. Weaknesses: Resources for faculty development can always be improved, but the School has no major weaknesses in this area at this time. Plans: Starting fall 2014, all courses will start evaluating the extent to which specific learning outcomes associated with competencies are achieved within each course. Substantial resources from the CIL are being employed to assist with these changes. Specifically, the Center is working with the national development office of the Canvas Learning Management platform to develop software to facilitate this process.

Criterion 4: Faculty, Staff and Students 4.3 Student Recruitment and Admissions

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4.3 STUDENT RECRUITMENT AND ADMISSIONS The program shall have student recruitment and admissions policies and procedures designed to locate and select qualified individuals capable of taking advantage of the program’s various learning activities, which will enable each of them to develop competence for a career in public health. 4.3.a. Description of the program’s recruitment policies and procedures. If these differ by degree (e.g., bachelor’s vs. graduate degrees), a description should be provided for each. The School recruits and admits a diverse and qualified student body without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, Veterans of the Vietnam Era status, or sexual orientation. University policy can be found at: https://app.unthsc.edu/policies/PoliciesPDF/Nondiscrimination-Equal%20Opportunity%20and%20Affirmative%20Action.pdf Recruitment activities are coordinated through the Office of Admission and Academic Services. The School has an all-inclusive website where prospective applicants can learn about the School’s academic programs, admission requirements and procedures, student life, and faculty research. They may also register to visit campus, attend a Preview Day event, or participate in the Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS) Virtual Fair.

The School participates in SOPHAS and the Healthcare Administration, Management & Policy Centralized Application Service (HAMPCAS), where applicants can find information regarding its programs and apply for admission electronically. Admissions representatives, faculty, and current students attend select graduate fairs, classroom presentations, student organizational meetings, and professional conferences across the nation.

4.3.b. Statement of admissions policies and procedures. If these differ by degree (eg, bachelor’s vs. graduate degrees), a description should be provided for each. Master level applicants Applicants must hold a minimum of a bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a recognized institution. Applicants must complete an application through SOPHAS. All application materials listed below need to be submitted directly to the application service; UNTHSC SPH does not require a supplemental application. Applicants will submit official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended, a statement of purpose, three letters of recommendation, a resume or curriculum vita and official scores from one of the following graduate admissions examinations: GRE, GMAT, MCAT, LSAT, PCAT, or DAT. The examination requirement is waived for applicants possessing a professional doctoral degree with a license to practice in the United States. If invited for an interview, applicants are expected to participate in either an on-campus interview or a technology-assisted interview. Once the application is completed through SOPHAS or HAMPCAS the Office of Admission & Academic Services (OAAS) compiles all application materials and prepares them for the Masters Admission Committee. Applicants to the MHA program may apply either through the Healthcare Administration, Management & Policy Centralized Application Service HAMPCAS or SOPHAS. In addition to the

https://app.unthsc.edu/policies/PoliciesPDF/Nondiscrimination-Equal%20Opportunity%20and%20Affirmative%20Action.pdf

https://app.unthsc.edu/policies/PoliciesPDF/Nondiscrimination-Equal%20Opportunity%20and%20Affirmative%20Action.pdf

http://www.hampcas.org/APPLYHAMPCAS/Home/#.U4zWTHJdVck

http://www.sophas.org/


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admissions requirements above, applicants to the dual degree programs must follow both program’s admissions requirements:

• MS in Applied Anthropology offered at UNT Denton Campus • MSN offered at University of Texas at Arlington • DO offered at UNTHSC Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. DO/MPH applicants who are

currently enrolled in the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine will need to complete and return the downloadable application.

In addition to the above mentioned requirements, applicants to the MPH Professional Option must meet one of the following eligibility requirements:

• Applicants with an advanced degree e.g., PhD, DO, MD, JD, MSN, MBA, MPA, PA; or • Applicants currently enrolled in a master’s or doctoral program other than an MPH; or • Three or more years of work experience in the health professions.

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Applicants must hold an MPH or related master’s degree from a recognized institution, complete an application through SOPHAS, submit official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended, and provide three letters of recommendation; a statement of purpose; a resume or curriculum vita; and graduate examination scores from the GRE, GMAT, MCAT, LSAT, PCAT, or DAT. The examination requirement is waived for applicants possessing a professional doctoral degree with a license to practice in the United States. Applicants must meet a 3.2 minimum graduate GPA requirement, and three years of public health or other appropriate work experience is strongly recommended. If invited for an interview, applicants are expected to participate in either an on-campus interview or a technology-assisted interview. Once the application is completed through SOPHAS, the Office of Admission & Academic Services compiles all application materials and prepares them for the DrPH Admission Committee. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Health Sciences Applicants must hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution. Completion of a MA, MS, MPH or a related master’s degree is preferred. Applicants must also complete an application through SOPHAS, submit official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended, and provide three letters of recommendation; a statement of purpose; a resume or curriculum vita; and graduate examination scores from the GRE, GMAT, MCAT, LSAT, PCAT, or DAT. The examination requirement is waived for applicants possessing a professional doctoral degree with a license to practice in the United States. Applicants must meet a 3.2 minimum graduate GPA requirement. If invited for an interview, applicants are expected to participate in either an on-campus interview or a technology-assisted interview. Once application is complete through SOPHAS the Office of Admission & Academic Services compiles all application materials and prepares them for the PhD Admission Committee.

4.3.c. Examples of recruitment materials and other publications and advertising that describe, at a minimum, academic calendars, grading and the academic offerings of the program. If a program does not have a printed bulletin/catalog, it must provide a printed web page that indicates the degree requirements as the official representation of the program. In addition, references to website addresses may be included. Examples of recruitment materials are provided in Appendix 4.3.c.1 in the Electronic Resource File. The SPH also ensures that information for students is readily available. The website provides

http://tsgs.unt.edu/

http://grad.pci.uta.edu/

http://web.unthsc.edu/education/tcom/admissions


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detailed information for all future, accepted and current students. The links are provided below: Future Students: http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20005/school_of_public_health/714/future_students Accepted Students: http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20005/school_of_public_health/656/accepted_students Current Students: http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20005/school_of_public_health/687/current_students 4.3.d. Quantitative information on the number of applicants, acceptances and enrollment, by concentration, for each degree, for each of the last three years. Data must be presented in table format. See CEPH Data Template 4.3.1. Table 4.3.d.1 shows applicants, acceptances and enrollments for the degree programs in the Instructional Matrix (Table 2.1.a.1) for the period 2011-2012 to the spring of 2015. During this time, the number of applicants, applicants offered admission, and new enrollments (applicants that accepted), has remained fairly steady for all programs.

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20005/school_of_public_health/714/future_students

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20005/school_of_public_health/656/accepted_students

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20005/school_of_public_health/687/current_students


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Table 4.3.d.1: Admissions Process Data: Information on Applicants, Acceptances and New Enrollments, 2011-12 to Spring 2015 (CEPH Data Template 4.3.1)

Program Category 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014- May 2015

Master of Health Administration (MHA)

MHA Applied 58 55 46 75 Accepted 45 50 32 50 Enrolled 14 19 11 24

Master of Public Health (MPH)

MPH-Community Health Applied 112 121 95 90 Accepted 103 115 86 70 Enrolled 35 48 35 27

MPH-Maternal & Child Health1 Applied N/A N/A N/A 8 Accepted N/A N/A N/A 5 Enrolled N/A N/A N/A 4

MPH-Biostatistics Applied 25 21 27 31 Accepted 25 18 23 25 Enrolled 6 6 9 9

MPH-Biostatistics/Epidemiology2 Applied N/A N/A N/A 5 Accepted N/A N/A N/A 3 Enrolled N/A N/A N/A 1

MPH-Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences

Applied 40 52 41 31 Accepted 35 43 38 24 Enrolled 13 16 18 10

MPH-Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences/Epidemiology2

Applied N/A N/A N/A 2 Accepted N/A N/A N/A 2 Enrolled N/A N/A N/A 2

MPH-Epidemiology Applied 123 120 168 165 Accepted 98 107 137 135 Enrolled 16 26 42 50

MPH-Health Management & Policy Applied 77 65 82 80 Accepted 66 57 67 64 Enrolled 18 17 24 19

MPH-Professional Option Applied 29 15 16 22 Accepted 24 10 13 17 Enrolled 14 8 5 7

MPH-Professional Option (Online) Applied 1 5 9 9 Accepted 1 5 9 9 Enrolled 0 5 9 11

MPH Total Applied 407 399 438 443 Accepted 352 355 373 354 Enrolled 102 126 142 140

Doctor of Public Health

DrPH-Practice Applied 16 14 16 14 Accepted 6 6 8 6 Enrolled 6 5 5 3

Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health Sciences (PhD)

PhD-Behavioral & Community Health Applied 15 12 11 6 Accepted 4 0 3 2 Enrolled 3 0 2 0

PhD-Biostatistics Applied 11 10 14 13 Accepted 4 0 3 3 Enrolled 3 0 1 2

PhD-Environmental Health Sciences Applied 2 7 5 9 Accepted 2 0 1 2 Enrolled 2 0 0 1

PhD-Epidemiology Applied 22 20 9 29 Accepted 8 2 0 4 Enrolled 8 1 0 1

PhD-Health Services & Policy Applied 14 7 19 21 Accepted 6 3 5 3 Enrolled 4 2 3 2


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Program Category 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014- May 2015

PhD Total Applied 64 56 58 78 Accepted 24 5 12 14 Enrolled 20 3 6 6

Dual Degrees

MPH Community Health/MS Applied Anthropology

Applied 4 6 5 4 Accepted 4 6 5 4 Enrolled 2 6 3 3

MPH Health Management & Policy/MSN3 Applied 3 3 1 0 Accepted 3 2 1 0 Enrolled 1 2 0 0

DO/MPH Health Management & Policy4 Applied 1 N/A N/A N/A Accepted 1 N/A N/A N/A Enrolled 1 N/A N/A N/A

DO/MPH Professional Option Applied 4 4 2 0 Accepted 4 4 2 0 Enrolled 3 3 0 0

DO/MPH Professional Option (Online) Applied 0 0 8 1 Accepted 0 0 7 1 Enrolled 0 0 7 1

Dual Degree Total Applied 12 13 16 5 Accepted 12 12 15 5 Enrolled 7 11 10 4

SPH TOTAL Applied 557 537 574 615 Accepted 439 428 440 429 Enrolled 149 164 174 177

1The MPH concentration in Maternal and Child Health admitted its first students in the 2014-2015 academic year. 2The MPH joint degrees in (1) Biostatistics/Epidemiology, and (2) Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences/Epidemiology admitted their first students in the 2014-2015 academic year. 3The dual degree MPH in Health Management & Policy/Master of Science in Nursing (MPH/MSN) is being discontinued and therefore did not accept any students in the 2014-2015 academic year. 4The dual degree Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine/MPH Health Management & Policy (DO/MPH) was discontinued and did not accept students after the 2011-2012 academic year.

4.3.e. Quantitative information on the number of students enrolled in each specialty area of each degree identified in the instructional matrix, including headcounts of full- and part-time students and an FTE conversion, for each of the last three years. Non-degree students, such as those enrolled in continuing education or certificate programs, should not be included. Explain any important trends or patterns, including a persistent absence of students in any degree or specialization. Data must be presented in table format. See CEPH Data Template 4.3.2.

Table 4.3.c.1 below provides student headcount (HC) in part-time (PT) and full-time (FT) numbers for all SPH programs listed in the instructional matrix in Criterion 2.1.a (Table 2.1.a.1). Data in the table cover 2011-2012 to the spring of 2015. Full-time students are counted as 1.0 FTE, part-time are counted as 0.5 FTE. All student FTE calculations correspond with data in Table 1.7.b.1 (Criterion 1.7.b) that provides student/faculty ratios.


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Table 4.3.e.1: Total Enrollment Data from 2011-12 to 2013-14, and Fall 14 (CEPH Template 4.3.2)

Data Source: UNTHSC Registrar database and Office of Admission and Academic Services (OAAS) program data. FTE Conversion: Full-time: 1.0; Part-time: 0.5

Degree & Specialization

2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 (as of May 2015)

HC PT FT FTE HC PT FT FTE HC PT FT FTE HC PT FT FTE

Master of Health Administration 29 5 24 26.5 37 12 25 31 32 5 27 29.5 44 14 30 37

MPH-Community Health 68 21 47 57.5 80 25 55 67.5 81 31 50 65.5 66 38 28 47

MPH-Biostatistics 38 16 22 30.0 45 16 29 37 47 17 30 38.5 39 15 24 31.5

MPH-Biostatistics/ Epidemiology N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 3 0 3 3

MPH-Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences

37 18 19 28.0 41 16 25 33 49 22 27 38 36 17 19 27.5

MPH-Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences/Epidemiology

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 2 2 0 1

MPH-Epidemiology 44 14 30 37.0 49 17 32 40.5 72 29 43 57.5 102 33 69 85.5

MPH-Health Management & Policy 40 22 18 29.0 43 18 25 34 52 21 31 41.5 47 17 30 38.5

MPH-Maternal & Child Health N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 5 3 4 4.5

MPH-Professional Option 20 16 4 12.0 22 13 9 15.5 17 15 2 9.5 12 11 1 6.5

MPH-Professional Option (Online)

N/A N/A N/A N/A 6 5 1 3.5 14 12 2 8 23 21 2 12.5

DrPH-Practice 26 9 17 21.5 20 6 14 17 18 7 11 14.5 16 9 7 11.5

DrPH-Behavioral & Community Health 5 1 4 4.5 2 1 1 1.5 1 0 1 1

N/A N/A N/A N/A

DrPH-Biostatistics 2 1 1 1.5 1 1 0 0.5 1 1 0 0.5 N/A N/A N/A N/A

DrPH-Epidemiology 6 1 5 5.5 4 0 4 4 3 0 3 3 1 0 1 1

DrPH-Health Management & Policy 3 0 3 3.0 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 N/A N/A N/A N/A

PhD-Behavioral & Community Health 3 2 1 2.0 3 0 3 3 5 1 4 4.5 5 2 3 4

PhD-Biostatistics 4 1 3 3.5 3 0 3 3 3 1 2 2.5 4 1 3 3.5 PhD-Environmental Health Sciences 2 0 2 2.0 2 2 0 1 2 1 1 1.5 3 1 2 2.5

PhD-Epidemiology 7 3 4 5.5 8 2 6 7 7 2 5 6 7 2 5 6 PhD-Health Services & Policy 5 1 4 4.5 7 2 5 6 7 3 4 5.5 7 3 4 5.5

MPH Community Health/MS Applied Anthropology

6 2 4 5.0 9 5 4 6.5 10 8 2 6 11 7 4 7.5

MPH Health Management & Policy/MSN

3 2 1 2.0 3 3 0 1.5 3 1 2 2.5 2 2 0 1

DO/MPH Professional Option 4 2 2 3.0 5 3 2 3.5 4 4 0 2 2 2 0 1

DO/MPH Professional Option Online2 N/A N/A N/A N/A 2 2 0 1 8 8 0 4 7 7 0 3.5

TOTALS 352 137 215 283.5 394 151 243 318.5 436 189 247 341.5 444 205 239 341.5


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4.3.f. Identification of measurable objectives by which the school may evaluate its success in enrolling a qualified student body, along with data regarding the performance of the program against those measures for each of the last three years. See CEPH Outcome Measures Template. Table 4.3.f.1 outlines the outcome measures the SPH has selected to ensure that a qualified student body is enrolled. In addition to the admission criteria outlined in 4.3.b, the SPH uses the academic index (AI), calculated by multiplying the applicant’s GPA by 100 and adding it to the verbal and quantitative GRE percentiles, as an indicator of academic capability. The SPH also focuses on enrolling a diverse student body, with attention given to recruitment of qualified minority (African American, Hispanic and Asian) and international students.

Table 4.3.f.1: Outcome Measures for Enrolling Qualified Students


Average Academic Index (AI)1 of new enrollees (applicants that accepted and matriculated)

MHA: > 400 MPH: > 400 DrPH: > 450 PhD: > 450

MHA: 430 MPH: 422 DrPH: 395 PhD: 487

MHA: 434 MPH: 433 DrPH: 414 PhD:537

MHA: 414 MPH: 425 DrPH: 482 PhD: 510

Number of Enrolled Students - Headcount (HC) and FTE

Varied target by year 2011-12: 340 HC and 260 FTEs 2012-13: 390 HC and 290 FTEs 2013-14: 425 HC and 310 FTEs

HC: 352 FTE: 283.5

HC: 394 FTE: 318.5

HC: 436 FTE: 341.5

Actively recruit a strong minority (African American, Asian & Hispanic) student body.

30% of New Enrollment 51% 38% 39%

Actively recruit a strong international student body. 15% of New Enrollment

19%

27% 37%

1The Academic Index (AI) id calculated by multiplying the applicant’s GPA by 100 and adding it to the verbal and quantitative GRE percentiles


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4.3.g. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. This criterion is met. Strengths: The School has a highly effective recruitment and admissions process that matriculates students with the appropriate academic background, and where appropriate, experience needed for successful completion of its degree programs. This process is highlighted by innovative activities such as the School of Public Health Academic Advising and Registration (SPHAAR) sessions, which bring admitted applicants to the campus for orientation and registration prior to the beginning of the semester of their matriculation. This process facilitates the student’s integration to graduate study and life and reduces the melt of acceptances during the spring and summer months. Weaknesses: Although school processes for recruitment and admission are strong, greater financial assistance for matriculating students would help the School attract applicants who are offered greater financial assistance from other sites. Plans: The School has begun to increase travel for recruitment of international students. The School felt that it needed to better understand the recruitment process for these students so that those accepted had appropriate academic accomplishment and language skills to succeed in its degree programs

Criterion 4: Faculty, Staff and Students 4.4 Advising and Career Counseling

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4.4. ADVISING AND CAREER COUNSELING Advising and Career Counseling. There shall be available a clearly explained and accessible academic advising system for students, as well as readily available career and placement advice 4.4.a. Description of the program’s advising services for students in all degrees and concentrations, including sample materials such as student handbooks. Include an explanation of how faculty are selected for and oriented to their advising responsibilities. The staff of the Office of Admission and Academic Services (OAAS) and UNTHSC faculty share the responsibility for student advising throughout the School. OAAS is led by the Associate Dean of Administration and Student Services and includes the following staff members: the Director of Admissions; the Assistant Director of Student and Academic Services; the Coordinator of Academic Services; the Coordinator of Recruitment and Outreach; and the Senior Administrative Associate. The School of Public Health modifies its advising services for students based on academic degree and concentration. At the master level, the majority of the advising is provided by the Director of the MPH program for the specific concentration. At the doctoral level, the DrPH students are advised by the Director of the DrPH program; whereas, the PhD students are advised by their major professor. All certificate students are advised by the Assistant Director of Student & Academic Services. The Office of Admission and Academic Services provides centralized basic advising services for issues related to course sequencing, course registration, degree completion, professional development, and academic policies, procedures and deadlines, while the endorsed faculty advising is associated with the selection of electives, planning of coursework, career mentoring, preparation for and conduct of internship/research projects. The School of Public Health ensures advising responsibilities are clearly communicated to all parties involved. At the time of admission, students are notified via email and letter that an advisor will be assigned to them upon the 12th class day (census date). All students are provided with a program profile upon admission and again during the School of Public Health Academic Advising and Registration (SPHAAR) session, which indicates the sequence of courses and the semester in which the course is offered. SPHAAR sessions are offered to students after admission and during the year before matriculation. Program profiles are provided in Appendix 4.4.a.1 and can also be found online at: http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20005/school_of_public_health/2994/2014-2015_program_profile During the SPHAAR session, all students receive individual counseling to help assist with course selection. The University Catalog serves as a resource for both prospective and current students by providing information regarding academic programs, academic policies, procedures, and requirements, and bydefining the appropriate advising structure. Furthermore, the OAAS communicates, as necessary, relevant policies, procedures, requirements and current academic deadlines via email, the Canvas SPH Lounge (an online forum for communication between matriculating and current students), and the SPH-FYI e-newsletter to students and faculty. Students receive a basic level of advising during the SPHAAR session to assist with initial enrollment. Following the SPHAAR session, students are assigned an academic advisor following the census date (12th class day) of their first semester. Students may decide to change an advisor or change their concentration at any time by completing the change of advisor/change of concentration form on the website.




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A Master’s handbook which is maintained by OAAS is made available to all Master’s students. It is also available online and during the PHED 5197-Professional and Academic Development course. Furthermore, the DrPH and PhD manuals are made available to all DrPH and PhD students during the first two weeks of school, while the DrPH and PhD orientation sessions are conducted. SPH Program Handbooks are located in Appendix 4.4.a.1. Upon meeting with the Coordinator of Academic Services during the initial consultation for the Practice Experience, the MPH students receive a Practice Experience Manual, which is also posted online, that provides information on processes, requirements, deadlines, and policies related to finding and conducting internships. Faculty members are also required to provide internship advising to students. MPH Students meet up with the Coordinator of Academic Services, the Practice Experience Liaison, and the Assistant Director of Student and Academic Services to discuss their interest area and to help facilitate placement. Additionally, Practice Experience Overview sessions are held every semester to discuss policies and procedures to new students and also to inform the faculty of any recent changes. 4.4.b. Description of the program’s career counseling services for students in all degree programs. Include an explanation of efforts to tailor services to meet specific needs in the program’s student population. UNTHSC’s graduate students utilize the Career Services Office for information on professional development, including resume building, cover letters, networking and interviewing skills. They also utilize the Center for Academic Performance (CAP) office for their workshops in writing, budget planning, presentations, and learning styles. The CAP office also provides counseling and tutorial services to students. UNTHSC’s alumni base continues to grow and students’ ability to network with alumni in areas where they aspire to work is continually increasing. OAAS also creates inter-professional events that enable students from various departments to come together to address various public health issues. The Career Services office partners with the Public Health Student Government Association (PHSGA) to organize events that feature an alumni panel to speak with students. They organize networking events that introduce various health professionals to current students and also bring in organizations that are looking to recruit. UNTHSC has established itself in the public health community and is made aware of open positions in various organizations in the community. This information is relayed to students who are job searching through the career web page under the job listing link and the weekly SPH-FYI e-newsletter. Additionally, the UNTHSC Office of Student Affairs provides students with contact to a professional counselor who is readily available to assist students outside their academic concerns and personal challenges at home, work, or school. The UNTHSC faculty members provide knowledge, experience, skills, and expertise when providing academic guidance and career counseling to students. This contribution allows students to receive mentorship from people in the field that goes above and beyond the basic advising or job opportunities provided by the Career Services Office. Table 4.4.b.1 presents the services available to students.


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Table 4.4.b.1: Career Counseling Services for Students

UNTHSC Career

Services1 OAAS2 CAP3 PAD4 FACULTY

Career Fairs X

Networking X X X X

Alumni Panels X

Public Health Week X X

Resume & Cover letter writing X X X

Presentation & Learning Styles workshops X X

Budget Planning X

Writing Workshops X X

Weekly Newsletter listings of available public health positions X

Mock Interview Workshops X X

Public Health Career Resource Library X

Inter-professional Events X X X

School of Public Health Weekly E-Newsletter X

1UTHSC Career Services Office 2OAAS – Office of Admission and Academic Services (Office in the SPH) 3CAP – UNTHSC Center for Academic Performance 4PAD – Professional and Academic Development

4.4.c. Information about student satisfaction with advising and career counseling services. Information on student satisfaction with advising and career counseling services is presented in Table 4.4.c.1. This information is acquired annually through the UNTHSC administered Student Satisfaction Survey and the Graduating Student Survey. Student Satisfaction Survey As previously outlined in criteria 1.1.e and 1.2.b, every spring, the UNTHSC Office of Strategy and Organizational Excellence (OSOE) electronically distributes the Student Satisfaction Survey to students in each program, requesting feedback on several topics, including the availability and quality of student advising and career counseling services. The results of this survey are transmitted to the dean of each school, along with a request for action plans on how student concerns will be addressed. Within the SPH, the Dean holds student focus groups that are program specific, where potential changes for the next academic year are discussed. The Dean uses the feedback from these discussions to prepare an action plan with proposed changes that is submitted to the Provost and the HSC Office of Student Services. The following spring, results from the next survey are reviewed and action plans assessed to see if student concerns were addressed. Although this process is useful, it is only the students that return in the next academic year who can provide feedback on how action plans were implemented and concerns resolved. Table 4.4.c.1 presents data on the availability and quality of career counseling over the last three years (2011-2012 to 2013-2014) as reported in the Student Satisfaction Survey. SPH survey results for the three years reported in the table, 2011-2012 to 2013-2014, and corresponding action plans are presented in the Electronic Resource File - Appendix 4.4.c.1. Full reports that contain results for all institutional programs are available on the OSOE website: http://web.unthsc.edu/info/200302/strategy_and_measurement/1865/student_survey

http://web.unthsc.edu/info/200302/strategy_and_measurement/1865/student_survey


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Survey results show that student satisfaction with advising and career counseling services is generally good across all programs, although in some years targets have not been achieved. The SPH continues to address all concerns and each academic year action plans are implemented. For example, results show that in 2013-2014 the DrPH program results dropped. Immediate actions were taken to address the concerns and these included adding additional faculty advisors, assigning a mentor to each student, and implementing the Professional and Academic Development (PAD) course. Graduating Student Survey Each semester, students that have been certified to graduate are sent the Graduating Student Survey. The survey provides students the opportunity to assess their educational experience and provide feedback on the entire process starting at the point of recruitment and admission, all the way through to graduation and subsequent employment. Table 4.4.c.1 presents data on student satisfaction with advising over the last three years (2011-2012 to 2013-2014). Results show that in 2013-2014, graduating students reported a lower satisfaction rate. To address these concerns the school has implemented Professional and Academic Development (PAD) requirements across all programs as a way of providing students with direct one-on-one support. The Graduating Student Survey (tool and results) is provided in Appendix 2.7.c.1 located in the Electronic Resource File.

Table 4.4.c.1: Student Satisfaction with Advising and Career Counseling Services


Student Satisfaction Survey1: Availability of Career Counseling

80% of students indicate “Met or Exceeded Expectations”




Student Satisfaction Survey: Quality of Career Counseling

80% of students indicate “Met or Exceeded Expectations”




Graduating Student Survey2: Advisor support for professional employment and continuing education

80% of graduating students indicate “satisfied” or “very satisfied”

N/A Fall 12 = 78% (n=30) Spring 13 = 62% (n=60) Summer 13 = 77% (n=99)

Fall 13 = 69% (n=41) Spring 14 = 57% (n=104) Summer 14 = 65% (n=16)

Graduating Student Survey: Overall quality of support and guidance provided by advisor

80% of graduating students indicate “satisfied” or “very satisfied”

N/A Fall 12 = 82% (n=30) Spring 13 = 77% (n=60) Summer 13 = 90% (n=99)

Fall 13 = 71% (n=41) Spring 14 = 68% (n=104) Summer 14 = 60% (n=16)

1Student Satisfaction Survey: UNTHSC survey distribute to all students once a year in the spring semester. The average response rates for each program by year are as follows: 2011-2012: MHA = 86% MPH=36% DrPH=50% PhD=42% 2012-2013: MHA = 54% MPH=36% DrPH=50% PhD=42% 2013-2014: MHA = 65% MPH=36% DrPH=55% PhD=63%

2Graduating Student Survey: SPH exit survey that all students are required to take. 100% response rate as all students take it to graduate.


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4.4.d. Description of the procedures by which students may communicate their concerns to program officials, including information about how these procedures are publicized and about the aggregate number of complaints and/or student grievances submitted for each of the last three years. UNTHSC provides students with a procedure for resolving complaints against UNTHSC faculty, staff, and agents of the university, via the Student Academic Grievance Policy and the Non-Academic Complaint/Grievance Policy. These policies are located on the UNTHSC policies website https://app.unthsc.edu/policies. The Student Grievance Policy is outlined in section 7.127 and can be found online at https://app.unthsc.edu/policies/Home/AllPolicies. For reference it is also available in Appendix 4.4.d.1 in the Electronic Resource File. The policy states that a student seeking to resolve any academic problem or complaint (other than academic misconduct, as addressed in the Code of Student Conduct and Discipline) will proceed through several administrative channels, beginning with the course instructor, up through the Department Chair, assistant or associate dean, and finally to the dean. The student grievance policy applies to all students, including those in the School of Public Health. At their discretion, the dean can convene an ad hoc committee to review the case to assist in a resolution. The dean has the final authority in these academic decisions. The School also has a specific policy related to grade appeals that is available online at https://app.unthsc.edu/policies/Home/ByChapter (section 0.7618) and also presented in Appendix 4.4.d.2 in the Electronic Resource File. The policy states that a student who feels that a grade has been inequitably awarded is provided a formal policy to appeal that grade. The policy states that the student should contact the instructor within five (5) working days after the grade was assigned to discuss and resolve the issue. If unable to resolve the issue, the student should then submit a written appeal to the faculty member's Department Chair. The decision of the Department Chair is final. If the instructor is the Department chair, the appeal should be submitted to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. The Division of Student Affairs is the official University department charged with hearing student concerns raised from the general student population. The Division of Student Affairs is committed to treating all students fairly and respectfully and has a complaint process in place for students. The university and school’s open door policy encourages students to feel free to express their concerns at any time. Students are also encouraged to seek assistance from faculty and staff as necessary. The Executive Director of Student Services relays relevant student affairs concerns to the Dean and other respective entities. Should a student experience an issue with a particular faculty member, staff or fellow student, he/she is instructed to address the issue directly with that individual. If all attempts to resolve the issue fail, the student may consult the Chair of the Department or the Office of Admission and Academic Services who will then work with the student to help resolve the issue. There have been a total of 14 complaints filed with the Division of Student Affairs in the past three years. The complaints included issues surrounding academics, facilities and instructional curriculum.

https://app.unthsc.edu/policies

https://app.unthsc.edu/policies/Home/AllPolicies

https://app.unthsc.edu/policies/Home/ByChapter


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4.4.e. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion. This criterion is met with commentary. Strengths: The School of Public Health has a strong infrastructure for advising that provides a wide variety of advising services in conjunction with the OAAS, faculty, and various departments across campus including the UNTHSC Division of Student Affairs, the Center for Academic Performance, and the Office of Career Services. This allows the student multiple avenues to address any issues that may arise. Feedback on student satisfaction with advising and career counseling is solicited in multiple ways, and student focus groups help the SPH outline action plans to address concerns that are implemented and assessed the following academic year. There are also policies that clearly outline the student grievance procedures. Students are provided with this information during orientation; the information is included in all program handbooks; and it can be accessed from the UNTHSC policies website. Weaknesses: The School has not reached its optimal potential in providing options for career counseling for students, especially for the DrPH program students. Plans: The SPH will continue explore more options for providing students with multiple resources for advising and career counseling. Feedback received from the Student Satisfaction Survey, the Graduating Student Survey, and the IDEA course evaluations will continue to be monitored and used for program improvement.

Documents

SELF-STUDY REPORT - UNT Health Science Center...i LIST OF ACRONYMS ACHE American College of Healthcare Executives APART Academic and Program Assessment Review Team APHA American Public