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MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAM
CEPH ACCREDITATION
SELF-STUDY
Prepared for the Council on Education for Public Health
SUBMITTED October 21, 2013
SITE VISIT November 21-22, 2013
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CRITERION 1.0: The Public Health Program
1.1. Mission………...……… 02
1.2. Evaluation ……….………..……… 08
1.3. Institutional Environment……….………... 16
1.4. Organization & Administration………..……… 24
1.5. Governance………..……… 28
1.6. Fiscal Resources………..………. 34
1.7 Faculty and Other Resources………. 40
1.8 Diversity……….……….. 48
CRITERION 2.0: Instructional Programs 2.1. Degree Offerings..………..…... 62
2.2. Program Length…...………... 64
2.3. Public Health Core Knowledge……… 66
2.4. Practical Skills………..…….. 68
2.5. Culminating Experience………..………. 76
2.6. Required Competencies……… 80
2.7. Assessment Procedures……… 86
2.8-2.11: Not Applicable………..……….. 98
CRITERION 3.0: Creation, Application and Advancement of Knowledge 3.1. Research………..……… 100
3.2. Service……… 112
3.3. Workforce Development……….. 122
CRITERION 4.0: Faculty, Staff and Students 4.1. Faculty Qualifications……….………… 128
4.2. Faculty Policies & Procedures……….……….. 134
4.3. Student Recruitment & Advancement……… 138
4.4. Advising and Career Counseling………..……… 146
List of Abbreviations ……… 150
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1.0 The Public Health Program
1.1 Mission. The program shall have a clearly formulated and publicly stated mission with supporting goals, objectives and values.
a. A clear and concise mission statement for the program as a whole.
The mission of the University of North Florida (UNF) Master of Public Health (MPH) Program is to prepare public health professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to improve population health. This mission is accomplished through excellence and innovation in graduate teaching and public health research with a commitment to diversity, community involvement and professional service.
b. A statement of values that guides the program.
The MPH Program provides a positive learning environment that supports quality teaching, research and service through its commitment to the following values:
Mutual Respect: We treat each individual in our diverse community with consideration and dignity.
Service: We provide service to the University, communities and professions and promote public health through knowledge and training.
Accountability: We are responsible for our attitudes and actions.
Innovation: We encourage and support creativity in our teaching, research and service. Cooperation: We support a culture characterized by open communication, collaboration
and collegiality.
Excellence: We strive for the highest standard of performance by continually monitoring, evaluating and reviewing the Program’s goals, objectives, and outcomes.
Well-Being: We promote physical, emotional and social well-being of the community. Fulfillment of Potential: We are committed to professional development through lifelong
learning.
Ethical Behavior: We support fair, just and equitable treatment of individuals, families and communities.
c. One or more goal statements for each major function through which the program intends to attain its mission, including at a minimum, instruction, research and service.
Instructional Goal: The MPH Program’s instructional goal is to provide a relevant and high- quality educational program that prepares graduates for successful careers in public health. Research Goal: The MPH Program’s research goal is to engage in innovative research leading to new discoveries and practices that impact public health and prevention of disease.
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Service Goal: The MPH Program’s service goal is to provide service that improves the health of individuals and groups within the communities we serve.
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.
Instructional Objectives:
1) Each academic year, at least 80% of required MPH courses will receive a UNF student Instructional Satisfaction Questionnaires (ISQ) item average of very good to excellent for “overall rating of instructor.”
2) Each academic year, at least 80% of graduating MPH students will report “agree” or
“strongly agree” when reporting their overall satisfaction with the internship experience on the exit survey.
3) Each academic year, at least 80% of graduating MPH students will report “agree” or
“strongly agree” when reporting their overall satisfaction with the MPH program on the exit survey.
4) On the Alumni Survey given every three years, at least 80% of alumni will report “agree” or “strongly agree” when asked if the UNF MPH program adequately prepared them to practice as a public health professional.
5) The MPH program faculty will annually review and incorporate feedback as necessary from the Public Health Advisory board regarding the relevance of the program of study to current public health practice trends and issues.
6) Each academic year, at least 50% of required MPH courses will include information on the appreciation of diversity relevant to course content.
Research Objectives:
1) Each faculty member will produce at least one scholarly work annually as indicated by peer-reviewed publications, internal/external grants or contracts, or presentations in the public health field.
2) At least 25% of faculty will address the impact of diversity within at least one research project per year.
3) At least 20% of MPH students will collaborate with faculty in research activities. Service Objectives:
1) Each faculty member will participate in at least one local, state or national public health organization or community-based service effort annually.
2) At least one MPH faculty member per year will participate with a public health agency that addresses under-represented populations.
3) At least one MPH faculty member will facilitate a public health service or training event in the local community each year.
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4) The UNF student health education honorary, Eta Sigma Gamma, will participate in at least two service projects annually.
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.
The MPH Program mission, goals and objectives (MGOs) were originally developed by the MPH faculty in academic years 2002-2003 and 2003-2004. The MGOs were based on faculty
expertise, university expectations for faculty and educational programs, and national guidelines for public health education. Additionally, the former Director of the Duval County Health
Department was instrumental in linking the development of program goals and objectives to the needs of the regional public health community at the inception of the program. The instructional objectives were developed using the CEPH core areas as the educational base, which were then supplemented by Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH)
competencies, Institute of Medicine reports, the “Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals” developed by the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice, and the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC)
competencies. Once completed, the MGOs were then reviewed by the Department of Public Health (DPH) Chair and Brooks College of Health (BCH) Dean. The MGOs were again reviewed by faculty during the CEPH self-study process in 2007. However, through the CEPH
accreditation process in 2008, the program was notified that the instructional objectives were mistakenly written as learner objectives rather than program instructional objectives.
Based on the feedback provided in the “Review for Accreditation of the Public Health Program at UNF,” the Program Director (PD) and faculty revised the MGOs. The report stated the original MGOs “relate only to student learning outcomes, not what the program will do to ensure an excellent and innovative curriculum.” Thus, revision began during the 2008 MPH Program annual summer retreat. Efforts focused on aligning the MPH program objectives with the five areas of excellence delineated in the University’s strategic plan (See:
http://www.unf.edu/president/Strategic_Plan_2009-2014.aspx). These were submitted to CEPH in 2009. (See Resource File for Interim Report, September 2009.)
Most recently, the MGOs were revised by the new MPH PD and the MPH Faculty. These revisions were initiated based on information learned by the MPH and CH PDs while attending the August 2012 CEPH meeting in Washington, DC. The PDs shared the MGO information with faculty at the first monthly fall 2012 meeting. Faculty reviewed and discussed the MGOs in light of the CEPH guidance, UNF expectations, knowledge of the public health profession, and review of other CEPH accredited MPH programs. In this process, it was also determined that many of the evaluation processes that had been put in place to measure program performance during the original self-study were not being utilized as they were intended. For example, the Current and Exit Student surveys and Alumni surveys were developed and implemented regularly to
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provide feedback on the quality of the instructional program. This data was not being utilized as the objectives were written. The MGOs were thus edited to better use existing data, ensure all objectives were measurable and met current guidelines, and to bring the focus back to the three primary functions of faculty and educational programs - instruction, research, and service. These revisions were shared and discussed with the Department Chair and College Dean.
Values were developed by BCH faculty and administrators and then adopted by the MPH Program faculty in 2003-2004. The program values have remained consistent since they have not changed at the college level.
f. Description of how the mission, values, goals and objectives are made available to the program’s constituent groups, including the general public, and how they are routinely reviewed and revised to ensure relevance.
Availability to Public: The MGOs and values are available on the UNF MPH website, the UNF MPH Student Handbook (See Resource File), and the MPH student Blackboard (Bb) site. The Handbook is posted on the MPH Program website, UNF Grad School website, and MPH Student Bb site. The MPH Student Handbook is thus available to all MPH students and faculty, BCH advisors and administrators, the Public Health Advisory Board and the community at large since UNF is an open website. A hard copy of the MPH Student Handbook is available to those who request one.
Review and Revision: Under the direction of the PD, the MGOs are monitored and revised by the faculty in preparation for yearly catalog and handbook revisions, typically during the summer retreat. This includes sharing the success of meeting the objectives each year.
g. 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.
Criterion 1.1 is met with commentary.
Strengths: The Program has developed a mission, values, goals and measurable objectives aligned with those of UNF, which is a regionally accredited institution in Florida’s State University System (SUS). Through its MGOs and value statements, the Program shows
commitment to professional public health values, concepts and ethical practices. The MGOs are also consistent with those of the BCH and DPH. The MPH Program has well-defined specific MGOs relating to instruction, research, and professional and community service that support the broad mission of public health, defined by CEPH as “enhancing health in human populations through organized community effort.” The MGOs were most recently revised based on
information learned at the 2012 CEPH meeting in Washington, DC, as well as on UNF expectations, faculty knowledge of the public health professions and review of other CEPH accredited MPH programs. The MGOs reflect a free-standing Program housed in the DPH. The
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program objectives are aligned with the university assigned duties for all tenure track faculty - teaching, research and service. The Program’s MGOs and values are made public through a variety of mechanisms including the MPH Program website, the MPH Student Handbook, and the MPH student Bb site.
Weaknesses and Plans: As a maturing program, the UNF MPH MGOs have gone through various stages of development and have not been regularly reviewed by faculty or
stakeholders. The MPH Program first undertook a concerted effort during the 2007 CEPH self-study process to improve the MGOs. Attendance at the 2012 CEPH Summer meeting has been instrumental in the most recent revision of program goals and objectives. The program now has focused measurable objectives that will guide program priorities and allow for collection of valuable and meaningful results for continuous improvement. Through the self-study process, the program faculty also determined it was necessary to establish a set of standing faculty retreat and Public Health Advisory Board agenda items to ensure the review of the program MGOs on an annual basis, monitoring the success of meeting the objectives, and making revisions as necessary. These items will be added this academic year (2013-14).
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1.2 Evaluation. The program shall have an explicit process for monitoring and evaluating its overall efforts against its mission, goals and objectives; for assessing the program’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 program must conduct an analytical self-study that analyzes performance against the accreditation criteria defined in this document.
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.
Formal Plan to Assess Objectives: The MPH Program uses several evaluation and planning processes to assess achievement of program goals and objectives, and to ensure that the program is meeting the needs and requirements of students, faculty, DPH, BCH, UNF, and the greater community we serve. Both qualitative and quantitative data are used for evaluation. Program assessment results are used to modify the curriculum and program as needed. For the Instructional Objectives, the evaluation process involves UNF ISQ data (objective #1), the MPH Student Exit Survey (objectives #2 and #3), the MPH Alumni Survey (objective #4), Public Health Advisory Board meeting agendas and minutes (objective #5), and a review of course content to include the syllabus and course objectives (objective #6). (See Resource File for these documents.)
The UNF ISQs are provided by the university and until this year, have been administered by a student following written instructions in each course near the end of the semester. Starting this fall 2013, all ISQs will be administered online. Once faculty receive their ISQ summary ratings from the University, they inform the PD if their rating is below “very good” for the question asking students to rate “Overall rating of instructor.” Faculty ratings for this item are now also publicly available on the UNF website. The PD records this
information each semester.
The MPH Student Exit Survey is administered through the UNF online survey system
(Qualtrics) to all graduating students by the program’s Internship faculty at the end of each summer. Since students are in a cohort and their last semester is summer, this survey is only administered once a year. Students are asked to rate their overall satisfaction with the MPH program and the internship experience. The faculty member records this information and discusses it with faculty at a future meeting.
The MPH Alumni Survey is administered by the PD with the assistance of faculty every three years through the UNF online survey system (Qualtrics) to all alumni that have provided an email address. MPH staff and faculty help locate alumni who do not have a valid email
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address. Alumni are asked whether the UNF MPH Program adequately prepared them to practice as a public health professional. The PD records this information and discusses it with faculty at a future meeting.
The Public Health Advisory Board is facilitated by the PDs of the MPH and the CH Programs. The PDs develop meeting agendas and starting this year will ensure a review of the MPH MGOs and program of study occurs at least once a year. The MPH PD will record this information and discuss it with faculty at a future meeting.
The faculty review course content minimally once a year, typically at the annual summer retreat. Faculty share their course syllabi and discuss course objectives. The PD records information related to the inclusion of diversity.
For the Research Objectives, the evaluation process involves a review of faculty scholarship during annual faculty evaluations (objective #1), faculty self-report on addressing diversity (#2) and collaborating on research with MPH students (#3). (See Resource File for the Annual Evaluation Form.)
Annual faculty evaluations are completed individually at the end of each academic year and are submitted to the Department Chair. A section on research productivity is included. Faculty are asked whether or not they included scholarly work on their self-evaluation, including publications, grants awarded and presentations.
Additionally, faculty report their inclusion of the impact of diversity in their research and research collaboration with MPH students.
The PD records information for all three objectives.
For the Service Objectives, the evaluation process involves a review of faculty service during annual faculty evaluations (objective #1,2,3) and discussions with the ESG advisor (objective #4). (See Resource File for ESG Annual Reports.)
Annual faculty evaluations are completed individually at the end of each year and are submitted to the Department Chair. A section on service is included. Faculty are asked to report whether or not they included: 1. participating with a public health organization, 2. participating with a public health agency that addressed underrepresented populations, and 3. facilitating a public health service event in the local community on their self-evaluation. The PD records this information.
The PDs of the MPH and CH programs work closely with the ESG graduate student advisor. The MPH PD records ESG service projects completed each year.
Additional Means of Self-Evaluation and Improvement: In addition to formally assessing our program objectives, the MPH Program conducts a variety of other self-evaluations including monthly faculty meetings, an annual faculty retreat, student surveys, advisory board meetings, feedback from internship preceptors, continual monitoring of UNF data provided by the
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Information generated from these evaluations is continually used to improve the program. Examples include:
Monthly Faculty Meetings: The program faculty, including the PD, have the primary role in planning the curriculum and students’ experiences, and in setting program policies and procedures. Faculty meet on a regular basis (approximately once monthly) throughout the academic year to evaluate and make necessary changes to the program including changes in curriculum, policies and procedures, and MGOs. Topics of discussion also include: the Public Health Certificate (PHC) program, the comprehensive exam, workforce education, advisory board meeting, etc. (See Resource File for meeting agendas and minutes.)
Annual Retreat: Each summer, faculty meet to discuss and take action as needed on program objective data outcomes, student survey results, Graduate Academic Learning Compacts (GALCs) results, comprehensive exam results, and preceptor evaluations.
Current, Exit, and Alumni Student Surveys: Every spring all MPH students are administered the Current Student Survey; each August, all graduating MPH students are administered the Exit Survey; and every three years MPH alumni are administered the Alumni Survey. The Current Student and Alumni Surveys are administered by the PD with assistance from faculty; the Exit Survey is administered by the Internship faculty. (See Resource File for surveys and results.)
Public Health & Student Advisory Boards: The Public Health Advisory Board, comprised of local public health professionals, alumni and current students, meets twice a year. The Student Advisory Board, comprised of current students, meets at least once per year. These boards provide feedback on a variety of topics to include: program strengths and needed improvements, program MGOs, curriculum (e.g., electives, minors), additional
resources/information needed, recruitment, etc. (See Resource File for minutes.) Internship Preceptors: Community public health professionals serve as preceptors of
interns. The Internship faculty meets with them at least once each semester they serve as a preceptor and elicits feedback about student knowledge and skills, and solicits suggestions for MPH Program improvement.
University Guidance: The DPH, BCH, Graduate School and Academic Affairs are involved in program planning by setting standards and goals during the UNF strategic planning process, establishing policies and procedures, allocating resources for the program, conducting the faculty annual review and program five year review processes.
Regular Monitoring of UNF Data: The PD has access to data on all MPH applicants as well as aggregate data on each cohort.
GALCs: The University requires GALCs from each graduate program. These were developed by the MPH faculty, measure student outcomes in specific courses, and are recorded annually and discussed at the summer retreat.
CEPH Annual & Interim Reports: The Program reports to CEPH on results of graduation rates, job placement, and related issues. These reports are discussed at program meetings to monitor and act on findings. (See Resource File for reports.)
Page | 11 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 PD monitors the results of the evaluation processes. The PD requests information from faculty when needed, prepares the data documents, and then electronically shares them with the faculty for review and editing. The documents are discussed at faculty meetings, primarily during the summer annual retreat. Currently, all annual and interim reports are shared with faculty, administration, and the Advisory Board. All participants are invited to provide feedback and suggest revisions.
c. Data regarding the program’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, 2.7, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.3, or 4.4), the program should parenthetically identify the criteria where the data also appear.
Instructional Goal: The MPH Program’s instructional goal is to provide a relevant and high quality educational program that prepares graduates for successful careers in public health.
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Table 1.2.1. Outcome Measures for Instructional Objectives
Outcome Measure Target Year 1 2010-2011
Year 2 2011-2012
Year 3 2012-2013
1. a rating of “very good” or “excellent” on the UNF ISQ for question “Overall rating of instructor”* 80% of required MPH courses 64% (7/11 courses) Not Met 64% (7/11 courses) Not Met 91% (10/11 courses) Met
2. “agree” or “strongly agree” ratings on the Exit Survey regarding overall satisfaction with the internship
experience** 80% of graduating MPH students 100% (6/6 students responding) Met 83% (5/6 students responding) Met 92% (11/12 students responding) Met
3. “agree” or “strongly agree” ratings on the Exit Survey regarding overall satisfaction with the MPH program
80% of graduating MPH students 100% (6/6 students responding) Met 83% (5/6 students responding) Met 100% (13/13 students responding) Met 4. “agree” or “strongly agree”
ratings on the Alumni Survey regarding preparation to practice as a public health professional*** 80% of graduating MPH students 78% (28/36 students responding) Not met
Not Administered Not Administered
5. faculty review and
incorporation of feedback from PH Advisory Board regarding relevance of course content to current public health issues ****
review and incorporation of feedback at 1 faculty meeting annually
Not met Not met Not met
6. the inclusion of information on the appreciation of diversity relevant to course content
at least 50% of required MPH courses 58% (7/12 courses) Met 58% (7/12 courses) Met 58% (7/12 courses) Met
Notes: *The low % of courses with high instructor ratings in years 1 and 2 was partially due to adjuncts (2 of the 4). **The overall number of graduating students responding to the Exit Survey was lower these 2 years because the survey was not given in class. In 2013, we began administering the survey through the internship class again.* **The Alumni Survey is only given every 3 years as per our evaluation plan. ****This objective was changed based on reviewer feedback on the UNF CEPH 2013 Preliminary Self-Study to make it more measurable and is addressed in the weaknesses for this section.
Research Goal: The MPH Program’s research goal is to engage in collaborative research leading to new discoveries and practices that impact health and prevention of disease.
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Table 1.2.2 Outcome Measures for Research Objectives
Outcome Measure Target Year 1 2010-2011 Year 2 2011-2012 Year 3 2012-2013 1. peer-reviewed publications, presentations or internal/ external grants/contracts in the public health field
at least 1 per faculty annually 100% (6/6) Met 100% (6/6) Met 100% (5/5) Met
2. research projects to include the impact of diversity
at least 25% of faculty 17% (1/6) Not met 33% (2/6) Met 60% (3/5) Met 3. student collaboration with
faculty in research activities
at least 20% of students 22% (4/18) Met 30% (8/27) Met 19% (6/32) Not met
Service Goal: The MPH Program’s service goal is to provide service that improves the health of individuals and groups within the communities we serve.
Table 1.2.3. Outcome Measures for Service Objectives
Outcome Measure Target Year 1 2010-2011
Year 2 2011-2012
Year 3 2012-2013
1. participation in local, state or national public health
organizations or community based service (Table 3.3) at least 1 a year by 100% of faculty 100% (6/6) Met 100% (6/6) Met 100% (5/5) Met
2. participation with a public health agency that addresses underrepresented populations at least 1 faculty member a year 3 Met 4 Met 2 Met
3. facilitation of a public health service event in the local community at least 1 faculty member a year 4 Met 5 Met 3 Met
4. participation of ESG in service projects* at least 2 service projects a year 6 projects Met 1 project Not met 5 projects Met
Notes: *The participation in ESG service projects dropped during the 2011-2012 year due to change in student leadership. The strength and ambition of the students on the Executive Board has a direct impact on the number of service projects; however, it is worth noting that the student leadership may emphasize 1 or 2 large service projects that require greater personnel and resources, rather than multiple service events.
d. Description of the manner in which the self-study document was developed, including effective opportunities for input by important program constituents, including institutional officers, administrative staff, faculty, students, alumni and representatives of the public health community.
The current MPH PD assumed the position in fall 2011. It was mutually decided by program faculty and administration that the MPH PD and the Undergraduate CH PD would take the lead roles in writing the CEPH self-study to begin in 2012. The process began at the 2012 Summer Program Retreat where the program faculty clarified policies and procedures for
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accreditation and reviewed the program’s MGOs and GALCs. The two PDs attended the CEPH Accreditation Orientation Workshop, August 2-3, 2012 in Washington, D.C. which included thoroughly reviewing the CEPH self-study criteria. During August 2012, the PDs reviewed the first UNF MPH self-study submitted in 2008 as well as the three interim reports and annual reports submitted to CEPH since that time. Next the process of drafting the self-study began. During the fall 2012 and spring 2013, the program faculty, Public Health Advisory Board, DPH Chair and BCH Dean all contributed to the development of the self-study document. Although the two PDs drafted the majority of the document, discussion with faculty about content took place regularly at program meetings. Faculty were given specific sections to review, add material to, and edit as needed. Faculty were also consistently asked to review sections and provide feedback throughout the writing process. This continual process of writing and reviewing was a collective effort over approximately ten months. At the same time as the faculty writing and reviewing process, the Advisory Board was electronically sent sections of the self-study to review and edit as they were completed by the faculty. Several Board members provided meaningful feedback. Other university personnel were involved with specific pieces (e.g., Institutional Research provided student numbers and demographic information; ORSP provided grant funding information; BCH staff and UNF Administration and Finance provided budget information; etc.). Once the document was in final draft form, it was also posted on the MPH Bb site and students were encouraged to read and provide feedback on the document. Individuals and groups met throughout the semesters to discuss various pieces of the
document, to review entire sections of the document and to provide meaningful input, feedback and revisions.
During May/June of 2013, the DPH Chair, BCH Dean, BCH Associate Dean and Graduate School Dean reviewed the document and suggested necessary revisions before the draft document was sent to CEPH.
e. 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.
Criterion 1.2 is met with commentary.
Strengths: The UNF MPH Program has a well-developed evaluation plan that allows for
monitoring its efforts, assessing program effectiveness and using results for ongoing decision- making. Development and data collected in the evaluation plan has included input from faculty, MPH students and alumni, local public health professionals and UNF administration. Most data are collected and shared with the faculty at least annually. The self-study document development process allowed for input from faculty and other constituents over a length of time that allowed for meaningful reflection and improvements to the program.
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The program has consistently met half (3 of the 6) of its objectives related to the instructional goal (objectives 2, 3, and 6). Graduating students continue to report high satisfaction with their internship experience and their overall experience in the MPH program. Faculty incorporate appreciation of diversity into a number of required MPH courses.
The program has met its research goal and related objectives most years. All faculty members are producing scholarly work and many are addressing the impact of diversity in research projects. Additionally, students continue to work with faculty and community organizations in various research activities.
Finally, the program has met the service goal and related objectives most years. Faculty members are involved in professional organizations and community-based services whose missions are related to promoting public health. Several faculty are participating with public health agencies that address diversity and several are facilitating public health service events in the community. Finally, students are actively involved in ESG, assisting with the organization’s service projects.
Weaknesses and Plans: Several of the program objectives in Criterion 1.2.a have been revised and others have been developed to make them more relevant and measurable. Although assessment data was regularly gathered and available in the past, it has not been collectively compiled in a database and consistently presented to faculty and constituents as a consolidated report of program objectives and assessment. This is partly due to the change in leadership and the resulting learning curve associated with being a first time PD of an accredited program. Although the PD has been solely responsible for data collection, the program plans to explore delegating some of this work in the near future.
The program has not consistently met half (3 of the 6) of its objectives related to the
instructional goal (objectives 1, 4, and 5). During years 2010-2011 and 2011-2012, the program needed to employ several adjunct faculty to teach required courses. As fewer adjuncts or more qualified adjuncts teach in the program, and as full time faculty incorporate student comments and feedback, ISQ ratings will increase (objective 1).
Plans to improve the program evaluation process include: 1) conducting the MPH Alumni Survey annually in order to get higher response rates and more meaningful data (instructional objective 4); 2) implementing the MPH Student Exit Survey in class to ensure higher response rates; 3) creating a database to collect all program objective data on an annual basis and allow for easy dissemination of results to faculty, administration and constituents; and 4) adding standing agenda items to the faculty retreat and Public Health Advisory Board meetings to ensure targeting program objectives (such as review of MPH Program MGOs and curriculum; instructional objective 5) and reporting of evaluation results.
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1.3 Institutional Environment. The program shall be an integral part of an accredited institution of higher education.
a. A brief description of the institution in which the program is located, and the names of accrediting bodies (other than CEPH) to which the institution responds.
Description: Established in 1972, UNF is a mid-sized, comprehensive, urban, public university, and is part of Florida’s SUS. The University is located on 1,300 acres in Jacksonville, a city with a population of over one million. UNF has five Colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences, Coggin College of Business, the College of Computing, Engineering and Construction, the College of Education and Human Services, and the BCH. The University has just over 500 full-time faculty members, over 16,000 students and a comprehensive array of 55 undergraduate and 28 graduate degree programs, including three doctoral programs. The University provides graduate education in the fields that address regional needs.
Since its founding, UNF has demonstrated a commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and public and professional service. UNF’s President has established focus, accountability, excellence and relevance as guiding principles of the University. Through the University’s centers and institutes, continuing education programs, and faculty and staff volunteer activities, the University is a major contributor to Jacksonville and Florida. The Princeton
Review recently named UNF as a Best Southeastern College. UNF is among 146 top colleges and universities in the Southeast receiving this designation.
Accreditation: UNF is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award baccalaureate, master, and doctoral degrees. The
University was initially accredited in 1974 and was last reviewed and reaffirmed in 2009. The institution is scheduled to receive its next reaffirmation of accreditation review in 2019. Other accreditation bodies include:
The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB) - Undergraduate and Graduate - Business, Accounting
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics/Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)
American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs - Graduate - Nurse Anesthetist Concentration
American Chemical Society (ACS) - Undergraduate - Chemistry
American Council for Construction Education (ACCE) - Undergraduate - Construction Management
Association for University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) - Undergraduate - Health Administration
Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE)
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Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education / American Physical Therapy Association
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) - Undergraduate and Graduate
Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA) - Candidacy - Undergraduate
Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET Inc. - Undergraduate - Computer Science, Information Systems, Information Science, and Information Technology
Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
Council on Education of the Deaf (CED)
Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET Inc. - Undergraduate - Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering
Florida Board of Nursing - Undergraduate - Nursing
Florida Department of Education - Undergraduate and Graduate
National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) - Undergraduate
National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA)
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education - Undergraduate and Graduate
b. One or more organizational charts of the university indicating the program’s relationship to the other components of the institution, including reporting lines and clearly depicting how the program reports to or is supervised by other components of the institution.
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Direct Reporting Lines: Lines of accountability and roles of each entity are outlined in the UNF Constitution (See Resource File) and depicted in the charts above. The MPH Program is
administered by the DPH within the BCH. There is a nine- month PD who also works part-time during the summer to administer the program. The PD (Dr. Michele Moore) works under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Harrison, DPH Chair, who reports to Dr. Pamela Chally, BCH Dean. Dean Chally reports to the Provost & Vice-President of Academic Affairs (VPAA), Dr. Earle Traynham. The Provost reports to the President, John Delaney, JD, the chief administrator, who reports to the UNF Board of Trustees (BOT). The BOT in turn reports to the Florida Board of Governors. BCH also houses a School of Nursing, Department of Clinical & Applied Movement Sciences, and Department of Nutrition and Dietetics. Other programs in DPH include CH (undergraduate), Health Administration (graduate and undergraduate), Geriatric Management (graduate), and Clinical Mental Health Counseling (graduate). MPH faculty members are tenure track faculty in the DPH, and are considered part of both the CH undergraduate program and the MPH
graduate program. There are separate PDs for the MPH and CH Programs.
Indirect Reporting Lines: The authority and governance responsibilities for graduate programs rest with the Graduate School Dean as delegated by the VPAA. The Dean works in collaboration with the Graduate Council, established by the Faculty Association as the governing body vested with the responsibility for the formation and enforcement of policies and procedures for graduate education. The Graduate Dean serves as Chair of the Graduate Council. The primary tasks of the Graduate School Dean and Graduate Council are to:
1. Articulate and recommend to the VPAA and the President those policies and procedures that bear on graduate standards and maintenance of quality programs, admissions requirements and policies, graduate completion requirements, graduate curriculum standards, graduate instruction standards, and graduate faculty standards;
2. Work with the VPAA and the President in planning and approving new graduate programs; 3. Provide administrative oversight of graduate programs;
4. Secure support for graduate students;
5. Set graduate standards and provide assurance of University-wide compliance with all graduate standards; and
6. Review changes to current programs.
Accessibility to Higher-Level University Officials: The UNF Constitution (Article II) covers rights and responsibilities relating to accessibility. Faculty may question the University President, VPAA, and University officials through a formal Faculty Association process which allows for both identifiable and anonymous questioning with dissemination of questions and answers to all UNF faculty. For example, during monthly Faculty Association meetings, “any Association member may question any member of the University community concerning the conduct of that person's assigned duties and responsibilities as they affect the Association's concerns. Questions may be submitted to the President but these become the President's questions and will appear as such in the minutes. The President has the right to modify anonymous questions
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and/or to refuse to answer such questions according to her/his best judgment. The Faculty Association Secretary shall address questions in writing to persons not present or who decline to reply from the floor, and shall append all written responses to the minutes as responses are received” (Faculty Association Bylaws; http://www.unf.edu/facstaff/uff/bylaws.html).
Questions can also be directed via channels of authority or directly to the higher administration in cases that warrant such a direct approach. The MPH PD and faculty can meet with the DPH Chair as well as BCH Dean and Associate Dean. The PD serves as the communication channel between the program faculty and administrators.
c. Description of the program’s involvement and role in the following:
– budgeting and resource allocation, including budget negotiations, indirect cost recoveries, distribution of tuition and fees and support for fund-raising
Budget & Tuition/Fees Allocation: The BOT, by the delegation of the Board of Governors, sets tuition and fees for resident and non-resident graduate students. Tuition and fees are
deposited in the State’s Education and General Student and Other Fees Trust Fund. Universities are granted budget authority in the General Appropriations Act to spend tuition and fees, collected during the fiscal year or carried forward from the prior fiscal year and that are appropriated into local accounts.
The expenditure of tuition and fee revenues from local accounts by each University may not exceed the authority provided by the specific appropriations, unless approved by the Legislative Budget Commission. Budgeting is influenced by the unique considerations of the University, by social and economic factors that affect funding, and by position and policy actions of the
Legislature, the SUS Board of Governors, and the UNF BOT. For the Florida SUS as a whole, state support per student FTE has dropped from 68% in 2007-08 to 44% in 2012-13. State support per student FTE in 2012-13 varies by university, ranging from 69% to 39%, depending largely on recent unfunded enrollment growth. As a system, Education & General revenue for main operations (not including medical schools or the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences) was flat between 2008-09 and 2011-12 with a 20% decrease in state funds offset by a 42% increase in tuition. Since 2007-08 there has been a 39% ($830 million) decrease in state funds. UNF has experienced a 16% decline in support from state funds since 2008-2009 offset by a 46% increase in revenue from tuition.
UNF submits its legislative budget request on an annual basis. State universities prepare an annual operating budget and expenditure plan using an incremental approach, primarily based on planned enrollment. The UNF internal budget allocation process dictates the administrative procedures involved in determining budgetary allocation to the MPH Program.
Indirect Cost Recoveries: Facilities and administrative costs greater than $10,000 are shared as follows: 60% to Division of Research and Sponsored Programs, 19% to deans, 10% to the
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principal investigator, 6% to general administration, and 5% into the research reserve. The BCH Dean currently shares a portion of indirect costs with the principal investigator’s department. Support for Fund Raising: The Office of Institutional Advancement (http://www.unf.edu/ia/) is responsible for University-wide efforts in fund raising and is the external relations division of the University, and includes Marketing and Publications, Media Relations & Events, Alumni Services, Advancement Services, and Development (fundraising). BCH works with the Office of Institutional Advancement through a development officer, housed in the Dean’s Office. This person is directly responsible for coordinating all fund raising for the College.
– personnel recruitment, selection and advancement, including faculty and staff
Faculty Recruitment & Selection: The process and procedures for faculty appointments are described by the UNF Policy and Regulations Office of Academic Affairs. This information is available at:
http://www.unf.edu/president/policies_regulations/02-AcademicAffairs/Faculty/2_0310P.aspx .
Programs request new faculty positions through the department. A matrix listing departmental hiring priorities is presented to the Dean as part of the yearly budgeting process. BCH prioritizes faculty line requests prior to requesting lines from Academic Affairs. Permission of the DPH, BCH and Office of Academic Affairs is needed to search vacant positions.
Search committees are selected by the PD with approval from the DPH Chair and BCH Dean. Committee composition is approved by the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity (EOD). The recruitment process is initiated by completing an online request to advertise the
position. This request, completed by the department and program, details the specifics of the job. The search committee determines the candidate required/preferred qualifications and job responsibilities (e.g., teaching and research areas). It also determines the
recruitment plan, including text for print and website ads, a list of publications or websites in which the advertisement will be placed, and a proposed search schedule.
After advertisement, the search committee has an initial meeting with EOD to discuss the search process in terms of equal opportunity. The candidate pools must be approved by EOD prior to interview.
The search committee reviews all candidates, meets to discuss and rank the applicants, and then must gain approval from the DPH Chair and BCH Dean to interview the selected candidates. Typically phone interviews are conducted first and after further discussion by the search committee, top candidates are invited for an on-campus interview. All meetings must be posted in advance and are open to the public (including faculty).
The search committee’s hiring recommendations are forwarded to the DPH Chair and BCH Dean who, along with the provost, make the final decision. The dean works with the Office of Academic Affairs to prepare a letter of offer.
The search committee completes a form at the end of each search which specifies the reasons that candidates for faculty positions were either not hired or not interviewed.
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Staff Recruitment & Selection: A complete description of the hiring procedure is available at:
http://www.unf.edu/hr/employment/Support_Staff_Employment.aspx.
Requests for new staff lines or recruitment for open lines originate in the department and are forwarded to the Dean’s office, who must obtain approval from Administration and Finance.
Once a position is approved, the department completes an online request to advertise the position through Human Resources. Hiring for staff does not require the use of a search committee.
Faculty Advancement: The UNF BOT-United Faculty of Florida (UFF) Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) sets the criteria for promotion and tenure. Each department also develops a set of bylaws that include promotion and tenure, and annual evaluation criteria which are based upon University-wide standards. (See Resource File for both documents.) The departmental bylaws are developed and ratified by 2/3 majority of all faculty within the department. Academic administrators are prohibited from taking part in the development of the department’s bylaws. After a faculty initiates applying for tenure and/or promotion, a tenure and promotion committee consisting of program/department faculty is convened. According to DPH Bylaws, the promotion and tenure committee will review the dossier and vote on the tenure and promotion of every faculty member in the department. All faculty may provide letters of support for the candidate by the set deadline. For promotion from associate to full professor only full professors may be on the committee. The dossier is then reviewed as follows: Department Chair, College Dean, UNF Promotion and Tenure Committee (which any faculty may be elected to serve on), UNF VPAA, UNF President and UNF BOT.
–academic standards and policies, including establishment and oversight of curricula
The MPH Program follows academic standards and policies of the University for graduate programs as delineated by the Graduate School
(http://www.unf.edu/graduateschool/about/Policies_and_Regulations.aspx). The UNF Graduate Catalog outlines university policies with regard to student academic performance such as satisfactory academic progress, good academic standing, grade reporting, course credits, and credit validation for coursework completed more than five years ago, credit transfers, and post-baccalaureate credit. Graduate faculty may serve on the Graduate Council which holds responsibility for developing and revising Graduate School policies. The MPH PD currently serves on this council.
The MPH faculty may also develop program specific policies that follow and meet UNF Graduate School Policy minimums (e.g., the Graduate School admissions policy is that
applicants must have a 3.0 upper division GPA; individual programs can decide if they also want to require standardized tests and the minimum scores or other additional admission materials). Program specific policies and procedures, as well as those delineated by the Graduate School,
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are outlined in the MPH Student Handbook available on the MPH website, MPH Bb site and Graduate School website
(http://www.unf.edu/graduateschool/student_resources/Graduate_Student_Handbooks/Publi c_Health.aspx).
The program of study, course descriptions, admission standards and other substantial
curriculum issues are established and overseen by the MPH faculty and PD. Some policies must be approved by the Graduate School (e.g., admission standards). Changes to the program of study or course descriptions must be approved through the Academic Programs Committee (APC) process. Through this process, the changes are approved by the Department Chair, the Dean of the College, Dean of the Graduate School, the APC, and the Faculty Association.
d. If a collaborative program, descriptions of all participating institutions and delineation of their relationships to the program.
The UNF MPH Program is not a collaborative program.
e. If a collaborative program, a copy of the formal written agreement that establishes the rights and obligations of the participating universities in regard to the program’s operation.
The UNF MPH Program is not a collaborative program.
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.
Criterion 1.3 is met.
Strengths: The MPH Program is housed in the BCH DPH, a main academic division of UNF. UNF is a comprehensive Florida University that is accredited by SACS, a regional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The MPH Program is sponsored entirely by UNF. UNF has a well-organized chain of command and ultimately answers to the state legislature as part of the Florida SUS. UNF has well established policies and procedures, and academic and non-academic units to carry out its mission. Budgetary processes are well
developed. The MPH Program is fully integrated into the governing, academic, educational and service structure of the DPH, and hence BCH and UNF. The MPH faculty and PD are directly involved in hiring new faculty and determining MPH policies and curriculum. The MPH Program is fully compliant with the University’s standards and policies for graduate programs. Weaknesses: None identified.
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1.4 Organization and Administration. The program shall provide an organizational setting conducive to public health learning, research and service. The organizational setting shall facilitate interdisciplinary communication, cooperation and collaboration that contribute to achieving the program’s public health mission. The organizational structure shall effectively support the work of the program’s constituents.
a. One or more organizational charts delineating the administrative organization of the program, indicating relationships among its internal components.
See section 1.3.b for BCH organizational chart.
b. Description of the manner in which interdisciplinary coordination, cooperation and collaboration occur and support public health learning, research and service.
The University: The UNF Strategic Plan 2009-2014 addresses interdisciplinary collaboration through an emphasis on “Community Engagement.” The Plan’s Institutional Goal #4 to “Affirm the University’s Public Responsibility through Civic Engagement and Community-Based Learning and Research” lists the following strategies to accomplish this endeavor:
Enhance the University’s capacity for community-based learning
Integrate community-based pedagogies in academic disciplines, general education, and extracurricular programs
Reward participation in community engagement activities by students, faculty, and staff Advance the University as a resource in the local, regional, and global communities.
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The College: The BCH has adopted several “Values” and “Goals” that necessitate
interdisciplinary collaboration; three that specifically address such commitment include: Values:
Collegiality: We support a culture characterized by open communications, collaboration, and cooperation.
Service: We provide service to our university, communities, and professions. Goals:
Enhance and expand outreach initiatives and partnerships providing opportunities for the BCH faculty, staff and students to impact health issues and provide service.
MPH Program: The MGOs of the MPH Program are consistent with the strategic plans of the University and College. The program is committed to cooperation and collaboration with other programs in the College and University as well as with community-based programs.
The MPH faculty members have a diverse background and approach the curriculum in an interdisciplinary manner. Core area and specialization faculty members work together to manage the program. The MPH Program is part of DPH. DPH has programs in Geriatric Management, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and Health Administration allowing MPH Program faculty members’ opportunities for collaboration with many disciplines. Likewise, BCH houses a School of Nursing, Department of Clinical & Applied Movement Sciences, and
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics which provide further opportunities for collaboration across disciplines. The BCH’s organizational structure allows for many interdisciplinary teaching, research and service activities. The program has used instructors in other programs (Health Administration & Nutrition). MPH students are encouraged to take elective classes through other programs and colleges. College-wide committees address many aspects of academic life and increase faculty collaboration. Chairs and PDs meet on a regular basis. Twice yearly college-wide meetings and other programs promote interdisciplinary collaborations.
The MPH Program and College have strong ties with Florida’s public health and medical communities, and the program was developed in collaboration with Duval County Health Department. During the first few years of the program, members of the Duval County Health Department taught core and elective courses. The program maintains strong ties to Duval County, neighboring health departments, and other state and local public health agencies. MPH practice experiences and the Public Health Advisory Committee foster these collaborations.
c. 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.
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Strengths: The MPH Program is a formally organized academic unit within the DPH, BCH. The program is well situated to realize its stated mission and goals. The administrative structure allows the program to carry out its teaching, research and service functions in a collaborative manner. Due to the BCH structure and UNF’s focus on community-based learning, the MPH faculty have ample opportunity to collaborate with faculty and the community to support public health learning, research and service.
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1.5 Governance. The program administration and faculty shall have clearly defined rights and responsibilities concerning program governance and academic policies. Students shall, where appropriate, have participatory roles in the conduct of program evaluation procedures, policy setting and decision making.
a. A list of standing and important ad hoc committees, with a statement of charge, composition and current membership for each.
The governance of the program involves the MPH faculty members under the leadership of the PD with oversight by the DPH Chair and BCH Dean. Although the program faculty previously attempted to support various committees among themselves, being a small faculty lends its self to better collaborate on necessary issues as a group; sometimes referred to as the MPH
Program Committee. Currently the only sub-committee is the MPH Capstone Committee. The Capstone Committee is responsible for reviewing and approving appropriate internship sites and addressing internship issues that arise. The following faculty are members of the Capstone Committee: Michele Moore, MPH PD; Elissa Barr, CH PD; and Julie Merten, CH Internship Coordinator. There are no students on this committee for obvious reasons. MPH Program faculty responsibilities concerning program governance and policies are directed by the PD and include:
Developing and revising the MPH curriculum
Developing and revising program policies and procedures (e.g., admissions, good standing, etc.)
Developing, revising and monitoring -program evaluation plans (e.g., surveys)
Developing, revising, collecting and analyzing Graduate Academic Learning Compacts Developing, revising and monitoring the Comprehensive Examination
Participating in program accreditation activities, annual and interim reports, and state-mandated 5-year reviews
Participating in strategic planning for the program and department
Participating in programmatic, departmental, college, and university governance
Collaborating with the BCH Advising Office and the Dean’s Office on matters pertaining to students and the development and dissemination of program materials
The Public Health Advisory Board: The purposes of the Advisory Board are to (1) promote the programs among various constituencies both on and off campus, (2) give advice to the
program’s faculty regarding curriculum and program activities such as internships and field experiences, and to students regarding their professional needs, and (3) assist with identifying and acquiring external program resources. Potential members are nominated by faculty and invited to participate. Currently seven community members, three faculty, and two current students serve as Board members. (See Resource File for list of Advisory Board Members.) Community members represent various public health core areas and practice settings, and have demonstrated interest and commitment to community/public health education and training. These core areas include: Environmental Health; Epidemiology; Health Behavior; Health Policy
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and Management; and Biostatistics/Research. The practice settings include: community/public health agencies, health care, schools, and worksites. The CH and MPH PDs and one additional program faculty serve as academic members of the Board. At least one alumnus and two student representatives are appointed by the PDs. The student representatives consist of one undergraduate and one graduate student.
The MPH Student Advisory Board: The MPH SAB is open to all current MPH students. An email is sent out via the MPH Bb site to let students know about the meeting and purpose. If
students cannot attend the meeting but are interested in participating, a list of questions and topics to be discussed is emailed to them so they can respond in writing. This ensures that all students are given the opportunity to participate, if they wish. (See Resource File for
participating students’ names in the minutes.)
b. Identification of how the following functions are addressed within the program’s committees and organizational structure:
Again, due to the small number of faculty, most issues related to the following topics are discussed and voted on during regular faculty meetings.
– General program policy development
In areas not covered by UNF guidelines, new policies or changes in policies are drafted by program faculty and/or the PD. Faculty must approve the policy. Substantive policy changes are brought to the DPH Chair and BCH Dean for input prior to faculty vote. Changes are
incorporated into the MPH Student Handbook, website and Bb for the following year, and if necessary are added to or modified on the official Degree Evaluation (formerly called the Program of Study). Degree modifications are typically initiated by program faculty or PD, and must be approved by the faculty, PD, DPH Chair, departmental curriculum committee, BCH Dean, Graduate School, University APC, and the Faculty Association (vote of the faculty at a regular monthly Faculty Association meeting).
– Planning and evaluation
Program strategic planning and evaluation is undertaken by the program faculty led by the PD. Faculty discuss the MPH MGOs and program evaluation in reference to CEPH guidelines and BCH and DPH strategic plans at the summer retreat. The PDs share any faculty suggestions or changes with the DPH Chair and other department PDs at the DPH PD meetings (See Resource File for meeting minutes.) The department strategic plan is revised regularly to reflect faculty suggestions. Thus, strategic plans for the program are incorporated into the department strategic plan. The department’s plan is incorporated into the BCH’s strategic plan. A college-wide strategic planning committee, the Executive Board, advises the BCH Dean. Members consist of all department chairs in the BCH (See Resource File for meeting minutes.)
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Fiscal planning for the program is conducted by the DPH Chair in consultation with the PD, who discusses needs with the program faculty. Budgets are submitted annually to the BCH Dean for the fiscal year. Faculty members are apprised of the budget at regular departmental and college meetings.
– Student recruitment, admission and award of degrees
General student recruitment, admission and graduation policies and procedures are set by the Graduate School. The MPH PD and faculty discuss and vote on issues related to MPH specific recruitment plans and strategies, admissions issues and student progress toward graduation.
– Faculty recruitment, retention, promotion and tenure
The Program adheres to the UNF BOT-UFF CBA that contains rules and regulations regarding faculty recruitment, retention, promotion and tenure described above (Section 1.3) and clarified by the DPH Bylaws (See Resource File for both documents.) Decisions about faculty recruitment are made first by the program faculty, and then a search committee consisting of program faculty is developed for recruitment. The search committee abides by UNF rules and regulations for hiring, overseen by the Office of EOD (http://www.unf.edu/eod/) described in Section 1.3.c.
The UNF BOT-UFF CBA sets the criteria for promotion and tenure. Faculty in each department also develop a set of bylaws that include promotion and tenure and annual evaluation criteria which are based upon University-wide standards. The departmental bylaws are developed and ratified by 2/3 majority of all faculty within the Department. After a faculty initiates applying for tenure and/or promotion, a tenure and promotion committee consisting of
program/department faculty will be convened. The promotion and tenure committee reviews the dossier and votes on the tenure and promotion of the candidate. All faculty may provide letters of support for the candidate by the set deadline. For promotion from associate to full professor only full professors may be on the committee. Then the dossier is reviewed as follows: Department Chair, College Dean, UNF Promotion and Tenure Committee (which any faculty may be elected to serve on), UNF VPAA, UNF President and UNF BOT.
– Academic standards and policies, including curriculum development
General academic standards and policies are developed by the Graduate Dean and Graduate Council, and are included in the Graduate Catalog and Student Handbooks. Specific MPH academic standards, policies and changes to existing program curriculum are developed and approved by the program faculty and PD. Curriculum changes and development of new
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programs/concentrations must also be reviewed and approved by the Chair, Dean and the APC, reviewed and voted on by Faculty Association, and then forwarded to the Provost, and finally to the University President for review and a decision.
– Research and service expectations and policies
These expectations and policies are set forth in the UNF BOT-UFF CBA. Faculty in each
department determine department-specific expectations and policies, in line with the contract, as part of the department bylaws’ promotion and tenure criteria. Program faculty members participate in the development of these criteria by serving on the Bylaws Committee and also during general debate and ratification of the UNF contract.
Program faculty may be members of the BCH Research and Scholarly Activity Committee. Its function is to report annually to the BCH Faculty on: the status of research in the College, and progress of the University in general and the College in particular in providing research
incentives and minimizing disincentives. The committee facilitates faculty and student research, and research collaborations with other members of the University and the community, through dissemination of information, research forums, consultation, and development of incentives and rewards.
c. A copy of the bylaws or other policy document that determines the rights and obligations of administrators, faculty and students in governance of the program, if applicable.
The UNF Constitution, Article V (http://www.unf.edu/president/UNF_Constitution.aspx) covers organization and administration of academic units. It states: “Faculty shall play an active and responsible role in the collegial governance of the academic units to which they are assigned. The work of the faculty of academic units shall include, but need not be limited to,
development, presentation, and evaluation of curricula and academic programs; requirements for admission and graduation of students; academic freedom and responsibility; affirmative action and nondiscrimination; assignment and evaluation of teaching, research and service; leaves and sabbaticals; recruitment, evaluation, retention, tenure and promotion of faculty; recruitment, evaluation and recommendation on retention of academic administrators; assignment of courses and the development of course schedules; development of criteria for awarding merit pay and procedures for equitable allocation of Summer supplemental
assignments; selection of instructional and library materials; preparation of budget requests and implementation of budget priorities; symbolic recognition of the achievements of faculty and students; fund raising; and other matters of professional concern.”
The rights and obligations of administrators and faculty in terms of program governance are addressed in the following documents. (See Resource File for copies of documents.)
The UNF BOT-UFF CBA (http://www.unf.edu/facstaff/uff/finalcontract0606.pdf) UNF Constitution (http://www.unf.edu/president/UNF_Constitution.aspx)
