Proposal for an Advanced Graduate Certificate Stony Brook University

Transcription

1 Proposal for an Advanced Graduate Certificate Stony Brook University 1) Program Name: Advanced Graduate Certificate in Health Communications (AC-HC) 2) Rationale for the certificate, which also identifies the registered graduate programs to which the courses apply The mission of the AC-HC, a collaboration between the University's Graduate Program in Public Health (GPPH) and School of Journalism (SOJ), is to teach members of the public health workforce, healthcare professionals, media professionals (journalism, marketing, public relations and communication) and masters/doctoral students in these areas to be effective health communicators, bridging the gap between medicine and public health and the world-at-large. With a focus on advanced graduate training, it is designed to provide the necessary skills to communicate health related issues to the public directly or through the press. The GPPH and the SOJ provide a joint academic home for the 18 credit AC-HC certificate. The program will be directed by Evonne Kaplan-Liss MD MPH, a physician and journalist with joint appointments in the School of Medicine (SOM) and SOJ. Within the GPPH, a health communications focus is already a component of the Community Health concentration. The SOJ s proposed Masters in Journalism program will offer the AC-HC s journalism module, which consists of four courses in communicating science (JRN 500, 501,502,503). Graduates of AC-HC program will enhance their health communication knowledge, experiences, and skills and positively impact their chosen career pathway in journalism, communications, public health, medicine, or other health related profession. It is anticipated that graduates will find employment in academic settings, research facilities, public health organizations, or health care institutions. Graduates may also serve as health communication experts in media, consulting and public relations settings. Working professionals will gain communication skills that will enhance their skills and help them advance within their respective public health, healthcare or media professions. 3) Curriculum, with course descriptions drawn from the campus graduate catalog (for each new course proposed, a syllabus is required) Prerequisites: All students without a medical background will be required to have a working familiarity with medical terminology and basic anatomy and physiology in order to have the background to complete the GPPH coursework offered in this certificate program. This requirement can be satisfied in a variety of ways; online course work, prior coursework, etc. 1

2 ADVANCED GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN HEALTH COMMUNICATIONS REQUIRED COURSES: The AC-HC consists of 18 credits offered through the GPPH and SOJ. 1. HPH 585 Introduction to Biostatistics & Epidemiology (4 credits) 2. HPH 500 Contemporary Issues in Public Health (2 credits) 3. HPH 508 Health Systems Performance (3 credits) 4. JRN 500 Understanding the U.S. News Media (3 credits) 5. JRN 501 Communicating Science to the Public: Writing to be Understood (1 credit) 6. JRN 502 Communicating Science to the Public: Interview Skills (1 credit) 7. JRN 503 Communicating Science to the Public: Presentation Skills (1 credit) 8. HPH 586 Health Literacy (3 credits) Or JRN 505 Communicating Science to the Public II & New Technologies (3 credits) COURSE DESCRIPTIONS HPH 585 Introduction to Biostatistics & Epidemiology This course is an introduction to the principles of statistical methods and epidemiology and their application in the health sciences. The student will develop a basic understanding of statistics, epidemiology, and interpretation of research studies in order to communicate risk and scientific evidence to colleagues and the public directly or through the press. 4 credits HPH 500 Contemporary Issues in Public Health This course provides an introduction to the field of public health that aims to develop an appreciation of the unique and important mission of public health; an understanding of the history, values, ethics, mission, and goals of public health; and knowledge about how public health functions today including the organization, financing, policies, and practices of public health. Students will be expected to think critically about whether public health has achieved its mission in today s world and how the profession might develop in the future. 2 credits HPH 508 Health Systems Performance This course introduces students to the system that we have developed to deliver health care in the United States, with international comparisons. The topics include the organization and financing of health care systems, access to health care including health insurance, regulation and policy issues, and the health care workforce. 3 credits 2

3 HPH 586 Health Literacy This course examines and analyzes the issues and challenges of low health literacy. The course includes an examination of the data for national literacy levels and populations at risk for low literacy; research on health literacy; measurement tools; health disparities and cultural competencies as it relates to health literacy; development of health literacy in plain language; effective communication techniques; and organizational/institutional approaches to the challenges of health literacy. 3 credits JRN 500 Understanding the U.S. News Media In any age when scientific, medical and environmental issues often make news, this course is designed to familiarize science and health students with how the U.S. news media work. Students will learn how the industry is organized, and why it is undergoing fundamental change; how decisions are made about which stories to cover and how prominently to cover them; how the press weighs such values as freedom, privacy and national security. We will explore issues raised by recent coverage of science, health and environmental stories. A three hour seminar in News literacy will be part of the course. 3 credits JRN 501, 502, 503 Communicating Science to the Public I In this hands-on course sequence, intended for science and health graduate students and professionals, students will learn how to explain research to non-scientists in a clear, concise, and engaging way. Students will practice discussing scientific processes and implications, as well as results, and learn techniques for dealing with the media, as well as with the public directly. Skills learned in this course should prove useful for scientists who want to interact with public officials, testify at hearings, or advocate for scientific endeavors. JRN 501 Communicating Science to the Public: Writing to Be Understood Students will practice translating technical material into clear, vivid writing; using analogies, examples and metaphors to illuminate unfamiliar concepts, and building an argument. The major assignment will be to write an op-edit article suitable for a U.S. newspaper. JRN 502 Communicating Science to the Public: Interview Skills For scientists who want to communicate through the media, good interview skills are crucial. Students will practice preparing for an interview; shaping clear, crisp answers, and reinforcing their fundamental message. The major assignment will be to undergo a taped interview suitable for use on TV or podcast. JRN 503 Communicating Science to the Public: Community Presentation The presentation is a staple of scientific communication, but presenting to a community audience can be challenging in different ways. Students will learn to present their work in ways non-scientists can understand and appreciate, as well as to anticipate and prepare for potential areas of conflict. The major assignment will be to 3

4 prepare and deliver a PowerPoint presentation suitable for a community group or local town board. 1 credit per course; 3 credits total. JRN 505 Communicating Science to the Public II & New Technologies Building on skills taught in JRN , this course uses case studies to focus on special problems of communicating scientific material in challenging circumstances, such as situations of scientific uncertainty, public anxiety or political controversy. Practice in written and spoken communication will be emphasized. 3 credits 4) Faculty credentials and course responsibilities Faculty Credential Course Responsibilities Evonne Kaplan-Liss MD MPH Director AC-HC, Board certified preventive medicine and pediatric physician, journalist joint appointments in SOM & SOJ Director Evonne 5/12/10 10:07 AM Formatted: Space After: 0 pt Evonne 5/12/10 10:07 AM Deleted: Evonne 5/12/10 10:07 AM Deleted: include vitae for faculty who are not part of a currently existing graduate program HPH 586 Health Literacy Evonne 5/12/10 10:07 AM JRN 503 Communicating Science to Formatted: Indent: Left: 0", Hanging: the Public: Community Presentation 0.25" Raymond Goldsteen DrPH Director GPPH HPH 500 Contemporary Issues in Public Health Norman Edelman MD GPPH faculty HPH 508 Health Systems Performance Aldustus Jordan EdD Associate Dean for Student Affairs SOM HPH 586 Health Literacy Susanne Mendelson Grants Coordinator & Editor Office of Dean, School of Medicine HPH 586 Health Literacy John Shanley MD GPPH Faculty HPH 585 Introduction to Biostatistics & Epidemiology for Public Health Elizabeth Bass Interim Director of the Master of Science in Journalism and The Center for Communicating Science JRN 500 Understanding the U.S. News Media Charles Haddad SOJ Faculty JRN 501 Communicating Science to the Public: Writing to be Understood Steven Reiner SOJ Faculty JRN 502 Communicating Science to the Public: Interview Skills Wasim Ahmad SOJ Faculty JRN 505 Communicating Science to the Public II & New Technologies 4

5 5) Students: information on admission and advisement Criteria and Procedures for Admission Applicants are evaluated on their potential for success in the program based on academic achievement, depth of accomplishment, diversity of life experience, and level of interest. Excellent written and oral communication skills are expected. Evonne 5/12/10 10:08 AM Deleted: Program admission is selective, and all qualified applicants may not be accepted. The admissions requirements are: Bachelors degree with a 3.0 GPA or better from an accredited U.S. or Canadian college or university. Official transcripts from all postsecondary schools. Three references that can address the applicant's capacity to succeed in the field of health communications or related fields and complete a course of graduate level certificate study. If the applicant is a student or has graduated within the last two years, at least one letter must be from a college or university faculty member with whom the applicant has studied. If the applicant has been working, at least one letter must be from a supervisor who is familiar with the applicant s work. Personal interview, if requested by the Admissions Committee. Writing sample. For international students: International students who trained in non-english speaking schools and do not reside in an English speaking country are required to take the TOEFL exam. The expected minimum score is 213 for the Computer-Based Test, 90 for the Internet-Based Test, and 550 for the Paper-Based Test. International students are required to have a course-by-course educational credential evaluation completed by an agency accredited by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Education Services ( This evaluation provides a U.S. course equivalent including semester hours earned, course content, and corresponding letter grade for all courses listed on the international applicant s transcript. This evaluation must be completed before the application can be considered. Evonne 5/12/10 10:09 AM Deleted: We require using World Education Services ( Students can start the program at the beginning of any semester and will have 3 years to complete the program. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis by the AC-HC admissions committee. The committee s selections will be finalized by the director of the program. The program will seek intellectually inquisitive students from diverse socioeconomic, educational, racial, and ethnic backgrounds who can contribute to the field of health communications. We expect to draw students from the science and journalism master and doctoral programs at Stony Brook as well as from the health and media workforce including: physicians, public health practitioners, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, hospital administrators, researchers, journalists and public relation/communications professionals. 5

6 Procedures for Advisement & Program Evaluation Students will meet with the AC-HC Director and staff assistant at the beginning of their coursework to plan a course of study. Students will meet with AC-HC Director after attainment of about half of the 18 credit program to discuss the student s grades, progress in the program, assess growth, and discuss expectations and aspirations for the future. The meetings can occur in person or by phone, whichever is preferred by the student. Course directors will monitor the grades of their students throughout their courses and any concerns will be raised with the program staff assistant and the program director for further action. Student progress will be monitored by reviewing graduation rates, GPAs, job placements and job advancement as it pertains to the field of health communications. The program will make an effort to track graduates in their career paths as part of assessing how well the program has prepared them for their work in the field of health communications. 6) Support Programs and Resources Support Programs Most resources already exist to support the proposed AC-HC program. These include outstanding faculty, professional facilities, and generous library and research resources housed in the SOJ and GPPH. School of Journalism The School of Journalism s bi-level Newsroom, which opened in 2007, is one of the most technologically advanced in the nation. It is located on the ground floor of Melville Library, with an electronic news ticker that faces the Academic Mall. The Newsroom is equipped with 37 Mac Pro Workstations, with a system that allows any piece of work to be displayed simultaneously on any or all desktops, as well as on a large projection screen. Each workstation has dual 23-inch Apple HD Cinema Displays and Mac Final Cut Pro Studio 2 video editing software, the industry standard, as well as PhotoShop, Flash, Dreamweaver and InDesign. Students have access to Associated Press international, national and local news wires. In addition, video conferencing software allows for remote guest lectures and remote interviews. In addition to its exclusive space in the Newsroom, the School of Journalism has been granted priority use of a classroom equipped with 34 Apple workstations and audiovisual projection equipment. With use of this classroom, the School of Journalism will have sufficient class space for the proposed program. Current office space includes an office and a laptop for each full-time faculty member and shared office space for adjunct faculty members. In addition, the School of Journalism has a conference room and two smaller conference areas, an office waiting area, and a utility room. No additional office space will be required for the purposes of this proposal. 6

7 Graduate Program in Public Health/School of Medicine The Graduate Program in Public Health (GPPH) is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health to offer the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. The program is located in the School of Medicine (SOM) and has three concentrations: Community Health, Evaluative Sciences, and Public Health Practice. The Community Health concentration has a health communications focus that will support the AC-HC. The Core Public Health Faculty has expertise in biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health, demography, research methods, community health interventions, health policy, and health communications. Members of this faculty will provide the health-related coursework for the proposed program. The GPPH has space in the SOM, which includes faculty and staff offices, a conference room, areas with student computers, and meeting space. The health-related courses for the AC-HC will be held in this area. The GPPH supports the public health library holdings in the Health Sciences Library. This library also includes a well-equipped computer laboratory the Coller Learning Center - that is staffed every day and will be available for students in the AC- HC. In addition, the program may seek use of the School of Medicine s Clinical Skills Center, a sophisticated facility in which students can be observed and videotaped while interviewing subjects, with the tapes posted in a protected online site for review and assessment, as part of a process of improving reporting skills. Library Resources Students in the proposed program will have access to library resources in Stony Brook University s Melville Library, its branch libraries in Engineering, Chemistry, Marine Sciences and Mathematics/Physics/Astronomy, as well as to the Health Sciences Center library. Resources available include, for journalism, more than 2,900 print titles, 160 online journals, and 30 databases; for medicine and health sciences, 358,000 print titles, 6000 online journals and 120 databases; for earth and environmental science, 1,600 online journals and 65 databases. Resources are comparable in other relevant fields. The GPPH supports the public health library holdings in the Health Sciences Library but the health communications journals will need to be acquired for the purposes of the new certificate program as well as the health communications focus within the GPPH community health track. The acquisitions and access librarian who works with the School of Journalism, Aimee dechambeau, has a background in library resources for science, engineering and technology and is actively engaged in the journalism program, consulting with faculty about acquisitions, lecturing on research techniques, and helping design online resources for classroom work. Resources Director: Evonne Kaplan-Liss MD MPH 7

8 Support Staff:.5 FTE Support services for students and faculty are lean within the SOJ and GPPH, and this proposal includes budgeting for a half-time administrative support position dedicated to the AC-HC program to assist the Director in the management of the program. Additional faculty: Possibly 1 adjunct to teach HPH 585 Introduction to Biostatistics & Epidemiology for Public Health if another already existing course cannot be substituted or an online course is not established. Library Resources: Health and science communication journals. Travel/meeting expenses: Director of the AC-HC will attend annual conferences to promote the program as well as present health communications research to public health/media colleagues. Meetings to include: Conference on Medical Education and Public Health; Health Literacy Annual Research Conference; The Association for Prevention Teaching and Research; Association of American Medical Colleges. Revenue from the AC-HC will support the resources required for this proposal. The SOJ and GPPH will support any additional resources not covered by the revenue. 8