College of Public Affairs and Administration. Submitted for: Results Report with 2009-spring 2011 amendments

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1 Academic Program Review Masters of Public Health (general) Master of Public Health with Environmental Health Concentration Graduate Certificates: Community Health Education, Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security, and Risk Assessment Joint Degrees MPH/MPA and MPH/HMS University: College: Program: CIPS Classification Code: University of Illinois at Springfield College of Public Affairs and Administration Public Health Department (Public Health, General (MPH, DPH) Classification Definition: A program that generally prepares individuals to plan, manage, and evaluate public health care services and to function as public health officers. Includes instruction in epidemiology, biostatistics, public health principles, preventive medicine, health policy and regulations, health care services and related administrative functions, public health law enforcement, health economics and budgeting, public communications, and professional standards and ethics. (IES National Center for Educational Statistics). CIPS applies to all degrees and certificates offered by department. Submitted for: Results Report with 2009-spring 2011 amendments Preparation Coordinator: Sharron LaFollette, Ph.D. fall 2007 forward Associate Professor and Chair Public Health Department Remi Imeokparia, Ph.D. summer 2007 and before (now emeritus)

2 Draft I. Program Objectives and Structure Date of Initiation: (fall 1991) Program faculty history: The Public Health Department was initiated in the fall of The original faculty consisted of: Dr. Michael Quam (2/3 appointment), Margie Williams (1/3 appointment), and Dr. James Veselenak (adjunct) and relied on adjunct faculty to fill in teaching voids in the curriculum. Dr. Remi Imeokparia (full time), was hired fall 1993 and a 1/6 appointment was granted to Dr. Jim Veselenak in Margie Williams left the department with the move of the nursing curriculum to Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville in Dr. Kathy DeBarr and Dr. Shahram Heshmat joined the department with the dissolution of the Department of Health Services Administration in Dr. Quam retired in With the retirement of Dr. Imeokparia in spring 2007, Dr. Sharron LaFollette was relocated from the Department of Environmental Studies (ENS) and became chair fall Dr. Mark Edgar was hired as visiting instructor fall 2007, became full-time tenure track assistant professor fall 2008, and left fall of Josiah Alamu was hired as instructor fall 2008 and after degree completion became full-time tenure track assistant professor fall The four current faculty (spring 2011) in the department are joined by semi-permanent adjuncts (Lenore Killam, Ken Runkle and Greg Michaud) and a number of rotating adjuncts to meet the needs of the curriculum. During the spring 2011 semester, the department is searching for two new faculty positions: Assistant Professor of Public Health Policy and Clinical Instructor of Environmental Health and Internship Coordinator. Program degree history: The original New Academic Program Request envisioned a generalist Master of Public Health (MPH) degree with an additional emphasis on Environmental Health. In fall 2007, the department added an official MPH with Environmental Health concentration (MPH-EH) with the move of the risk sciences courses from the Department of Environmental Studies to the Public Health Department (PH). From the beginning, the MPH-EH concentration has been offered on campus and online. Beginning fall 2011, the general MPH degree will also be offered on campus and online. The department teamed in 2003 with the departments of Human Management Services (HMS) and Public Administration (MPA) to offer joint degrees, MPH/HMS and MPH/MPA respectively. In addition to the two MPH degrees and the two joint degrees, the department offers five graduate certificates online and on campus. Three were added in fall 2007: Epidemiology, Community Health, and Environmental Health. In fall 2007, two certificates were relocated from the Department of Environmental Studies: Risk Sciences and Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security. Beginning fall 2011, the department will also offer an undergraduate minor in public health. Conceptual Design: The goal of the Public Health Department is to prepare graduates as competent public health practitioners. Public health professionals must deal with a myriad of issues: access to quality health care, prevention and control of disease, environmental protection, the health needs of special populations, data analysis and evaluation, policy planning and administration, and health promotion.

3 Draft From fall spring 2011, the department offered two options for graduate-level study in public health (48 credit hours): a generalist MPH degree with a strong interdisciplinary foundation for practice in public health, and an MPH with a Environmental Health Concentration within which a student may generalize (fall spring 2011; dropped beginning fall 2011) or may choose to emphasize preparation in risk assessment or emergency preparedness. In preparation for accreditation of both degrees by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) and reaccreditation of the MPH-EH concentration by the National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC), the department spent the last three and ½ years aligning the curriculum with accreditation guidelines; streamlining the electives available to the graduate student; and developing appropriate mission, measurable goals, and competencies for directing curriculum and assessment of student learning (see attached mission, goals, competencies, and the catalog copy). For fall 2011, all degree-seeking students, will take the required core as outlined by the CEPH criteria: MPH 503 Biostatistics for the Health Professional (prerequisite not core in AY catalogs), MPH 506 Community Health Research, MPH 511 Foundations of Epidemiology, MPH 521 Environmental and Occupational Health, MPH 531 Public Health Policy and Administration, MPH 561 Community Health Education, and MPH 581 Internship (core hours = 28 hours). The general MPH student takes five elective courses (20 hours) guided by categories consistent with training a general public health practitioner. The MPH-EH students have two additional EH core courses (8 hours): MPH 527 Environmental Risk Assessment and MPH 449 Environmental Toxicology. Beginning fall 2011, the MPH-EH concentration students must select from option A: Risk Sciences or option B: Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security, which contain three courses each (12 hours). Through the years, the curriculum has grown and changed, reflecting greater maturity in the field of environmental and public health. Curricular modifications have been made with the ultimate goal of obtaining professional accreditation for both degrees. Along with curricular modifications, the accreditation goal has required formalized development of competencies mapped with course learning objectives and development and implementation of regular assessment. In addition, CEPH requires three faculty for each degree option, which has resulted in a corresponding growth in faculty hires to represent all the core areas of public health. The department was formally accepted into CEPH accreditation cycle fall 2009 and is currently on target for accreditation site visit spring 2012, with the initial draft of the self- study due spring 2011 and final draft of the self-study due October The MPH-EH originally obtained accreditation through the EHAC in June 2006 as an M.S. in Environmental Risk Sciences and was housed in the Department of Environmental Studies. In June 2007, in anticipation of the move of the curricular home from ENS to Public Health and revision of the curriculum consistent with a sound foundation in public health, the department petitioned and received approval to maintain accreditation for the revised curriculum. The MPH-EH degree is up for reaccreditation June 2012 with the self-study due December 2011 The general MPH and MPH with EH concentration require 48 hours of coursework, including internship. Professionals with terminal degrees in their fields (e.g., MD, DVD, DDS, Ph.D.) may petition for the professional degree option. These students take the public health core courses and fewer electives for a total of 36 hours instead of the standard 48 hours. The professional

4 Draft option (general MPH and MPH-EH) is intended to focus research and health backgrounds on the applied field of public health. The department offers two joint degrees initiated in fall The joint degree between MPH and MPA (Public Administration) is designed for students interested in public health administration. The MPH and HMS (Human Services) is designed for students interested in a strong public health focus combined with social services positions. Joint degrees require all core courses within each major and complementary electives for broad, interdisciplinary preparation (68 hours). To date the MPH/MPA has garnered better visibility and therefore has more students and alumni. In December 2008, current faculty in MPH and HMS discussed better marketing of the joint MPH/HMS degree, which began during the spring 2009 semester. The first two MPH/HMS joint majors were admitted for spring The department offers five graduate certificates: Community Health Education (fall 2007), Environmental Health (fall 2007), Epidemiology (fall 2007), Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security (fall 2006 housed in ENS and moved to MPH fall 2007), and Risk Assessment (fall 1992 housed in ENS and moved to MPH fall 2007). Certificate work may be used toward either the MPH general degree or the MPH with Environmental Health Concentration, as standalone certificate, or with another graduate degree. Students seeking certificate and an MPH degree may need to take additional courses to satisfy both requirements. Several students over the last 3 years have sought multiple certificates in addition to their MPH degree. Traditionally all courses were offered on campus. Beginning fall 2007, all core courses are offered in on campus, blended (MPH 506) and online format (see sample 2-year course rotation attached). Since fall 2007, the MPH with Environmental Health concentration can be taken as a degree on campus or qualifies for e-tuition as a recognized online degree. Four of the graduate certificates can be taken on campus or qualify for e-tuition as recognized online certificates: Community Health Education, Environmental Health, Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security, and Risk Assessment. Starting fall 2011 the general MPH and the Epidemiology Certificate may be taken on campus or online. The Epidemiology Certificate had originally been limited to on campus because ENS 404 Fundamentals of Geographic Information System was taught on campus only. This changed in spring 2011, which now allows for an online Epidemiology Certificate as well. Program Objectives: The curriculum is designed for students to gain an understanding and knowledge of the five disciplines core to public health: biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health sciences, health policy and management, and social and behavioral sciences (Calhoun et al. 2008, p. 1599). In addition, the curriculum helps students to become aware of the role of values in issue formulation and policy making. The MPH and MPH-EH curricula enable students to understand: 1) the various factors that affect the health of a community; 2) the methods to identify and measure community and environmental health; and 3) the components that comprise public health services delivery systems (cost, planning, and administration).

5 Draft During fall 2010, strategic planning developed a mission and measurable goals for the department (see attachment). During fall 2009 and spring and fall 2010 in preparation for the upcoming CEPH accreditation, the department identified 13 core competencies for the curriculum (attached) and specialized competencies for the MPH-EH concentration and general MPH elective categories (attached). The competencies are the result of serious evaluation of competencies proposed by the Association of Schools of Public Health Competency Model and the Council on Linkages Public Health Competencies. The UIS competencies evolved from the initial mapping of the UIS curriculum with the above models and identifying the strengths of the UIS curriculum. Each of over 150 competencies were ranked from 0-3, with three representing major component in a course and zero representing not covered in a course to identify competency strengths in the curriculum. The department piloted several assessment strategies around the initial competencies before adopting the final competencies and assessment strategy. The final competencies adopted by the department are currently being mapped with the learning objectives in each course and the comprehensive exam to facilitate assessment across students. The department will use the first department meeting each semester to discuss the data collected the previous semester to address changes needed to courses and the curriculum. A movement within the public health community toward certification of practitioners has culminated in a mechanism for certification through the National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE). Beginning in 2008, public health professionals with graduate degrees in public health from a school or program with accreditation from CEPH are able to sit for the Certification in Public Health (CPH) exam. Of interest to the UIS program and our students is the NBPHE position on graduates of programs that were not CEPH accredited at the time that the student graduated but subsequently gained CEPH accreditation. Students who graduate within three years of the program gaining CEPH accreditation are allowed to sit for the CPH exam. Therefore, once the UIS program gains accreditation students who have graduated within three years prior to that date will be eligible to sit for the voluntary certification exam. Performance on the exam will provide another data point to assess the competency of our graduates. During the academic year, the department conducted strategic planning in light of Dr. Remi Imeokparia s retirement and in anticipation of the transfer of Dr. Sharron LaFollette from ENS to Public Health. The department had not gone through a formal strategic planning or curricular assessment during the previous program review. During the first five years of the current review period, the department discussed merger with the UI-Chicago School of Public Health MPH program. That route was abandoned and formal strategic plan initiated late fall During the strategic planning and assessment activities, the department considered the following priorities during the development of a working curriculum: 1. Delivery of curriculum to students over a two-year rotation allowing for the addition of an MPH with EH concentration, online delivery, and undergraduate minor (completed), 2. Revision of core curriculum to better meet the needs of students while reducing faculty advising loads (completed). 3. Development of standardized assessment criteria, and appropriate student guidance documents and faculty advising guides (completed). 4. Development of learning objectives for all courses (completed). 5. Development of competencies and assessment strategy (completed).

6 Draft Mapping learning objectives with competencies (under construction). 7. Assessment of electives offered. Re-align elective options under each option or core as appropriate (completed). 8. UG minor (completed, approved, and in fall 2011 catalog). 9. Accreditation (MPH-EH concentration maintained accreditation with move from ENS and curricular with MPH and CEPH application approved fall 2009 with self-study in progress). Curricular Requirements and Coherence: The department caters to the needs of the working students and those in the Graduate Public Service Internship program. All on campus graduate courses are offered evening hours (one day per week, 6-9:30 pm). All core courses are offered both on campus and online each academic year. Electives are offered at least once every other year. Some of the 400-level electives are offered every semester because they are also popular with the undergraduate students at UIS. To increase demand for the electives, most are offered online. This also provides a greater selection of courses for the online students. A two-year course schedule was developed fall 2009 and was revised spring 2011 to accommodate an UG minor in faculty schedules (attached). MPH core courses are offered twice per year (rotating on campus and online) and MPH-EH core courses are offered once per year. Although some electives are offered every year (higher demand, often across campus, and perhaps cross-listed as ECCE), some electives have been phased into being offered every other year to increase enrollment. Electives fitting certificate requirements often fall in the every other year criteria. Historically, students developed their educational plans during their first semester on campus. During the fall 2008 assessment across the students, it was identified that educational plans were developed too late and often not followed. In fall 2009, the department implemented a hold on new students registration for classes until an education plan is developed. Advisors notify the department secretary to release the hold when the education plan is completed and on file. We have always asked that students continue to meet with advisors each semester to ensure currency of the educational plan and satisfactory progress is being made toward completing degree requirements, but few comply. We still have students under the old system and continue to have advising issues come graduation time, but hope that the initial hold will instill an atmosphere of accountability for following the educational plan so fewer students have deficiencies come graduation time in the future. During the spring 2011 review of graduation contracts fewer issues have arisen. During assessment across the curriculum in spring 2007, the department identified the need to change prerequisite for full admission into the degree. These changes were driven by accreditation criteria and student performance and included: Adding 30 hours of natural sciences to increase the foundational sciences feeding into public health principles. Adding a 300-level or higher biostatistics course with B- or better in the last three years. MPH 503: Biostatistics for the Health Professional was dropped as a core course, but offered for students to fulfill the prerequisite condition. For fall 2011,

7 Draft MPH 503 has been returned to the core requirements because too few students admitted to the curriculum had undergraduate preparation in biostatistics. Retaining GRE requirement to align the degree with CEPH accredited schools and programs. The accredited degrees do not have uniform GRE score requirements and some just require the GRE as a hurdle for admissions. With no clear guidance, the department uses the GRE in combination with other criteria to place students in conditional admission. Data are being collected to determine if a threshold GRE should be required for our students. Retaining an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 as a requirement. Collectively these prerequisites enable us to select better qualified candidates and increase the likelihood of successful completion in the MPH program of study (data being collected to provide evidence). The fall 2011 catalog (attached) contains the required curriculum for general MPH and MPH-EH aligned with accreditation criteria of CEPH (ceph.org) and EHAC (ehacoffice.org) respectively. All students take an integrative public health core (as of fall 2011 six courses = 28 hours). The integrative core is designed for all students in the graduate curriculum and includes preparation in the core areas of public health (public health policy and administration, epidemiology, environmental and occupational health, community health promotion, community health research, and biostatistics) and the internship experience. The core curriculum for the Master of Public Health is designed for students to become competent public health generalists, prepared for the many career pathways and professional employment positions that make up the field of public health (Calhoun, et al. 2008, p. 1606). Objectives are for students to be able to undertake analysis and consideration of solutions to public health problems at the community, institutional, and societal levels (Calhoun et al. 2008, p. 1599). Specifically, our student learning objectives following CEPH Guidelines include development of knowledge and application in the following areas: Biostatistics collection, storage, retrieval, analysis and interpretation of health data; design and analysis of health-related surveys and experiments; and concepts and practice of statistical data analysis; Epidemiology distributions and determinants of disease, disabilities and death in human populations; the characteristics and dynamics of human populations; and the natural history of disease and the biologic basis of health; Environmental health sciences environmental factors including biological, physical and chemical factors that affect the health of a community; Health services administration planning, organization, administration, management, evaluation and policy analysis of health and public health programs; and Social and behavioral sciences concepts and methods of social and behavioral sciences relevant to the identification and solution of public health problems. (Accreditation Criteria: Public Health Programs, Council on Education for Public Health, Amended June 2005, p. 9,10 Accessed SO5.pdf) In addition to the integrative core required of all students, students selecting the MPH with Environmental Health Concentration are required to take two additional concentration core

8 Draft courses: MPH 449 Environmental Toxicology and MPH 527 Environmental Risk Assessment (8 hours total). Both courses and the competencies delivered by the core courses are required for accreditation through EHAC ( Students taking the general MPH degree select electives to prepare themselves across the discipline. In response to CEPH guidance, for fall 2011 the electives are grouped around similar competencies and prepare the students in emerging issues, social determinants, advanced epidemiology, and analytical tools in public health. For fall 2011, students in the MPH-EH can select advanced preparation in either risk sciences or emergency preparedness and homeland security. The general elective option for the MPH-EH students has been dropped in response to CEPH guidance. Graduate Certificates: The Department offers five competency-based graduate certificates: risk assessment, emergency preparedness and homeland security, epidemiology, environmental health, and community health education (see attached). Certificates may be taken by non-degree seeking students and by MPH students and applied toward their degree requirements. The certificates provide continuing education opportunities for health professionals without formal public health training, for those interested in life-long learning, and for mid-career professionals. The certificates can be pursued as a stand-alone credential or as a supplemental credential within the degree program. Each of the graduate certificates is aggregated from courses within the MPH degree curriculum. Additionally, the interdisciplinary Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security Graduate Certificate consists of courses from throughout the College of Public Affairs and Administration. Individuals who have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university are eligible to apply to the certificate areas of study. A background in the biological sciences demonstrated by transcript credit of at least three credit hours plus a strong general sciences background is desirable. Full admission requires a GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 point scale. Applicants with less than the desired prerequisites may be considered for conditional admission. Graduate certificate students who decide to pursue a full degree may apply up to 12 credit hours of graduate certificate courses toward the degree. Applicants must meet all department requirements before acceptance into the MPH degree program. Similarly, those who have already completed one or more of these graduate certificates and who are interested in the full MPH degree must meet all department requirements before acceptance into the MPH degree program. Students presently enrolled as MPH majors must file a Change of Curriculum form with the Office of the Registrar to add a graduate certificate program. There is no additional charge to file the Change of Curriculum form. Upon admission to the graduate certificate program, each student will be assigned a faculty adviser within the appropriate area of specialty. The five graduate certificates are described in detail in the Review of Graduate Certificates section. Joint Degrees: The Department offers two joint degrees (MPH/MPA and MPH/HMS), each available both on-campus and online. Students must be accepted separately by each program to

9 Draft be eligible for joint degree status, and all admission requirements for each program apply for joint degree students. The joint Master of Public Health/ Master of Public Administration degree (MPH/MPA) is a 68 credit hour program that requires 28 hours of MPH core, plus eight hours of MPH elective credits (two courses) and the comprehensive exam. For student in the MPH-EH concentration, the additional concentration core courses preclude the choice of elective courses. With respect to the Master of Public Administration requirements, students must complete 20 credit hours of MPA core, two MPA electives, and a four credit hour capstone closure course. The second joint degree offered is a Master of Public Health/Master of Human Services degree (68 credit hours). The HMS portion requires 16 credit hours of program core, 12 credit hours of concentration core, and a four credit hour advanced research project (capstone course beginning fall 2011). Requirements for the MPH portion of the joint degree are identical to those of the MPH/MPA degree with the one exception that the four credit hours of internship may be taken from either degree program and requires 400 contact hours instead of the 200 contact hours required of the general MPH and MPH-EH degrees.. Students in the joint degree programs are assessed identically to those in the generalist and MPH-EH concentration programs. Accreditation (for programs with accreditation or seeking accreditation): Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) ( The department formally applied for admission to the accreditation process fall 2009 and was accepted. Between fall 2007 and spring 2011, the department worked extensively toward creating curriculum, infrastructure and assessment necessary to align it with CEPH guidelines. During spring 2011, the self-study is being written for preliminary review by CEPH. The final self-study is due October 2011, with the site visit tentatively scheduled for April National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC) ( In 2006, ENS MS in Environmental Health was accredited by EHAC. In fall 2007, the risk sciences and environmental health courses were moved to the public health curriculum. The curriculum was aligned with the core MPH courses and transformed to an MPH-EH concentration. In June 2007, the department received approval to call the MPH-EH an accredited EHAC graduate degree. The MPH-EH became the first public health degree (i.e., non-m.s. environmental health degree) accredited by EHAC. The pre-requisite of 30 semester credit hours of natural sciences was added for all students admitted to the program. This strengthens incoming student preparation in the natural sciences necessary to align the MPH-EH degree with the EHAC guidelines. It also strengthens preparation for incoming students in the general degree for understanding the underlying natural sciences inherent in the sciences of public health.

10 Draft Comparison with similar programs (for programs without accreditation): The UIS MPH program holds a unique place within Illinois with respect to the academic purpose of its curriculum. It is one of four schools that offer a degree with CIP Public Health (General). The other schools are University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and Northern Illinois University (NIU). Until the addition of the MPH program at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana (UIUC) in AY 2008, UIS was the smallest program of the three in the state. The MPH program at UIS is now the second largest of the four programs in Illinois UIC, which has a School of Public Health, requires that students choose one of four specializations: Community Health Sciences, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, or Health Policy and Administration. NIU requires that students specialize in either Health Promotion or Health Services Management. A generalist option is available only to health professionals with accredited degrees in medicine or allied health professions. The UIUC program offers a MPH degree with a concentration in Health Behavior and Promotion, with a specialization in Health Policy and Management. UIS is the only University of Illinois campus offering all MPH degrees and certificates online as well as on campus. UIC has several online options, including a MPH in Public health Informatics, a MPH in Community Health Sciences, a MPH in Health Policy and Administration, and a DrPH in Leadership. UIC requires that all online students attend a five day on-campus program annually. Neither UIUC nor NIU offer an online MPH option. UIS stands alone with its generalist degree, designed to prepare well-rounded public health practitioners. Generalist students are required to take electives from each of four electives groupings designed to build competence within a broad range of issues. Additionally, UIS is the only one of the four schools to offer a concentration in Environmental Health with options in risk assessment or emergency preparedness and homeland security. UIS also has the only MPH with concentration in Environmental Health accredited by EHAC.. There are no curriculum changes anticipated based on comparison with the programs summarized above. MPH Program Enrollments AY Northern Illinois U of I Chicago U of I Urbana/Champ U of I Springfield According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook (Bureau of Labor Statistics, ), careers related to the UIS masters curricula should grow much faster than average for all occupations. Environmental health positions, particularly in the risk sciences, are anticipated to grow with gear up efforts to discover new and improved ways to clean up and preserve the environment. EH position growth should be fastest in state and local government. Growth rate in general public health and in positions requiring epidemiology training is also expected to grow much faster than average for all occupations.

11 Draft The department, through strategic planning and curricula assessment, will evaluate curricula relative to preparation for long-term growth areas in the public health arena. Particular focus will be to identify new technology and updated tools (e.g., GIS), specialized skills (e.g., risk assessment and emergency preparedness), research methods, and critical analysis strategies which prepare the students of our department to succeed in the fluid and interdisciplinary field of public health in general and in environmental health. II. Assessment of Learning Outcomes and Curricular Revisions Assessment: Subsequent to the strategic planning in spring 2007, assessment planning in , and competency development , the department drafted a formal plan for assessment across the curriculum. Assessment includes evaluating delivery of curriculum; aligning with CEPH and EHAC accreditation guidelines; developing mission, measurable goals, competencies, and learning objectives; and creating tools for assessment across students. Mapping of courses to competencies and accreditation guidelines and mapping of competencies to learning objectives is being conducted spring Since fall 2007, three iterations of competencies and mapping have occurred in an effort to identify strengths of the curriculum and degree(s) niche among accredited programs of environmental and public health. The department is on target to complete mapping of learning objectives to competencies for courses offered spring Over the summer, the department should have this task completed for all courses. Syllabi will contain the mapping for transparency of the process to the students. An assessment column added to the map will serve as the tool to collect, across the students, the student achievement of competencies. The first departmental meeting each semester will review student achievement across students based on data collected from this process and improve courses and curriculum accordingly. In addition to unifying assessment of all courses, the department has focused on the ability of the comprehensive exam to evaluate student achievement of all competencies required of an entrylevel MPH practitioner. Since fall 2008, the comprehensive exam has morphed from an exam of questions from the core curricular areas to a comprehensive exam with an applied focus built around a case study. Student no longer come to campus for a ½ day exam. Instead, the students use all written resources available to them for the evaluation of the case study problem, design of intervention, and program evaluation. Performance relative to all areas of core curriculum is assessed. Starting fall 2011, the competencies of each elective category will be evaluated. Students are better able to demonstrate ability than previously possible with a short exam. For spring 2011, the faculty are focusing on mapping the comprehensive exam to the core competencies and building an appropriate evaluation rubric for the exam. Blackboard is used to deliver the exam and evaluation material to the student. All exams must be referenced and are scanned through Turnitin for plagiarism prior to grading. In an effort to improve record keeping and assessment, the department began scanning all student records into e-docs fall In addition, a Microsoft Access database was created for

12 Draft improved record evaluation and aligning education plans with courses to be offered each semester. Spring 2011 was the first course schedule created by querying education plans for course need within the rotation to maximize course occupancy by students. Currently the MPH-EH graduates, as graduates from an EHAC accredited program, have the opportunity to sit for licensure or certification exams immediately after graduation (without the one year of practice required of graduates from non-accredited programs of environmental health). Alumni wanting to practice in Illinois may sit for the Licensed Environmental Health Practitioner (LEHP) exam. The LEHP is required for individuals working within some job categories at state and local health departments. However, some of our students are working EH professionals and already hold an LEHP because they either graduated from an EHAC accredited undergraduate environmental health degree, or have a natural science background and have one year of experience under the supervision of an LEHP professional. Nationally, alumni may sit for the Registered Environmental Health Sanitarian administered by the National Environmental Health Association. Success rate on these two exams cannot be tracked to individual students, programs, or universities. As discussed above, the general MPH alumni cannot currently sit for voluntary certification (CPH). With accreditation by CEPH, all alumni graduating within three years of accreditation may sit for this voluntary credentialing exam. Some of our general MPH alumni (and some current students) have strong undergraduate preparation in community health education and have taken the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam (offered through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing). Current students with CHES certification can petition out of MPH 561 Community Health Education and substitute an additional elective. In an effort to formally assess the curriculum in student preparation for practice in public health arena, the department has invited key professionals in public health to serve on the department external Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee was formally initiated spring 2011, with 11 practitioners participating and providing valuable feedback for the department. The Advisory Committee will meet bi-yearly to talk about curriculum and facilitate networking for the students and faculty with the practice. Curricular Revisions during the Review Period: The following revisions discussed above have been made to the graduate curriculum during the (mostly between 2007 and 2011). Change prerequisites to include 30 hours of natural sciences and biostatistics (latter removed for fall 2011). Import from ENS the risk sciences and environmental health courses and develop an MPH-EH degree. Create three graduate certificates (epidemiology, community health education, environmental health) and move two graduate certificates from ENS (risk sciences and emergency preparedness and homeland certificate). Offer certificates on campus and eventually online. Offer all courses online at least once in a two-year cycle.

13 Draft Revise curriculum to align the courses with accreditation requirements by CEPH and EHAC. Prepare to take general MPH and epidemiology certificate online fall Develop an undergraduate minor for fall Participate heavily in ECCE lower and upper division courses on campus (currently offer 11 ECCE courses). Realign Internship hours to reflect changes in GPSI course requirements for GPSI students, i.e., change from accepting four hours of GPSI PAD coursework toward internship requirements to using one hour PAD and three hours of MPH 581 for this requirement. There has been no change in internship hours for non-gpsi public health graduate students. Career Objectives and Job Placement: Public health careers are as diverse as the technical, social and natural sciences feeding into the discipline. Career specialization may include Environmental Health & Protection, Public Health Policy and Planning, Epidemiology, or Community Health Promotion (just to name a few). These careers are constantly evolving and challenge individuals to critically evaluate issues, problem solve, and design and implement interventive strategies. The bachelor s degree prepares many to begin a career in public health. For those seeking to advance their careers, a graduate degree is imperative. The generalist MPH degree provides for a great deal of versatility within the field, while the Environmental Health concentration affords an opportunity for those seeking to specialize. The UIS Public Health Department prepares students to become productive members of the public health community to help accomplish the Healthy People (healthypeople.gov) vision of healthy people in healthy communities at the local, state, national, and international levels. Graduates of the department are prepared for diverse careers in the field. Many of our past and present students hold professional positions with a large variety of private, not-for-profit and public agencies. The following list is illustrative and not inclusive: Local Governments (examples) o Sangamon County Health Department o Adams County Health Department o Peoria County Health Department o Bureau/Putnam County Health Department Illinois State Government o Illinois Environmental Protection Agency o Illinois Emergency Management Agency (Division of Nuclear Safety) o Department of Public Health United States Government o Center for Disease Control o Food and Drug Administration o Armed forces Not-for-profit organizations

14 Draft o American Lung Association (and others) Practicing physicians and veterinarians with dual MD/MPH and DVM/MPH degrees Ph.D in public health policy Students of the department frequently work full-time or have Graduate Public Service Internships or Graduate Assistantships during their time of graduate study. The GPSI position may serve as an entry point into an agency for full-time employment. It is not unusual for the GPSI students to obtain jobs within the same or similar workplace prior to graduation, and leave their GPSI positions early. As of fall 2008, the department has created a database by which it can communicate with the alumni and hopefully stay closer in touch. This database provides addressed (where available) and street addresses for sending out the newsletter each semester. In addition, students are now connected electronically with the department through the MPH listserv. Students are encouraged to remain on the listserv after graduation. The department started a Facebook site fall 2010, and is currently searching the social network site to invite alumni and students to become friends. Although posting is currently sporadic, beginning fall 2011 the new department graduate assistant will be responsible for regular communication through this site. The UIS Survey Research Office has provided data describing how our graduates evaluate the impact of the program on their career objectives. The survey reported the responses of 34 alumni who received their degrees in AYs Of the 34 respondents, 7 had continued their formal educations. Of these, five responded to the question of how well the MPH prepared them for this endeavor. Two responded that they were very well prepared, two stated that they were well prepared, and one stated that the degree did not provide good preparation. The survey found that 28 (82.4%) of the respondents were employed full-time, 2 (5.9%) were employed part-time, and 3 (8.8%) were seeking employment, and one was not seeking employment. Most respondents reported job satisfaction; 10 (33.3%) respondents were very satisfied, 11 (36.7%) were satisfied, 7 (23.3%) were somewhat satisfied, and 2 (6.7%) were somewhat dissatisfied. Due to the specialized nature of the MPH degree, it was not surprising to find a high percentage of graduates working in the public health field. The survey stated that 12 (40%) of the employed respondents were working in a closely related field, 15 (50%) in a related field, and 3 (10%) chose to work in an unrelated field. The graduates reported that the MPH provided good preparation for their careers; 4 (14.3%) stated they were very well prepared, 11 (39.3%) stated they were well prepared, 11 (39.3) stated they were adequately prepared, and 2 (7.1%) stated they were not adequately prepared. With respect to specific job duties, 1 respondent (7.7%) found the degree extremely helpful, 5 (38.5%) found the degree very helpful, and the remaining 7 respondents (53.8%) found the degree somewhat helpful. Additionally, a high percentage of the graduates responded that the degree had contributed to the attainment of their career goals. There were 10 graduates (29.4%) who strongly agreed, 16

15 Draft (47.1%) who agreed, 4 (11.8%) who were neutral, 2 (5.9%) who disagreed and 2 (5.9%) who strongly disagreed. Student Satisfaction: Although the department does not have independent data concerning the satisfaction of current students, the UIS Survey Office provided us with data concerning graduate satisfaction with the program. The survey reveals that out of 33 respondents, 10 (30.3%) have a strongly positive attitude toward UIS, 20 (60.6%) have a positive attitude toward UIS, and 2 (6.1%) have a somewhat positive attitude. The remaining respondent has a somewhat negative attitude toward UIS. The survey reveals that 29 of the 33 respondents (85.3% would attend UIS again, 4 (11.8% are undecided, and only one would not return. Likewise, the survey reports that 11 (32.4%) of the 34 respondents have a strongly positive attitude about the public health program, 16 (47.1%) have a positive attitude toward the program, 5 (14.7%) have a somewhat positive attitude, and the remaining two have a somewhat negative attitude toward the program. Most alumni would repeat the program; 24 (70.6%) responded that they would choose the same major, 2 (5.9%) would pursue a related major, 2 (5.9%) would choose an unrelated major, and 6 (17.6%) were undecided. Student Achievements: While the department is pleased with the achievement of all of our students, six students are summarized below in recognition of their accomplishments: MPH Alumni (spring 2010), Ajay Myneni, is studying the linkages between undermining of residential structures and indoor levels of radon using Geographic Information System (GIS) analyses. During 2010, he received competitive scholarships from ESRI and American Public Health Association (APHA) to present his research at the annual conferences of each association. He has been accepted into the University at Buffalo, School of Public Health and Health Professions, Ph.D. in Epidemiology program for fall MPH Student Ehab Ghandour has coauthored an Illinois Department of Public Health report that is the end product of his internship. The surveillance report issued by IDPH birth defect surveillance system is entitled Trends in the Prevalence of Birth Defects in Illinois and Chicago, The Illinois Department of Public Health has made the report available on their website. The Illinois Public Health Association s 2010 Public Health Student of the Year, Diamond Ross, continues to make remarkable achievements. Ross is a May 2011 joint Master of Public Health and Master of Public Administration candidate. Fall 2010, Ross was appointed a Whitney M. Young, Jr. Graduate Fellow. As a fellow, Ross maintains a service commitment with the campus Diversity Center. Ross assists with the implementation of the S.I.S.T.A. Project at the University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS). This peer-led intervention assembles young women who are UIS students in five weekly two-hour sessions on campus, highlighting cultural pride and pride in being a woman through discussions, poetry readings, and homework assignments. Ross is fascinated by

16 Draft this opportunity to apply the skills from her MPH course work and focus on the two health promotion theories from which the S.I.S.T.A. Project Intervention was adapted; The Social Cognitive Theory and Theory of Gender and Power. Lastly, Ross was named a Presidential Management Fellowship Nominee by UIS Graduate Administrators. Each month the Association of Environmental Health Academic Programs highlights a student from one of the accredited programs. Anthony Nevicosi was selected for October Anthony plans to graduate in spring Ashley Boateng, MPH 2009, was the recipient of the 2008 Illinois Environmental Health Association O.L. Meyer Student Stipend Award. Keesa Stinebaker was the recipient of the 2008 IEHA stipend to attend the 2009 American Environmental Health Association annual meeting in Atlanta GA. The department highlights students and their accomplishments on the Points of Pride page of the MPH website. III. Student Characteristics and Academic Support Demographics: The demographics for the department can be evaluated only as a total student body, not separated into MPH and MPH-EH concentration students (see table I). By Gender: MPH program gender distribution in the fall 2010 term was approximately 2/3 female (66%). This is nearly the same percentage as in AYs 2003 and 2004 (66-67% female). The highest percentage of females in the reporting period was 74% in AY During AYs , the percentage of males in the program increased to a high of 61%, after which the percentage of females again began to steadily increase to 66% in AY By Race: The number of Hispanic students has remained quite low, with one or none enrolled in each of the years. The number of Asian students has also remained low, with a maximum of 4 in AY 2004 and The percentage of Black students suffered a brief decline during AY , but has remained steady at 14-15% during the AY period. The percentage of white students has roughly doubled from the low of 32% in AY to 67% in AY Most notably, the percentage of students coded as other/unknown has decreased from 56% in AY 2007 to 17% in AY 2011 and may partially be explained by the decline in international students from India. By Part-time/Full-time Status While no definite pattern of increase or decrease in the percentage of part-time/full-time students is discernable, most of the years have seen a slight preference for part-time enrollment. The exceptions to this preference were AY 2006 (51% full-time) and AY 2008 (53% full-time enrollment). AY 2003 saw the greatest percentage of part-time students at 66%.

17 Draft By Age: The greatest number of students has been in the year age range, followed by the year age range. In only one year, AY 2005, were there more students in the year age range than the year age range. There appears to be a pattern of decreasing mean age during the reporting period, ranging from 33.5 years in AY 2005 to 28.4 years in AY Table 1: Student Demographic Data Graduate Students by Gender Males Females Total N % N % AY AY AY AY AY AY AY AY AY AY Graduate Students by Ethnic Group Hispanic Black Asian White Other/UNK Total N % N % N % N % N % AY AY AY AY AY AY AY AY AY AY

18 Draft Graduate Student by Part-time/Full-time Status Part-time Full-time Total N % N % AY AY AY AY AY AY AY AY AY AY Graduate Student by Age Unknown Mean Total age AY AY AY AY AY AY AY AY AY AY Transfer Characteristics/Feeder Institutions: The department has not historically collected information as to feeder institutions. The previous program review indicated that most of the students come from Illinois institutions. With the online MPH-EH degree, students are now positioned throughout the U.S. The department anticipates an increased national presence of students with the general MPH going online fall The department cannot identify a pattern of applications relative to recruiting efforts. In the last three years, more students (informal data collection at time of setting up educational plans) are mentioning that they visited the web site as their first contact with department information. Beginning fall 2010, the department inserted a question on the departmental application form to track how applicants heard of the UIS MPH curriculum. The department will use this information to target recruiting in the future. Public health attracts a wide array of feeder disciplines. The applications from India students tend to represent medical and dental preparation at the undergraduate level. Our U.S. students come primarily from the natural sciences disciplines (biology, chemistry, etc.), professional

19 Draft public health-related degrees (environmental health, community health education, kinesiology, nursing, etc.), and social sciences (psychology, sociology/anthropology, etc). Recruitment Activities: The most recruiting activity has been for the online MPH-EH and graduate certificate programs. The department has enjoyed recruitment success as an exhibitor at professional conferences and by paid advertisements in professional publications (Journal of Environmental Health and Illinois Environmental Health Association Newsletter). In 2010, the department began recruiting at the UIU-C McKinley Center s Special Populations Health Program Annual Health Fair for all degree options and the certificates. Other attempts with recruiting at college career and education fairs have met with limited success. The department has recruited for on-campus students by participation in UIS on-campus career days. Additionally, the department intends for the new public health minor to function as a recruitment tool for the master s level programs. The department website is designed with an eye toward recruitment. Inquiries about the online programs are answered by the Online Coordinator, who responds via telephone and/or and provides inquiries with a variety of flyers with information and application instructions. Students interested in the on-campus degrees are sent a packet of information and tracked by the graduate assistant. A monthly summary of all inquiries is provided to the department chair, the Dean, and the Office of Admissions. In 2003, Dr. Sharron LaFollette (when EH was in ENS) received monies through the Association of Environmental Health Academic Programs (AEHAP - $15,000) for recruiting and diversity enhancement. Over 800 hours of video and photos were edited into an approximately 14 minute DVD highlighting alumni of the program and careers within the environmental health field. The video also provides information about the graduate program in environmental studies at UIS and the GPSI experience. The DVDs were completed fall 2004 and mailed to targeted institutions and made available to perspective students during career fairs. AEHAP also distributes the DVDs through exhibits at professional meetings nationwide. Since fall 2007, MPH has distributed these videos during recruiting efforts for the MPH with concentration in Environmental Health and Risk Assessment Certificate. During the fall 2007, the department worked with university staff in creating new recruiting brochures, which have been updated twice since then. During the fall 2007 semester and again during the fall 2008 semester, the department worked with university staff to recreate the department web site. The web site is kept up-to-date by the Online Coordinator in consultation with the department chair. The department has also revised the MPH Newsletter format to target alumni, not current students. The department hopes that by keeping the alumni current as to changes in the department, alumni will assist in the recruiting efforts.

20 Draft Admissions Criteria: Admissions criteria changed for fall 2007 and again for fall 2011 in order to maintain EHAC accreditation for EH concentration with the move from ENS to the MPH degree and in preparation for accreditation through CEPH. The chair of the department serves as the admitting official for the department. Minimum requirements for full admission (AY2008) included: A bachelors degree from an accredited college or university, A GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, A letter of application which describes the student s academic and career goals GRE Three letters of recommendation from an educator or employer 30 hours natural sciences Biostatics 300-level within the last 3 years Minimum requirements for full admission beginning AY 2012 will be: A bachelors degree from an accredited college or university A GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale A letter of application which answers the following three questions (serves as writing sample: o What are the most urgent public health problems facing your community today? o How will a master s degree in public health help prepare you to address these problems? o Which area of public health specialization appeals most to you? GRE Three letters of recommendation from an educator or employer 30 hours natural sciences The requirement for Graduate Record Exam scores is consistent with all CEPH school/programs, with a total verbal and math of 1000 suggested. The department does not currently use the GRE score to exclude students; however, we are looking at the ability of the GRE to predict student success in the degree program. Students with terminal degrees, e.g., Ph.D., and professional degrees, e.g., MD, DDS, and DVM, do not need the GRE for admissions. Students without advanced degrees who hold licensure or certification which require sitting for a qualifying exam may petition to substitute the licensure or certification for the GRE. Each student s transcripts and work experience are examined to evaluate competency in natural sciences. Thirty semester hours in natural sciences represents minimum preparation in the natural sciences needed to sit for licensure exams in environmental health (e.g., Registered Sanitarian, Licensed Environmental Health Practitioner) required for practice in environmental health in many state and local health departments. Health and public health science courses may substitute for missing biology, chemistry, physics, etc. course work. Students with weak science backgrounds are required to take additional natural sciences coursework before being admitted fully to the degree.