Manual for Accreditation of Graduate Schools of Public Health
1975
COUNCIL ON EDUCATION FOR PUBLIC HEALTH*
Introduction The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), incorporated by the American Public Health Association and the Association of Schools of Public Health, is the independent accrediting agency for graduate schools of public health in the United States. It is recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation and the U.S. Commissioner of Education. A Board of Councilors, appointed in accordance with nondiscriminatory practices and including public representatives, conducts and regulates the internal affairs of the corporation. The Council's primary objectives are to strengthen the educational programs in schools of public health through accreditation, consultation, research, and other appropriate services, and to encourage the development of experimental and innovative programs which ensure educational quality. The Board of Councilors is responsible for the standards and procedures for the accreditation of schools of public health. Within these standards, accreditation is based on a school's own missions, goals, and educational objectives. The accreditation process takes into account the rights, responsibilities, and interests of educational institutions and their students, the general public, and public health practitioners. The Council's activities are coordinated with those of appropriate Regional Accrediting Commissions and other specialized accrediting agencies.
Characteristics of a School of Public Health A school of public health is a consortium of disciplines addressing the health of the community and focused on teaching, research, and community service. The special learning environment of a school of public health provides * The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), 1015 Eighteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036, was formed on January 1, 1974, under the joint auspices of the American Public Health Association and the Association of Schools of Public Health. A description of the Council and the membership of the Board of Councilors was published in AJPH, Vol. 64, No. 9, September, 1974, p. 853. The Council will provide its Accreditation Procedures and its descriptive brochure on request.
for interdisciplinary communication, self-evaluation, development of professional public health concepts, and sensitivity to the perceptions and needs of the students. The missions of a school of public health should be predicated on a functional approach to the identification, prevention, and solution of community health problems. This approach includes: * Collection, storage, retrieval, analysis, and dissemination of information necessary to identify, understand, and resolve the health problems of populations; * Management of the environment toward the protection and improvement of the health of the community; * Provision of systems within which comprehensive personal and community health services are purveyed.
Accreditation Designations Provisional Accreditation This status is accorded to a graduate school of public health which has applied for accreditation and which has assembled the resources, has designed a curriculum, and, after the appropriate site visit procedure, is judged to have the promise of meeting the standards for accreditation ontained in this manual. Provisional accreditation is subject to annual review.
Accreditation This status is accorded to a school of public health which, after the appropriate site visit and review, is judged to have met the standards for accreditation. This status is normally awarded for a period of 5 years, at the end of which time a complete review will be held. However, conditions may be attached to this status to include reports of progress, evidence of compliance with Council recommendations, or interim site visits. If at any time in the scheduled interval between accreditation reviews, an accredited school of public health undergoes major organizational changes which may potentially affect the administration, scope, or quality of its ACCREDITATION MANUAL
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programs, the school may request a re-evaluation by the CEPH, or the CEPH may require a review before the date stipulated at last review. Probationary Accreditation
An accredited graduate school of public health may be placed on probation when, after the appropriate site visit and review, it is judged to be deficient in resources or procedures to accomplish the missions and objectives the school has defined, but is not so deficient as to merit revocation of accreditation. This status will be given for a specific period of time, not to exceed 3 years or until the deficiencies are demonstrated to have been remedied. A school may appeal probationary status if a written request is made to the CEPH within 30 days of notification of the decision. (See Appeals Procedure below.)
B.
Revocation of Accreditation Accreditation may be revoked after the appropriate site visit and review of an accredited graduate school of public health, after review of a provisionally accredited school, or after review of a school which has previously been placed on probation, if the CEPH deems that the school does not meet the standards for accreditation. Accreditation may also be revoked if a school does not permit re-evaluation after having been given due notice of review. Revocation may be appealed upon written request, as above. The school may reapply for accreditation and request a site visit for review at any time it has fulfilled the requirements.
C.
D.
E.
Denial of Accreditation
After initial site visit and review of a new school of public health, accreditation may be denied if the CEPH deems that it does not meet the standards for accreditation. Appeal and reapplication are as above.
Standards for Accreditation of Graduate Schools of Public Health A. A school of public health should develop programs which offer the opportunity for students to meet the following educational objectives: 1. Develop an understanding of a. the biological, physical, and social factors which affect the health of the community; b. relevant concepts from the appropriate social and behavioral sciences; and c. the components and operation of health service delivery systems, including facilities and manpower. 2. Become proficient in the techniques of a. identifying community health needs; 318
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F.
G.
b. information collection, storage, retrieval, analysis, and dissemination; and c. environmental monitoring, analysis, and management. 3. Acquire skills in the application of these understandings and techniques to the solution of community health problems. A school of public health should award the master's degree only when a student has, in fact, mastered these functional areas, by whatever appropriate routes including proficiency prior to entrance. The opportunity for specialization appropriate to the master's level should also be provided in whatever specific content areas are consonant with the goals and programs of each individual school and with the objectives of individual students. In addition to the master's level provisions, whatever doctoral programs are offered must have resources to permit the acquisition of special competencies consistent with the goals and programs of the institution. A school of public health shall be an integral part of an institution of higher education which is accredited by a regional accrediting organization affiliated with the Federation of Regional Accrediting Commissions of Higher Education, or which is an established component of a state system of higher education. A school of public health shall have a clearly defined faculty which, by virtue of its multidisciplinary nature, educational preparation, research competence, professional experience, and size is qualified, given the total resources available to it, to achieve the defined missions of the school. Within the framework of university rules and regulations, a school of public health shall have prerogatives respecting academic policies affecting students, faculty, curricula, and public health degree requirements to assure the integrity of the educational program. There shall be no discrimination in regard to age, sex, race, religion, or national origin in any aspect of a school of public health, including selection, assignment, promotion, and tenure of faculty and administrative staff; student admissions, graduation, and referral; and in class and field placement. For initial or review accreditation, a school of public health shall conduct a self-evaluation study which shall be presented in a report to the CEPH. This study should be analytic in nature, giving a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the strengths and weaknesses in the achievement of the overall objectives of the school and of its separate programs. The study should include statements of institutional missions, administrative goals or targets, and educational objectives. The study should involve the school's institutional officers, administrative staff, teaching faculty, student body, or other significant constituencies such as alumni and governing board. The following should be documented: 1. For the school as a whole, a. Evidence of compliance with the fundamentals
outlined in the section, Characteristics of a School of Public Health, and in standards A-F above; b. A description and analysis of the decisional processes within the school and the university, including the role of the faculty, students, administration, and other groups in the development, establishment, and evaluation of educational policies and programs and in the selection, retention, and promotion of academic staff; c. A description of the methods by which the school maintains a continual self-assessment and monitoring process toward improvements in its educational programs. 2. For the instructional program, a. Explicit statements of educational objectives in relation to the teaching mission of the school, and consonant with standards A and B above. Emphasis at both the program and course levels should be on statements of the outcomes expected, such as student competencies, behavior, and learning; b. A description and measures of the quality and quantity of the resources and means by which these objectives are to be achieved, including specification of evaluative criteria, techniques, or procedures; c. Evidence of achievement of these objectives including a description and measures of the quantity and quality of results as defined in terms of these objectives. Competencies in both the breadth and depth components of the educational program which are to be measured prior to completion of degree requirements and the evaluation methods employed in such measure-
ment should be stated; d. The manner in which the school seeks to achieve its purposes in the recruitment, admission, counseling, and placement of students and in the provision of specialized activities to meet defined and articulated student needs, such as opportunities for new or modified programs of study. 3. For the research program, a. Statements of the research objectives of the school, including the relationship of research activities to the overall missions of the school and to its educational objectives, with a description of opportunities for student involvement in research endeavors; b. A description of the quality and quantity of resources and means by which the research program reaches its objectives; c. Evidence of achievement of these objectives. 4. For the service program, a. Statements of the community service objectives of the school; b. The means by which these objectives are achieved, as in providing faculty consultation, continuing education, or activities and appropriate functions designed to meet specific constituency needs; c. The means of evaluation and the outcomes or results of the service program. 5. Ina summary, A statement of strengths, weaknesses, problems, needs, and opportunities, including the school's recommendations for change to meet presently stated and new objectives, as well as program revisions or innovations under consideration.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GYNECOLOGICAL CANCER SCHEDULED A national conference on gynecological cancer will be sponsored by the American Cancer Society, September 18-20, 1975, in Philadelphia. Sessions are open to all members and students of the medical profession. Advance registration is requested; there is no registration fee. The Conference will include discussions of the changing patterns of cancers of the female genital tract and new developments in techniques for its diagnosis and treatment. Additional information on the Conference can be obtained by writing: Sidney L. Arje, MD, American Cancer Society, 219 East 42nd St., New York, NY 10017.
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1975
COUNCIL ON EDUCATION FOR PUBLIC HEALTH*
Introduction The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), incorporated by the American Public Health Association and the Association of Schools of Public Health, is the independent accrediting agency for graduate schools of public health in the United States. It is recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation and the U.S. Commissioner of Education. A Board of Councilors, appointed in accordance with nondiscriminatory practices and including public representatives, conducts and regulates the internal affairs of the corporation. The Council's primary objectives are to strengthen the educational programs in schools of public health through accreditation, consultation, research, and other appropriate services, and to encourage the development of experimental and innovative programs which ensure educational quality. The Board of Councilors is responsible for the standards and procedures for the accreditation of schools of public health. Within these standards, accreditation is based on a school's own missions, goals, and educational objectives. The accreditation process takes into account the rights, responsibilities, and interests of educational institutions and their students, the general public, and public health practitioners. The Council's activities are coordinated with those of appropriate Regional Accrediting Commissions and other specialized accrediting agencies.
Characteristics of a School of Public Health A school of public health is a consortium of disciplines addressing the health of the community and focused on teaching, research, and community service. The special learning environment of a school of public health provides * The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), 1015 Eighteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036, was formed on January 1, 1974, under the joint auspices of the American Public Health Association and the Association of Schools of Public Health. A description of the Council and the membership of the Board of Councilors was published in AJPH, Vol. 64, No. 9, September, 1974, p. 853. The Council will provide its Accreditation Procedures and its descriptive brochure on request.
for interdisciplinary communication, self-evaluation, development of professional public health concepts, and sensitivity to the perceptions and needs of the students. The missions of a school of public health should be predicated on a functional approach to the identification, prevention, and solution of community health problems. This approach includes: * Collection, storage, retrieval, analysis, and dissemination of information necessary to identify, understand, and resolve the health problems of populations; * Management of the environment toward the protection and improvement of the health of the community; * Provision of systems within which comprehensive personal and community health services are purveyed.
Accreditation Designations Provisional Accreditation This status is accorded to a graduate school of public health which has applied for accreditation and which has assembled the resources, has designed a curriculum, and, after the appropriate site visit procedure, is judged to have the promise of meeting the standards for accreditation ontained in this manual. Provisional accreditation is subject to annual review.
Accreditation This status is accorded to a school of public health which, after the appropriate site visit and review, is judged to have met the standards for accreditation. This status is normally awarded for a period of 5 years, at the end of which time a complete review will be held. However, conditions may be attached to this status to include reports of progress, evidence of compliance with Council recommendations, or interim site visits. If at any time in the scheduled interval between accreditation reviews, an accredited school of public health undergoes major organizational changes which may potentially affect the administration, scope, or quality of its ACCREDITATION MANUAL
317
programs, the school may request a re-evaluation by the CEPH, or the CEPH may require a review before the date stipulated at last review. Probationary Accreditation
An accredited graduate school of public health may be placed on probation when, after the appropriate site visit and review, it is judged to be deficient in resources or procedures to accomplish the missions and objectives the school has defined, but is not so deficient as to merit revocation of accreditation. This status will be given for a specific period of time, not to exceed 3 years or until the deficiencies are demonstrated to have been remedied. A school may appeal probationary status if a written request is made to the CEPH within 30 days of notification of the decision. (See Appeals Procedure below.)
B.
Revocation of Accreditation Accreditation may be revoked after the appropriate site visit and review of an accredited graduate school of public health, after review of a provisionally accredited school, or after review of a school which has previously been placed on probation, if the CEPH deems that the school does not meet the standards for accreditation. Accreditation may also be revoked if a school does not permit re-evaluation after having been given due notice of review. Revocation may be appealed upon written request, as above. The school may reapply for accreditation and request a site visit for review at any time it has fulfilled the requirements.
C.
D.
E.
Denial of Accreditation
After initial site visit and review of a new school of public health, accreditation may be denied if the CEPH deems that it does not meet the standards for accreditation. Appeal and reapplication are as above.
Standards for Accreditation of Graduate Schools of Public Health A. A school of public health should develop programs which offer the opportunity for students to meet the following educational objectives: 1. Develop an understanding of a. the biological, physical, and social factors which affect the health of the community; b. relevant concepts from the appropriate social and behavioral sciences; and c. the components and operation of health service delivery systems, including facilities and manpower. 2. Become proficient in the techniques of a. identifying community health needs; 318
AJPH MARCH, 1975, Vol. 65, No. 3
F.
G.
b. information collection, storage, retrieval, analysis, and dissemination; and c. environmental monitoring, analysis, and management. 3. Acquire skills in the application of these understandings and techniques to the solution of community health problems. A school of public health should award the master's degree only when a student has, in fact, mastered these functional areas, by whatever appropriate routes including proficiency prior to entrance. The opportunity for specialization appropriate to the master's level should also be provided in whatever specific content areas are consonant with the goals and programs of each individual school and with the objectives of individual students. In addition to the master's level provisions, whatever doctoral programs are offered must have resources to permit the acquisition of special competencies consistent with the goals and programs of the institution. A school of public health shall be an integral part of an institution of higher education which is accredited by a regional accrediting organization affiliated with the Federation of Regional Accrediting Commissions of Higher Education, or which is an established component of a state system of higher education. A school of public health shall have a clearly defined faculty which, by virtue of its multidisciplinary nature, educational preparation, research competence, professional experience, and size is qualified, given the total resources available to it, to achieve the defined missions of the school. Within the framework of university rules and regulations, a school of public health shall have prerogatives respecting academic policies affecting students, faculty, curricula, and public health degree requirements to assure the integrity of the educational program. There shall be no discrimination in regard to age, sex, race, religion, or national origin in any aspect of a school of public health, including selection, assignment, promotion, and tenure of faculty and administrative staff; student admissions, graduation, and referral; and in class and field placement. For initial or review accreditation, a school of public health shall conduct a self-evaluation study which shall be presented in a report to the CEPH. This study should be analytic in nature, giving a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the strengths and weaknesses in the achievement of the overall objectives of the school and of its separate programs. The study should include statements of institutional missions, administrative goals or targets, and educational objectives. The study should involve the school's institutional officers, administrative staff, teaching faculty, student body, or other significant constituencies such as alumni and governing board. The following should be documented: 1. For the school as a whole, a. Evidence of compliance with the fundamentals
outlined in the section, Characteristics of a School of Public Health, and in standards A-F above; b. A description and analysis of the decisional processes within the school and the university, including the role of the faculty, students, administration, and other groups in the development, establishment, and evaluation of educational policies and programs and in the selection, retention, and promotion of academic staff; c. A description of the methods by which the school maintains a continual self-assessment and monitoring process toward improvements in its educational programs. 2. For the instructional program, a. Explicit statements of educational objectives in relation to the teaching mission of the school, and consonant with standards A and B above. Emphasis at both the program and course levels should be on statements of the outcomes expected, such as student competencies, behavior, and learning; b. A description and measures of the quality and quantity of the resources and means by which these objectives are to be achieved, including specification of evaluative criteria, techniques, or procedures; c. Evidence of achievement of these objectives including a description and measures of the quantity and quality of results as defined in terms of these objectives. Competencies in both the breadth and depth components of the educational program which are to be measured prior to completion of degree requirements and the evaluation methods employed in such measure-
ment should be stated; d. The manner in which the school seeks to achieve its purposes in the recruitment, admission, counseling, and placement of students and in the provision of specialized activities to meet defined and articulated student needs, such as opportunities for new or modified programs of study. 3. For the research program, a. Statements of the research objectives of the school, including the relationship of research activities to the overall missions of the school and to its educational objectives, with a description of opportunities for student involvement in research endeavors; b. A description of the quality and quantity of resources and means by which the research program reaches its objectives; c. Evidence of achievement of these objectives. 4. For the service program, a. Statements of the community service objectives of the school; b. The means by which these objectives are achieved, as in providing faculty consultation, continuing education, or activities and appropriate functions designed to meet specific constituency needs; c. The means of evaluation and the outcomes or results of the service program. 5. Ina summary, A statement of strengths, weaknesses, problems, needs, and opportunities, including the school's recommendations for change to meet presently stated and new objectives, as well as program revisions or innovations under consideration.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GYNECOLOGICAL CANCER SCHEDULED A national conference on gynecological cancer will be sponsored by the American Cancer Society, September 18-20, 1975, in Philadelphia. Sessions are open to all members and students of the medical profession. Advance registration is requested; there is no registration fee. The Conference will include discussions of the changing patterns of cancers of the female genital tract and new developments in techniques for its diagnosis and treatment. Additional information on the Conference can be obtained by writing: Sidney L. Arje, MD, American Cancer Society, 219 East 42nd St., New York, NY 10017.
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