V. INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS C. LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Criterion V.C. For each program and area of specialization within each program identified in Criterion V.A., there shall be clear learning objectives.

Documentation

1. Identification of a set of learning objectives for each program of study identified in the matrix for V.A. If individualized learning objectives are used, identification of a sample set that is typical of each program of study and that can be verified through on-site inspection.

2. A description of the manner in which learning objectives are developed, used and made available to students.

3. A description of the manner in which the school periodically assesses the changing needs of public health practice and uses this information to establish the learning objectives for its educational programs.

4. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met.

V - 15 V.C.1. For each program and area of specialization within each program identified in Criterion V.A., there shall be clear learning objectives.

Learning objectives for each program and area of specialization are presented in Table V.C.1.

V.C.2. A description of the manner in which learning objectives are developed, used and made available to students.

Departments in the School vary in their approach to developing learning objectives but share a concerted effort to reflect the unique ways that each department’s educational goals can address current and future challenges in public health. The Senior Vice Dean monitors the overall quality of department learning objectives and the School’s liaison from the Center for Education Research and Evaluation consults with each department in the development process. In addition, the School’s Curriculum Committee plays an important role in the development of learning objectives.

Some departments develop and refine their learning objectives using their standing departmental curriculum committee to discuss and debate course syllabi, course offerings, and curricular requirements. The committees often assign the task of writing portions of the learning objectives (usually divided by academic track or subject matter specialization) to smaller groups or a single individual to move the development process forward. Consensus on learning objectives is gained within the committees and recommendations are then reviewed and approved by the department chair.

Other departments find it more effective to designate a point person (or two) to direct the development and refinement of learning objectives. These individuals also serve as the departmental academic directors or program coordinators. Their extensive knowledge of the courses, curriculum, and educational history of the department are an invaluable resource for developing initial drafts of the learning objectives that are shared with key faculty and the department chair. Theses drafts are then discussed, modified, and finalized by faculty.

Departmental efforts have been strengthened by the recent work of the Curriculum Committee. After analyzing course proposals submitted during one year, the Committee has refined the expectations for course-specific learning objectives and required a description of their relationship to the broader departmental track learning objectives. A growing number of departments are using their learning objectives as an organizing principle for ongoing quality improvements in the various aspects of their academic programs, such as core course, practicum, and the culminating experience. The department learning objectives are also used as a tool by faculty who are developing new courses and those who seek to improve the course(s) they are already teaching.

Course specific learning objectives are made available to students through course syllabi, introductory sessions, and content of and feedback from course exams, papers, and other

V - 16 assignments. Students are introduced to departmental track learning objectives in program orientations for new students, program meetings, and seminars.

V.C.3. A description of the manner in which the school periodically assesses the changing needs of public health practice and uses this information to establish the learning objectives for its educational programs.

The School places high priority on constantly reviewing the needs of the field and the needs of students, and incorporating into its educational programs new courses and tracks appropriate to these changing needs. Clear indicators of the School’s responsiveness to the changing educational needs of public health practice are: the development of new specialty tracks within degree programs; and the number of new course new course offerings. It is notable that 7 of the 18 tracks listed in the matrix of degree programs (V.A.1) are new, having been developed since the last accreditation. The new tracks are:

 Forced Migration and Health  History and Ethics of Public Health and Medicine  Aging and Public Health  Clinical Research Methods  Patient Oriented Research  Effectiveness and Outcomes Research  Columbia On the Job

In addition, three new interdepartmental tracks are under development, in response to reviews of the changing skill needs for public health practice:

 Genetics and Public Health  Global Health  Gender, Sexuality and Health

Turning to new course offerings developed to respond to changing needs for public health practice, for last three years, more than 15 new courses have been reviewed and approved each year by the School’s Curriculum Committee.

The School assesses the changing needs of public health practice through periodic reviews by Schoolwide and departmental committees and inputs from students, alumni, health professionals in affiliated and collaborating organizations, and employers. The School’s location in New York City, and the ethnic and geographic diversity of its student body and alumni, provide ready access to health professionals encountering cutting-edge needs in the field.

The changing needs of public health practice are also addressed periodically by the School’s Policy Advisory Committee, Steering Committee, and Curriculum Committee. In addition, each department undertakes periodic reviews of its programs and courses in relation to the needs of the field, usually in departmental curriculum committee meetings and department-wide planning sessions and retreats. During the past two years, there has

V - 17 been recognition of the need for new interdepartmental tracks for training students in areas requiring considerable interdisciplinary skills. To address this need, and at the suggestion of the department chairs, the Dean appointed task forces to design the three interdepartmental tracks listed above. The Genetics and Public Health Task Force presented their plan for the Genetics and Public Health Track at the recent Schoolwide retreat, and work is underway to establish the other two interdepartmental tracks.

Students and alumni play a particularly important role in regular assessments of changing needs. The majority of the School’s students are mid-career health professionals, many studying part-time while continuing to serve in a wide range of leading public health practice areas in the New York metropolitan area. In addition, mid-career students are drawn from many other parts of the country, and the world, and bring to our deliberations well-informed perspectives about their educational needs.

School alumni are an important channel through which the School maintains contact with the many aspects of public health practice, and stays current with the changing needs of practitioners. Alumni of the School are employed in virtually every sector of public health, and participate in the School’s assessment of the changing needs of public health practice. Alumni serve as practicum advisors, speakers in seminars and career panels, members of the School’s Board of Advisors (8 of 42 members), and as lecturers and members of the full-time faculty. Many of the suggestions for meeting the changing educational needs of the field originate from alumni through the channels noted above. In addition, the Dean meets regularly with the Alumni Board to discuss the School’s programs. Finally, the Director of Alumni Affairs makes weekly visits to alumni in senior positions in organizations in the New York area, and periodic visits to other alumni sites, to keep them informed of developments at the School, to seek their feedback on School programs, and to obtain their suggestions for better meeting the needs of the field.

The School’s wide and dynamic range of affiliations and collaborations with local, national, and international organizations provides another important venue for assessing the current issues facing public health practitioners. The affiliated organizations discussed in resources (Criterion IV.9), field practice sites (Appendix V.B.3), and collaborating organizations in our research (Criterion VI) and service programs (Criterion VII) contribute to our monitoring of the changing needs of practitioners, and the implications for the School’s educational programs. Of particular importance are the School’s close and long-term partnerships with the New York City Department of Health (Criteria VI.2, VII.2) and New York State Department of Health (Criteria VI.2, VII.2).

The development of continuing education programs for public health professionals and collaborating organizations requires a continuing assessment of needs in public health practice, which, in turn, informs the curricular offerings of the School. Two examples of the School’s continuing education programs, described in Criterion VII.4, are the Center for Public Health Preparedness, and the New York/New Jersey Public Health Training Center.

V - 18 The Center for Public Health Preparedness is one of the first four such centers, established in 2000 with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, through a cooperative agreement with the Association of Schools of Public Health. The general purpose of these Centers is to link public health practice and academe, and develop and deliver competency-based curricula in public health that address local needs. The Center’s first training program was designed for public health nurses. In the two weeks prior to September 11, 2001, the Center, along with partner organizations, trained 800 local public health nurses in emergency preparedness techniques.

In the New York/New Jersey Public Health Training Center, the School is collaborating with the New York City Department of Health, the New York State Department of Health, the State University of New York at Albany School of Public Health, the New Jersey Department of Health and Social Services, and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey School of Public Health to develop a regional continuing education for New York and New Jersey public health workers, covering a full range of public health competencies.

Finally, employers play a role in assessing the changing needs of public health practice and their implications for public health education. The Career Development Committee of the Alumni Executive Board meets regularly with the Directors of Career Services and Alumni Affairs. Committee members represent a wide array of employers and routinely provide career advice and employer referrals to students, as well as important information on industry trends, employer hiring, and employer contacts to the Office of Career Services. Additionally, since the Committee has a vested interest in the marketability of the School’s graduates, it pays particular attention to the consistency between curricular competencies and job market realities. During the past three years, members of the Committee have represented a wide range of employers, including: City of NY Comptroller’s Office (NYC); Clinical Communication Group (CT); Cigna (PA); Morris Heights Health Care (NYC); Purdue Pharma (CT); Watson Pharmaceuticals (CA); CapGemini Ernst & Young (NYC); Union County Department of Human Services (NJ); and Cabrini Medical Center (NYC).

To obtain additional information from the employers of our students, the Office of Career Services has started to request feedback from Career Day employers regarding their satisfaction with the event and with the School’s students. In addition to improving continuing education programs, these efforts provide input and stimulus to the School to update its degree programs to meet the changing needs of public health practice.

V.C.4. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met.

The School perceives that this criterion is met.

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