Degree Program Assessment Reports : View Reports

Unit: Public Health Studies
Program: Public Health (BA)
Degree: Bachelor's
Date: Wed Nov 07, 2018 - 2:56:19 pm

1) Program Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and Institutional Learning Objectives (ILOs)

1. Review the history and philosophy of public health

(1a. General education)

2. Identify and explain the core functions of public health

(1a. General education)

3. Articulate the differences in public health priorities in various regions of the world

(1b. Specialized study in an academic field, 3b. Respect for people and cultures, in particular Hawaiian culture)

4. Identify the basic concepts, methods, and be able to apply qualitative and quantitative tools of public health data collection, use, and analysis in elementary research analyses

(1a. General education, 2b. Conduct research)

5. Explain the basic principles of epidemiology

(1b. Specialized study in an academic field)

6. Review fundamental statistical concepts and apply them in elementary research analyses

(1a. General education, 2b. Conduct research)

7. Apply core concepts of public health, grounded in an ecological perspective to assessing public health issues

(1b. Specialized study in an academic field, 2a. Think critically and creatively)

8. Articulate the natural and social determinants of health status in communities, and the dynamic interplay among these factors in various populations

(1c. Understand Hawaiian culture and history, 3c. Stewardship of the natural environment)

9. Identify current public health topics including an analysis of the societal attitudes that generate differential impacts to various communities

(1c. Understand Hawaiian culture and history, 3b. Respect for people and cultures, in particular Hawaiian culture)

10. Describe Indigenous Peoples health in a historical context, and discuss the impacts of colonial processes and social determinants on health outcomes

(1c. Understand Hawaiian culture and history, 3b. Respect for people and cultures, in particular Hawaiian culture)

11. Describe the major human diseases and their underlying etiologies

(1a. General education)

12. Show proficiency in sub-disciplines including biological aspects of public health; epidemiology, genetics, and health informatics; environmental and global health sciences; and infectious and chronic diseases

(1b. Specialized study in an academic field, 3c. Stewardship of the natural environment)

13. Identify the impact of the environment, social disparities, and both communicable and non-communicable diseases on health

(3c. Stewardship of the natural environment)

14. Explore the fundamental concepts and features of a public health-related project

(2a. Think critically and creatively, 2b. Conduct research)

15. Use information literacy skills such as locating and evaluating pertinent public health information

(2a. Think critically and creatively, 2b. Conduct research, 3a. Continuous learning and personal growth, 3d. Civic participation)

16. Generate research questions, analyze and present data, and interpret and discuss findings

(2a. Think critically and creatively, 2b. Conduct research, 2c. Communicate and report, 3a. Continuous learning and personal growth)

17. Exhibit critical thinking and analytical abilities, including the capacities to engage in inductive and deductive thinking, quantitative reason, and to construct sound arguments

(2a. Think critically and creatively, 2b. Conduct research, 3a. Continuous learning and personal growth, 3d. Civic participation)

18. Distinguish the fundamental characteristics and organizational structures of the U.S. health system, as well as to the differences in systems abroad

(1a. General education, 3b. Respect for people and cultures, in particular Hawaiian culture, 3d. Civic participation)

19. Explain the role that public health plays in disaster prevention and management and evaluate public policy issues with respect to access, quality and cost, when understanding health disparities within vulnerable populations

(3c. Stewardship of the natural environment, 3d. Civic participation)

20. Discuss basic concepts of legal, ethical, economic, and regulatory dimensions of health care and public health policy

(1b. Specialized study in an academic field, 3d. Civic participation)

21. Articulate the impact of public health policies on vulnerable populations, including Indigenous Peoples

(1c. Understand Hawaiian culture and history, 3b. Respect for people and cultures, in particular Hawaiian culture, 3d. Civic participation)

22. Apply abstract reasoning and critical thinking skills to communicate public health research and practice to public and professional audiences

(2a. Think critically and creatively, 2b. Conduct research, 2c. Communicate and report, 3a. Continuous learning and personal growth, 3d. Civic participation)

23. Demonstrate effective written communication skills

(2c. Communicate and report)

24. Demonstrate effective public speaking skills during classroom discussions and presentations

(2c. Communicate and report)

2) Your program's SLOs are published as follows. Please update asneeded.

Department Website URL: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/publichealth/undergraduate-competencies

Student Handbook. URL, if available online:

Information Sheet, Flyer, or Brochure URL, if available online:

UHM Catalog. Page Number:

Course Syllabi. URL, if available online: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/publichealth/courses

Other:

3) Please review, add, replace, or delete the existing curriculum map.

Curriculum Map File(s) from 2018:

File (03/16/2020)

4) For your program, the percentage of courses that have course SLOs explicitly stated on the syllabus, a website, or other publicly available document is as follows. Please update as needed.

1-50%

51-80%

81-99%

100%

5) Does the program have learning achievement results for its program SLOs? (Example of achievement results: "80% of students met expectations on SLO 1.")(check one):

Yes, on some(1-50%) of the program SLOs

Yes, on most(51-99%) of the program SLOs

Yes, on all(100%) of the program SLOs

6) Did your program engage in any program learning assessment activities between June 1, 2015 and October 31, 2018?

Yes

No (skip to question 17)

7) What best describes the program-level learning assessment activities that took place for the period June 1, 2015 to October 31, 2018? (Check all that apply.)

Create/modify/discuss program learning assessment procedures (e.g., SLOs, curriculum map, mechanism to collect student work, rubric, survey)

Collect/evaluate student work/performance to determine SLO achievement

Collect/analyze student self-reports of SLO achievement via surveys, interviews, or focus groups

Use assessment results to make programmatic decisions (e.g., change course content or pedagogy, design new course, hiring)

No (skip to question 17)

Investigate other pressing issue related to student learning achievement for the program (explain in question 7)

Other:

8) Briefly explain the assessment activities that took place.

The Office of Public Health Studies (OPHS), including the BA Public Health (BAPH) degree program, is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). Assessment is required and reported to CEPH on an annual basis. OPHS underwent a full re-accreditation in 2014-2015, which required a full self study and site visit. In addition to this, CEPH requires interim, annual assessment reports. CEPH has additionally modified their accredidation criteria this past year, which has required additional reporting.

The BAPH degree has always been governed by a program chair and an Undergraduate Education Committee (committee members include the program chair, 3 additional faculty representatives, the BAPH staff academic advisor, and a student representative), under the supervision of the OPHS director. Prior to Fall 2017, there was one faculty member (the BAPH chair) fully dedicated to the BAPH program, with additional support provided by graduate-faculty.

In August 2017, an additional dedicated BAPH faculty member was hired to provide additional program support. Since then, the BAPH program chair and additional BAPH faculty member have a retreat at the conclusion of each semester to discuss student performance, SLO achievement, evaluate exit survey/focus group data, and use assessment data to implement changes for the following semester. These two faculty also meet weekly with the academic advisor to discuss student progress and address any concerns with student performance.

Assessment data are collected by instructors of all required BAPH courses and reported by to the BAPH chair. Student performance is closely monitored during the three-course capstone series (PH 480, 485, and 489). Written student work (a structured literature review and later a final capstone paper) from the first (PH 480) and last (PH 489) courses of the series are evaluated and used to assess SLO achievement. Students are also required to develop a formal academic poster of their capstone project proposals (PH 480), and later their completed capstone projects (PH 489). These posters are then presented and defended during a public forum held each semester by the department. At the conclusion of the middle course of the series (PH 485), a practicum mentor/preceptor, (usually a facutly member or PH community member), completes a formal, structured evaluation of student work completed during the practicum field experience.

Self-assessment of student SLO achievement is collected through a survey instrument during the beginning of both PH 480 and PH 489. Students evaluate their performance and develop a plan to address any deficiencies. This self-assessment data is then shared with the BAPH chair, additional BAPH faculty member, and academic advisor. Any consistent deficiencies are reported to the Undergraduate Education Committee.

At the conclusion of the BAPH program, just prior to graduation, students are sent a exit survey and are invited to participate in an exit focus group. Exit data are collected from both sources and compiled into an exit report written at the conclusion of each academic year and reported to the BAPH chair, Undergraduate Education Committee, and the OPHS director. Any deficiencies or concerns are addressed by the Undergraduate Education Committee.

Assessment data has been used as evidence to justify the hire of two tenure-track faculty members (one beginning in August 2017 and another to begin in January 2019), as well as to support three teaching assistants (one dedicated to writing skill development and support, one dedicated to quantiative skill development and support, and one dedicated to support of a large public health introductory course). Assessment data have also been used to identify gaps in SLO achievement, which has lead to content shifts in 5 courses (PH 202, PH 203, PH 480, PH 420, and PH 489), and has lead to a shift in PH 420 from being an elective course to being a required course for all BAPH students. A new course, PH 210 (Quantitative Reasoning in PH), has also been developed and integrated into the BAPH curriculum.

9) What types of evidence did the program use as part of the assessment activities checked in question 7? (Check all that apply.)

Artistic exhibition/performance

Assignment/exam/paper completed as part of regular coursework and used for program-level assessment

Capstone work product (e.g., written project or non-thesis paper)

Exam created by an external organization (e.g., professional association for licensure)

Exit exam created by the program

IRB approval of research

Oral performance (oral defense, oral presentation, conference presentation)

Portfolio of student work

Publication or grant proposal

Qualifying exam or comprehensive exam for program-level assessment in addition to individual student evaluation (graduate level only)

Supervisor or employer evaluation of student performance outside the classroom (internship, clinical, practicum)

Thesis or dissertation used for program-level assessment in addition to individual student evaluation

Alumni survey that contains self-reports of SLO achievement

Employer meetings/discussions/survey/interview of student SLO achievement

Interviews or focus groups that contain self-reports of SLO achievement

Student reflective writing assignment (essay, journal entry, self-assessment) on their SLO achievement.

Student surveys that contain self-reports of SLO achievement

Assessment-related such as assessment plan, SLOs, curriculum map, etc.

Program or course materials (syllabi, assignments, requirements, etc.)

Other 1:

Other 2:

10) State the number of students (or persons) who submitted evidence that was evaluated. If applicable, please include the sampling technique used.

All BA Public Health students are required to submit evidence for evaluation.

Assessment evidence is required course assignments, which accounts for substantial portions of course grades. Students are not allowed to progress through certain critical time points in the BA curriculum without completing major course assignments. These time points are integrated into PH 201 (Introduction to PH), PH 310 (Introduction to Epidemiology), as well as through each individual course of the capstone series (PH 480, 485, and 489).

11) Who interpreted or analyzed the evidence that was collected? (Check all that apply.)

Course instructor(s)

Faculty committee

Ad hoc faculty group

Department chairperson

Persons or organization outside the university

Faculty advisor

Advisors (in student support services)

Students (graduate or undergraduate)

Dean/Director

Other:

12) How did they evaluate, analyze, or interpret the evidence? (Check all that apply.)

Used a rubric or scoring guide

Scored exams/tests/quizzes

Used professional judgment (no rubric or scoring guide used)

Compiled survey results

Used qualitative methods on interview, focus group, open-ended response data

External organization/person analyzed data (e.g., external organization administered and scored the nursing licensing exam)

Other:

13) Summarize the results of the assessment activities checked in question 7. For example, report the percentage of students who achieved each SLO.

All BA public health students are required to demonstrate sufficient competence in each SLO prior to graduation.

Assessment procedures have assisted in identifying areas where students struggle to meet requirements for demonstration of sufficient competence. Procedures have also identifed areas where students are performing at "sufficient," rather than "excellent" competence levels. Program-level adjustments have been made to address these challenges.

14) What best describes how the program used the results? (Check all that apply.)

Assessment procedure changes (SLOs, curriculum map, rubrics, evidence collected, sampling, communications with faculty, etc.)

Course changes (course content, pedagogy, courses offered, new course, pre-requisites, requirements)

Personnel or resource allocation changes

Program policy changes (e.g., admissions requirements, student probation policies, common course evaluation form)

Students' out-of-course experience changes (advising, co-curricular experiences, program website, program handbook, brown-bag lunches, workshops)

Celebration of student success!

Results indicated no action needed because students met expectations

Use is pending (typical reasons: insufficient number of students in population, evidence not evaluated or interpreted yet, faculty discussions continue)

Other:

15) Please briefly describe how the program used the results.

16) Beyond the results, were there additional conclusions or discoveries? This can include insights about assessment procedures, teaching and learning, and great achievements regarding program assessment in this reporting period.

No additional conclusions or discoveries.

17) If the program did not engage in assessment activities, please justify.

The program did engage in assessment activities.