ALUMNI SURVEYS PROGRAM
1994 - PRESENT

Excerpts from the SCSU Department of Public Health Self-Study (221 Pages)

Source: http://www.southernct.edu/public_health/uploads/textWidget/wysiwyg/documents/2008accredreport_6-12-08.doc

Retrieved June 30, 2008 by Betty C. Jung, Public Health Alumni Chapter’s Alumni Programs Director

 

CRITERION 1.5

 

GOVERNANCE

 

Criterion 1.5.: The Program administration and faculty shall have clearly defined rights and responsibilities concerning Program governance and academic policies. Students shall, where appropriate, have participatory roles in conduct of Program evaluation procedures, policy-setting and decision-making.

 

1.5e.        Description of student roles in governance, including any formal student organizations, and student roles in evaluation and planning functioning.

 

►  SCSU Alumni Association, Public Health Chapter. All graduates are provided continued opportunities to contribute to the evaluation of the Program through their association with the Public Health Chapter of the SCSU Alumni Association, in two significant ways. First, the Alumni Chapter conducts extensive and independent Alumni Surveys on a regular basis. The surveys, developed and analyzed by the Chapter, provide a comprehensive assessment of the Program, whose results are forwarded to the Coordinators for review. The second means, perhaps more relevant to the preparation of the CEPH Self-Study Document, is the opportunity to participate on the Chapter's Accreditation Committee, which has provided the Department with significant Program analyses viewed as critical to the conduct of the comprehensive Study required by CEPH. M.P.H graduates have been surveyed since 1994 and B.S. graduates since 2007 (Reference File 6).

 

(CEPH Self-Study, Page 56)

 

CRITERION 2.7

 

    Assessment Procedures

 

Criterion 2.7.: There shall be procedures for assessing and documenting the extent to which each student has demonstrated competence in the required areas of performance.

 

2.7a.            Description of the procedures used for monitoring and evaluating student progress in achieving the expected competencies.

 

 

 

 

 

Table 2.7a.

 

Procedures Used to Monitor and Evaluate Student Progress in Achieving Program Outcomes

 

Procedures	Program Placement                                   Graduate Undergrad.		Description of Procedures   Each procedure seeks to assess students’ ability to:
Alumni Survey	√	√	assess the relevancy of his/her educational experiences to public health practice.

 

(CEPH Self-Study, Page 141)

 

2.7c.    If the outcome measures selected by the program do not include degree completion rates and job placement experience, then data for these two additional indicators must be provided, including experiential data for each of the last three years.

 

Table 2.7c.2.

 

Job Placement Rates for M.P.H. and B.S. Graduates, AY 2005-2007

 

	M.P.H.			B.S.
Year	AY 2005	AY 2006	AY 2007	AY 2005	AY 2006	AY 2007
Job Placement	95%*	100%	100%	84% of an 11% sample of 1980-present BS graduates are employed in a health-related job

• As of May 2008, one 2005 graduate is parenting a young child and currently preparing to re-enter the workforce.

 

2.7d.    A table showing the destination of graduates for each of the last three years. The table must include at least the number and percentage of graduates by program area each year going to a) government (state, local, federal), b) nonprofit organization, c) hospital or health care delivery facility, d) private practice, e) university or research institute, f) proprietary organization (industry, pharmaceutical company, consulting), g) further education, h) non-health related employment, or i) not employed. See CEPH Template D.

 

            Table 2.7d. and 2.7d.1. present data on destination of M.P.H. and B.S. graduates, respectively, by Department, AY 2005-2007.

Table 2.7d.

 

Template D (2.7d.) Destination of M.P.H. Graduates by Department,

AY 2005-2007

 

Table 2.7.d. Destination of M.P.H. Graduates, AY 2005-2007
	Government		Non- Profit		Health Care		Private Practice		University/ Research		Proprietary		Further Education		Non-Health Related		Not Employed
AY	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%
2005	9	41	5	23	1	4.5	1	4.5	2	9	2	9	1	4.5	0	0	1	4.5
2006	4	22	4	22	3	17	1	6	4	22	2	11	0	0	0	0	0	0
2007	3	18	2	12	0	0	1	6	6	35	5	29	0	0	0	0	0	0

Table 2.7d.1.

 

Template D (2.7d.1.) Destination of B.S. Graduates by Department,

AY 2005-2007

 

Table 2.7.d. Destination of B.S. Graduates, AY 2005-2007

Government

Non- Profit

Health Care

Private Practice

University/ Research

Proprietary

Further Education

Non-Health Related

Not Employed

Yr.

#

%

#

%

#

%

#

%

#

%

#

%

#

%

#

%

#

%

Limited Data Available B.S. Alumni that graduated between 1982 and 2007 were surveyed for the first time by the Alumni Association in AY 2008. Eighty-three percent (83%) of respondents (11%) were employed in a public health, health services or health-related job.

 

(CEPH Self-Study, Pages 144-145)

 

2.7f.     Data describing results from periodic assessments of alumni and employers of graduates regarding the ability of the program’s graduates to effectively perform the competencies in a practice setting.

 

            As described under 1.2a. the Program periodically surveys all health department directors in Connecticut as well as internship preceptors to assess graduates’ proficiency in the practice of public health as well as targeted surveys of recent program graduates.   Table 2.7.f.1. presents from the 2007-2008 Alumni Survey of graduates an assessment of  the ability to effectively perform the competencies of a public health practitioner, 2006-2008.

 

 Table 2.7f.1.

 

B.S. and M.P.H. Alumni Assessment of Ability to Effectively Perform the Competencies of a Public Health Practitioner, AY 2006-2008

 

Year	Theory Application to Work Setting	Breadth and Depth of Courses	Knowledge to Work in Public Health	Skills to Work in Public Health
B.S.
AY 2006	Of the respondents to the AY 2008 Alumni Survey, 87% indicated              that the program prepared them “well” (60%) or “adequately” (27%)           for a career in public health.
AY 2007
AY 2008
M.P.H.
AY 2006	1.78	1.83	1.67	1.89
AY 2007	1.46	1.55	1.60	1.70
AY 2008	1.00	1.00	1.00	2.00

Note: Mean Value Scale: From Very Well [1] to Poorly [5]. Source: Alumni Surveys, AY 2006-2008.

Of 206 respondents to the Year One Alumni Survey, 95% (196) indicated that they were well (63%) or adequately (32%) prepared for a public health career. In addition, when compared to others with an M.P.H. degree, 62% (128) of respondents thought that they were comparable, while another 29% (60) said they were better prepared. Overall, this group appeared to indicate a high level of satisfaction with their preparation to function effectively as part of the public health workforce (see Reference File 5).

 

2.7g.            Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met.

 

            This Criterion is met.

 

Strengths. The Program uses definitive procedures for assessing and documenting the extent to which each student has demonstrated competence in instruction, research and service.

 

Weaknesses. Tracking graduates, especially B.S. graduates, remains a challenge to the Program.

 

(CEPH Self-Study, Pages 146-147)

 

4.2c.             Descriptions of formal procedures for evaluating faculty competence and performance.

          

     The Department, School and University use a variety of mechanisms in the evaluation of faculty competence and performance, in addition to those described as part of the recruitment, retention, tenure, promotion, and assessment processes. These evaluative strategies include:

 

►       M.P.H. Alumni Survey. Conducted by the SCSU Alumni Association, Public Health Chapter, annually, the survey contains a broad range of questions pertaining to Program quality, relevance and by inference, faculty competence and performance.

 

(CEPH Self-Study, Pages 183, 185)

 

4.2d.            Description of the processes used for student course evaluation and evaluation of teaching effectiveness.

 

            Students are afforded multiple opportunities to participate in the evaluation of faculty and all required and elective courses and of the Program. Many of the items listed under Criterion 1.5.e. are pertinent to students’ evaluation of faculty performance, including teaching effectiveness.

 

 

   ► M.P.H. Alumni Survey. The Survey provides an opportunity for graduates to participate in the ongoing evaluation of Program and faculty performance from a different and broader vantage point. The information obtained from this Survey is used as one tool in program planning and assessment of faculty performance and competence. A statistical analysis of the 2006-2007 Survey revealed that when alumni compared themselves to others with an MPH degree, 62% thought they were comparable, while another 30% said they were better (see Reference File 5).

                  

(CEPH Self-Study, Pages 185, 186)

 

 

CRITERION 4.4

 

STUDENT RECRUITMENT AND ADMISSIONS

 

Criterion 4.4.: The Program shall have student recruitment and admissions policies and procedures designed to locate and select qualified individuals capable of taking advantage of the Program's various learning activities which will enable each of them to develop competence for a career in public health.

 

4.4a.            Description of the program’s recruitment policies and procedures.

 

The Department also believes that the well-known employment prospects of the Program's graduates further serves to enhance its recruiting effort. As of Spring 2007, there were 300 M.P.H. program graduates and more than 1,300 B.S. graduates. Of the 201 M.P.H. alumni who answered the 2007-2008 Year One Survey question related to finding a job, 59% indicated that they were “already working”; 12% said that finding a job was “very easy”; 13% said it was “moderately easy”; and 16% indicated “other.” For years post graduation, year one, five and ten, percent of employed graduates were 83, 93, 94 and 90, respectively (see Reference File 5).       

 

(CEPH Self-Study, Pages 194, 195,196)

 

 

CRITERION 4.6

 

ADVISING AND CAREER COUNSELING

 

Criterion 4.6.: There shall be available a clearly explained and accessible academic advising system for students, as well as readily available career and placement advice.

 

4.6a.            Description of the advising and career counseling services, including sample orientation materials such as student handbooks.

 

►            Online Links. One of the Program’s most outstanding graduates and alumni, Betty C. Jung, R.N., M.P.H., C.H.E.S., created and maintains one of the most extensive public health information and career planning Web sites available on the Internet. This Web site, recipient of many national awards and accessed by universities, private and public agencies and governments worldwide, is maintained by Ms. Jung who is an adjunct professor in the Department of Public Health and an epidemiologist III for the CT State Department of Public Health. The Web site can be accessed easily through the Department’s Web page or at www.bettycjung.net.

           

The Web site provides its users, both students and professionals, with the widest array of academic and professional resources in academic public health and practice. Whether the user is a student interested in how to present statistical data for a class project or report, complete a tutorial in epidemiology, obtain free software applicable to public health, locate an internship or job locally or around the world, or a professional interested in obtaining the latest information on topics related to public health, the Web site has much to offer.

►            Role of Alumni. A significant strength of the Department’s advisement strategy is the role played by the Public Health Chapter of the Alumni Association through its professional mentoring program, since 1994. Starting modestly as an alumni-centered activity, today the mentoring program called P.H.E.N.O.M. (Public Health Expertise Network of Mentors), features 51 national and international public health mentors (Appendix 39). Mentors, all of whom are volunteers, are available to potential and current students and alumni for academic and career planning advisement. The mentoring program description and a list of mentors are distributed to students at the Program orientation and are also available online. Since many of the Alumni Mentors are employed in the public health field, they offer students access to a vast network of health practitioners, who can also provide information and access to job opportunities. From 1999-2000, the Alumni Mentors responded to more than 90 requests for information. By comparison, as of September 2005, there were a total of 5,600 online inquiries from around the world. As of April 23, 2008, the P.H.E.N.O.M. Web site recorded more than 13,941 inquiries. In a relatively short period of time, P.H.E.N.O.M. has more than earned its name. P.H.E.N.O.M has been approved by the international Web-based organization, Peer Resources Network. In addition, the Alumni Association also has created the Public Health E-News (Appendix 40) and Public Health Jobs Electronic Newsletter (Appendix 41).

 

Table 4.6a.

    

Program Documents and Supportive Materials

 

Document/ Publication	Last Update	Pages	Description
On Line Mentoring Program	2007	NA	Lists of public health practitioners who are available to answer questions and provide career guidance about the field of public health.

 

 (CEPH Self-Study, Pages 210, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216)

 

 

►            Career Counseling.

 

►  Public Health Expert Network of Mentors (P.H.E.N.O.M.). Online mentoring, discussed previously under this Criterion, provided by an international group of public health professionals available to students for the purpose of exploring career options and opportunities. A product of the founder of the Department’s chapter of the University Alumni Association.

 

►  Betty C. Jung Web Site. One of the most comprehensive, public health Internet sites, previously discussed under this Criterion. Created by Betty C. Jung, MPH (1994), it offers one-stop shopping for public health, including a comprehensive careers and jobs site that contains the most popular job search engines.

 

(CEPH Self-Study, Pages 218, 219)