Ejecución y explotación

Faculty and many students in the MPH program have myriad opportunities to be actively engaged in a wide variety of community-based research activities. Our projects are as varied as our individual skills, interests, and available time, but they all share a commitment to practical and empowering community collaboration. As a small faculty whose first priority is the integrity of the MPH program, we are committed to research and scholarship that enhance our teaching and interactions with students. We also share a commitment to integrating teaching, research, and service so that our students and community partners benefit from our scholarship.

We strive to maintain a balance of scholarship and teaching within the constraints of a small department and the context of a teaching rather than research-oriented university. The integration of teaching and

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The MPH program's research and scholarly activities are guided by the broader policies and procedures of San José State University, the Division of Graduate Studies and Research, and the Health Science and Recreation Department.

 Faculty recruitment: Formal guidance and support for faculty research and scholarship occur at the university, college, and department levels. Hiring procedures specify research capability and/or creative or scholarly productivity as prerequisites of all SJSU tenure track positions. Per University policy, research experience, scholarship, or creative achievement are a part of all new faculty job descriptions. Per Program policy, candidates for MPH Core faculty positions must demonstrate not only experience with research, but also a pattern of scholarship that includes publications and conference presentations. We seek faculty candidates who can demonstrate skills for developing a productive research agenda while maintaining the teaching load required of our university. See the ERF for our most recent faculty job announcement.

 Retention, tenure, and promotion policies of the University identify two basic criteria for evaluation: effectiveness in academic assignment, and scholarly or artistic or professional

achievement. Information on faculty retention, tenure, and promotion procedures and policies can be found at http://www.sjsu.edu/facultyaffairs/unit3/RTP/index.html. (See ERF for SJSU

Appointment, Retention, Tenure and Promotion Criteria, Standards and Procedures). The University defines

scholarly achievement as "books, articles, reviews, technical reports, computer software, application for and/or

award of grants, or papers read to scholarly associations." This definition allows wide latitude for individual

faculty research development and scholarly contribution. The retention, tenure, and promotion process itself provides a useful vehicle for establishing and regularly articulating the specifics of each faculty member's research/scholarship agenda and objectives. Tenure-track faculty members are reviewed annually at the department and college levels, and bi-annually at the university level. Tenured faculty members have a post-tenure review every five years. Throughout the retention, tenure, and promotion process; a feedback system is developed between faculty members and their department, college, and university review committees. One of the carefully scrutinized areas is quality and productivity of research and/or scholarship.

 Faculty research development opportunities are available through the University, the Division of Graduate Studies and Research, the Faculty Affairs Division, and the College of Applied Sciences and Arts, including:

o College of Applied Sciences and Arts:

 Center for Applied Social Services Research (CARHS): Provides

various writing and research support for college faculty. CARHS hosts events throughout the year.

 Incentive Grants Awards: $25,000 incentive grants through a competitive process to CASA faculty researchers. Last award given AY 2012-2013.

o SJSU Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity (RSCA) grant program: Provides support to tenure-track and tenured faculty at all stages of their careers for research, scholarship, or creative activities. Faculty may apply for release time, for summer salary, and/or for funds up to $5000. Support may include professional travel, materials and

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supplies, or student research assistants. A description and instructions are available in the ERF.

o Sybil Weir/John Galm Award – This award is designed to assist junior faculty in

establishing and developing their careers at San José State University. This grant is endowed is offered every few years.

 The SJSU Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, which provides infrastructure support for faculty sponsored research. The Foundation's pre- and post-award services support researchers with proposal development, fiscal management, and administrative tasks. Each College is assigned a sponsored program manager who is responsible for assistance in preparing, processing, and submitting research grant proposals. Angela Mercado is the sponsored program manager for CASA. The SJSU Research Foundation’s forms, policies, and other resources for faculty researchers are available at Research Foundation. The Human Subjects-Institutional Review Board Packet for Investigators, outlining policies and procedures can be found in Appendix 3-C and can be accessed at http://www.sjsu.edu/gradstudies/Research/irb.html.

 Grant Central is a web portal sponsored by Graduate Studies and Research where faculty can find

resources for grant writing support and workshops, funding opportunities, project administration guides, etc.

 Continuing education and peer support activities encourage the sharing of resources,

information, and networking essential to developing and implementing research in a comprehensive university whose primary mission is teaching. Both the University and the College make consistent efforts to provide continuing education and peer support for faculty research. Organized forums on grant development, open access to the program development officers of the SJSU Research

Foundation, and individually tailored funding alerts create a climate of interest and encouragement of faculty research efforts. MPH faculty members are encouraged to participate in any and all activities that support the development and implementation of their research goals.

 Sabbatical leave provides an opportunity for faculty to step away from their teaching

responsibilities for either one semester (full salary) or for an entire academic year (half salary). Tenured faculty members are eligible to apply for sabbatical leave every seven years. The

competitive application process requires the faculty member to develop a research or scholarship plan for the time away from campus. Within the last 3 years, Drs. Van Ta Park (Fall 2013) and Kathleen Roe (Fall 2011) were awarded sabbatical leaves.

 Difference in pay leaves are available for faculty wishing to conduct research or to pursue professional development opportunities. They may be taken for a single semester or for two

consecutive semesters. The salary for a DIP leave is calculated as the difference between the faculty employee’s salary and the minimum salary at the instructor rank. During this period of review Dr. Gerstman participated in a DIP leave from Fall 2010 and Spring 2011. He published two peer- reviewed publications and updated the 3rd _{edition of his textbook Epidemiology Kept Simple published} by Wiley Blackwell.

 Travel support is allocated to maximize research and professional development activities of Health Science and Recreation faculty and students. Per Department policy, travel funds are prioritized to support tenured and tenure-track faculty to present their scholarly work at professional meetings.  Flexibility in administration of research monies is perhaps one of the most important informal

policies for a small faculty with a community-based program. Our commitment to practical scholarship that meets emergent community needs and actively involves students leads us more

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towards small sub-contracts with health departments or community agencies, and less towards large research grants. The San José State University Research Foundation provides a mechanism for administering our larger projects, with the benefit of an annual percentage return to the Department. However, even reduced administrative overhead is sometimes too much for the more modest dollars available for the kinds of program-specific evaluation or consultation that we find so

beneficial to the MPH program. Our ability to sub-contract directly with community-based agencies within the limits delineated by the university makes it possible for MPH program faculty and

students to be involved in a wide variety of smaller projects that result in faculty scholarship opportunities, student research experiences, and community contributions.

3.1.b. Description of current research activities undertaken in collaboration with local, state, national or