organizations, and student roles in evaluation of program functioning.
The MPH Student Association (MPH-SA) on campus plays an integral role in the organization, functioning, and evaluation of the MPH program. Students are full and respected partners in planning and implementing many program activities. All MPH students are automatically members of the MPH-SA, which is a registered student group with the Associated Students for San José State University under the name of Health Science and Recreation Student Association (See ERF for bylaws).
The MPH-SA Co-Chairs or their designee participate in the monthly MPH Campus Coordinator faculty meetings and have a vote (one vote for the student association) on everything except
personnel matters. MPH students, through the MPH-SA, may bring matters before the MPH Core faculty by requesting that they be put on the coming meeting agenda. Through the MPH-SA, MPH students plan, facilitate, and evaluate the New Student Orientation each fall; participate in
department and program Reunion Meetings the day before classes begin each semester; facilitate the MPH curriculum review process; plan, coordinate, and evaluate International Health Week activities; plan, host, and evaluate the annual sexual diversity workshop; and, with the faculty, plan the annual Spring Convocation. The MPH Student Association is responsible for all fundraising for
extracurricular program activities and for assuring that all activities are implemented within budget. The MPH-SA leaders are selected by consensus of the current students, with roles for everyone who wants to participate. The MPH-SA leadership works closely with the MPH Campus Coordinator and, often, with the leaders of the Health Science and Recreation Undergraduate Student
Association (HS-USA), on department-wide initiatives and activities. Figure 1.5.e.1 below shows the leadership/committee organization of the campus MPH Student Association for this academic year.
Figure 1.5.e.1
MPH Student Association Campus Leadership and Committee Structure, AY 2013-14
Committee Committee Leaders
MPH-SA Co-Chairs Alyssa Roy and Hannah Day
Treasurer Pamela Conelly
Convocation Committee Megan Griffin and Monica Ramirez
Diversity Committee TBD
Curriculum Review Committee Liezl Cruz and Maziel Giron
Social Committee Robin Wagner and Carmen Lau
Peer Mentor Coordinator Jennifer Do
In addition to these committees, MPH student Alexis Fields is represented on both the California Public Health Association – North (CPHA-N) and the NC-SOPHE Boards.
Many MPH program activities and events are planned, implemented, and evaluated (formally or informally) by the committees led by the MPH students listed above. In addition to online or in person evaluations of major events, such as the annual Sexual Diversity Event, evaluative feedback and reflections are shared informally when the leadership positions transition each year and more formally during student leadership retreats with MPH-SA Faculty Advisor. All of these data are used to enhance the program’s efforts to meet its objectives and serve its constituents.
The distance format has a slightly different leadership structure than the campus format. Distance students select their own cohort leaders. This election is conducted by the Year One cohort in the
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HS 201 Groups and Training course held during the five-day on-campus August week. Cohort leaders serve as an important mode of communication between the faculty and the students on general policy and curricular issues related to the MPH distance format.
The four leaders, two from each of the two cohorts, hold monthly conference calls with the MPH distance coordinator to share any cohort concerns and receive distance format updates. They are also invited to attend the monthly MPH distance faculty meeting where they can share concerns and ideas and listen to MPH program updates. In addition to the above, the second year cohort
develops a convocation committee that works with the distance coordinator to plan their graduation convocation that occurs at the end of the second year.
Figure 1.5.e.2
MPH Student Association Distance Leadership Structure, AY 2013-14 Distance Student Leaders Distance Cohort
Jodi Oster and Rachel Janowicz 2012
Jake Hanson and Deborah Pineda 2013
1.5.f. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met and an analysis of the program’s strengths, weaknesses and plans relating to this criterion.
This criterion is met.
The MPH program has clearly defined governance and committee structures and processes for general program policy development for planning; budget and resource allocation; student
recruitment, admission, and award of degrees; faculty recruitment, retention, promotion, and tenure, and academic standards and policies. The mission, vision, core values, principles, and definitions form the conceptual framework of the program. Faculty and administrator roles and responsibilities are outlined in university policy documents; student roles and responsibilities in program planning and evaluation are outlined in the student organization by-laws filed with the university. The program is operated through a long-established set of standing and ad hoc committees, each with a clear charge and appropriate composition. Program faculty members have key roles in college and university committees.
An identified weakness is the transition of leadership in the department under an interim chair. The process by which information is coordinated between units within the department has changed slightly – in the past we had monthly Director meetings. Hopefully we will reinstitute a regular Directors meeting schedule once a new department chair is hired. Another identified weakness is the limited opportunities for distance students to participate in MPH program events and
governance aside from online meetings with faculty and the time they spend with us during one week each August. We will explore ways that distance students may be more involved in MPH program governance, including admissions decisions, etc. For example, we invited distance students to participate in planning our Annual Sexual Diversity Event for 2014.
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