San José State University’s nondiscrimination policy commits the campus to “nondiscrimination on the
bases of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender status, marital status, pregnancy, age, disability or covered veteran status consistent with applicable federal and state laws.” The policy applies to all
SJSU faculty, staff, and student activities. The MPH program fully endorses and actively supports this policy. The MPH program’s Diversity Statement in Figure 1.8 provides the conceptual framework for program implementation of university nondiscrimination policies and procedures. The diversity statement is discussed and endorsed by the MPH Student Association (all MPH students) each year.
Figure 1.8
MPH Program Diversity Statement
Our diversity honors experiences, visions, choices, and realities. It is open to varied cultures, classes, ages, genders, orientations, and abilities. It acknowledges differences and the sharing of the experiences, challenges, and contributions of those differences.
Our diversity is built on tenets of respect, support, inclusion, and representation. It embraces and honors community, ethnicity, spirituality, sexuality, gender, and culture.
Our diversity provides a philosophical outlook that searches to find the points of interconnectedness among us, and accepts that not all points of view connect.
Our diverse community resolves to create spaces for all voices and stories to be equally shared, heard, and embraced.
Information on diversity resources for faculty, staff, and students are available on the SJSU website:
http://www.sjsu.edu/careercenter/students/specific-populations/diversity-resources/. General diversity resources, including career development, are available in addition to specific resources for African Americans, Asian-Americans. Latinos, and the LGBT communities.
v. Policies and plans to develop, review and maintain curricula and other opportunities including service learning that address and build competency in diversity and cultural considerations.
To support MPH Program Goal two which concerns diversity and multicultural communication (see section 1.2.c), the MPH curriculum infuses awareness, skills, and strategies of multicultural communication, cultural competence, inclusive excellence, and elimination of health disparities throughout the curriculum. Our curriculum is replete with opportunities to build competency in diversity and cultural considerations.
vi. and vii: Policies and plans to recruit, develop, promote and retain a diverse faculty and staff.
The Health Science and Recreation Department follows university policies and procedures for recruiting and retaining a diverse and qualified faculty and staff. San José State University’s
commitment to recruiting and appointing a qualified faculty is operationalized through the Guide for
Recruitment and Appointment of Tenure-Track Faculty
(http://www.sjsu.edu/facultyaffairs/unit3/tenuretrack/Recruitment_Guide_2013.pdf). A faculty search committee member attends a mandatory training on faculty diversity outreach strategies. Approval by the Provost is required for diversity outreach strategies before a faculty search may
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proceed (see ERC for memo approving the outreach strategy for our last position). The MPH program faculty is represented on all faculty and staff search committees.
Available faculty positions are publicized broadly. Per SJSU protocol, all faculty positions are announced in the Northern California Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (NC HERC), HigherEdJobs.com, CSU Career Opportunities, Cal Jobs/EDD, and the SJSU Office of Faculty Affairs http://www.sjsu.edu/facultyaffairs/unit3/tenuretrack/Employment/. During our last faculty search during AY 11-12, faculty announcements were posted on the APHA Latino Caucus, UC Berkeley, and The Spirit of 1848 listservs. Dr. Kathleen Roe also announced the position at the Center of Excellence in Minority Health Conference. Letters were also sent to Deans and Program Directors of the 53 CEPH accredited schools and programs of public health that confer doctoral degrees. Our own wide network of professional contacts is also activated whenever faculty
positions are available; position descriptions are disseminated through our colleagues at SOPHE and APHA and community partners.
The applicant review process for both faculty and staff positions values diversity as a positive qualification beginning with initial screening. Experience with multicultural populations and people of diverse backgrounds is specified in the position announcement, rated during application review, explored during the interviews, and observed during on site interactions with faculty, staff, and students. Per university policy, the chair and search committee review department goals and
strategies for recruiting diverse faculty and staff whenever new positions are available. The results of recruitment efforts are analyzed upon conclusion of every search effort and reported to Faculty Affairs.
viii. Policies and plans to recruit, admit, retain and graduate a diverse student body.
The MPH Core faculty admits two (campus and distance) annual cohorts of 25 highly dedicated individuals ready for graduate work and who are committed to the principles and approaches of public health and community health education. As stated in the MPH Admissions Information Packet the program particularly values cultural, language, and ethnic diversity; representation of previously under-represented groups; practical community health education experience; evidence of writing and analytical skills, and upper division coursework in the social sciences.
The MPH program employs four key strategies in its efforts to recruit a diverse and qualified student body:
An informative and up to date website:
http://www.sjsu.edu/hsr/academicprograms/mph/admissions/index.html
Admissions Packet – providing admissions information and criteria, background information about the SJSU MPH program’s mission and values, particularly as they relate to our commitment to diversity are included.
On-campus and virtual Admissions Information Meetings, open to the public and hosted by faculty. These meetings provide semi-structured opportunities for prospective applicants to learn about the program, meet informally with faculty and ask questions. At least six meetings are held each year between September and March, scheduled at various times and on different days of the week in an effort to be as accessible as possible.
Program publicity through alumni, community, and professional networks, including the MPH Program Student and Alumni electronic groups, Fieldwork Mentors, and professional
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organization listservs. MPH program brochures are routinely displayed at professional conferences, such as SOPHE, AAPHP, and the SJSU table at APHA.
ix. Regular evaluation of the effectiveness of the above-listed measures.
The MPH Core faculty monitors the effectiveness of our diversity objectives in searches in order to ensure the desired outcome of a diverse applicant pool. On intake forms, all MPH program
applicants are asked how they learned about our program. Each year we adjust information meeting schedules based on previous attendance patterns. As a result of a key recommendation made by the Admissions Working Group, we combined publicity for campus and distance admissions rather than having separate outreach strategies. All admissions information meetings, beginning AY 13-14, provide information on both campus and distance formats (formerly meetings were exclusively campus or distance). Also beginning AY 13-14, information meetings alternate between on-campus meetings and online delivery that incorporates our distance technology.
b. Evidence that shows that the plan or policies are being implemented. Examples may include mission/goals/objectives that reference diversity or cultural competence, syllabi and other course materials, lists of student experiences demonstrating diverse settings, records and statistics on faculty, staff and student recruitment, admission and retention.
Diversity is listed as a program value in all our materials and outreach – “Diversity: Assumed, encouraged, celebrated, honored, and engaged.”
Program Goal 2: A program environment that honors diversity, civility, honesty, collaboration, engagement, respect, and ethical practice (Instruction, Leadership, Service).
Program Objective 2 and related outcomes: The curriculum will infuse awareness, skills, and
strategies of multicultural communication, cultural competence, inclusive excellence, and elimination of health disparities throughout the curriculum.
Required course for all MPH students: HS 277 Multicultural Communication for Health Professionals
Annual Sexual Diversity Events (16 years in Spring 2014)
c. Description of how the diversity plan or policies were developed, including an explanation of the constituent groups involved.
The MPH program conforms to university policies and procedures prohibiting discrimination on the basis of age, gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or national origin. Policies and procedures are applied equitably to all individuals, from initial program interest through graduation and transition to alumni status. The department follows university policies for faculty recruitment as evidenced in our diversity faculty plan. Outcome measures were discussed and endorsed by the MPH Core faculty.
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