Program Assessment

Program-level assessment is conducted for all academic programs, as well as administrative and educational support (AES) units. Respectively, the Curriculum Committee and Assessment Committee are responsible for ensuring the integrity of these assessment activities. Each review is conducted over a two-year period: comprehensive reports are developed in year one, and in year two, results are shared with leadership and various stakeholders, with recommendations implemented. Guiding materials, templates for program review, and assessment schedules can be found below.

Academic Program Review

Working groups from each academic program conduct reviews, with support from administrative departments. The SPH Curriculum Committee is primarily responsible for ensuring the integrity of the assessment process, and results are reviewed by School leadership, Department Chairs, and Doctoral Directors.

Key questions that should be addressed in a programmatic self-study include:

•  How is effectiveness of this program defined?
•  What data is or should be collected to demonstrate effectiveness? How is it collected and analyzed?
•  How will stakeholders (faculty, staff, current students, alumni, employers, community partners) be engaged to gather input on our program?
•  How are we using data and stakeholder input to inform and strengthen programs?
•  Are our programs aligned with University and School mission and goals?
•  Are our programs complainant with professional and regional accrediting bodies?
•  How will we organize an external review of our programs by professional peer reviewers?

Minimum data elements provided by the Office for Institutional Research include:

•  Curriculum requirements
•  Applicant pool and admissions data
•  Student population: cohort sizes (FTE and HC), length of program, graduation rates, employment rates
•  Student and alumni survey results
•  Course evaluations in aggregate
•  Samples of student assignments and culminating projects
•  Faculty list (FTE and HC): qualifications, courses taught, advising assignments, scholarly activity
•  Fieldwork sites, project titles, student feedback, preceptor feedback

 

Academic Program 2019-2020 2020-2021 2022-2024 2023-2025 2024-2026 2025-2027
MPH-Community Health X
MPH-Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences X
MPH-Epidemiology & Biostatistics X
MPH-Health Policy and Management X
MPH-Public Health Nutrition X
MS-Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences X
MS-Global and Migrant Health Policy*
MS-Health Communication for Social Change*
MS-Population Health Informatics*
PhD-Community Health & Health Policy*
PhD-Environmental and Planetary Health Sciences*
PhD-Epidemiology*
Public Health Core Course Review X

*New programs are not reviewed until five years after implementation
** Assessment process paused for revision in 2021-2022

Faculty should use the academic program review template to develop their programmatic self-study.

Key questions that should be addressed in a programmatic self-study include:

  • How is the effectiveness of this program defined?
  • What data is or should be collected to demonstrate effectiveness? How is it analyzed?
  • How will stakeholders (faculty, staff, current students, alumni, employers, community partners) be engaged to gather input on our program?
  • How are we using data and stakeholder input to inform and strengthen the program?
  • How is this program aligned with University and School mission and goals?
  • Is this program compliant with professional and regional accrediting bodies?
  • How will we organize an external review of our programs by professional peer reviewers?

Minimum data elements provided by the Office of Institutional Research include but are not limited to:

  • Applicant pool and admission data
  • Student population: cohort sizes (FTE and HC), length of program, graduation rates, employment rates
  • Student and alumni survey results
  • Course evaluations in aggregate
  • Faculty list (FTE and HC): qualifications, courses taught, advising assignments, scholarly activity

Administrative and Educational Support (AES) Assessment

Working groups from each unit conduct reviews, with support from administrative offices, including Institutional Research. The SPH Assessment Committee is primarily responsible for ensuring the integrity of the assessment process, and results are reviewed by School leadership.

Existing data elements which might be applicable to these units and can be provided by the Office for Institutional Research include:

  • Continuing and New Student Survey
  • Graduating Student Survey
  • Alumni data
  • Student enrollment
AES Unit 2019-2020 2020-2021 2022-2024 2023-2025 2024-2026 2025-2027 2026-2028
Student Records and Finance

·      Office of the Registrar

·      Office of the Bursar

·      Office of Financial Aid

X
Student and Alumni Support and Success

·      Academic Advising

·      Student Life & Activities

·      Career Services

·      Office of Experiential Learning

X
Admissions and Recruitment X
Sponsored Programs and Research X* X
SPH Foundation X
Operations

·      Security

·      Facilities

·      Business Services and Finance

·      Human Resources

·      Information Technology

X
Communication and Marketing X

*Delayed due to staffing changes
** Assessment process paused for revision in 2021-2022

Administrators and staff should use the AES unit review template to develop their unit’s self-study.

Existing data elements that might be applicable to these units and can be provided by the Office of Institutional Research include:

  • Continuing student survey results
  • Graduating student survey results
  • Alumni data
  • Student enrollment data
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