Department of Health Science

P.O. Box 30001, MSC 3HLS

Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001

Phone 505-646-4300

Fax 505-646-4343

Web site www.nmsu.edu/~hlthdpt

CONTACT:

Stephen D. Arnold, Ph.D.

Academic Department Head

Email sarnold@nmsu.edu

The Master of Public Health (MPH) in Community Health Education at New Mexico State University (NMSU) is a new program. The first three students were admitted in the Spring semester of 1996. In just three years the program has grown to a current enrollment of 27 students.

In addition to the MPH program, the Department of Health Science also houses a well-established SABPAC-approved Bachelor of Community Health degree program with 120 student majors.

The program shall have a clearly formulated and publicly stated mission with supporting goals and objectives.

As stated in the current New Mexico State University (NMSU) Graduate Catalog, the mission of the Department of Health Science (and the MPH program) is to preserve and enhance the health of the public and prevent illness and injury through education, research and service programs. This mission statement, which reflects the collaborative thinking and vision of the faculty, students and community leaders, includes both the undergraduate and graduate programs.

Education - The primary responsibility of the Department of Health Science is to provide quality education in the areas of public health at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Research - The Department of Health Science supports the advancement of knowledge and enrichment of its academic programs through research and other creative endeavors. Please see Criterion VI for a description of the department's philosophy on research.

Public Service - The Department of Health Science provides public service that advances the profession and meets the education and health needs of people of New Mexico and beyond.

Research and Public Service - The MPH program serves to strengthen linkages and maintain cooperative relationships between the MPH program and the NM Department of Health, community health-related agencies, and the communities of southern New Mexico in order to foster applied research, public service and to ensure that the knowledge gained through the program’s instructional efforts are applied to the health-related needs of southern New Mexico.

The MPH strives to conduct research in community health focusing on: (a) working with local agencies and communities to assess and prioritize health needs and issues of populations living along the US-Mexican international border, (b) communicating these needs and health priorities to stakeholders and constituency groups, (c) identifying external sources of funding that may help communities address these health priorities, (d) program interventions, including educational methods and processes, and the evaluation of the resultant effects including what people know, how they learn, and how they use information to improve, protect and restore their health; (e) methods of motivating people to improve and protect their health; (f) evaluation, analysis and documentation of community health behavior skills that are essential in maintaining a healthy life style. Public service and outreach activities are achieved through close working relationships with the professionals in the field; through professional societies by serving on editorial boards and reviewing research proposals; and by providing consultation to official and voluntary agencies.

Related to the departmental mission are the MPH program goals, described in further detail in the next section and also in Criterion V. C., Documentation Part 1:

1. GOAL: To prepare community health educators who have knowledge of community health and public health, health promotion and disease prevention.
2. GOAL: To prepare community health educators for health education responsibilities in program planning, development, implementation, and evaluation.
3. GOAL: To prepare community health educators to plan and deliver health education programs that reflect cultural sensitivity and which best address health needs among populations living along the US-Mexico border.
4. GOAL: To prepare community health educators to apply appropriate research principles and methods in health education, administer health education programs, and advance the profession of health education.
5. GOAL: To engage graduate students and faculty in the department in community based activities through education research and service.
6. GOAL: To provide expertise in the resolution of international, national, state, and local issues related to the provision of health promotion and illness prevention services, especially among under-served populations.

1. GOAL: To prepare community health educators who have knowledge of community health and public health, health promotion and disease prevention

1. OBJECTIVE: Community health educators will demonstrate knowledge of the basic foundations of public health in the areas of biostatistics, epidemiology, health administration, and environmental health, as well as in the psycho-social aspects of community health, and how each area contributes to the health education program planning and/or evaluation process
2. OBJECTIVE: Community health educators will demonstrate knowledge of the field of public health and the professional role of community health educators

1. GOAL: To prepare community health educators for health education responsibilities in program planning, development, implementation, and evaluation.

1. OBJECTIVE: Community health educators will demonstrate the ability to apply community needs assessment information (both primary and secondary data) in planning an appropriate health education interventions.
2. OBJECTIVE: Community health educators will demonstrate knowledge of various models of behavior change, including community organization and empowerment strategies, in planning health education programs to promote community health.
3. OBJECTIVE: Community health educators will design and conduct program evaluation and research studies, to apply quantitative and qualitative methods, and computer-based data-processing skills.
4. OBJECTIVE: Community health educators will complete a community agency-based field experience that will include planning, implementing, and evaluating intervention programs.

1. GOAL: To prepare community health educators to plan and deliver health education programs that reflect cultural sensitivity and which best address health needs among populations living along the US-Mexico border.

1. OBJECTIVE: Community health educators will apply knowledge related to the important role cultural beliefs and practices play in a population’s health practices in developing culturally appropriate, relevant, and sensitive health education programs.

1. GOAL: To prepare community health educators to apply appropriate research principles and methods in health education, administer health education programs, and advance the profession of community health education.

1. OBJECTIVE: Community health educators will conduct thorough reviews of literature, use appropriate qualitative and quantitative research methods, and apply research to health education practice.
2. OBJECTIVE: Community health educators will obtain acceptance and support for health education programs, develop and manage fiscal and human resources, and exercise organizational leadership skills in administering health education programs.
3. OBJECTIVE: Community health educators will critically analyze current and future needs in health education, develop an awareness of the various associations within the profession, create a plan for personal growth in the profession, subscribe to and be able to relate the importance of a code of ethics to professional practice.

5. GOAL: To engage graduate students and faculty in the department in community based activities through education, research and service.

1. OBJECTIVE: To incorporate community based activities in the program curriculum.
2. OBJECTIVE: Establish collaboration between students and faculty and community agencies as consultants and in scholarly and evaluative research.
3. OBJECTIVE: Establish collaboration between students and faculty and community agencies in community service activities.

5. GOAL: To provide expertise in the resolution of international, national, state, and local issues related to the provision of health promotion and illness prevention services, especially among under-served populations.

1. OBJECTIVE: To actively engage students and faculty in research in the area of provision of health promotion and illness prevention services among under-served populations.
2. OBJECTIVE: Engage students and faculty, in collaboration with community groups, in the analysis of policies related to the provision of health promotion and illness prevention services in under-served populations.

The program mission, goals and objectives were developed when the program was created in 1996. They are reviewed and revised annually by department faculty and by the department's external advisory committee. Input is also solicited from graduate research and teaching assistants. The mission and goal statements are made available to the public on request, and via departmental brochures and web pages.

This criterion is met. The Department of Health Science has a clearly formulated and publicly stated mission with supporting goals and objectives.

New Mexico State University has a university-wide commitment to assessing the effectiveness of all departments in academic achievement/student learning, research and public service. Each year, all departments are required to prepare and submit annual outcomes assessment reports, which are reviewed by a university-wide committee that provides feedback to each department. In addition, department faculty, the department head and the college dean review the department's annual outcome assessment report. Each year changes are made to improve the program, based on data collected and analyzed.

During the past several years New Mexico State University has been engaged in a range of activities in support of institutional planning. One significant initiative was a strategic planning effort culminating in final recommendations from the Strategic Planning Committee in March 1998. An equally significant, institution-wide effort was the three-year program review process, which served as the basis for the institutional self-study in preparation for the North Central Association's (NCA) consideration of the university's reaccredidation (NMSU was reaccredited by NCA until 2008). A third institutional planning and assessment mechanism was the NCA evaluation team visit, which generated a very supportive final report and recommendations for further institutional consideration. In addition, our colleges and university administration are continually engaged in planning and the refinement of their program directions and priorities. Planning also is done through existing budgeting processes at all levels of the university and through established procedures for governance.

The program shall be an integral part of an accredited institution of higher education.

New Mexico State University is the only land-grant university that is classified as a Carnegie Research I University, U.S. Department of Education-designated Minority Institution, Hispanic Serving Institution, and NASA Space Grant University.

New Mexico State University is a thriving center of higher education deeply rooted in the tricultural tradition of the Southwest. Situated at the gateway to Mexico, the university’s 6,250-acre campus is among the largest in the world. Founded in 1888 as Las Cruces College, the university was established the following year as a land-grant college by an act of the Legislative assembly of the Territory of New Mexico in accordance with provisions of the Morrill Act. As New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, the institution grew steadily over the next 71 years, fulfilling its purpose as a nonsectarian center of learning in the broadest possible service to the state and nation.

The growth and maturity of the institution was formally recognized in 1960 when the constitution of New Mexico was amended to change its' name to New Mexico State University. Today, the university’s students can major in 75 areas of undergraduate study in six undergraduate colleges. The Graduate School offers 51 areas of study at the master’s level, 4 areas at the Specialist in Education level, and 24 at the doctoral level. The university is accredited to offer degrees through the doctorate by the North Central Association. In addition, many departments and colleges are further accredited by organizations serving their special fields.

In its growth and expansion, the university has achieved distinction in many special fields. It has on its campus one of the three full-time planetary observatories in the nation, as well as one of the largest computer centers in the Southwest. New Mexico State University ranks in the top two percent of institutions in the nation for providing personal computers for students. The university is among the top 100 colleges and universities across the nation in research and development, classified as a Carnegie I Research University, with the total research budget estimated to be more than $300 million.

The university’s central campus is located as the southernmost interchange of the Pan American Highway (Interstate 25) in southern New Mexico. Also bordering the campus is Interstate 10, the principal east-west route across the southern United States. The university is adjacent to Las Cruces, New Mexico (population 70,000), and is less than 50 miles from the international border cities of El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, with their combined populations of more than one million.

Most departments at NMSU offer academic programs leading to one or more advanced degrees. The research facilities (laboratories, instruments, and library) are modern and up-to-date. In addition, the university maintains organized research units outside the departmental structure. These research units aid research, promote an inter-departmental approach, and enhance the teaching of participating faculty members. They do not offer programs leading to advanced degrees, but they may provide research training to graduate students dedicated to various projects under faculty supervision.

New Mexico State University has been accredited since 1926 by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools as a degree-granting institution. The university was accredited in 1954 by the American Association of University Women.

Names of the accrediting bodies (other than CEPH) to which the University is responsible:

• For the College of Engineering the accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology has accredited baccalaureate degree curricula in agricultural, chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, and mechanical engineering, and for the bachelor and associate degree programs in civil, electronic, and mechanical engineering technology.
• The baccalaureate degree programs and the Master of Business Administration offered in the College of Business Administration and Economics are accredited by the American Assembly of Collegiate schools of Business.
• The university’s teacher preparation program, which involves several colleges and which is directed by the College of Education, was accredited in 1962 by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education
• The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, is accredited by the American Chemical Society.
• Music curricula in the Department of Music, College of Arts and Sciences, are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music.
• The Department of Social Work, College of Health and Social Services, is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
• The Bachelor of Community Health program, Department of Health Science, is approved by a joint committee of the Society for Public Health Education and the American Association for Health Education (SABPAC).
• The Department of Animal and Range Sciences is accredited by the Society for Range Management.
• The Master’s of Public Administration program in the Department of Government is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration.
• The Department of Nursing Graduate Program is accredited by the National League for Nursing.
• The Counseling Psychology Program within the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology in the College of Education is accredited by the American Psychological Association.

Appendices A, B, and C include the organizational charts of the University, College and Department, respectively.

Authority for the policies of the university is vested in a five-member Board of Regents, appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the State Senate. The membership, appointment, qualifications, and terms of the members of the board and their removal and replacement are governed by the constitution and laws of the State of New Mexico. The Faculty Senate chairperson and the president of Associated Students of New Mexico State University (ASNMSU) are ex-officio members of the Board of Regents. The board delegates authority for the internal management of the institution to the president.

The president is the chief executive officer of the university and is directly responsible to the Board of Regents for the overall program of the university. The president is responsible for the execution of such measures as the Board of Regents may enact regarding the administration of the university and of all approved measures presented by the Faculty Senate or the various councils of the university; however, administration of these matters may be delegated by the president.

This criterion is met. The Department of Health Science is an integral part of an accredited institution of higher education.

The program shall provide an organizational setting conducive to teaching and learning, research and service. The organizational setting shall facilitate interdisciplinary communication, cooperation and collaboration and shall foster the development by the program of professional public health values, concepts and ethics.

Appendices A, B, and C include the organizational charts of the university, college and department, respectively.

The Master of Public Health (MPH) in Community Health Education degree offered by the Department of Health Science in the College of Health and Social Services complements the existing Bachelor of Community Health degree offered by the department. While requiring a core set of courses, the degree is interdisciplinary in design to allow integration with other graduate programs at NMSU (e.g. social work, sociology, anthropology). The program does not duplicate any projected programs or others that are currently in existence at the university.

The MPH degree advances health education at NMSU to the graduate level. It is a direct extension of the existing Bachelor of Community Health which prepares health educators for entry-level positions. Experience from similar combined BCH and MPH in community health education programs (East Stroudsburg State and Southern Connecticut State University) has demonstrated that the establishment of an MPH program enhances recruitment of both students and faculty and increases prospects for obtaining external funding for research activities. In effect, the inclusion of the MPH program serves to elevate the overall quality of instruction and research at the undergraduate level.

As other states are likely to follow the example set by California, New Jersey, and North Carolina in requiring the MPH degree of its health educators, offering the MPH as a complement to the existing BCH will help its graduates better meet national hiring trends in the future. Those with an MPH, or a master’s degree in a health education-related area, are also allowed to waive two years of the three years experience required by the New Mexico Department of Health for entry in a Health Educator II position.

The program is designed to complement, rather than duplicate, any existing graduate programs at NMSU and others in the State. In fact, other university graduate courses are incorporated into the MPH program as concentration or elective courses. (In the non-thesis option MPH students are required to complete a minimum of nine credits of electives courses from among several health and education-related programs at NMSU.)

A tentative verbal agreement has been established between NMSU and the University of New Mexico School of Medicine (UNM-SOM) MPH in Community/Preventive Medicine program as follows. Students in the MPH program at NMSU may complete a concentration in epidemiology from UNM. This concentration comes from the completion of advanced epidemiology courses (such as courses in chronic disease and infectious disease epidemiology) offered through the UNM-SOM MPH program. To date, no students from NMSU have taken advantage of this opportunity.

The Department of Health Science has established a close working relationship with a number of agencies/departments both on- and off-campus.

1. The Department of Health Science works closely with the Department of Nursing and the Department of Social Work (which are also in the College of Health and Social Services). For example, nursing faculty have been an integral part of the W.K. Kellogg grant for Graduate Medical and Nursing Education (GMNE) entitled "Community Partnerships in Graduate Medical and Nursing Education" which falls under the administrative structure of the Department of Health Science.
2. Department of Health Science faculty have recently collaborated on a large research grant with faculty from the Department of Social Work and from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
3. Numerous outer-departmental faculty have served on Department of Health Science graduate committees.
4. The Department of Health Science administers several large service grants including:

1. Southern Area Health Education Center (SoAHEC)
2. Border Health Education Training Center (BHETC)
3. Allied Health Career Opportunity Program (AHCOP)
4. Border Epidemiology and Environmental Health Center (BEEC)

A partial list of field experience sites utilized by the undergraduate and graduate programs during the past three years is provided in Criterion IV, Documentation Part 8. These external agencies, particularly the New Mexico Public Health Office (District III) and the New Mexico Border Health Office, both in Las Cruces, have proven to be valuable local resources. Employees of these two agencies (and others) have served as instructors, guest lecturers, members of the department advisory committee, field experience supervisors, and contacts for technical information. Additional guest speakers have been utilized from El Paso, Albuquerque, and as far away as Phoenix. A relationship has also been established with the Indian Health Service in Northern New Mexico via student field experiences and through the Department of Health Science AHCOP program.

Consistent with the Institutes of Medicine (IOM) The Future of Public Health (1988) publication, the department and MPH program are committed to the IOM Committee’s definition of public health as "fulfilling society’s interest in assuring conditions in which people can be healthy". This is reflected in the MPH program’s mission statement and in its goals. It seeks to educate practitioners to apply scientific and technical knowledge through organized community effort to promote the public’s health and prevent disease and injury. Though the department is developmentally not equivalent to a school of public health, it seeks to fulfill its dual role or responsibilities to both develop knowledge and to produce well-trained professionals and practitioners, as well as to have faculty and students involved in public service outreach efforts with the local department of health and other health-related community agencies. Its success in meeting these goals are measured each year as part of the department’s outcomes assessment and program effectiveness evaluation efforts.

The public health perspectives and values of departmental faculty are not only the in the departmental mission statement and goals, but also in the learning objectives that guide the curriculum as well (see Criterion V. C. Documentation Part 1). These learning objectives are based upon the need to:

1. educate students regarding the areas of knowledge basic to public health (biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health sciences, health services administration, and social and behavioral sciences),
2. ensure that students acquire skills and experience in the application of basic public health concepts of specialty knowledge to the solution of community health problems, and
3. ensure that students demonstrate the integration of knowledge through a culminating experience (the field experience and other experiences described later in this report).

The Standards for the Preparation of Graduate-Level Health Educators (Society for Public Health Education, Inc. & American Association for Health Education, 1997) led in the development of learning objectives included under Goals II and IV for the NMSU MPH program. Healthy People 2000 and state and local needs were also influential in the development of these learning objectives. The learning objectives reflect the following themes:

1. Culture, economics, political power and organization, social inequality and education are factors that promote or discourage individual and collective health behaviors and impact upon the community’s disease, disability, and mortality rates. The prevention of disease, disability and premature death requires social action to address these factors.
2. The application of epidemiology and biostatistical methods to assess and monitor the health of communities and to identify patterns of disease and their social correlates are essential components of public health.
3. Optimal public health requires the translation of new knowledge and information into effective public policies that address health problems at appropriate levels (international, national, regional, state and local) and academic public health programs have a role in the collaboration with governmental leaders.
4. Changes in individual health behavior may be influenced by changes in public policy, but are best optimized through interventions that educate communities and which motive health lifestyle changes at both the individual and community levels. Use of information technologies and communications media are essential to success in such efforts.
5. Research programs to promote healthy behavior must incorporate the profession’s principles of ethics including honesty in interactions with others, promotion of both individual and collective good, and prevention of harm, respect for the self-determination of others, and promotion of equitable treatment of all persons.

These values and guiding principles are included in the MPH curriculum.

Admission to the Department of Health Science is based upon policies designed to treat students fairly and objectively. In addition to NMSU graduate school admission policies and procedures, the department has developed its' own admission policies which are published in the NMSU Graduate catalog and on the department web pages. Admission decisions are based on a majority vote of the graduate faculty after review of the applicant's materials.

New Mexico State University is committed to a diverse student body as described in part by the Center for International Programs. This office facilitates the admission of all international students.

The Department of Health Science strongly promotes an environment of academic integrity. The NMSU Division of Student Affairs publishes the Student Handbook which clearly specifies a code of conduct and discipline policies and procedures. Further, the Graduate School specifies university-wide expectations of academic integrity.

This criterion is met. New Mexico State University provides an organizational setting conducive to teaching and learning, research and service. NMSU facilitates interdisciplinary communication, cooperation and collaboration and fosters the development by the Department of Health Science of professional health values, concepts and ethics.

The program administration and faculty shall have clearly defined rights and responsibilities concerning program governance and academic policies. Where appropriate, students shall have participatory roles in program governance.

The Department of Health Science is bound to the policies and procedures specified by New Mexico State University for administrative structure, governance, and committee structures. Further, the College of Health and Social Services specifies additional policies and procedures as does the NMSU Graduate School.

Within the department, all full-time and particularly tenure-line faculty are involved with the program's administration and governance through various formal and informal processes. The department has several standing committees, which ensure faculty involvement on a formal level. In addition, faculty meetings are held at least monthly to discuss emerging issues on a more informal basis.

1. General program policy development is completed by the department head with the consultation, advice and approval of program faculty and the appropriate committee(s).
2. Planning is completed by the department head with the consultation, advice and approval of program faculty and the appropriate committee(s).
3. Budget and resource allocation to each department is determined by the college dean, who receives instruction and general (I&G) money allocated to each college by central administration.
4. Student recruitment, admission and awarding of degrees is accomplished by program faculty, department head, college dean, and graduate school dean in accordance with university policies and procedures and with the appropriate committees.
5. Faculty recruitment, retention, promotion and tenure is accomplished by program faculty, department head, college dean, and graduate school dean in accordance with university policies and procedures and with the appropriate committees.
6. Academic standards are maintained by program faculty, department head, college dean, and graduate school dean in accordance with university policies and procedures and with the appropriate committees.
7. Research and service expectations are communicated to program faculty by the department promotion and tenure committee, the college promotion and tenure committee, the department head and the college dean.

The Department of Health Science also utilizes an external advisory committee consisting of 12 members of the professional community and alumni plus 4 graduate students currently enrolled in the program.

Department faculty are also elected or appointed to college committees including:

Department faculty are also elected or appointed to university committees including:

• CHES COMMITTEE: Members of the Certified Health Education Specialist Event Approval Committee are responsible for reviewing applications from continuing education event providers and making recommendations for approval. Meetings of the Committee take place on a periodic and on an as-needed basis.
• COLLEGE APPEALS COMMITTEE: Serve as the departmental representative on the committee, which process student appeals.
• COLLEGE RESEARCH COUNCIL: Serves as departmental representative to read and advise on small grant proposals for funding, organize two events per year on research issues for the college, serve in an advisory capacity to the dean on research issues and needs of the college.
• COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES: A Faculty Senate Committee consisting of Senior Senators. Appoints other senators to specific committees.
• CURRICULUM: (College) Meets annually. Under the direction and supervision of the college dean. Other members are from Nursing and Social Work. Considers, discusses questions and recommendations, reviews proposed changes to curriculum, then makes recommendations to the chair.
• CURRICULUM: (Department) Considers, discusses questions and recommendations, reviews proposed changes to curriculum, then makes recommendations to the chair.
• DEPARTMENT WEB PAGE UPDATE: Design, modify, update and expand departmental web pages.
• ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DEGREE DEVELOPMENT: Develop curriculum and full proposal to create a new undergraduate degree program in environmental health at NMSU.
• ETA FACULTY ADVISOR: Serve in an advisory capacity, guiding and helping the group to achieve their goal and vision, attend some of their events, assist officers when requested.
• FACULTY SENATE LIBRARY COMMITTEE: (a) Actively monitor university-wide faculty concerns about university library resources, policy and services, (b) work with the dean of the library in developing library policies which meet the needs of faculty, staff and students, (c) advise and consult with the university administration about: (1) the state of the library: resources, services and policy, and (2) the university commitment necessary to assure that the library adequately serves the teaching, research and public service missions of the university.
• GRADUATE PROGRAM COORDINATOR: Maintain enrollment and admissions statistics, coordinate faculty review of all completed student admission applications, assign faculty advisors to newly admitted students, meet with prospective students, coordinate mailing of information and application packets to prospective students.
• INTERDISCIPLINARY EDUCATION COMMITTEE: reviews issues that affect the entire college, i.e., College Curriculum.
• LIBRARY LIAISON: Work with the library to identify and order new books and journals needed by the department.
• MPH ADMISSIONS: Review applications, meet to discuss new graduate student admissions, develop criteria and scoring for admission of incoming students.
• OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT COORDINATOR: Develop assessments for classes for faculty use at the mid-point and end of a semester, collect data that may be relevant for outcomes measurement for the department, author the annual "Outcomes Assessment" report.
• PROMOTION AND TENURE: Conduct reviews of the qualifications of each candidate for promotion and tenure. Reviews each faculty member's "Annual Performance Evaluation" each year. This committee is advisory to the academic department head and recommendations based upon the findings of the reviews are submitted in writing.
• UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM COORDINATOR: Meet with pre-BCH or other interested students, process admissions of students twice per year, coordinate field experience orientation and final presentations, develop tracking forms to help in tracking decisions about student admissions.
• UNIVERSITY SENATE: Meets regularly, discusses new legislation, new policy, brings it to a vote.

This list is included in the section above.

This criterion is met. The program administration and faculty have clearly defined rights and responsibilities concerning program governance and academic policies. The list of faculty membership on committees is evidence of this.

The program shall have resources adequate to fulfill its stated mission and goals, and it’s instructional, research and service objectives.

The following budget for the Department of Health Science includes both the undergraduate and graduate programs. Since the graduate program originated in 1996, data is only available for the past four (4) years.

The MPH Program portion of the budget is difficult to estimate since the Department of Health Science operates with one budget for all academic programs (which are the graduate MPH program and the undergraduate BCH program). However, one reasonable estimate would be to split the budget as a percentage according to the number of FTE faculty assigned to teach in the undergraduate and graduate programs. As indicated in the next section (Criterion IV, Documentation Part 2), there are 3.3 FTE faculty assigned to teach in the undergraduate program and 2.95 FTE faculty assigned to teach in the graduate program. The total is 6.25 FTE teaching faculty. Thus, the MPH Program percentage is 2.95/6.25 = 47%. Since this is only an estimate, it seems reasonable to round up to 50% with the summary statement that the Department of Health Science's budget is estimated to be equally split between the undergraduate and graduate programs.

The following budget is for the Southern Area Health Education Center (SoAHEC) and the Border Health Education and Training Center (BHETC), which fall under the administrative structure of the Department of Health Science. SoAHEC also includes a W.K. Kellogg grant for Graduate Medical and Nursing Education (GMNE) entitled "Community Partnerships in Graduate Medical and Nursing Education."

The following budget is for the Allied Health Career Opportunity Program (AHCOP), which falls under the administrative structure of the Department of Health Science (Dr. Delfi Mondragon, Principle Investigator):

The following budget is for the Border Health Office (BHO) grant, which falls under the administrative structure of the Department of Health Science (Dr. Stephen D. Arnold, Principle Investigator):

The following budget is for the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) grant, which falls under the administrative structure of the Department of Health Science (Dr. Satya Krishnan, Principle Investigator):

During the Spring semester of 1999 the Department of Health Science had 66 "pre" and 48 "full" community health majors for a total of 114 undergraduate majors. With 3.3 FTE faculty assigned to the undergraduate program (from table above), this calculates to a student/faculty ratio of 35/1 for the undergraduate program. Advising of the 66 "pre" majors is done by the full-time College Advising Coordinator (Carol MacAllister) while advising for the 48 "full" majors is shared by the seven full-time faculty listed above.

For the graduate program, during the Spring semester of 1999 the Department of Health Science had 27 graduate students enrolled. With 2.95 FTE faculty assigned to the graduate program (see table above), this calculates to a student/faculty ratio of 9/1 for the graduate program.

All student enrollments (see table above) are based on total head count. Please see Criterion IX. A. Documentation Part 4 for the graduate FTE student calculation.

Additional part-time faculty and graduate students are assigned to teach general education courses as follows:

The Department of Health Science has adequate space for offices, classrooms, a student computer lab, a student study area, and additional research projects:

The classroom (listed above) in Activity Center is a teaching laboratory. It consists of moveable 2-seat tables to facilitate small-group discussions and numerous bulletin boards for health education displays. Audiovisual equipment includes: 1) a multi-media projector for laptop interface and power-point presentations, 2) overhead projector, 3) TV/VCR, 4) slide projector, 5) digital camera, 6) camcorder, 7) tape recorder, etc.

All faculty, staff and graduate student offices in the Department of Health Science have a desktop Pentium computer (with Office 95/97 and Windows 95/98) and individual laser or DeskJet printers. The department also owns six (6) laptops which are shared. The student computer lab consists of 22 desktop computers with Office 95/97, Windows 95/98, and a networked laser printer. Some of the faculty and all of the student lab computers have statistical software programs. All campus computers are hard-wired directly to the campus mainframe for email and internet connections. Additional student computer labs for students are located throughout the campus.

The library has many resources available for students in the MPH program. In the R call number area, which includes health, medicine, and nursing, there are 18,534 book titles. The Department of Health Science has selected a core list of 25 journal titles that are currently subscribed to. In addition, there are about 300 journal titles in supporting areas such as psychology, nursing, and biology. The library provides access to the major indexes used for research in health: Medline and CINAHL. The library also has supporting indices including ERIC, PsycLit, and Science Citation Index. The library is a federal depository, selecting 60% of current federal documents, including many health-related items. The library provides a number of special services to students and faculty, including interlibrary loan, document delivery, bibliographic instruction, in-depth reference by appointment, and reciprocal borrowing privileges at many other libraries.

The following is a partial list of field experience sites utilized by the undergraduate and graduate programs during the past three years. For a more detailed list, please see Criterion V. B., Documentation Part 4.

• Border Health Office, Las Cruces
• Casa Arriba, Las Cruces
• Chaparral Middle School, Chaparral
• Columbia Life Care Center, El Paso, TX
• Corralitos Landfill and Solid Waste Transfer Station, Las Cruces
• Department of Public Health, San Miguel
• District III Public Health Office, Las Cruces
• Families and Youth, Inc., Las Cruces
• First Step Pediatrics, Las Cruces
• First Step Women's Health, Las Cruces
• Good Samaritan Hospital, Phoenix, AZ
• Head Start Program, Las Cruces
• La Casa, Inc., Las Cruces
• Memorial Medical Center, Las Cruces
• NMSU Student Health Center, Las Cruces
• Public Health Clinic, Anthony
• Public Health, Gadsden High School
• The Arbors of Del Rey, Las Cruces
• Thomason Hospital (Patient Education), El Paso, TX
• University Terrace Good Samaritan Village, Las Cruces
• El Paso Department of Health, Health Education Division, El Paso, TX

The New Mexico Public Health Office (District III) and the New Mexico Border Health Office, both in Las Cruces, have proved to be valuable local resources. Employees of these two agencies (and others) have served as instructors, guest lecturers, members of the department advisory committee, field experience supervisors, and contacts for technical information. The department has had a large research/grant service contract with the New Mexico Border Health Office, discussed elsewhere in this document, for a number of years.

The department does not currently have in place outcome measures by which the program may judge the adequacy of its resources. This is an area currently under development. Specific suggestions from CEPH on common outcome measures of this type would be most appreciated.

$452,338 MPH program portion of grant and contract dollars generated/year

The greatest needs in the Department of Health Science, in terms of resources, are additional full-time tenure-line faculty. Currently there are 7.5 FTE faculty assigned to the undergraduate and graduate programs plus 1.75 FTE assigned to teach general education courses (for a combined total of 9.25 FTE). Of this 9.25 FTE only 4.0 FTE are in tenure-line positions with teaching as their primary assignment while an additional 2.0 FTE are tenure-line administrative positions (Arnold and Brandon). The remaining 3.25 FTE positions are temporary (and mostly part-time) non-tenure-line with uncertain funding.

Part-time instructors tend to have: a) limited availability for students, b) a marginal commitment to the department, and c) significant commitments to their primary place of employment which detracts from their contributions to the department, college, and the university.

The program shall offer instructional programs reflecting its stated mission and goals, leading to the Master of Public Health (MPH) or equivalent professional masters degree in community health education. The program may offer other degrees, professional and academic, if consistent with its mission and resources.

The MPH degree is the only graduate degree offered in the Department of Health Science. The MPH program strives for academic excellence in training competent health professionals who will provide leadership, innovation, and technical expertise at local, state, national and international levels, and in particular United States and Mexico border health problems in rural communities. MPH graduates will have knowledge and understanding to facilitate and promote both risk reduction/primary prevention programs and sustainable system-wide social-political change by means of community organization.

A current copy of the New Mexico State University Graduate Catalog is enclosed.

The following MPH curriculum was unanimously approved by the Department of Health Science Graduate Curriculum Committee on January 12, 1999, and became effective on July 1, 1999. Current students have the option to adopt this new program of study if they graduate after July 1, 1999.

1. THESIS OPTION (4-6 CREDIT HOURS):

Course	Title	Credits
MPH 599	Master's Thesis	4-6

2. NON-THESIS OPTION (9 CREDIT HOURS OF ELECTIVE COURSES, WHICH MAY INCLUDE OTHER MPH COURSES OR 500-LEVEL COURSES FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS):

The thesis option requires a total of 44-46 credit hours, while the non-thesis option requires 49 credit hours. Final examination for the non-thesis option will include both oral and written questions pertaining to the student's graduate coursework, prepared by the student’s graduate committee. Final examination for the thesis option will consist of an oral defense of the thesis and related coursework.

The Department of Health Science has the following admission requirements to the MPH program:

1. Have completed a minimum of 6 semester credits in social and behavioral sciences, 3 semester credits in statistical methods, 4 semester credits in biology or related field, and 3 semester credits in either a foundations of health course or an epidemiology course.
2. Scores from a recent examination of the Miller Analogies Test, GRE, GMAT, MCAT, or similar graduate level examination.
3. Completion of biographical sketch and essay describing the applicant’s reason for desiring to pursue the MPH degree.
4. Submission of at least three letters of reference from former faculty and/or employers.

This criterion is met. The Department of Health Science offers an instructional program reflecting its stated mission and goals, leading to the MPH in community health education.

Each professional degree program identified in V. A., as a minimum, shall assure that each student (a) develops an understanding of the areas of knowledge which are basic to public health, (b) acquires skills and experience in the application of basic community health education concepts and knowledge to the solution of community health problems, and (c) demonstrates integration of knowledge through a culminating experience.

For the response to "Documentation Part 1" please refer to "Documentation Part 2" below.

A broad understanding of community health and the acquisition of health education concepts and skills will be accomplished primarily by means of the coursework in the MPH program of study. A brief description of the public health core courses required of all MPH students (total 18 credits) follows:

Orientation to Public Health MPH 500 (3 credits). Introduction to the historical and contemporary perspective of public health theory and practice. Involves investigation of public health as a discipline and programmatic means of health behavior change.

Community and Psychosocial Aspects of Public Health MPH 510 (3 credits). Covers the behavioral and educational aspects of disease prevention and health promotion from the individual and societal perspectives.

Biostatistical Applications in Public Health MPH 520 (3 credits). Quantitative statistics covering descriptive and inferential analysis in the public health context. Emphasis on hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, simple and multiple regression, and contingency table analysis for categorical data sets.

Epidemiological Approaches to Disease Control and Prevention MPH 530 (3 credits). Basic epidemiological principles applicable to infectious and noninfectious diseases. Descriptive techniques and analytic designs, application of statistical and epidemiological investigation methods included.

Public Health Service Design and Operation MPH 540 (3 credits). Covers the components, operations, and financing of public service delivery systems, with emphasis on organizational theory and managerial (administrative and supervisory) functions.

Environmental Public Health Issues MPH 550 (3 credits). Covers current topics and issues relating to environmental determinants of health (water resources, air quality, environmental pathogens) with emphasis on practical interventions by regulatory and best available technology and societal changes.

Basic community health education concepts and knowledge are covered by community health education courses required of all MPH students totaling 15 semester credit hours. These courses constitutes program specialization content and application of public health understanding and approaches.

Foundations of Public Health MPH 570 (3 credits). Social, behavioral, and educational methods of disease prevention and health promotion. Advances the historical and theoretical basis for evidence-based public health education.

Techniques of Health Communication and Education MPH 572 (3 credits). Application of a wide range of communication and education theories and methods used in public health.

Community Organization in Public Health MPH 573 (3 credits). Strategies for identifying and involving community leaders, community needs assessment, small area analysis and planning, and community-level development strategies.

Health Program Planning, Evaluation and Research MPH 574 (3 credits). Covers the process of successful public health education program planning and evaluation, research methods, and grant writing basics.

Research and Resources in Community Health MPH 579 (3 credits). Provides thorough understanding of public health research methodology and resources, strengths and weakness of research designs, and integration of statistical applications into research outcome assessment.

Part of the MPH student's culminating learning experience is a minimum 160-clock-hour field placement with a health agency of student choice (in consultation with the faculty supervisor). This provides students the opportunity to work directly with health officials in a community setting and integrate and apply the various concepts related to becoming an effective health educator and community leader.

The objectives of the field experience, as stated in the Department of Health Science Field Experience Handbook, are as follows:

1. The student will be able to define the role of the health educator in one of the following settings; institutional, health agency, private agency, school, work-site, or gerontological setting.
2. The student will be able to demonstrate specific role functions of the health educator such as conducting a needs assessment, and designing, implementing, and evaluating an identified agency project.

The field experience is generally completed during the end of the second year of full-time matriculation, or after the student has completed the majority of course work. The student is encouraged to identify an appropriate community agency for field placement, however the final determination of appropriateness of the site placement rests with the departmental faculty supervisor. The agency should allow or encourage an environment which provides the student with the opportunity to develop and demonstrate a range of practice skills including:

• Assess individual and community needs for health education.
• Plan effective health education programs.
• Implement health education programs.
• Evaluate effectiveness of health education services.
• Act as a resource person in health education.
• Communicate health and health education needs, concerns, and resources.
• Apply appropriate research principles and methods in health education.

The agency supervisor’s role is to help students develop and enhance their professional role and skills. Progressive increases in tasks and student involvement should occur as the student’s proficiency and knowledge of the agency increases. Tasks for the student should parallel CHES competencies and involve: data collection, writing informational brochures, program planning, development, implementation assistance, evaluation of conferences or programs, and direct contact with community clients/patients. The student is also required to be able to implement a unique project or contribute substantially to an existing to health education program. The agency must have the capability to support this requirement. The agency supervisor must have a background/experience in health education or be supervised by someone with that level/emphasis of training or education.

• Approve the field experience agency site, agency supervisor and student tasks as being appropriate to adequately and appropriately fulfill the purpose of the field experience.
• Provide a minimum of one on-site meeting with agency supervisor.
• Maintain phone discussions with the agency supervisor to insure that both student and agency are fulfilling their responsibilities of the placement experience.
• Have periodic meetings with the student for the purposes of process evaluation and to determine if the activities occurring are those which were delineated in the field placement contract plan (signed at the outset by all three parties).
• Maintain a copy of the student's final report in the department’s master file.

The goals and objectives of the field placement experience are formulated in concert with the student, faculty supervisor, and agency supervisor. However, they must adhere to the ten CHES competency areas as outlined in the field placement grading criterion. Specific student expectations of the field placement experience are as follows:

1. Field Experience Contract: This agreement is to specify the goals and objectives of the placement, and is to be completed prior to beginning the position.
2. Summary of Daily Activities: The student will keep a log detailing their daily activities including meetings attended, people met, tasks accomplished, and the number of hours worked that day.
3. Regular Meetings: The student should schedule regular meetings with the agency supervisor and the faculty supervisor.
4. Agency Report: The student will prepare a report on the agency they are placed at describing its background, history, funding, programs budgeted, programmatic objectives, agency mission, and accomplishments. Agency generated reports and literature are to be included in the report.
5. Agency Evaluation by Student: The student is to complete a thorough agency evaluation and provide a short critique of the field experience. Students include suggestions as to how their placement may be improved in the future.
6. Agency Field Experience Evaluation: The agency supervisor will complete an evaluation of the student using a specific format (provided in the department’s field experience handbook).
7. Unique Agency Project: The student is to complete a unique or new contribution to the field placement agency or to an existing agency program. This contribution is to have prior approval by the faculty supervisor and the agency supervisor. The project contribution is to be left with the agency, and submitted to the faculty supervisor prior to completion of the field placement.
8. Departmental Presentation: Each student, upon completion of their field placement, will give a presentation on his/her field experience that is open to all students, faculty, agency supervisors and the public.

The Department of Health Science MPH program provides several culminating experiences for students:

1. For those student who pursue the thesis option (MPH 599, 4 to 6 credits), the thesis allows for the student to take on a scholarly research effort with either primary or secondary data. The thesis can take the form of a policy analysis, a program evaluation, a health change intervention, or an investigation of a particular health problem. The thesis allows for a demonstration of the student's level of acquired analytical skills, methodological knowledge, and specialization in a field of professional interest. Upon completion of the thesis, the student’s faculty committee conducts the student in a public oral defense of the work, along with an oral examination.
2. In addition, all MPH students are required to take the Graduate Public Health Seminar (MPH 597) for one credit near the end of their studies. This seminar provides a final effort and culminating experience for the student to integrate their knowledge and understanding of the profession of health education.
3. The Department of Health Science also offers once per year a CHES preparation seminar. Graduating students are encouraged to take the seminar and sit for the CHES examination.

Finally, all students are required to complete MPH 596 "Field Experience" for 3 credit hours and 160 clock hours. The specifics of this required field experience are described in detail in Criterion V.B., Documentation Part 3.

Table V-1: Agency and supervisor for each of the MPH students from years 1996 to Summer, 1999 that have completed the field experience.

This criterion is currently being met. The MPH program requires that each student (a) develops knowledge of the areas which are basic to health, (b) acquires skills and experience in the application of basic health education concepts, (c) acquires knowledge of the solutions and practice of community health problems, and (c) demonstrates integration of knowledge through a variety of culminating experiences.

For each program identified in Criterion V. A., there shall be clear learning objectives.

Following are the goals, major objectives, and measures for the MPH in Community Health Education program at NMSU. Each of the 41 measures are listed under their respective goals and objectives.

9. GOAL: To prepare community health educators who have knowledge of community health and public health, health promotion and disease prevention

1. OBJECTIVE: Community health educators will demonstrate knowledge of the basic foundations of public health in the areas of biostatistics, epidemiology, health administration, and environmental health, as well as in the psycho-social aspects of health, and how each area contributes to the health education program planning and/or evaluation process.

1. Describe the philosophical and historical context of public health as it pertains to its present and future status. (Goal I, Obj A)
2. Demonstrate knowledge of the core areas of education in public health-- biostatistics, epidemiology, health administration, and environmental health, as well as the psycho-social aspects of health. (Goal I, Obj A)
3. Demonstrate an appreciation of the structure and function of the public health system in the United States, tenets of epidemiologic practice, health status assessment approaches, core activities of health promotion and disease prevention programs, and special topics around maternal and child health, injury prevention, environmental health, health and safety of workers, health of special populations, substance abuse, and health services delivery system issues. (MPH 500)
4. Define psychosocial aspects of individual and community public health; discuss the factors that enhance and those that detrimentally affect psychosocial aspects of public health; understand the individual, familial, cultural, community and environmental factors that affect psychosocial health; and recognize the need for strategies and interventions to reduce the risk of disease and to improve health promotion efforts. (MPH 510)
5. Distinguish public health research from evaluation activities; identify and write appropriate research questions and develop hypotheses; identify and properly apply appropriate statistical methods for answering research questions; and translate and infer research results into terms easily understood by others. (MPH 520)
6. Understand aspects related to the investigation of acute and long-term health problems by type of study; including surveillance data, investigation of outbreaks, and analytical/chronic disease studies. (MPH 530)
7. Relate a summary of the philosophy, purpose and history of public health; list the determinants of health; demonstrate an understanding of the basis for public health prevention and for specific organization and functions; list the methods of management of public health programs and the methods utilized in planning, marketing and assessing them; relate an understanding of management tools in the prevention of disease, disability and dependency and in health promotion; and demonstrate the continual assessment of U.S. public health utilizing the Institute' of Medicine's report The Future of Public Health. (MPH 540)
8. Describe, distinguish and apply the scientific tools used to understand environmental health problems and their causes; demonstrate knowledge of the causes and effects of many of the current environmental problems that affect human health and well being; identify, describe, and discuss the role of governmental agencies in setting standards and making laws, and public policies affecting environmental health; recognize and evaluate ways in which individuals protect themselves from environmental contaminants, affect environmental problems and influence environmental policy; describe and evaluate opposing perspectives on environmental health issues and the scientific and cultural basis for those perspectives; and understand how environmental health issues are shaped by the complex interrelationships among people, political structures, and other dimensions of society (including natural and social sciences, business, and legal aspects). (MPH 550)

1. OBJECTIVE: Community health educators will demonstrate knowledge of the field of public health and the professional role of community health educators.

1. Describe the philosophical and historical context of community health education as it pertains to its present and future status and interpret concepts, purposes, and theories of health education (Goal I, Obj B)
2. Demonstrate knowledge as to how each of the core areas of public health contributes to the health education program planning and/or evaluation process (Goal I, Obj B)

2. GOAL: To prepare community health educators for health education responsibilities in program planning, development, implementation, and evaluation.

1. OBJECTIVE: Community health educators will apply community needs assessment information (both primary and secondary data) in planning appropriate health education interventions.

1. Identify how to obtain and use types and sources of health-related data including information on social and cultural environments, growth, and development factors, needs and interests (Goal II, Obj A)
2. Assess the nature and extent of health problems and identify the behavioral components of the problems; distinguish between behaviors that foster and those that hinder well-being; and determine health priority areas related to the need for health education (Goal II, Obj A)
3. Analyze social, cultural, economic and political factors that influence health and determine factors that influence learning and development (Goal II, Obj A)
4. Utilize computerized health information retrieval systems effectively (Goal II, Obj A)
5. Demonstrate the ability to utilize a variety of survey and statistical analyses techniques to conduct need assessments at the individual, group, and community levels (Goal II, Obj A)
6. Plan and develop a health education program in response to identified and/or designated needs (Goal II, Obj A)

1. OBJECTIVE: Community health educators will demonstrate knowledge of various models of behavior change, including community organization and empowerment strategies, in planning health education programs to promote community health.

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the basic theories of health behavior and their potential uses in health education interventions (Goal II, Obj B)
2. Formulate appropriate and measurable program objectives and design educational programs consistent with specified program objectives (Goal II, Obj B)
3. Identify the educational strategies appropriate for achieving objectives and develop a logical scope and sequence plan for a health education program and demonstrate the use of social marketing principles in designing a health education program (Goal II, Obj B)
4. Recruit community organizations, resource people, and potential participants for support and assistance in program planning (Goal II, Obj B)

1. OBJECTIVE: Community health educators will design and conduct program evaluation and research studies, to apply quantitative and qualitative methods, and computer-based data-processing skills.

1. Monitor educational programs, adjust objectives and activities as necessary (Goal II, Obj C)
2. Develop plans to assess achievement of program objectives (Goal II, Obj C)
3. Apply quantitative and qualitative methods and computer-based data processing and analyses skills (Goal II, Obj C)
4. Apply findings to refine and maintain programs and in policy analysis and development (Goal II, Obj C)

1. OBJECTIVE: Community health educators will complete a community agency-based field experience that will include planning, implementing, and evaluating intervention programs.

1. Demonstrate competency in planning and in carrying out planned educational programs (Goal II, Obj D)
2. Develop measurable objectives as needed for instruction; select methods and media best suited to implement program plans for specific learning (Goal II, Obj D)
3. Select a variety of communication methods and techniques in providing health information (Goal II, Obj D)
4. Carry out evaluation plans and interpret results of program evaluation; and infer implications from findings for future program planning (Goal II, Obj D)

2. GOAL: To prepare community health educators to plan and deliver health education programs that reflect cultural sensitivity and which best address health needs among populations living along the US-Mexico border.

1. OBJECTIVE: Community health educators will apply knowledge related to the important role cultural beliefs and practices play in a population’s health practices in developing culturally appropriate, relevant, and sensitive health education programs.

1. Analyze social and cultural factors that influence health and incorporate demographically and culturally sensitive techniques to promote programs (Goal III, Obj A)
2. Apply social marketing techniques to achieve program goals (Goal III, Obj A)
3. Apply community empowerment and community organization skills to obtain community and leadership support for planning and development, implementation of health education programs that are appropriate and relevant to the needs of local communities (Goal III, Obj A)

2. GOAL: To prepare community health educators to apply appropriate research principles and methods in health education; administer health education programs, and advance the profession of health education.

1. OBJECTIVE: Community health educators will conduct thorough reviews of literature, use appropriate qualitative and quantitative research methods, and apply research to health education practice.

1. Use electronic technology in retrieving references, select references pertinent to health education, critique sources of health information, evaluate research design, methodology and findings from the literature and synthesize key information from the literature (Goal IV, Obj A)
2. Assess the merits and limitations of qualitative and quantitative research methods and apply both methods in research designs (Goal IV, Obj A)
3. Use research information for program planning, in selecting implementation strategies, and in program evaluation (Goal IV, Obj A)
4. Describe how research results can relate to health policy development and how to disseminate research findings (Goal IV, Obj A)

1. OBJECTIVE: Community health educators will obtain acceptance and support for health education programs, develop and manage fiscal and human resources, and exercise organizational leadership skills in administering health education programs.

1. Apply concepts and theories of public relations, communications, and social marketing theory to obtain program support (Goal IV, Obj B)
2. Prepare proposals to obtain fiscal resources through grants, contracts and other sources, develop and be able to manage realistic budgets to support programs (Goal IV, Obj B)
3. Develop qualifications statement (job descriptions), and identify how to: recruit, employ and evaluate staff members; provide staff development; and apply human resource policies consistent with relevant laws and regulations (Goal IV, Obj B)

1. OBJECTIVE: Community health educators will critically analyze current and future needs in health education, develop an awareness of the various associations within the profession, create a plan for personal growth in the profession, subscribe to and be able to relate the importance of a code of ethics to professional practice.

1. Relate health education issues to larger social issues and articulate health education’s role in policy formation at various organizational and community levels (Goal IV, Obj C)
2. Analyze the role of health education professional associations in advancing the profession, participate in such associations, and develop a personal plan for professional growth (Goal IV, Obj C)
3. Analyze interrelationships among ethics, values, and behavior and relate the importance of the AAHE and SOPHE professional codes of ethics to professional practice (Goal IV, Obj C)

2. GOAL: To engage graduate students and faculty in the department in community based activities through education research and service.

1. OBJECTIVE: To incorporate community based activities in the program curriculum.

• Number of field experience positions in community-based agencies per year.
• Number of thesis and course projects in or for community agencies per year.
• Number of invited presenters from community agencies in classes per year.

1. OBJECTIVE: Establish collaboration between students and faculty and community agencies as consultants and in scholarly and evaluative research.

• Number of publications by faculty and/or students in scholarly peer reviewed health journals/publications resulting from collaborative research projects with community agencies.
• Number of consultation hours each year by core students and faculty in projects with community agencies.
• Number of presentations each year by students and faculty to local community agencies.
• Number of presentations each year by faculty and their community collaborators at state, regional, national, and international conferences.

• Number of service hours contributed each year by students and faculty in collaborative projects with community agencies.
• Number of independent studies undertaken and/or completed per semester by students and their faculty supervisors based on community service projects.

2. GOAL: To provide expertise in the resolution of international, national, state, and local issues related to the provision of health promotion and illness prevention services, especially among under-served populations.

1. OBJECTIVE: To actively engage students and faculty in research in the area of provision of health promotion and illness prevention services among under-served populations.

• Number of on-site epidemiological studies, needs assessments, and program evaluations conducted by faculty and/or students related to the provision of health promotion and illness prevention services to undeserved populations.
• Number of publications by faculty and/or students in scholarly peer reviewed health journals related to the provision of health promotion and illness prevention services to undeserved populations.
• Number of presentations by students and faculty at regional, national and international conferences related to the provision of health promotion and illness prevention services to undeserved populations.

1. OBJECTIVE: Engage students and faculty, in collaboration with community groups, in the analysis of policies related to the provision of health promotion and illness prevention services in under-served populations.

• Number of policy papers and newspaper/journal articles co-authored by faculty, students, and collaborative health leaders related to the provision of health promotion and illness prevention services to under-served populations.

The numbered measures above are listed in the follow course matrix to depict which courses are responsible for addressing each measure.

Analysis of courses that meet the above numbered measures in Criterion V. C. Documentation Part 1: (1=Minimal coverage; 2=Major coverage)

(Continued) Analysis of courses that meet the above numbered measures in Criterion V. C. Documentation Part 1: (1=Minimal coverage; 2=Major coverage)

(Continued) Analysis of courses that meet the above numbered measures in Criterion V. C. Documentation Part 1: (1=Minimal coverage; 2=Major coverage)

The learning objectives listed under Criterion V. C., Documentation Part 1, relate the preparation of students in both the basics of public health and in the community health education specialization. Those MPH faculty at NMSU who specialize in the core foundations of public health (biostatistics, epidemiology, health policy and administration, environmental health, and socio-behavioral foundations) used the Public Health in America, the Public Health Workforce: An Agenda for the 21^st Century document as a guiding tool in the construction of their learning objectives. While it is recognized that this document refers to the types of expertise that should be available within a state department of health, public health division and not to specific responsibilities or competencies that all graduates of MPH programs should have, it nonetheless served this group of faculty as a basis upon which their learning objectives should be developed.

Each course syllabus incorporates those learning objectives relevant to the topic being covered by each course. These are categorized as objectives receiving "primary" emphasis and those receiving "secondary" emphasis for each syllabus. Individual lectures and class sessions are linked to these objectives and each individual faculty member is responsible for creating and conducting an outcomes assessment technique for each objective to monitor how well the course is meeting its intended objectives.

The program mission, goals and objectives are listed on the department’s web page, available to all students.

This criterion is judged to be met. The Department of Health Science offers one graduate program, the MPH, with focus on community health education. Students are carefully advised as they go through the program to ensure the acquisition of concepts, knowledge and related experience in an orderly and progressive manner. Sequential learning is facilitated by the designation of some courses as prerequisites to more advanced courses. All courses have specific learning objectives that are declared in course syllabi; collectively these emerge in support of the program learning objectives. The courses offered reflect the mission and goals of the MPH degree and prepare students to be leaders in the profession of community health education. Course changes, modifications, and additions are an ongoing process that reflects refinements in criteria and the challenge of meeting changes in technology and in health needs.

There shall be procedures for assessing and documenting the extent to which each student has attained these specified learning objectives and determining readiness for a public health education career.

Assessing the level of student attainment of the MPH program learning objectives is achieved by: (a) process evaluation (the ongoing evaluation by means of examinations and written research papers during and at the end of each course of study), and (b) outcome evaluation (the culminating assessments of the field placement experience, thesis defense, and non-thesis comprehensive examination). Success at each of these successive steps establishes the student's overall preparedness to undertake the role and activities of the graduate level health education professional.

This criteria is judged to be met. Evaluations serve to assess and document the extent to which each student has attained specified course learning objectives. They also serve to determine student readiness for a career in health education.

If the program also offers curricula for academic degrees, then students pursuing them shall have the opportunity and be encouraged to acquire an understanding of public health problems and a generic public health education. These curricula shall cover as much basic public health knowledge as is essential for meeting their stated learning objectives.

If the program offers joint degree programs, the required curriculum for the professional public health degree shall be equivalent to that required for a separate public health degree.

If the program offers degree programs using non-traditional formats or methods, these programs must a) be consistent with the mission of the program and within the program’s established area of expertise; b) be guided by clearly articulated student learning outcomes which are rigorously evaluated; c) be subject to the same quality control processes that other degree programs in the program and university are, and d) provide planned and evaluated learning experiences which take into consideration and are responsive to the characteristics and needs of adult learners. If the program offers non-traditional programs, it must provide needed support for these programs, including administrative, travel, communication and student services. The program must have an ongoing program to evaluate the academic effectiveness of the format, to assess teaching and learning methodologies and to systematically use this information to stimulate program improvements.

The graduate degree program offered by the Department of Health Science utilizes traditional methods and format.

The program shall pursue an active research program, consistent with its mission, through which its faculty and students contribute to the knowledge base of the community health education discipline, including research directed at improving the practice of public health.

The Department of Health Science's research goal statement, provided in Criterion I, follows the University's research philosophy:

Research is an important component of every academic activity, and is, therefore, the source of content for quality instructional programs. It is the policy of New Mexico State University to recognize research as essential to the vitality of the university and to recognize the support of research as part of its institutional responsibility. It is also the policy of New Mexico State University to promote academic inquiry and to protect academic freedom for those engaged in it.

New Mexico State University is a Carnegie Research I University; it is also an authorized minority institution under Title III of the Higher Education Act. It coordinates its research functions through several entities: the Council of Research Centers, the University Research Council, the Committee for Human Subjects in Research, and each College's Research Unit. The specific functions of each of these entities are outlined in the University's Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual.

The purpose of the Health and Social Services Research Center is to provide assistance to the faculty of the College in the conduct of scientific research and professional training. The research center is administered under the Office of the Dean of the College of Health and Social Services, and includes a College of Health and Social Services Research Council composed of faculty representing the academic divisions within this college. Research mini-grants are funded, through recommendations from the research council, by the dean’s office. The research center provides information and support to faculty in the development of grant proposals. Faculty who present research at meetings are usually funded for most travel expenses by the department or by the college.

The bulk of the department's community based research activities are coordinated through the Southern Area Health Education Center (SoAHEC) which also includes the Border Health Education Training Center (BHETC), and a W.K. Kellogg grant for Graduate Medical and Nursing Education (GMNE) entitled "Community Partnerships in Graduate Medical and Nursing Education."

The mission of the Southern Area Health Education Center (SoAHEC)/Border Health Education Training Center (BHETC) is to improve health care in the southern eighteen counties of New Mexico. As a regional resource center SoAHEC/BHETC: a) provides learning opportunities for health care providers, b) assists in the development of placement sites for health professionals and students in training, c) links local educational and clinical resources with the educational resources of medical and health professional schools, and d) contributes funding, offers consultations, and assists in meeting educational and training needs of health care professionals, agencies, and organizations.

Housed in the newly renovated building on 1003 Geothermal Drive with the Southern Area Health Education Center, the Border Health Education Training Center (BHETC) actively works to recruit and retain providers to the rural and under-served areas along the U.S. - Mexico border area of New Mexico. BHETC supports travel and accommodations for medical residents and multidisciplinary teams of students interested in practicing in the area. Many of the family practice residents currently practicing in Doña Ana County have received BHETC assistance during their placement. Still other learners, such as the multidisciplinary teams of students from the University of New Mexico, receive funding to travel to various communities to explore and address community-identified health needs. BHETC also supports field trips for medical students to meet with practitioners along the border and to discuss practice considerations. It is anticipated that experience in this area of the state and familiarity with its unique needs and issues will encourage students from numerous health professions to consider practicing along the border upon graduation. BHETC also helps to develop and provide partial funding for continuing education opportunities for health professionals already practicing in rural and under-served areas of the state.

AHEC's 1999-2002 objectives are:

1. Maintain and strengthen clinical training in New Mexico's Health Professional Shortage Areas for medical, nursing, public health, pharmacy, physician assistant, allied health, family practice, pediatrics, psychiatry, and strengthen and support interdisciplinary training in NM Health Professional Areas for dental hygiene, medical laboratory science, medicine, nursing, pharmacy physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, social work, speech therapy students and other health professionals.
2. Continue AHEC's community-based health career awareness programs which promote health and increase the applicant pool from under-represented ethnic minorities and Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA's) into the health professions.
3. Expand, support, and conduct continuing education and training programs as appropriate, to promote the retention of health professionals in the AHEC counties in collaboration with the Continuing Medical Education Office at UNM and community organizations.
4. Continue the AHEC strategic planning process for building regional primary care capacity.
5. Strengthen and maintain the statewide AHEC system.

The Kellogg grant was received by the University of New Mexico Health Science Center (UNM HSC) and helped establish learning opportunities for graduate nursing and medical students in Santa Rosa, N.M. (120 miles east of Albuquerque), in the Southeast Heights of Albuquerque (high population of Vietnamese and Mexican immigrants), and in "the Southwest Quadrant" of NM, based at the SoAHEC at NMSU. Participation is expected from NMSU graduate nursing students (MSN students) and medical residents from UNM. In all cases, per the grant, the education is to be community-based and community-driven. In fall 1996, connections were established with Hidalgo County (Lordsburg) and with Chaparral, the rapidly growing colonia in Southern New Mexico (north of El Paso, TX). UNM HSC has directed modest support to NMSU for the work in this area since then. As the work has evolved significant graduate level learning opportunities have been established in both communities. Most participating NMSU graduate students are from social work, sociology, medical anthropology, the MPH program and nursing. On occasion students from business administration and agriculture among others as well as NMSU undergraduates who planned to go on to medical school have been involved. Involvement of medical residents to date has been minimal, although UNM did steer some medical school students our way in the 1st year and the UNM College of Nursing has sent family nurse practitioner students our way. This program has turned into a very effective learning experience in rural community settings for our participating students. It is 100% interdisciplinary and is serving populations that, quite frankly, used to think that NMSU was to be cursed for its lack of interest in serving the health concerns of populations outside of Las Cruces. Meetings with these communities are held at least twice weekly, all year around, and they now welcome and accept us as an entity helping them identify and close health and social service gaps in the community.

Additional grants and contracts include:

"Effects of Loud Sports Activity Exposures on Temporary Threshold Shifting of Subjects Hearing Range as a Potential Threat to Long-term Reduction in Hearing Acquity," funded by New Mexico State University Mini-grant (1999), $500. Principal Investigator: E. Meister.

"Who Teaches Patients in Managed Care?" funded by New Mexico State University Mini-grant (1996-1997), $1,200. Principal Investigators: Mondragón, Barnes

"Dairy Herds and Residential Communities in Southern New Mexico," funded by New Mexico Border Health Office, District III, Public Health Division (1997-1998), $12,500.

Principal Investigator: Arnold

"Community-Based Solutions to Illegal Dumping," submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1999-2000), $7,000. Principal Investigators: Simons, Arnold.

"Domestic Violence and Hospital Emergency Rooms in NM." (1997-98). $1500. S. Krishnan. NMSU research minigrant.

"Community and University Partnerships. Effectiveness and Relevance of These Partnerships." 1996-97. $750. S. Krishnan. NMSU research minigrant.

Faculty success in research and scholarly activities are evaluated both in terms of quantity and quality on an annual basis as part of their annual performance evaluation. These scholarly activities, in addition to adding to the content of a professors' teaching, are evaluated by presentation and publication.

Samples of faculty scholarly productivity over the past three (3) years:

• Arnold, S.D. and Meister, E.: Dairy Feedlot Contributions to Groundwater Contamination: A Preliminary Study in New Mexico. Journal of Environmental Health. September, 1999.
• Arnold, S.D.: Dairy Herds and Rural Communities in Southern New Mexico. Journal of Environmental Health. July/August, 1999.
• Barnes, M., Mondragón, D., Brandon, J., Neiger, B., "Assessing the Role and Cost/ Effectiveness of Certified Health Education Specialists in Managed Care Organizations," Managed Care Health Promotion Sessions, American Public Health Association Convention, Washington, DC, November 17, 1998.
• Brandon, J.E. (1997). Foreword to A Problem Based Learning Special Issue. Journal of Community & Family Health. 20(1), viii-ix.
• Brandon, J.E. (1997). Foreword to A Community Health Interventions Special issue. Journal of Community & Family Health. 20(3), viii
• Brandon, J.E., & Majumdar, B.(1997). An introduction and evaluation of problem-based learning in health professions education. Journal of Community & Family Health. 20(1), 1-15.
• El-Bassel, N., Krishnan, S., Schilling, R., Witte, S., & Gilbert, L. Acceptability of the female condom among female and male STD patients. AIDS Education and Prevention, 10(5), September/October 1998.
• El-Bassel., Krishnan, S., Witte, S., Schilling, R., Catan, V., Pollin, S. Correlates of intention to use the female condom among women taking methadone. Women’s Health Issues, 8(2): 112-122, 1998.
• Krishnan, S & Hilbert, J. In search of sanctuary: Addressing issues of domestic violence and homelessness at shelters. Women’s Health Issues, 8(5), 1998.
• Krishnan, S. (1996). Health Education at Family Planning Clinics. Strategies for Improving Information about Contraception and Sexually Transmitted Diseases for Low Income Women. Health Communication, 8(4): 353-366.
• Krishnan, S., Durrah, T., & Winkler, K. (1997). Coverage of AIDS in popular African American magazines. Health Communication, 9(3): 273-288.
• Krishnan, S., Hilbert, J., VanLeeuwen, D; Kolia, R. (1997). Documenting domestic violence in rural communities. Family & Community Health, 20(3): 32-48.
• Mondragón, D., El libro, Religious Values of the Terminally Ill, in Amigos: Cada Cabeza is un Mundo, Vol. VIII, No. 11, Aspectos Culturales, Santa Fe, Winter 1997-98, pp. 4-6
• Mondragón, D., Barnes, M., Brandon, J., "Who Teaches Patients in Managed Care? Preliminary Results," The American Journal of Health Behavior, Under Review.
• Witte, S., El-Bassel, N., Krishnan, S., Schilling, R., Bidassie, B. Correlates of condom coupon redemption among urban STD clinic patients. Women’s Health Issues, 9(1), 1999.

Graduate students are involved in departmental research activities in a number of ways. On a formal level, faculty are assigned a paid graduate research assistant for 10-20 hours per week to assist with all aspects of research. The department currently has funds to support six (6) graduate research assistants at 10 hours per week (each).

Faculty also hire graduate research assistants to assist with various research activities on funded grants and contracts. For example, the Allied Health Careers Opportunity Program has employed 1-2 graduate research assistants for the past several years, the National Institute of Justice grant employs several part-time students for data collection, and the Border Health Office contract employs 3-4 graduate research assistants.

A number of students have also been involved with the Southern Area Health Education Center (SoAHEC) which also includes the Border Health Education Training Center (BHETC), and a W.K. Kellogg grant for Graduate Medical and Nursing Education (GMNE) entitled "Community Partnerships in Graduate Medical and Nursing Education."

Finally, graduate students are involved with various research activities as they relate to class projects and for thesis research.

This criterion is met. The Department of Health Science pursues an active research program, consistent with its mission, through which students and faculty contribute to the knowledge base of health education, including research directed at improving the practice of health.

The program shall pursue an active service program, consistent with its mission, through which faculty and students contribute to the advancement of health education practice, including continuing education.

The MPH in Community Health Education degree program in the NMSU Department of Health Science provides numerous opportunities for students and faculty to engage in service to the community, the profession, and to Certified Health Education Specialists in the region by providing or co-sponsoring approved, Category I continuing education programs (as authorized through the National Commission on Health Education Credentialing). Much of the program’s community service is conducted by individual faculty (to be presented under item #2 in this section). The other major source of student and faculty engagement in community service efforts are through the various externally-funded programs associated with the NMSU Department of Health Science.

The longest efforts are the Southern Area Health Education Center (SoAHEC) and the Border Health Education Training Center. The SoAHEC was originally managed by The Institute for Gerontological Research and Education (TIGRE), but the Department of Health Science Head, then Dr. Jeffrey Brandon, assumed the leadership of this effort on October 1, 1990. On that same date the Border Health Education Training Center (BHETC) was also inaugurated at NMSU, again under the management of the Department of Health Science head. Both the SoAHEC and BHETC were initially entirely funded through flow-through monies from the DHHS Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) through the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. Federal law for AHECs and HETCs required that 75% of the federal funds allocated to such centers flow out of the various states’ health sciences centers to local communities. Since 1988 the UNM subcontract to operate the SoAHEC has been through NMSU. A similar arrangement followed upon the inauguration of the Border HETC program. While the SoAHEC’s focus was on recruiting, educating, and retaining health care providers in southern New Mexico, especially in rural areas and largely through co-sponsorship of continuing education events and sponsorship of medical students from the UNM Health Science Center to southern New Mexico to serve rural rotations, the focus of the Border HETC was more on community initiatives. A compilation of SoAHEC and BHETC sponsored events over the past several years is available in the Site Review Team’s Resource File.

Perhaps the most significant outcome of this long-term collaboration between the state’s two major research universities is the agreement in 1990 to develop two complementary MPH degree programs in New Mexico. From this SoAHEC-sponsored beginning, it was determined that the UNM MPH program would specialize in Community and Preventive Medicine with concentrations to be developed in epidemiology and biostatistics. The NMSU MPH was to complement this stage one initiative by developing its own, unique MPH in Community Health Education, which would capitalize on its faculty strength in this area. While the UNM MPH was to be launched in 1994, the NMSU MPH program was to begin in 1995 or 1996. Faculty from both programs have continued to meet approximately annually to discuss collaboration efforts and to strategize about how to continue to meet the state’s personnel health needs.

Another SoAHEC coordinated initiative is the Kellogg Graduate Medical and Nursing Education proposal, funded in 1996 for four years through the University of New Mexico and the New Mexico Department of Health (DOH). The SoAHEC coordinates the GMNE program in the Southwest quadrant of New Mexico, which is linked organizationally with the other New Mexico GMNE sites, namely Santa Rosa and the Southeast Heights area of Albuquerque. One GMNE goal is to offer graduate students, including graduate students from health, social work, and related areas as well as nursing and medicine, early career exposure to rural communities. Interdisciplinary goals focus on working in a community-driven partnership, where students learn from each other about the contributions other disciplines make to improving health. Part of this effort includes support for community council development and working with DOH participants. Two communities that have the focus of this effort are Chaparral and Lordsburg. MPH students have assisted both communities in conducting health needs assessment surveys, and have assisted in community-wide health fairs at the Chaparral site and also in Hildalgo County.

Yet another state-wide initiative that the NMSU Department of Health Science has been involved in is the New Mexico Turning Point project. This project was submitted by the New Mexico Department of Health to the Kellogg Foundation in July, 1997 and was funded later that year. The overarching goal of this initiative is to assist the state and local health systems to more effectively collaborate with one another to strengthen the health infrastructure and to respond to major health challenges, both present and future. Representatives from both the UNM and NMSU MPH programs were included in the State Umbrella Partnership. Eight community partnership consortia were also included in the proposal, with most of these being approved to receive Kellogg support.

Two other initiatives are also noteworthy. The first was the Department of Health Science Head’s initiative to have the department support the New Mexico Border Health Office. In 1990, Dr. Brandon was one of the inaugural members of the Southern New Mexico Border Health Council, whose initiatives finally led to the New Mexico legislature funding the NM Border Health Office in July of 1992. The mission of this state office is to improve health status and health services in the New Mexico border region and other border-impact areas of the state. It works toward achieving this mission through developing: (1) systematic information, surveillance, research and data collection systems to monitor changes in health status, (2) health planning and assessment processes for the border area, (3) improved access to maternal and child health services, (4) training programs and assistance to health professionals and health workers, (5) mechanisms for cooperating with health officials of neighboring states and Mexico, (6) an environmental surveillance system, and (7) funding support for health projects. Its efforts have included support of the Nuestros Ninos Binational Immunization Campaign (which also involved SoAHEC and BHETC support), implementation of the Binational Border Health Information System, the Integrated Border Information and Surveillance System, and of the Environmental Health Data Clearinghouse. For the past several years the NM Border Health Office has employed about 24 NMSU undergraduate and graduate students, including students in the MPH program.

The other major initiative was the Department of Health Science Head’s authoring the years 01-03 and years 04-06 proposals to fund the department’s Allied Health Careers Opportunity Program (AHCOP). This was one of the few such proposals that was funded upon its first submission to the DHHS HRSA’s Bureau of Health Professions in 1993, thus demonstrating that it was addressing a high federal priority area along our shared border with Mexico. The purpose of the AHCOP is to increase the number of disadvantaged, minority students majoring in either the Bachelor of Community Health or in the Master of Public Health degree programs offered by the department. It does this through collaborating with the Dona Ana Branch Community College’s AHCOP (a related program in which the department collaborated in the proposal writing effort), and through its two six-week summer facilitating entry programs (one for the BCH and one for the MPH degree). MPH students were also hired by the AHCOP program to provide tutorial assistance and monitoring of program efforts. The year 04-06 proposal also required all student participants to engage in a community-based health service project.

Between October 1, 1990 and July, 1998, these and other externally-funded initiatives from the department produced the following direct costs: $1,388,021 for the federal portion and later $465,169 from state support for the SoAHEC; $533,594 for the Border HETC; $855,271 from the department’s support of the New Mexico Border Health Office (state funds through the New Mexico Department of Health’s Public Health Division budget from July 1, 1992 through the present); and $918,049 direct from HRSA to support the department’s AHCOP initiative (September, 1993 through September, 1999). Another $117,828 in US Department of Education Funds for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE), with $96,852 in NMSU matching funds, was also awarded from September, 1991 through September 30, 1993 for a drug prevention effort. This FIPSE program (with co-PIs of Brandon and Wilson, the NMSU Counseling Center Director) was called the Campus Lifestyle Program and had a primary focus on NMSU students.

Again, examples of the involvement of individual students and faculty with community-based service efforts, and faculty involvement in efforts to support the profession of community health and health education specifically, will be referenced in the next item (#2) under this section.

The Department of Health Science has been an NCHEC-approved provider of Category I continuing education contact hours for CHES since 1992.

A partial and representative listing, by faculty member, of service to the community is listed below. Please note that in keeping with the primary objectives of the M.P.H. degree program, most of these activities involve projects related to the US-Mexico border communities, specifically those in southern New Mexico.

• Participant in the 1998 Dona Ana County Turning Point Partnership Roundtable Discussion in Las Cruces.
• Simons, V., S. Arnold, et al. (1998). "Community-Based Solutions to Illegal Dumping." Competitive federal grant submitted to the U.S. Environmental protection Agency ($7,000 received).
• Arnold, S.D. (1998). "Dairy Herds and Rural Communities in Southern New Mexico." State grant awarded by the New Mexico Border Health Office, District III, Public Health Division, Las Cruces, NM ($12,500 received).
• Arnold, S. and D.T. Smith (1999). "New Mexico State AHEC Subcontract." UNM School of Medicine. $85,000 received.
• Arnold, S. and D.T. Smith (1999). "Federal Model State-Supported AHEC Program." UNM School of Medicine. $80,000 received.
• Arnold, S. and D.T. Smith (1999). "Border Health Education Training Center." UNM School of Medicine. $75,000 received.
• Arnold, S. (1999). "Border Health Office WIC 1999." State of New Mexico Department of Health. $214,272 received.
• Arnold, S. and D.T. Smith (1998). "Border Health Education Training Center." UNM School of Medicine. $69,637 received.
• Arnold, S. and D.T. Smith (1998). "Federal Model State-Supported AHEC Program." UNM School of Medicine. $65,000 received.
• Arnold, S. and D.T. Smith (1998). "Border Health Education Training Center." UNM School of Medicine. $69,637 received.
• Arnold, S.D.: Provided expert opinion on occupational exposure to paints. Calwell McCormick, Charleston, West Virginia. January, 1998. $500.

• Appointed by President Clinton on March 11, 1999 to serve on the US-Mexico Border Health Commission (first meeting with Design Team in Washington, March 22-24, 1999)
• Serves as PI to the department’s support project for the New Mexico Border Health Office, July 1, 1992 to present.
• Serves on the Southern New Mexico Border Health Council, October, 1990 to present (and on its Governing Board from 1995 to December, 1998).
• Serves on the Technical Assistance Team (TAT) to enhance provision of health education services at the 9 area community/migrant health centers and for FEMAP of Chihuahua, Mexico through the CLINIC HELP program funded by the Paseo Del Norte Health Foundation of El Paso (consultant on the TAT)
• Serves on the New Mexico State Turning Point Initiative, and as a liaison with the Dona Ana County Turning Point Partnership (DACTPP), 1997 to present.
• Served as PI and local program manager to the Border Health Education Training Center (BHETC) and the Southern Area Health Education Center (SoAHEC) from October 1, 1990 to June 30, 1998 (when the new Department of Health Science Head, Dr. Steve Arnold, assumed PI work).
• Served as PI on the department’s Allied Health Careers Opportunity Program (AHCOP) from September, 1993 to February 1, 1998 (when PI work was transferred to Dr. Delfi Mondragon).

• Consultant to the University of Arizona’s Border Fronteriza project, Evaluator for the New Mexico portion of this project, from 1996-98 and co-evaluator from 1998-present.

• Serves on the Advisory Board for La Casa (Battered Women’s Shelter) in Las Cruces, NM.
• Co-evaluator (1998-present) for the University of Arizona’s Border Fronteriza project, for the New Mexico portion of this grant.
• In-service presentations on domestic violence to Memorial Medical Center in Las Cruces, to on-campus residents in Housing, to the Las Cruces School District (with an MPH student, Roger Aguirre), and to the Independent Living Centers on issues of disability (involved three MPH students: Linda Gough, Karen Lord, and Joanne Bates).
• Member, US-Mexico Border Health Association
• Reviewer and evaluator of grant proposals for funding by the National Institute of Justice.

• Chair, CHES Approval Committee.

• Participated in 3 meetings of the Southern New Mexico Border Health Council, 1998
• Selected by Instituto de Estudios Humanisticos y Bioetica, Eugenio Maria de Hostos, University of Puerto Rico, for participation in a 3-year ethics course, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities, 1998-2001.
• Coordinated two meetings between UNM MPH and NMSU MPH faculty in 1998
• County of Dona Ana Health Advisory Council 1999

Service to the respective professions represented by the faculty areas of specialization are listed below. These roles relate to the professions and to their impact on the larger national-level society.

• 1996-present: Member, National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council, the accrediting body for environmental health programs in the United States.
• 1998-1999: Member of the New Mexico Public Health Association Annual Conference Planning Committee (held in Ruidoso, NM)

• Member, Society for Public Health Education/American Association for Health Education Baccalaureate Program Approval Committee, 1994-2002 (SABPAC).
• Member, Professional Preparation Committee, Society for Public Health Education, 1998 to present.
• Member, Executive Board, Council for Health Education in Higher Education, 1994-1997.
• Attended first Advocacy Training Conference sponsored by the American Public Health Association in Washington, DC, March 28-30, 1998 and subsequently met with health staff from Sen. Bingaman’s, Sen. Domenici’s, and Rep. Skeen’s staff to lobby on behalf of APHA and SOPHE interests.
• Member, US-Mexico Border MPH Program Deans and Directors Caucus, US-Mexico Border Health Association/Pan American Health Organization’s El Paso Field Office, 1998-present.

• Member, US-Mexico Border Health Association.
• Member, American Public Health Association
• Member, New Mexico Public Health Association

• Member, American Public Health Association’s Medical Care Section.
• Member, American Teachers of Preventive Medicine Network Mentor, 1993-1996.

Since 1992, the Department of Health Science has been approved by the National Commission on Health Education Credentialing, Inc. to be a Category I Multiple Event Provider of Continuing Education Contact Hours for Certified Health Education Specialists. Policies, procedures and practices (and current membership on the CHES Event Approval Committee) which support continuing education efforts are included in the Resource File.

To date, the MPH program has not offered continuing education events.

To date, the MPH program has not offered continuing education events in collaboration with other institutions.

The MPH Outcomes Assessment Objectives provide the measures by which the MPH program at NMSU evaluates the success of its service program. This was first reported in the department’s Outcomes Assessment Report of February 26, 1999, which is available in the Resource File. These are also discussed within Section 8 of Part VII of this self-study report.

Students have been involved in faculty service to the community in various ways. This has occurred at the individual faculty level (see section 2 above under Dr. Krishnan where four MPH students are listed), especially through the required MPH 596 Field Experiences, all of which involve students working at least 160 clock hours at a health agency/organization.

The primary vehicle for encouraging student involvement has been through the various external agreements/subcontracts the Department of Health Science has had over the years. These include the contract with the NM Department of Health to support the Border Health Office, the Kellogg GMNE Initiative through the SoAHEC, and the AHCOP program. Examples of student involvement with each of these is presented below.

The Department of Health Science begins its' 8^th year of collaboration in support of the operations of the New Mexico Border Health Office, the only such office along the US border with Mexico that has offices located on a university campus. The contract with the NM Department of Health often supports in excess of 20 NMSU students who assist in the Office in various ways.

• Spring, 1997, Heather Hahn - MPH student who served as a volunteer to the program
• MPH students who participated Fall, 1997 with the program for class credit through MPH 573--Community Organization and some (*) through MPH 500--Foundations of Public Health: Barbara Bubel, Jane Dellinger, Linda Gough, Heather Hahn, Karen Lord, Josephina Mata, Eric Nicolitz, Robert Pritchard, Casilda Provencio*, Teresa Ramirez, Joseph Roth, Leslie Scott*, Frances Walls, Suzanne Widmer
• MPH students who participated Spring, 1998 with the program for class credit through MPH 572--Media Advocacy - Linda Gough, Heather Hahn, Karen Lord
• MPH students who assisted with issues on sexuality and disability at the Center for Independent Living in the Fall of 1997 include Barbara Bubel, Linda Gough, Karen Lord, Casilda Provencio, Teresa Ramirez, and Joanne Bates.

Abrium Escarzaga, Joseph Roth, Joanne Bates, Teresa Ramirez, and Don Meyer worked for the AHCOP during the summer, 1998 and the first two students have worked longer with the program to help with numerous aspects of the program, including community-based projects. All students participating in the AHCOP at NMSU’s Department of Health Science in years 04-06 (beginning with the Summer Facilitating Entry to the MPH Program Track in 1997) are required to engage in community-service as part of their work with the AHCOP.

A listing of the community agencies where these students are currently working includes:

The Border HETC, 1997 and 1998

Comprehensive School Health, Inc., 1997

DOH, Public Health District III’s WIC program, 1997, 1998

DOH Health Promotion Office, 1997

Environmental Health Office, 1997

Family Medical Center’s Women’s Clinic, 1997

La Clinica de Familia: Adolescent Family Life Program, 1997

Sunland and Anthony Clinic Promotora Programs, 1997

Memorial Medical Center: First Step Women’s Clinic, 1998

Mesilla Valley Rehabilitation, 1997 and 1998

NovaCare, 1998

Southwest AIDS Resources, 1997

NMSU Student Health Center, 1997 and 1998

Thomason Hospital, 1997

This criterion is judged to be met.

The land grant philosophy of New Mexico State University stresses the relationship between teaching, research, and the responsibility to extend service to the people of the state of New Mexico. The mission of NMSU is to serve the people of New Mexico through education, research, extension education, and public service, with special emphasis on preserving the states multi-cultural heritage, protecting its environment, and fostering its economic development in an interdependent world. The public service responsibility objective is dedication to public service. NMSU is committed to providing specialized assistance, information, and programs designed to meet educational, cultural, and economic needs of the state. Specific university goals for implementing this include: encouraging university students, faculty, administration, and staff to play leadership roles in identifying and solving the economic, social, and cultural problems of the people of New Mexico by providing rewards for such leadership and to develop service activities which emphasize the unique features of our border environment.

The current organization of the Department of Health Science and the MPH program at NMSU permits and encourages active involvement of students and faculty with community agencies and professional organizations. Indicators such as leadership positions in the various professional organizations sited, through consultative and external arrangements with community agencies and organizations, and through the various service presentations for community agencies are evidence that this criterion is being met.

The goals and objectives included in the MPH outcomes assessment plan encourages both faculty and MPH student participation in such community-based service events and research endeavors. This ensures that the essential connection between the academic activities of the department and the professional practice of community agencies is maintained.

The program shall have a clearly defined faculty which, by virtue of its size, multidisciplinary nature, educational preparation, research and teaching competence, and practice experience, is able to fully support the program’s mission, goals and objectives.

Table VIII-1 is a Faculty Demographics table that shows the professional rank, tenure status, percent time devoted to the program, earned degrees and disciplinary areas, universities in which degrees were earned, teaching responsibilities, research interests, and the gender and ethnicity of the faculty of the Department of Health Science. This table shows the culturally and educationally diverse background of the faculty in the MPH program.

The diverse professional experience of the faculty covers a broad range of areas in the field of health. These include research and expertise in areas such as community health education, environmental health, epidemiology, biostatistics, health care management, women’s issues, ethics committees, clinical practice/hospital administration, and human sexuality. These areas help provide a foundation of experience for students in the health education field as they confront issues that have cultural, political, and socioeconomic implications.

Outcome measures are determined by course objectives as well as student evaluations. Student evaluations are completed at the end of every semester. Evaluations conducted by the department head are also completed at the end of every semester. These evaluations are helpful in assuring that courses are providing health education students with the best possible faculty for the courses that are being taught.