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.