This year marks a number of important transitions for the School. As of July 1, 2008, our administrative home will change from the College of Health and Human Sciences to an expanded Division of Health Sciences. The move to the new division, which also includes the Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Social Work, is a significant step forward for the School, which I expect will open the way to continued growth in our programs, and in all of the health sciences, and to a wider range of opportunities for students and faculty.
In the fall of 2008, we will apply for professional accreditation of our Master of Public Health program by the Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH). Applying for accreditation of the MPH is a natural route to building a full school of public health, which is recommended by CEPH and followed by most new programs. From submission of the application to receipt of the final, official notice, the accreditation process takes 18-24 months. According to that timetable, the MPH should be accredited by the summer of 2010, and possibly sooner. Successful accreditation of the MPH will be a major accomplishment with immediate and long-term benefits for students, faculty and alumni. Among other things, MPH graduates will be able to sit for the new national certification examination in public health when the program becomes accredited.
Pending approval from the Board of Regents, we also hope to launch our first doctoral programs in the 2008-2009 academic year, beginning with a Ph.D. in Environmental and Occupational Health.
The path to professional accreditation necessitates yet another change for the school: under the criteria set by CEPH, we cannot be called a school of public health while we are pursuing accreditation of the MPH program. We are therefore changing our name to the School of Community Health Sciences while we work to accredit our programs. The new name reflects both the scientific nature of public health and its historical focus on the well-being of communities. However, I want to emphasize that it doesn’t represent a change in our mission. The school will continue to administer the Graduate Program in Public Health, including the MPH and new doctoral degrees that are expected to go on line in the coming year, as well as undergraduate majors and minors in Health Ecology. We remain committed to building strong academic and research programs and to the long-term goal of developing a full school of public health in Nevada.
Dana Loomis
Professor and Director