Rural and Community Health Graduate Certificate

Z-New Program Proposal- 8/4/16 - 8/3/17

completed

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General Catalog Information
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  • **READ BEFORE YOU BEGIN**

    1. Deatailed instructions on how to complete this proposal are available in the Curriculog User's Guide.
    2. Fields with an asterisk (*) are required. A proposal cannot be launched without data in each of the required fields.
    3. Once approved by the Originator, each subsequent approval step will have a 15 calendar day deadline to make a decision. After 15 calendar days the proposal is automatically rejected and returned to the Originator. If there are questions or clarifications needed that require time beyond this deadline you may select the HOLD decision. This decision requires administrative approval.
    4. Please email curriculog@cwu.edu with questions or if you need assistance in completing this proposal.

    Note: While a "New Program" may be offered the term following the final approval of the proposal, if the proposal requires the creation or modification of courses, the program's effective term must be the same as, or later than, those course proposals. Click here to view the course proposal deadlines. 

  • Level of Study

  • Select Level of Study*

  • Types of Proposals:

    Majors:  The major forms the basis for granting of a baccalaureate or graduate degree.  It is a coherent, in-depth program of study in a particular discipline or disciplines wherein the student will develop and demonstrate an increasing awareness of both the possibilities and the limits of the major program of study.  Majors are designed to provide a mastery of the content, insights, skills and techniques appropriate to an undergraduate education in a particular body of knowledge.  Majors will consist of courses that are often sequential, leading to advanced study in the discipline(s).  A major will consist of a minimum of 45 credits.  For undergraduate degrees, a 45 to 59 credit major requires completion of a minor and/or second major, in which case the total credits of the major and minor/2nd major must total at least 60 credits.

    Specializations:  A specialization is a coherent, focused subfield within a degree program. A specialization can be distinguished from a new degree in that the full designation of the degree title - including level, type and major - does not change when a new specialization is added. Specializations in an undergraduate major must share a core, defined as a group of courses shared by all specializations within a major, which consists of no fewer than 25 credits for an undergraduate program or 15 credits for a graduate program. The courses constituting the specialization must consist of no fewer than 20 credits for an undergraduate program or 15 credits for graduate program.

    Minors:  A minor is a coherent program of study in a particular discipline that provides an area that complements or supplements the students major.  A minor will consist of a minimum of 20 credits and a maximum of 44 credits.

    Certificates:  Certificate programs are programs of study that normally require less than 25% of the credits required for a degree program at the same level. Certificate programs may not exceed 44 credits.  Certificate programs are specialized career programs, often geared for admission to licensing or career entrance tests, and results in a certificate.  Certificate programs may also be noncredit.

    Graduate Certificates:  Graduate certificate programs are courses of study that require equal to half or less than half of the credits required during a degree program at a similar level.  They are usually limited in scope relative to a graduate degree program but provide an opportunity for advanced study with a particular focus.  Subject to the regulations that govern a specific program, a graduate certificate can often serve as an intermediate accomplishment for a student whose ultimate goal is a graduate degree.

    Minor/ Certificate:  This option should be selected when the proposed program may be used as either a minor, certificate program, or both..

    Narrative:  This is the descriptive text for a College or Department. This information is built as a Shared Core, and can be imported as such. Any courses or programs of study referenced in this section are text only and will not automatically update when those items are changed.

  • Type of Proposal *

  • First Term to be Offered

    Please select the term and year that this program will be available. Please confirm deadlines for selected term, as the system will not check the validity of terms selected.  If you missed the deadline or are unsure about the process, please contact curriculog@cwu.edu for assistance.

    Note: While a "New Program" may be offered the term following the final approval of the proposal, if the proposal requires the creation or modification of courses, the program's effective term must be the same or later as those course proposals.

  • Term *
    Year *

  • College or Academic Group

    Please select your College or Academic Group by clicking on the Add Item button below. If your College or Academic Group is not showing in the list of available options, please email curriculog@cwu.edu.

  • College or Academic Group *
    Please select your College or Academic Group from the drop-down menu. If your department or program does not belong to a college and you are unsure which Academic Group to use, please email curriculog@cwu.edu.

  • Department or Program

    Please select your Department or Program by clicking on the Add Item button below. If your Department or Program is not showing in the list of available options, please email curriculog@cwu.edu.

    If the program is offered by an interdisciplinary or specialized study program select both the program and the department in which it is housed. 

  • All Departments and Programs related to this proposal: *
  • Will this new program include courses from outside the originating department?*
    If you select YES as an option, a Custom Route will need to be created. Contact curriculog@cwu.edu for assistance in creating custom routes.

  • If you answered yes, please return to the "Department or Program" field above and select all departments whose courses will be used. Programs using courses from departments other than their own are required to document that those departments have approved the usage of their course(s). Department chairs cannot be added to the approval after a proposal has been launched. Contact curriculog@cwu.edu if you need assistance or discover that a department has been missed.

    If multiple selections were made in the "All Departments and Programs..." field above select the department who will have primary control/ owenership of the program in the field below (if only one department is selected above this field may be left blank).

  • Primary Department

  • Program vs. Shared Core

    A shared core is an identical series of courses that are used by multiple programs, while a program is a set of courses or requirements unique to a single program. If you are unsure whether your proposal is a program or a shared core contact curriculog@cwu.edu for assistance.

  • Program vs. Shared Core*
    If you are unsure if this is a program or shared core, then select program. **Specialized programs are Shared Cores.** For further help or clarification, email curriculog@cwu.edu.

  • Title of Program

  • Program Title*
    Rural and Community Health Graduate Certificate
    Rural and Community Health Graduate Certificate
  • Degree or Certificate Type *

  • MyCWU Program and Specialization Codes

    The fields that follow should be left blank until it reaches the "Peoplesoft Integration" approval step. These codes are used to identify the program (and specialization when applicable) in MyCWU and will be used in the future to differentiate programs that may have very similar titles.

  • MyCWU Program Code
  • MyCWU Specialization Program Code

  • Certificates:  Definitions of Certificate Types

    Type A -  College Sponsored Certificate Programs: Programs that admit only matriculating students and offer a set of courses approved through the CWU academic governance procedures are classified as College Sponsored Certificate Programs. These programs are developed, taught, and offered by academic departments housed in colleges at CWU.

    Type B - Collaborative Certificate Programs: Programs that admit both matriculating students and non-matriculating students and offer a set of courses that includes regular course offerings appearing in the CWU catalog and administered by CWU Colleges are classified as "Collaborative Certificate Programs." These programs are developed, taught, and offered by academic departments housed in colleges in cooperation with the office of continuing education.

    Type C - Continuing Education Certificate Programs: Programs that target primarily non-matriculating students and offer a set of instructional experiences developed independent of CWU's colleges but with input as appropriate from faculty are classified as "continuing education certificate programs." These programs are developed, delivered, and administered by the office of continuing education in consultation with faculty, academic departments, and/or college dean, as appropriate.

    Type D - Graduate School Certificate Program. Programs that only admit students who meet the criteria to be accepted into the School of Graduate Studies and Research and offer a set of courses which appear in the CWU catalog.  Certificates are administered by CWU Colleges and are classified as Graduate School Certificate Programs.  These programs are developed, taught, and offered by academic departments housed in colleges at CWU.

  • If this is a Certificate program, which type?
    See Definitions of Certificate Types below.

  • Program Text for Catalog Copy 

    The Program Narrative is a required description of the program, the others are optional text fields where additional descriptions can be added. If any of the requirements below involve courses or shared cores they must be added into the proposed curriculum. For assistance in attaching an existing core or in creating a new one contct curriculog@cwu.edu. A proposal may be rejected or delayed if the program has, or should have, information in the optional text fields in this section that is not included.

  • Program Narrative*

    Graduate Certificate in Rural and Community Health

     

    The Graduate Certificate in Rural and Community Health offers students the opportunity to pursue graduate coursework in public health with a focus on the determinants of health in rural settings and the resulting health outcomes in such communities. The program focuses on applied study to build skills in program planning and evaluation, health services administration and management, grant writing and leadership within agencies that serve rural communities and other underserved populations. The 17-credit graduate certificate can be completed entirely online in 2 academic quarters, ideal for working students and those who are unable to commute to a traditional face-to-face academic program. 

     

    Students who complete the Graduate Certificate in Rural and Community Health will, upon completion of the program, be able to:

     

    • Design, implement and evaluate strategies that improve health at the individual, community, and population level
    • Identify determinants of health disparities in a variety of diverse settings and populations, including rural communities
    • Demonstrate skills in effective management of public health programs and collaborative partnership development for health improvements at the population level

     

    Required Courses:

     

    PUBH 475: Community Health Administration (3)

    PUBH 513: Health Disparities in Rural and Frontier Communities (3)

    PUBH 571: Program Planning (4)

    PUBH 572: Program Implementation and Evaluation (4)

    PUBH 580: Grant Seeking and Administration for Public Health (3)

     

    Total = 17 credits

  • Admission Requirements

    In line with university requirements for admission to graduate degree programs in the School of Graduate Studies and Research, students applying to the graduate certificate in rural and community health must submit:

     

    • A completed application for graduate admission to the School of Graduate Studies and Research
    • A written statement of educational and professional objectives
    • Three letters of recommendation written by professors or others capable of assessing your potential for success in a graduate program
    • Official transcripts from all universities and colleges attended
    • A non-refundable application fee of $50 payable at the time of filing application

    Please see http://www.cwu.edu/masters/apply-cwu-graduate-school for more information.

  • Graduation Requirements

    Students must pass all courses with a minimum grade of B- to complete the graduate certificate program.

  • Program Requirements

  • Program Curriculum

    In this field you will build all of the course requirements for the program.  If this program will use existing courses from the catalog, or a shared core from an existing program, those can be imported from the Online Catalog by clicking on the Import arrow at the top left of this form. 

    Please Note:  multiple courses can be selected for import at one time, by clicking on each desired course from the list that is populated by your search parameters.  If the desired course is either an existing new course proposal, or will be submitted concurrently with the program proposal, click Add Course. Here you will be prompted to enter in the courses prefix, code (number), and name (course title).

    For further detailed instructions on importing courses into your program, please see the Curriculog User Guide.

  • Program Curriculum *

  • Online Program Options

    In the field below please indicate whether the program being proposed will have an online only option available for students.

  • Please indicate the level of online availablity for this program:*
Required Summary Information
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  • Justification for the Program

    This is the field where you will provide a justification for the creation of this program.  If this section is not complete, the proposal will be returned to the originator.  

    In the box below please address:

    • How will this new program enhance the curriculum of your department, college, and the university?
    • What specific needs are being addressed that are not being met in other programs? 
    • Document the demand for this program.
  • Justification*

    How will this new program enhance the curriculum of your department, college and the university?

    According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the health care sector – including public health – is projected to grow by 15.6 million new positions by the year 2022 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013). This projected growth exceeds that of any other employment sector in the U.S. In light of the significant changes to the health care landscape as a result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010, the U.S. has invested substantially in public health and prevention efforts, which will require a well-trained, fully equipped public health workforce in the coming years. The Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) has determined that nationally, the public health workforce is critically understaffed. An estimated 23% of the public health workforce retired in 2012, leaving a large void in expertise and leadership (Rosenstock et al., 2008). Furthermore, 250,000 more workers in public health are expected to retire by 2020 (Rosenstock et al., 2008). In 2007, the University of Washington released a report stating that Washington State would lose public health workforce members faster than average compared to other industries in the state (Heisman, 2007). The report found that public health workers in the Washington were seven years older than average than employees in other professions and the retirement rate was expected to be 45% over the next five-year period. One main barrier perpetuating this workforce dilemma is that there are currently too few educational programs to train future employees, leaders, and researchers in the discipline (Rosenstock et al., 2008).

     

    The proposed graduate certificate in public health focuses on rural and community health leadership and is ideal for students who are interested in applied study to build skills in program planning and evaluation, health services administration and management, grant writing and leadership within agencies that serve rural communities and other underserved populations.

     

    A graduate certificate in public health at CWU would build on the current strengths of our undergraduate faculty and recent re-organization within the Department of Health Sciences. Collaborative relationships within Health Sciences allows students to access graduate faculty with expertise in nutrition, exercise science, community paramedicine, and population health. In addition, the current undergraduate program in public health trains students who intend to enter clinical professions such as medicine and nursing. The recent changes in the health care landscape have shifted the demand for clinicians to also have working knowledge and skills of population health status and outcomes. In light of these changes, the growing role of public health within the larger health science discipline is wholly underscored. Finally, the current undergraduate program in public health at CWU recently established a community advisory board (CAB), comprised of public health agency professionals from around the state, academics internal and external to Central, and community members in Kittitas County. CAB leadership has made offering graduate public health programs chief among its priority work areas for the 2016-2017 academic year and fully supports this program proposal.

     

    What specific needs does this program address that are not being met in other programs?

    In the state of Washington, there are currently only two institutions offering a graduate certificate in public health: (1) the University of Washington School of Public Health, and (2) Eastern Washington University.  A survey of current and former students asked respondents to indicate preferred populations or areas of study that appealed most to them in a graduate public health program. “Rural and community health” was the most frequently reported population of interest, which CWU’s location and connections to rural and frontier communities can support. In these ways, CWU’s degree offering reflects a comparative advantage when compared to counterpart programs in Seattle and Spokane, neither of which focuses on these populations or communities.  

     

    Document the demand for this program

     

    Evidence from a study conducted by Central Washington University faculty in 2015 demonstrated that only 15% of current members of the public health workforce in the Pacific Northwest region hold graduate degrees in public health, and about 30% of public health professionals say they arrived at their current position without the specific public health training to adequately do their job. Furthermore, the majority of respondents indicated that graduate public health training is necessary in their field (57%) and only about 1/3 of respondents thought that there were enough schools or universities offering graduate public health education to meet the demand. Only 40% responded that they could name at least one institution offering a graduate public health degree within reasonable commuting distance to their place of employment (Beeson & Mace, 2016).

    The same study by Beeson & Mace collected data on demand for graduate public health training at CWU from current and former students in the undergraduate public health program. Half of respondents indicated that they were “highly interested” in a graduate certificate in public health (50%) with another 43% reporting that they were somewhat interested.

    References:

    Rosenstock, L., Silver, G. B., Helsing, K., Evashwick, C., Katz, R., Klag, M., . . . Sumaya, C. (2008). On linkages: Confronting the public health workforce crisis: ASPH statement on the public health workforce. Public health reports, 123(3), 395

    Beeson T & Mace C. (2016). Washington state public health workforce educational needs assessment. Washington State Journal of Public Health Practice.  9(1).

  • Program Impacts, Costs, and Revenues

    The process for completion of this section is currently being reviewed. Please contact the Office of the Associate Provost for Accreditation, Academic Planning and Assessment for details on what information needs to be included as well as the appropriate format.

  • Additional Data for Graduate Programs Only

    Please indicate in the fields below the estimated number of projected enrollments in thesis, project or exam options, and estimated number of graduate assistantships. For Graduate level programs this information is required. Graduate level program proposals that do not include information in this section will be rejected. 

  • Thesis - Projected Enrollment

    The graduate certificate will not include a required thesis/project.

  • Project or Exam Options

    The graduate certificate will not include a required thesis/project.

  • Graduate Assistantships

    No graduate assistantships will be awarded for the graduate certificate program.

    Estimated number of graduate assistantships.

  • Please indicate in the field below your faculty's ability to oversee thesis, project, or exam options as Regular, Associate, or Affiliate Graduate Faculty or qualifications to obtain Graduate Faculty status.

  • Faculty Ability to Oversee Graduate Qualifications

    All public health faculty members have current status as either Regular or Associate Graduate Faculty and the ability to oversee graduate students' work.

Student Learning Outcomes and Assessments
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  • Program Proposals will no longer be required to have learner outcomes for the Faculty Senate Curriculum Committee's approval, however they will still be required for review by the college dean whose college will house the proposed program, the Office of the Associate Provost for Accreditation, Academic Planning, and Assessment, and for graduate level programs, by the School of Graduate Studies and Research.

    The preferred format for this is the "Student Learning Outcomes and Assessments" form. For assistance or questions please email curriculog@cwu.edu.

  • User Tracking

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