3.2.a. The School’s service activities, including policies, procedures and practices that support service.
The School has a tradition and a strong commitment to service both as a contributor to the advancement of the public health profession and to the health and well being of populations locally, nationally and internationally.
Engagement – a term encompassing service – is a key goal, both of the School and the entire University. As such, it is inextricably intertwined with research and education in achieving the School’s overarching mission to make a positive impact on the public’s health. In the School’s conceptualization of its role, research, education and service are not separable; they are in fact three essential facets of the same jewel. To attempt to “silo” them is to ignore the fact that, when aligned, education, research and service strengthen each other – and produce results that are equal to more than the sum of the parts. To have maximum impact on the complex public health issues faced by the practice community today, it is the School’s view that all facets of its enterprise need to be aligned and integrated.
As the School’s research, education and service efforts grow in sophistication, it becomes increasingly difficult to discuss each alone. Into which of the three categories, for example, do the outcomes of community-based, participatory research belong? Is it research, or is it service – or both? Into what silo might the offerings of the School’s Centers for Public Health Education and Outreach be categorized – service or education or both? When research into obesity prevention leads to the development of a diet and exercise regimen for young girls, as well as classes to educate them on preparing healthy foods, should the project be considered research, education or service? Certainly, all three of the School’s core functions would be part and parcel of this work. Indeed, it is increasingly rare that the School engages in one core activity that does not inform the others.
Central to the School’s commitment to making an impact is the concept of dynamic, two-way interaction with communities of public health practitioners, policymakers, organizations and populations. David N. Cox
(http://amps-tools.mit.edu/tomprofblog/archives/2006/05/726_the_scholar.html#more) refers to service that connects “with people and places outside of the university in the activities of scholarship” as the “scholarship of engagement.” During his tenure as Executive Vice President and Provost, Bob Bruininks, the current University President, described civic and public engagement as an institutional commitment to public purposes and responsibilities intended to strengthen a democratic way of life in the rapidly changing Information Age of the 21st century. (http://www1.umn.edu/civic/about/index.html) Boyer (1990, Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate. Princeton, NJ: Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching) has described faculty as taking on the “responsibilities of the scholarship of engagement, as they connect knowledge creation with the translation and impact of what they do with the world beyond the campus.”
In recent years, the School has expanded its reach into the practice communities through a wide web of affiliations developed by the faculty and students, as well as through innovative new programs and partnerships. The launch of the Centers for Public Health Education and Outreach (CPHEO), discussed in greater detail in Chapter 3.3, initiated a new level of service and outreach to the public health community. Through CPHEO, the School makes lifelong learning opportunities available – and easily accessible – to people in public health or related careers locally, nationally and around the globe. In 2005-2006, CPHEO has served more than 30,000 participants with high-quality training in subjects relevant to current and emerging public health concerns.
The School’s service achievements are the result of many factors, but chief among them are the partnerships it has established with practicing public health professionals. Among the partners are neighborhood-based organizations, departments of health, the Education and Research Centers for Occupational Health and Safety, the National Network of Centers for Public Health Preparedness, the National Network of Public Health Training Centers, nonprofit agencies, business and industry and universities, colleges and schools integrating population science into health and human service education.
These partnering organizations – many of which are on the front line of public health practice – have played a vital role in the direction of the School’s outreach. Detailed in Chapter 3.3, the growing list of continuing education programs made available as a service of the School are:
The Public Health Institute (PHI) – a three-week educational event for people working in the field who are looking to enhance their public health knowledge in highly relevant and emerging public health issues. Through Summer 2006, PHI had served some 1,100 students since it began in 2002.
The Public Health Practice major, geared also for working professionals, which leads to a master’s in public health through the Executive Program in Public Health Practice, or one of several dual degrees (M.D./M.P.H.; DVM/M.P.H).
Certificate programs for practicing public health workers who want to acquire knowledge (and credentials) in core public health concepts or in specialty areas, but who don’t immediately seek an M.P.H. degree.
Quarterly roundtable discussions on current public health topics that engage professionals from academia, practice and policy-making.
Free community education programs offered through local neighborhood groups
To serve the needs of the public health community and adult learners, the School has invested extensively in making its training services broadly accessible via online and distance-learning modalities. Recognition for its innovative technology-enhanced course design and delivery has spread far. As an example, today, 12 schools of veterinary medicine across the country partner with the School in offering the dual D.V.M./M.P.H. degree.
In addition to extending education and training services to the field, the School, through CPHEO, provides a “portal” through which the community may easily interact with faculty. As CPHEO becomes recognized as a point of entry to the School, community and professional groups find access to the School’s resources increasingly at hand.
Centers of excellence hosted by the School. Also integral to the service infrastructure of the School are many of the centers to which it plays host. Through them, the School interacts with practicing public health professionals and communities to address and inform specific needs. Each of the centers is strengthened by input from a community advisory board made up of public health leaders from nonprofit community and government agencies. They include:
Center for Environment and Health Policy (CEHP): Focuses on improving the assessment, management and communication of environmental health risks and fostering better environmental policy decisions.
Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP): Strives to reduce illness and death from infectious diseases by conducting original, interdisciplinary research and by facilitating public policy refinement and the adoption of science-based best practices among professionals and the public.
Center for Youth Health Promotion (CYHP): Disseminates to schools and communities innovative youth health promotion programs and materials created in the Division of Epidemiology.
Center to Study Human-Animal Relationships and Environments (CENSHARE): Creates opportunities to acquire, disseminate and apply knowledge about the relationship between animals, humans and their shared environment to improve the quality of life for all.
Health Services Research Survey Center: Supports School research and partners with public health organizations in designing, conducting, and analyzing mail, telephone and in-person surveys.
Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP): Helps Minnesota businesses implement solutions that maximize resource efficiency, prevent pollution, and reduce costs to improve public health and the environment.
Nutrition Coordinating Center (NCC): Develops, provides, and supports state-of-the-art methods and databases for researchers collecting and analyzing dietary data.
Regional Injury Prevention Research Center (RIPRC): Provides a multidisciplinary program for the prevention and control of injuries, including catastrophic and long-term disabling injuries, with attention to the rural environment.
State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC): Helps states monitor rates of health insurance coverage, understand factors associated with uninsurance and evaluate state policy initiatives.
Adjunct faculty. The School’s 175 adjunct faculty members also play an important role in the School’s engagement with communities. Often, adjunct faculty are practicing public health professionals who facilitate campus-community communications, collaboration and service. To recognize the contributions of its adjunct faculty, the School honors them each year at its Community Partners Event.
Other. The establishment of the Research and Education Advisors Partnership (REAP) brings together a high-level group of community health partners to help set direction for School-wide growth in education, research and service. While the focus of REAP is on partnerships, strategies and information-sharing for public health science and learning, seminars held annually and chaired by the Dean provide opportunities to explore service partnerships as well.
Fostering engagement through policy. Service is expected of all faculty members and is taken into account in faculty promotion, tenure and salary decisions. Service requirements are addressed in the School’s Academic Appointment, Promotion and Tenure policy. To support them in meeting their service expectations, members of the faculty are awarded one day each per seven-day-week for consulting.
In June 2006, the University’s Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost directed all schools within the University to review and revise the general criteria for conferral of tenure. Among the required elements of review is to ensure that the tenure code statements “reflect a coherent strategy for achieving excellence in research, teaching and public engagement.” The School is participating in this process.
Service through community-based, participatory research. The School’s growing emphasis on community-based participatory research is also encouraging increased outreach and service. Community-based research directly involves interaction with members of the populations affected by the issue under study – and often results in such services as needs assessments, development of programs and training. (Please refer to Chapter 3.1.b and 3.1.c for more on the School’s community-based research projects.)
Service through formal agreements. The School serves the public health community through formal contracts or agreements with external agencies for technical assistance, consulting and other services.
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