Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #104804

Sherril B. Gelmon, DrPH¹, Sarena D. Seifer, MD², Megan Mikkelsen, MPH¹, and Jen Kauper-Brown, MPH³. (1) College of Urban and Public Affairs, Portland State University, P.O. Box 751-PA, Portland, OR 97207-0751, 503-725-3044, gelmons@pdx.edu, (2) University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Community-Campus Partnerships for Health, UW Box 354809, Seattle, WA 98195-4809, (3) Community-Campus Partnerships for Health, UW Box 354809, Seattle, WA 98195-4809

A significant gap exists between the growing emphasis on community-based teaching, research and service, and the realities of how scholarship is actually defined and rewarded in higher education. In public health education this is a particular challenge, in view of the community-oriented and applied nature of public health as contrasted with traditional structures of reward and recognition of public health faculty. As universities and colleges wrestle with terminology, definitions, and changing reward structures, many are finding a need for a standardized method of self-assessment that helps them to evaluate their capacity, present status, strengths, and opportunities for improvement. In this presentation we will present a new self-assessment tool that builds upon existing models. This self-assessment is constructed around six dimensions of community engagement: definition and vision; faculty/student/community support and involvement; institutional leadership and support; and community-engaged scholarship. For each element of each of the six dimensions, four levels are articulated which represent a summary of the literature and knowledge on institutional best practices. Individual organizations self-assess to determine their current practices, and then map their results on two alternative summary instruments, which then serve as the basis for future planning and action. We will illustrate applications from the experience of the Community-Engaged Scholarship for Health Collaborative, with particular reference from schools of public health and other MPH programs experimenting with this self-assessment.

Learning Objectives:

• - To establish the context of community engagement and community engaged scholarship in public health education
• - To describe the model for institutional self-assessment
• - To illustrate applications of the self-assessment drawing upon the work of the Community Engaged Scholarship for Health Collaborative
• - To explore specific applications in public health education
• - To engage participants in how to apply and use the self-assessment for faculty recruitment and recognition

Keywords: Community Research, Public Health Education

Related Web page: www.ccph.info

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation