Role of academic public health leadership in the diversification of the public health workforce

Background: Academic schools of public health play a critical role in public health training in general, and the diversification of the public health workforce in particular. Therefore, how department chairs of schools of public health prioritize and implement diversification strategies is of direct relevance to the production and maintenance of a diverse public health workforce. Methods: Data are drawn from a 2010 survey of academic department chairs at 44 ASPH-accredited schools of public health. A total sampling frame of 222 department chairs yielded 109 valid responses, for an overall response rate of 49%. Results: Three constructs about diversity were developed: the priority placed on the racial and gender diversification of faculty and students (alpha=.84), familiarity with family friendly policies (alpha=.75), and attitudes about US dependence on international talent (alpha=.72). The chairs prioritize racial diversification more than gender diversification; this may be related to the perception by department chairs that there are greater shortages of minority faculty and students than there are of women faculty and students. Department chairs are not particularly concerned about dependence on foreign-born talent. None of the attitudinal variation is attributable to the demographic characteristics of the department chairs (e.g. gender, race, or professional age). Implications: National organizations such as APHA and ASPH may be able to provide assistance to department chairs in planning for a more diverse public health workforce of the future.