New college will be second in Ohio for public health

A newly-approved College of Public Health plans to admit its first undergraduate students by Fall 2010.

The Board of Trustees approved the college at its Friday meeting.

At a Faculty Senate meeting in November, President Lester Lefton said the college will not only attract new students, but also new revenue.

“We see this as a big investment opportunity to increase the overall quality, let alone the financial health, of our university,” he said. “The potential for research funding for this college probably supersedes any other college on this campus.”

The board’s approval is the first step in a multi-year development plan, Board of Trustees secretary Charlene Reed said.

“We needed the formal action of the college as the first step,” she said.

Chairman Patrick Mullin said the approval process only took a few minutes because the board has been discussing the college for more than a year.

The college has already been reviewed and approved by the senate, the Educational Policies Council, Provost Robert Frank and Lefton.

The college will consist of two programs: graduate and professional and undergraduate programs. The graduate and professional programs will include a master’s degree in public health and three doctoral degrees, most likely in epidemiology, social/behavior and health policy and administration. The public health undergraduate program is undetermined, but the goal is to grant students admission to the new major no later than Fall 2010.

The college will focus on five distinct areas of public health: biostatistics, epidemiology, health services administration, environmental health and health education/behavioral science.

Nationally, there are 40 accredited schools or universities of public health. The only other college of public health in Ohio is at Ohio State.

The board also approved:

&bull the establishment of a bachelor’s music technology major for Kent State Stark Campus.

&bull property purchases.

&bull amendment of tuition benefits for full-time university employees to include their spouse, domestic partner and/or dependent children.

&bull recognition of George Stevens, former dean of the College of Business Administration, as a professor emeritus.

&bull recognition of Vice Provost of Diversity Steve Michael’s new position at Arcadia University in Philadelphia.

Contact administration reporter Nicole Stempak at [email protected].