SBP Criteria Revisions Update

We are excited to share some context about the work we’ve done revising our Accreditation Criteria for Standalone Baccalaureate Programs.

As part of our regularly-scheduled, 5-year revision cycle, the Council and staff embarked on a journey of data collection and review in 2022 to inform the next iteration of the SBP criteria. The Council’s first task in 2022 was to define a process and parameters for the criteria revisions.

For the first time, the Council appointed an external workgroup to guide the criteria revision process. Members were selected to represent the various units that will be affected by this update, allowing for diverse voices and experiences to inform the changes. The members of the workgroup were as follows:

• Chair: CEPH Councilor Jason Coleman: Director, School of Health & Kinesiology, University of Nebraska Omaha (SBP)
• Brandye Nobiling: Director, BS in Community Health Program, Salisbury University (SBP)
• Deborah Barnett: Chief of Curriculum & Instruction, School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley (SPH)
• Deborah Fortune: Associate Professor, North Carolina Central University (non-accredited SBP)
• Kelli Russell: Director, BS in Public Health Studies, East Carolina University (SBP)
• Lutchmie Narine: Professor and former Chair, Department of Public Health, Syracuse University (PHP since 2022, previously SBP)
• Nannette Turner: Associate Dean, College of Health Professions, Mercer University (PHP)
• Tammi Thomas: Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Public Health Practice and Undergraduate Education, University of Louisville (SPH)

Over the course of 2023, the workgroup met monthly. The group guided data collection efforts, reviewed and interpreted the results to identify priorities, and prepared a full set of draft revisions for Council review, working through the criteria section by section. Members took turns leading the discussion, all contributing thoughts and perspectives.

A significant amount of time, nearly half of all meetings, was spent on the curricular criteria, to ensure that our standards reflect the current needs of the public health workforce. We think that you are going to love some of the changes made (a simplified B1 table is a win for everyone).

At the Spring 2024 meeting, the Council agreed in principle to a set of revised criteria, and the document is now out for public comment. We will be accepting public comment until October 3, but I recommend submitting your comments early. We want to hear your input on the next phase of undergraduate public health education!

Written by Cheyenne Barger, MPH, CPH