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Senate Bill 23-24-26

Bill ID: 23-24-26
PCC ID: 23083
Name: PCC Proposal to Rename the Bachelor of Science in "Community Health" to "Public Health Practice"
Proposed: 02/02/2024
Proposal: The School of Public Health’s Department of Behavioral and Community Health proposes to
rename the Bachelor of Science in "Community Health" to "Public Health Practice". This major is a
public health degree program rooted in social and behavioral science and theory and focused on
making meaningful contributions to impact health and quality of life at all levels of society. The
program is designed to serve as a gateway to graduate studies or as a transition directly to the field
as an engaged, prepared, and well-informed public health practitioner.
The new title, “Public Health Practice,” better reflects the nomenclature that is current in today's
public health landscape and best identifies the program’s differences and similarities with Public
Health Science, a separate major in the School of Public Health. The name "Community Health" is
not as recognizable as the term "Public Health." Prospective students interested in practicing public
health tend to overlook the Community Health major and choose instead the Public Health Science
major, even though the Public Health Science major is geared toward students who are interested
in pursuing a degree in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and other allied health professions given its
heavy focus on the life sciences, such as human anatomy and physiology, general/organic
chemistry, and genetics. Through conversations with students and from student survey results, the
department has learned that many students were unaware of the content of the Community Health
program earlier in their college careers and wished that the public health nature of the program had
been clearer. Changing the program title would lead students to enter the program sooner, which
should lead to better student performance and shorter time to degree.
Active? Yes

Status

Status: Complete
Related Files:

Status: Complete
Reviewer: Senate
Received: 2024-02-28
Decision Date: 2024-03-06
Decision: The Senate voted to approve this proposal.
Next Step: Presidential Approval, MHEC Approval, Chancellor Approval
Related Files:

Status: Complete
Reviewer: Senate Executive Committee (SEC)
Received: 2024-02-14
Decision Date: 2024-02-21
Decision: The SEC voted to place this proposal on the agenda of the March 6, 2024 Senate Meeting for consideration.
Next Step: Senate Review
Related Files:

Status: Complete
Reviewer: Programs, Curricula, & Courses (PCC) Committee
Received: 2024-01-26
Decision Date: 2024-02-02
Decision: The PCC Committee voted to approve this proposal.
Next Step: SEC Review
Related Files:
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