Goal 1: Recruit and retain qualified students and prepare them to improve the public’s health.

Objective 1: Attract well qualified students based on several indicators, including GRE scores of 1000+, undergraduate GPA of 3.0+, and experience/employment in the field of public health of 20+%.

Objective 2: Retain qualified fulltime MPH and MS students, 80% of which graduate within 3 years of fulltime enrollment, and PhD students, 80% of which graduate within 8 years.

Objective 3: Establish and integrate into the curriculum school-wide MPH competencies, MPH concentration-specific competencies, and MS and PhD degree program competencies via the following: coursework, the practice experience, and the culminating experience as documented in course syllabi, practice and culminating experience proposals, and student, alumni and employer evaluations.

Objective 4: Annually at least 75% of the MPH graduates self-report attaining the competencies at a high level. (NOTE: Assessment of revised core competencies available beginning with 2010-11 graduates; concentration-specific assessment available beginning with 2012-2013 graduates.)

Objective 5: At least 50% of MPH alumni who graduated prior to 2013 report on the alumni survey attainment of the competencies at a level of 3+/4 and 75% of graduates who graduate on or after May 2013 report attainment of the competencies at a level of 4+/5.

Objective 6: Beginning 2013-14 and annually thereafter, at least 75% of participants in the employer assessment report that MPH graduates demonstrate performance of new competencies at a high level of 4+/5.

Objective 7: By 2012 at least 80% of graduates are employed in their field or in training within one year of their graduation.

Goal 2: Establish a diverse student body qualified to appropriately address public health issues now and into the future.

Objective 1: Conduct focused student recruitment with at least 3 visits to HBCUs annually and through other outreach efforts.

Objective 2: Seek to achieve minority representation in the student body of 35% or greater annually (includes domestic and international students).

Objective 3: Diversify opportunities for individuals to contribute to public health by the establishment of a joint degree program(s) and 3-2 program(s) with undergraduate institutions.

Goal 3: In order to attract and retain a variety of learners, establish and maintain a sustainable, multi-dimensional, instructional delivery system.

Objective 1: By December 2012 and beyond, all courses will use one or more components of the multi-dimensional instructional delivery system available in the School.

Objective 2: By May 2014, students will indicate the instructional delivery system met their needs with an average rating of 4+/5 on course evaluations.

Community Service

Goal 1: Provide programs and initiatives in community-based and professional service and practice.

Objective 1: The faculty and staff will make public health educational offerings available to professionals and/or community members, reaching 2000 individuals or more annually.

Objective 2: At least 40% of faculty will serve on advisory boards, committees and task forces of community and professional organizations annually.

Objective 3: Establish and convene the Community Leadership Advisory Board at least twice annually to discuss community needs and opportunities beginning 2011-12.

Goal 2: Provide service engagement opportunities and activities for students.

Objective 1: Annually, at least 50% of the standing committees established by Faculty Assembly By-Laws have at least one student member, and students are included on School standing and ad hoc committees and workgroups as appropriate.

Objective 2: At least 25% of fulltime MPH students participate in SGA-sponsored or other community service activities annually.

Objective 3: Each year 2 or more eligible first year students apply for and receive service fellowships (e.g. Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Program).

Goal 1: Expand areas of current expertise and develop new research opportunities.

Objective 1: Generate an average of 25% or more of faculty salaries from external grants and contracts annually.

Objective 2: All fulltime faculty members without current grant or contract support will submit at least one proposal annually as Principal Investigator or a key Co-Investigator.

Objective 3: Increase the number of research awards in which fulltime faculty serve as Principal or Co-Investigators from a baseline of 36 in 2008-09 by 5% per year through 2014.

Objective 4: Increase the number of research projects related to events and issues uniquely important to Louisiana from a baseline of 7 projects in 2008-09 by 10% per year between 2009-2014.

Objective 5: Establish fulltime student participation in grants and contracts to an average of 25% or more of eligible students per year beginning 2009-2010.

Objective 6: By December 31, 2012, increase the number of funded research awards within or using data from SPH public health service/practice programs from 5 in 2008-9 by 30%. and maintain/increase that level through 2013-2014.

Goal 2: Advance faculty research achievements and recognition of faculty expertise by professional and lay audiences.

Objective 1: At least 100 abstracts from SPH faculty, professional staff, and/or students will be accepted for presentation at professional meetings annually.

Objective 2: By 2011-12, SPH faculty and/or students will publish at least 100 peer-reviewed publications annually. and thereafter.

Objective 3: By 2011-12, establish an electronic research data file available to internal and external communities, including areas of expertise and bibliographies of faculty and technical staff., and update semi-annually.

Objective 4: By 2011-12, establish a research mentoring program based on best practices and create mentor-mentee partnerships for 80% or more of junior investigators., and continue annually thereafter.

Objective 5: In collaboration with the LSUHSC Office of Information Services, feature expertise and achievements of SPH faculty and programs in print publications, radio, television and web on 24 or more occasions annually.

Goal 1: Create and sustain a school-wide culture of on-going professional development.

Objective 1: By 2011-12 at least 40% of fulltime faculty members attend one or more professional development programs on education and learning offered by the Academy/OMERAD annually.

Objective 2: Secure and provide up to 1% in SPH unrestricted funds to those faculty, students and staff who lack travel support from grants and contracts to attend a professional meeting when they have accepted posters and/or oral presentations annually.

Objective 3: Provide at least 50 electronic communications on educations or professional development annually to faculty, students, and staff and external audiences (from SPH programs featuring CDC, NIH, and other information sources.)

Goal 1: Develop and continually enhance a sustainable School of Public Health with an emphasis on ongoing assessment and quality improvement processes.

Objective 1: Develop mission, goals and objectives with evaluation and assessment processes including outcome measures & baselines or targets; review and revise as needed, annually.

Objective 2: Conduct a collaborative annual evaluation process based on the mission, goals and objectives beginning Fall 2010 in order to assess progress, develop baselines as needed, adjust goals/objectives and report the need for new policy development.