Profile of an allied health dean

This study sought to gather baseline data about allied health deans in academic health centers in the US, their backgrounds, career patterns, role characteristics, and perceptions of professional development. The study also examined relationships that existed between a profile of allied health deans established in this study and other selected career variables. Allied health deans in 63 academic health centers were surveyed using a 55-item, self-administered questionnaire, "Today's Allied Health Deans." The results revealed that the characteristics of allied health deans did not depart significantly from those of other academic deans. All deans had fairly uniform experiences in their roles as academic officers across the country. A review of their career patterns showed that they departed slightly from the traditional career ladder models established for other academic deans.     

Perceptions of part-time faculty by chairpersons of undergraduate health education programs

In recent years, it has become commonplace for universities to hire part-time and non-tenure track faculty to save money. This study examined how commonly part-time faculty are used in health education and how they are used to meet program needs. The American Association of Health Education's 2009 "Directory of Institutions Offering Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Programs in Health Education" was used to send a three-wave mailing to programs that were not schools of public health (n = 215). Of the 125 departments (58%) that responded, those that used part-time faculty averaged 7.5 part-time faculty in the previous academic year, teaching on average a total of 10 classes per year. A plurality of departments (38%) were currently using more part-time faculty than 10 years ago and 33% perceived that the number of part-time faculty has resulted in decreases in the number of full-time positions. Although 77% of department chairs claimed they would prefer to replace all of their part-time faculty with one full-time tenure track faculty member. As colleges downsize, many health education programs are using more part-time faculty. Those faculty members who take part-time positions will likely be less involved in academic activities than their full-time peers. Thus, further research is needed on the effects of these changes on the quality of health education training and department productivity.     

Research productivity of allied health faculty in academic health centers

As colleges of allied health become a more integral part of the academic community, faculty will increasingly be expected to contribute to the research mission of their respective institutions. The purpose of this study was to identify characteristics associated with research productivity of allied health faculty. A survey was mailed to 1444 full-time faculty members in 50 academic health centers nationwide, representing 10 of the most prevalent allied health fields. Research productivity was defined as the total number of publications produced by a faculty member over his/her academic career. Data from 579 respondents (40%) were analyzed. Results of the regression analysis showed that 44% of the variance in total publications was explained by an earned doctorate, hours spent in research, and salary. As a group, the study results showed that allied health faculty were not prolific researchers and did not publish extensively. Although faculty distributed their time among teaching, research, service, consulting, and practice, the greater percentage of faculty time was spent in teaching and service.     

Attitudes toward and experience in research among family medicine chairs.

BACKGROUND. Productive research environments are important for the development of academic family medicine, yet many of the current family medicine chairs have had little research training or experience and have rated research skills as a low priority for themselves. The younger chairs, however, representing the next generation of academic leadership, may have more traditional academic values, including the promotion of research. METHODS. The 106 active and interim chairs of family medicine academic units were surveyed by mail to determine their characteristics and attitudes toward their work responsibilities. We compared chairs 50 years of age or younger with those over 50 years of age. RESULTS. Before attaining their positions, younger chairs, in general, were more likely than older chairs to have received formal training in management, patient care, and academic skills, but they shared similar work experiences. Specifically, younger chairs were more likely to have had formal research training but did not have a great deal more research experience. Younger chairs were more likely to consider research skills to be essential in their present work activities and to identify faculty with formal training and extensive experience in research as potential chair replacements. CONCLUSIONS. Younger chairs appear to have a greater appreciation for the importance of research, having received more formal training and valuing research skills in themselves and potential replacements. With the impending large turnover in family medicine leadership, there will be an opportunity to recruit chair replacements with similar viewpoints toward research, thus improving the outlook for research in academic family medicine.     

Productive working relationships in the midst of change in health care.

Traditional lines of authority that once provided identity and meaning in health care are blurring as delivery organizations adapt to the challenges of controlling cost and providing quality service. Teams and committees tackle work that was once the realm of individual managers. Men and women at different levels of authority in the organization now work together to make decisions. Previous lines of authority in the health administration education setting are also blurring as colleges and universities, under pressure, respond to customer needs. Academia is increasingly drawing upon adjunct and non-tenure-eligible professionals to streamline departments and save money. Within the structure of a department, workers in these temporary positions have less authority than tenured and tenure-track faculty. They have less authority in the classroom as well. In both the health care industry and academia, women endure these changes more than their male counterparts, since women often assume the variety of flexible roles required by these strategies. Changes in traditional academic authority produce anxiety and stress for everyone involved. However, faculty can teach students a flexible paradigm to navigate and find meaning in these situations to ensure successful and productive working relationships between men and women in the changing workplace. This paper identifies the pertinent components of this paradigm and its application in the health administration classroom.     

Selected ethical issues in research and publication: perceptions of health education faculty.

A national random sample of 195 university health education faculty at graduate degree-granting programs completed a 31-item survey with regard to their perceptions of ethical issues in research and publishing. Most respondents were male (57%), tenured (75%), had graduate faculty status (92%), had presented original research at conferences (85%), and had published articles in health education journals (89%). Faculty members were requested to assess whether 21 scenarios dealing with ethical issues in research and publishing were ethical, unethical, questionable, or not an ethical issue. Of the scenarios, 3 were considered ethical and 7 unethical by the majority of respondents. The perceptions of how ethical the remaining 11 scenarios were varied considerably. Perceptions of the ethical scenarios did not differ among respondents by sex, academic rank, years taught as a faculty member, whether the department taught units/classes on research ethics, or whether the respondents were from doctoral-level versus master's-level programs.     

Allied health and the dilemma of nontraditional doctorates

Opportunities to acquire doctoral degrees through nontraditional means have proliferated in recent years. These opportunities offer master-level allied health professionals a chance to obtain doctoral degrees without major interruptions in their careers or the need to leave their place of employment. However, many question the comparability of these degrees to those obtained through traditional programs. This report examines various types of nontraditional programs and attempts to assess their acceptance by deans of allied health programs based in academic health centers. Of ten deans surveyed, eight stated that they would consider candidates with nontraditional doctorates for faculty appointment. Two had nontraditional doctoral faculty on staff and have had no problems with promotion or tenure of those individuals. Only one indicated that promotion and tenure would not be possible for faculty possessing nontraditional degrees. The implications for allied health faculty possessing nontraditional degrees are explored in light of official and unofficial university policies, and an approach is suggested for junior faculty considering the nontraditional doctoral option.     

The relative importance of supportive data for promotion and tenure reviews

Tenured and tenure-track faculty in 21 schools of allied health in the Midwest were surveyed by a questionnaire to identify (1) the relative importance of the variety of documents allied health faculty may submit for promotion and tenure reviews and (2) the congruence between the real and ideal value of the major areas of faculty responsibility. The responses indicated that of 48 examples of documents faculty may submit, only ten were considered to be essential or to have a desirable effect on pursuits, but none to teaching, public service, or patient care. The most important activity contributing toward advancement was reported to be research/publication, even though faculty believed it should be teaching. The results of the study will be valuable to candidates preparing dossiers for promotion and tenure and to administrators and other educators involved in advising faculty.     

The glass ceiling in academe: health administration is no exception.

This paper reviews gender issues in academe and presents findings of a limited survey of ACEHSA-accredited health administration graduate programs. The survey shows gender ratios adverse to women at the full, associate, and assistant professor levels. Men to women ratio among faculty was 1.98, among full-time faculty it was 2.24, and among tenured/tenure-track faculty it was 2.69, despite an excess of female students over male students in graduate programs, and despite equal proportions of women and men faculty holding doctoral degrees. Distribution by rank showed 48.5 percent full professors, 27.8 percent associate professors, and, 20.1 percent assistant professors among men, vs. 27.4 percent, 41.1 percent, and 31.5 percent respectively among women. In other academic fields similar gender ratios prevail, and many researchers have documented evidence of continuing gender inequities in tenure, promotion and salary, given comparable performance, despite the enactment of Title IX in 1972. Gender disparities are rooted in a complex web of gender-specific constraints interwoven with secular human capital and structural variables, and confounded by sexist discriminatory factors. In light of these issues, recommendations are made toward creating an equitable academic climate without compromising the ideal of meritocracy, through gender-sensitive initiatives and vigilance mechanisms to bring policies to fruition.     

Locus of decision making and job satisfaction of department chairpersons in schools of allied health

In an era of ample resources in higher education, an estimated 80% of all administrative decisions occurred at the departmental level rather than at higher levels in the administrative hierarchy. As financial resources have become limited, it appears that the locus of decision making has begun to change in the university setting. This study explored the relationship between allied health department chairpersons' perceptions of the locus of decision making in their universities and their job satisfaction. Chairpersons who perceived the level of decision making to reside at the faculty level were shown to be less satisfied with their jobs than chairpersons whose perceived locus of decision making was at the chair level. In addition, as the locus of decision making moved away from the chairperson, either to the faculty or to more central levels of the administration, satisfaction with both the administrative and academic aspects of the chair appeared to diminish. From this study, allied health chairpersons appear to be more comfortable with clear decision-making powers than general academic chairs. This finding has implications for the structuring of the allied health chairperson's role and for the advancement and development of the allied health fields within educational institutions. Future limitations in financial resources may bring about closer alignment in the role and job satisfaction of general academic and allied health chairs.     

Research productivity profile of allied health faculty

Many allied health faculty are expected to obtain graduate degrees and engage in scholarly activity to advance knowledge in their professions and fulfill the research mission of their academic institution. A national study of ten allied health disciplines was conducted to assess the level of allied health research productivity and to determine the relationship between the amount of research and faculty characteristics. Research productivity included the number of major paper presentations and research publications, number of times served as project principle investigator, and the time devoted to research per week. Faculty characteristics were the type of employing institution, and the academic degree, rank, and tenure status of the faculty member. Data from 2,187 survey respondents indicated that faculty who are employed by four-year research universities, possess earned doctorates, hold the rank of professor, and are tenured had significantly higher levels of research productivity.     

Attitudes of faculty members of schools of public health toward public service

Public service has long been considered one of a traditional triad of academic functions--teaching, research, and service. Yet even in schools of public health, where service is purported to be an integral component of the institution's mission, faculty generally do not accord as high a value to service performance or approach it with the same degree of commitment as they do research and teaching. A study was conducted to examine faculty perceptions and attitudes toward the service function and its relationship to teaching and research within schools of public health. The data were taken from a mailed questionnaire survey of 20-30 faculty members in each of 20 schools of public health in the United States. The response rate was 71 percent, or 387 returned questionnaires. Respondents generally felt that the greatest value of service lies in its potential for enhancing the image and prestige of the school, and in the fulfillment of the community obligation of the institution. The possibility that service might bring about improvements in faculty research and teaching, or improvements in health services and public health, was rated significantly lower. Thus, respondents did not view service as useful for its contribution to their own careers or to public health practice as much as they regarded it as a beneficial contribution to the reputation of the institution. This view undermines the traditionally held notion that public service either benefits a particular constituency outside the school or enhances the professional development of faculty members themselves.     

Systems analysis of schools of allied health using Leavitt's Organizational Model: a meta-analysis

Schools of allied health are relative newcomers to the formal academic setting. Consequently, these new academic units are particularly vulnerable to external threats to survival as they struggle to achieve acceptance by faculty and administrators in the traditional disciplines. This paper describes an application of Leavitt's Organizational Model for systems analysis of schools of allied health. A meta-analysis of studies reported in the Journal of Allied Health was conducted to provide administrative insight for the model's dimensions of task, structure, technology, and people. The model is helpful in organizing information and predicting effects of intervention strategies when any single dimension is changed. By viewing schools of allied health from a holistic perspective, deans and chair persons can anticipate the effect of change on variables (dimensions) other than those being manipulated and weight intervention strategies before their adoption.     

Scholarship and research of allied health deans and directors

In 1997, a questionnaire was sent to 141 allied health deans or directors to: 1) determine current research and scholarship, 2) ascertain institutional expectations regarding scholarly activities, 3) characterize the institution's research environment, 4) quantitate scholarship productivity by point assessment, and 5) compare scholarship of administrators from research universities with that of those at non-research four-year colleges and universities. Seventy-three (52%) responded. Measures of research productivity included time spent in research, numbers of publications and presentations, and grantsmanship. While spending two thirds of their time in administrative duties, many deans and directors were actively involved in scholarship. Since 1990, they had, as a group, produced 855 publications, made 1,348 presentations, and been awarded $38.3 million in total funding. They did not differ significantly by employing institution (a research institution or a non-research institution).     

An investigation of academic dishonesty in allied health: incidence and definitions

Educators in the health sciences are concerned about academic dishonesty and are searching for methods to control misconduct. If students falsify academic work, their behavior pattern may continue in professional practice, endangering the health and well-being of the patients in their care. This paper presents the results of a study of the attitudes and experiences regarding dishonest academic behaviors of a sample of 244 students and 31 faculty in the School of Health Professions at Southwest Texas State University. Student and faculty definitions of dishonest behavior were compared, and the incidence of dishonest behavior and the experiences of faculty in recognizing and disciplining students for academic misconduct were analyzed. Major findings included: 1) faculty, undergraduate, and graduate students differ in their definitions of some types of dishonest behavior; and 2) the most common types of dishonest behavior identified by faculty and students involve cheating and plagiarism. Future research is warranted with attention given to the causal factors leading to academic dishonesty and patterns of dishonesty in academic and practice settings.     

Fixing the system, not the women: an innovative approach to faculty advancement

Women in academic medicine are approaching parity without power. Although the number of women choosing careers in medicine has grown substantially over the last 35 years, there has not been a commensurate increase in the percentage of women in senior leadership positions. To redress this situation at the University of Illinois College of Medicine (UICM), the Faculty Academic Advancement Committee (FAAC) was established in January 2003. FAAC's long-term goals are to create an institution whose faculty, department leaders, and deans reflect the gender and ethnic profile of the college's student body and to enable excellence in research, teaching, and patient care while promoting work/life balance. Commissioned as a Dean's Committee, FAAC brings together a diverse group of faculty and academic professionals from inside and outside the college to learn, reflect, and act. FAAC has committed to increasing the percentage of tenured women faculty and advancing women into leadership positions by carrying out an ambitious evidence-based institutional transformation effort. FAAC's initiatives-data gathering, constituency building, department transformation, policy reform, and advocacy-have helped to create an enabling environment for change at UICM. This case study outlines the history, conceptual approach, structure, initiatives, and initial outcomes of FAAC's efforts.     

The academic elite in health services administration: linkages among top-ranked graduate programs

The eleven top-ranked graduate programs in health services administration, based on a national survey of deans, top administrators, and senior faculty, were linked to one another by hiring one another's graduates. It is suggested that this linkage helps these programs maintain and enhance their prestige.     

Allied health deans' and program directors' perspectives of specialized accreditation effectiveness and reform

Criticisms, calls for change, and recommendations for specialized accreditation improvement have been made by individuals or groups external to the daily operations of allied health educational programs, frequently as opinion pieces or articles lacking a research foundation. While there is a great deal of concern related to specialized accreditation, little input has been provided from those within, and integral to, allied health educational programs affected by specialized accreditation standards. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of selected allied health deans and program directors regarding specialized accreditation effectiveness and reform. Survey research was used to study perspectives of allied health deans and program directors located in four-year colleges and universities and in academic health centers and medical schools. Surveys were mailed to program directors offering-programs in clinical laboratory sciences and medical technology, nuclear medicine technology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, radiation therapy, and radiography. Simultaneously, allied health deans located within these institutions were surveyed. A total of 773 surveys were mailed and 424 valid responses were received, yielding a response rate of 55%. The results affirmed the role of accreditation as an effective system for assuring quality in higher education. The role of specialized accreditation in improving the quality of allied health programs was clearly articulated by the respondents. Respondents voiced strong opposition to governmental or state-level requirements for accountability and emphasized the vital role of peer evaluators. Significant differences in deans' and program directors' perspectives related to specialized accreditation were evident. Whereas deans and program directors agreed with the purposes of specialized accreditation, they expressed less support for the process and effectiveness, and critique and reform, of specialized accreditation. Within those categories, deans were in greater support of critique and reform efforts related to specialized accreditation, while program directors were more supportive of the purpose, process, and effectiveness of specialized accreditation.     

Advancing educators and education by defining the components and evidence associated with educational scholarship

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to establish documentation standards for medical education activities, beyond educational research, for academic promotion consistent with principles of excellence and scholarship. METHODS: In 2006 a Consensus Conference on Educational Scholarship was convened by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Group on Education Affairs (GEA) to outline a set of documentation standards for use by educators and academic promotion committees. Conference participants' work was informed by more than 15 years of literature on scholarship, educator portfolios and academic promotion standards. RESULTS: The 110 conference participants, including medical school deans, academic promotion committee members, department chairs, faculty and AAMC leaders, re-affirmed the 5 education activity categories (teaching, curriculum, advising and/or mentoring, education leadership and/or administration, and learner assessment), the contents of each category, and cross-category documentation standards. Educational excellence requires documentation of the quantity and quality of education activities. Documenting a scholarly approach requires demonstrating evidence of drawing from and building on the work of others, and documenting scholarship requires contributing work through public display, peer review and dissemination; both involve engagement with the community of educators. Implementation of these standards - quantity, quality and engagement with the education community - should occur in parallel with the development of an infrastructure to support educators, including sustained faculty development for educators, access to educational resources and journals, peer review mechanisms and consultation and support specific to each activity category. CONCLUSIONS: Educators' contributions to their institutions must be visible to be valued. The establishment of documentation standards for education activities provides the foundation for academic recognition of educators.     

Partnership for preparedness: a model of academic public health.

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health's National Center for Disaster Preparedness undertook a collaborative project to establish a model academic health department. The goals were to increase student participation at the health department, increase faculty participation in health department activities, and facilitate health department faculty appointments at the school. As a result, 17 students were placed in full-time summer research projects designed by health department staff specifically for the project, 154 health department staff attended a series of six lectures presented by faculty, and five health department professionals applied for academic appointments at the school. The benefits of the efforts toward establishing an academic health department extend to all areas of public health practice, including those of preparedness.