CEPH, the independent agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit schools of public health, initially accredited the School of Public Health in 2016, shortly after its 2013 opening. This national reaccreditation shows that the School “meets very rigorous standards and has been evaluated through a rigorous peer process,” said Jill Kern, director for accreditation and assessment. “It’s a mark of distinction.”
The process began 18 months ago with a self-study to evaluate how well the School met CEPH’s accreditation criteria. The criteria include the School’s course competency standards—including data analysis, cultural awareness, and the integration of perspectives from other fields—as well as resources available to students, community and stakeholder interactions, and efforts to address relevant public health challenges.
The results of the self-study were compiled into a 389-page document, which was submitted to CEPH along with hundreds of pages of supporting documentation. The CEPH review team, made up of public health academics and professionals from outside public health institutions, then spent two and a half days interviewing faculty, students, alumni, stakeholders, and administrators. Typically held on campus, the review took place over Zoom due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“We came through with absolute flying colors. The team was very, very impressed. And we met every single standard right out of the gate, which is a really big accomplishment,” Kern said.
“This re-accreditation marks the culmination of many months of hard work by so many stakeholders at the School, the University, and our amazing community partners,” Dean Ashish Jha said in his thanks to all those involved in the process. “The entire SPH community should be proud of their contributions, not only to the accreditation process, but also to the continuing growth, evolution, and excellence of the Brown University School of Public Health.”