The Yale School of Public Health was recently granted a full, seven-year accreditation – the maximum allowed – by the Council on Education for Public Health or CEPH. The decision extends the school’s accreditation until 2029.
"YSPH measures of performance are truly exceptional and full seven-year reaccreditation is a true vote of confidence in faculty achievement,” Dean Sten H. Vermund, M.D., Ph.D. said. “Thanks to Dr. Mike Honsberger, Dr. Melinda Pettigrew and many colleagues for their efforts in essential documentation."
CEPH’s decision was based on a 267-page self-study report and more than 980 files of supporting material provided by YSPH that were curated over the past four years in anticipation of the reaccreditation process. Representatives of CEPH also visited the school over two days last September.
“We are thrilled that CEPH awarded YSPH a full accreditation term,” said Pettigrew, Ph.D., Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, who led the reaccreditation process with Honsberger, Ph.D.,YSPH Director of Academic Affairs. “This demonstrates our commitment and ability to provide a high-quality education and experience to students who are well positioned to become the next generation of public health leaders.”
The rigorous self-assessment reviewed all aspects of the school’s operations and programs from curriculum and staffing to physical resources.
“The self-study provided an important opportunity to work with stakeholders including faculty, staff, students, alumni and community partners to take a detailed look at academics, research, and practice at YPSH,” Honsberger said. “We were able to determine what things we are doing well as well as identify areas for improvement.”
An ad hoc Accreditation Advisory Committee representing school administrators, faculty, students, staff, alumni and community partners oversaw the reaccreditation effort.
YSPH measures of performance are truly exceptional and full seven-year reaccreditation is a true vote of confidence in faculty achievement.
Dean Sten H. Vermund, M.D., Ph.D.
YSPH received a similar seven-year accreditation the last time the school underwent review in 2014.
In the seven years since the school’s last accreditation, much has changed. The number of students at YSPH has jumped 105% from 393 in the 2017-2018 academic year to 807 currently. Faculty have increased by 23% from 125 to 154 during the same period, staff by 42% (150 to 213) and our alumni have grown from a community of 5,300 to one rapidly approaching 6,500.
The new seven-year accreditation follows a major announcement by Yale in February that the University was providing YSPH with a $150 million endowment in support of its research, education and practice and transitioning YSPH to a free-standing independent professional school starting later this year.
Members of the ad hoc Accreditation Advisory Committee:
- Mike Honsberger (Committee chair & Director of Academic Affairs)
- Bob Kanoff (Assistant Dean Finance and Administration)
- Chris Tschudi (John Rodman Paul Professor of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases); Director of Graduate Studies)
- Frank Grosso (Associate Dean for Student and External Affairs)
- Heidi Richard (Chief of Staff, YSPH Office of the Dean)
- Jon Noel (External Partner – Academic)
- Justin Markowski (Ph.D. student)
- Kathe Fox (President of YSPH Alumni Association Board of Directors)
- Lourdes Haynes (Senior Administrative Assistant)
- Mayur Desai (Associate Professor of Epidemiology (Chronic Diseases); Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Director, Advanced Professional M.P.H. Program; Track Director, Applied Analytic Methods and Epidemiology, Online Executive M.P.H. Program)
- Melinda Pettigrew (Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Anna M. R. Lauder Professor of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases))
- Natasha Ray (External Partner – Community organization)
- Susan Nappi (Executive Director, Office of Public Health Practice)
- William Pelletiers (M.P.H. student)