The Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine’s (TUCVM) Department of Graduate Public Health (DGPH) master’s in public health program is now fully accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). CEPH notified Tuskegee University President Dr. Charlotte Morris that the Tuskegee University Master of Public Health Program was reviewed by the CEPH Board of Councilors which acted at its June 1-3, 2022, meeting to approve full accreditation for a five-year accreditation period.

“Tuskegee University is elated to build on the legacy of the only College of Veterinary Medicine within a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the United States with the full five-year accreditation of this critical program. The faculty, staff and students support the university and the surround communities by training the next generation of public health professionals with an eye towards health equity through the lens of ethical public engagement,” said Dr. Charlotte P. Morris, President of Tuskegee University.

The CEPH is the independent agency recognized nationally by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit schools and programs of public health. CEPH assists schools and programs in evaluating the quality of their instructional, research, and service efforts, and grants accreditation to those schools and programs that meet its published criteria. CEPH accreditation sets a standard by which all accredited schools and programs of public health work to enhance health in human populations, through organized community effort.

Tuskegee University’s Public Health Program is now one of the only two CEPH-accredited public health programs in the State of Alabama. The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Public Health is the other CEPH-accredited program in Alabama.

“The Graduate Public Health program here at Tuskegee University has been diligently working towards accreditation since the governing body of the Council on Education for Public Health formally acted at its June 2018 meeting to approve Tuskegee University’s request to begin the accreditation process for the generalist MPH degree. We have been appreciative of President Dr. Charlotte Morris and her administration for the support of the college and the DGPH program in undertaking the intensive process for accreditation,” said Dr. Ruby L. Perry, Dean of the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine.

“I am also appreciative to Attorney Crystal James for her tireless efforts and leadership as the Department Head for several years which helped advanced the program to a department status first and then onward to achieve its accreditation status after the completion a rigorous self-study and site visit,” Dean Perry added.

The DGPH completed a meticulous self-study process which involved a systematic and rigorous evaluation of the quality and content of instruction, research, and service programs. This process was guided by the CEPH criteria and involved multiple stakeholders. A self-study committee comprised of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community partners was formed to ensure broad representation in the self-assessment process.

“Although no longer head of the department, I am extremely excited for the future of the Tuskegee University DGPH program and grateful for the support and leadership of President Morris and Dean Perry in navigating the accreditation process which was quite intense,” said Atty. Crystal James, Interim Vice-president of External Affairs and General Counsel for Tuskegee University.

“Our self-study committee was supported by a three-member internal steering committee (Dean Ruby Perry, Dr. Rueben Warren, Atty. Crystal James), a four-member subcommittee of the external advisory committee {Dr. Bailus Walker (deceased), Dr. Maleeka Glover, Dr. Kimberly Taylor, Dr. Lucenia Dunn, and Dr. Pamela Payne-Foster} that was responsible for synthesizing feedback into one final self-study report. The dedication of all the committee members was vital to the DGPH program’s accreditation success as they had the responsibility for synthesizing feedback into one final self-study report that we submitted to CEPH in November 2021 and subsequently led to the Graduate Public Health Program’s full accreditation for the next five years,” Atty. James concluded.

The mission of CEPH assures quality in public health education and training to achieve excellence in practice, research and service, through collaboration with organizational and community partners. As part of the reaccreditation cycle, CEPH requires schools and programs to apply for re-accreditation. A critical part of re-accreditation is a self-study process of 18-24 months followed by a site visit. Tuskegee University’s Graduate Public Health Program will have to apply for re-accreditation in 2027. To learn more about CEPH, go to https://ceph.org/.