HPER name change clears hurdle

The School of Public Health at IU recently moved one step closer to existence.

The Indiana Commission for Higher Education approved IU’s request to change the name of the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation to the School of Public Health-Bloomington.

“We’re moving forward and declaring publicly that everything we’ve done up to this point has been working toward public health,” said Kathleen Gilbert, professor and executive associate dean of HPER.

The Oct. 14 approval by the ICHE, the highest point of approval at the state level, was the second-to-last major milestone in securing an official name change.

“It was really important because at this point, from every layer, we’ve received approval to become a school of public health,” said Michael Reece, associate professor at HPER and chair of the HPER Academic Council. “The next step, and the most important step now that we’ve shored up support here at home, is to submit our application to the accreditation body.”

That final step comes next summer when IU submits a change in category application to the Council on Education for Public Health, a national public health accrediting agency.

If successful, that process will take HPER from having a public health program to official recognition as a School of Public Health.

The renaming will affect more than the school’s title.

While all currently offered majors will stay in place, new programs and majors are being phased in, which will help the school gain accreditation in years to come and expand student options, Reece said.

“All of the current programs will stay in place,” Gilbert said. “All are strong programs that are very much needed. We stated very clearly from the beginning that all the pieces stay put.”

Part of the transition includes new Ph.D. programs in epidemiology and environmental health, as well as four new majors under the Master of Public Health degree. Individual and family health will receive more emphasis.

Despite the changes, the legacy of HPER won’t go away, Reece said. 

“It’s important to note that the faculty have made a commitment to maintain the traditions of HPER, so we want to be able to maintain a lot of the character and tradition we have,” Reece said. “It’s more than a name change. We will be working toward becoming a full-fledged school of public health. It’s going to be a totally new direction for us, but for those that have appreciated the traditions of the school of HPER over the years, it will still feel very much like home.”

Faculty will reap a benefit from the switch to public health, as it will make them eligible for new funding opportunities and allow for new collaborative projects between content areas.

Students, too, will benefit.

“This has a huge impact for the face of who we are and so people have a clear understanding of what we are,” Gilbert said. “Just in terms of preparing student for a market, having an accurate description of who you are and what you can do, it better prepares students.”

The school’s name change is one aspect of the IU Public Health Initiative, which is to address health issues across the state.

“It expands what we can do for the state,” Gilbert said. “We have real public heath needs that aren’t being met because we don’t have a school of public health. This is hopefully one way we can engage people in taking care of themselves.”