#1214
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:14:22 -0500
From: Michael McNeil <mm3117@COLUMBIA.EDU>
Subject: Guidelines for Hiring Health Promotion Professionals in Higher Education
This message is being sent on behalf of the ACHA Health Promotion Section:
Guidelines for Hiring Health Promotion Professionals in Higher Education
The benefits of having qualified health promotion professionals, capable of doing what is described in the job descriptions, are essential for health promotion programs on college campuses. For example, s/he is trained in campus community needs assessment, can set measurable program objectives, can use theories and models of health promotion, can implement evidence-based programs, and knows how to monitor and evaluate programs for student learning outcomes, and health status and behavior changes.
It is important to note that the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS), the Core Competencies from the National Center for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC), and the Standards of Practice for Health Promotion in Higher Education (SPHPHE) indicate that professionals working in the area of health promotion must be appropriately credentialed, trained and qualified for the position. In the past, many job descriptions posted for health promotion positions at institutions of higher education did not adequately reflect these standards.
Beginning with a needs assessment in 2005, and following repeated listserv inquiries from administrators and non-health promotion professionals requesting job descriptions for health promotion positions, the Health Promotion Section of the American College Health Association (ACHA) formed a working group to develop guidelines. Over a three year extensive development process, these volunteer leaders in the field reviewed hundreds of existing position descriptions, interviewed key informants, searched the literature, and ultimately developed the document that we have today.
Approved by the ACHA Board of Directors in July 2008 and subsequently released to the field, the Guidelines are organized as follows:
· Purpose
· Introduction
o Health Promotion Defined
o Benefits of Hiring Qualified Health Promotion Professionals
· Types of Positions
o Director of Health Promotion
o Health Promotion Staff (Specialist, Coordinator, Health Educator)
· Attracting Well Qualified Candidates
o Academic Degrees, Training, and Preparation
o What to exclude in Health Promotion position announcements
o Salary
· Position Description Recommendations
o Director level checklist and interview question categories
o Staff level checklist and interview question categories
· References
· Appendix A – Sample Interview Questions
· Appendix B – Potential Advertising Options
· Appendix C – Further Reading and Resources
· Appendix D – List of Acronyms
This resource has been used by professionals across higher education to create and update position descriptions, to advertise and attract the best candidates, to select the most useful interview questions, and even to consider the content of academic preparation programs. ACHA is proud to make this tool available to the field at no cost online here.
We invite you to review the document, share it with key decision-makers in your organization, and send us feedback. If you will be attending the ACHA Annual Meeting in 2009 and would like to share how you have used these guidelines, please contact me. We wish you success in the many efforts you take daily to make our communities healthier places to live, work, and learn.
Michael P. McNeil, MS, CHES
Hiring Guidelines Workgroup
ACHA Health Promotion Section
References
Accreditation Association of Ambulatory Health Care. (2004). Accreditation handbook for ambulatory health care. Wilmette, IL: Author.
American College Health Association. (2008). Guidelines for Hiring Health Promotion Professionals in Higher Education. Baltimore, MD: Author.
American College Health Association. (2004). Standards of Practice for Health Promotion in Higher Education. Baltimore, MD: Author.
American College Health Association. (1999). Guidelines for a College Health Program. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education. (2006). CAS professional standards for higher education (6th ed.).Washington, DC: Author.
Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education. (2006). Frameworks for assessing learning and development outcomes. Washington, DC: Author.
National Commission for Health Education Credentialing. (2006). A competency-based framework for health educators. Whitehall, PA: Author.
__________________________________
Michael P. McNeil, MS, CHES
Assistant Director, Alice! Health Promotion
212-854-5453
Nominating Committee Chair, ACHA Health Promotion Section
Ask me about getting involved!
Downstate NY Coordinator, The BACCHUS Network
Ask me about affiliating!
Alternate IATF Liaison, ACHA
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