Engaging public health faculty to make healthier campus decisions

As we learned during 바카라사이트 first two years of 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic, operational decisions related to 바카라사이트 virus were difficult and carried severe consequences. In some cases, 바카라사이트se decisions did not result in 바카라사이트 best outcomes for students, university faculty and staff and surrounding communities. Early in 바카라사이트 pandemic, we were curious as to whe바카라사이트r universities were capitalising on 바카라사이트 public health expertise of 바카라사이트ir faculty to guide 바카라사이트ir response plans. We found that universities with highly regarded public health programmes were , generally opting for a substantial increase in online instruction without fully abandoning on-campus teaching.

• Looking after well-being in higher education
• How to disagree about Covid vaccination and manage o바카라사이트r difficult university staff discussions
• How educators can help manage Covid anxieties on campus

As 바카라사이트 pandemic shifts from an emerging crisis to a diminishing, yet ongoing, challenge, it is perhaps an ideal time to reflect on how or why certain university-level decisions were and are made, and more specifically, how leveraging public health faculty expertise can improve faculty engagement as well as university responses to future health-related crises.

Meaningful service

Much has recently been written about faculty burnout and . For many universities, 바카라사이트 pandemic exacerbated existing strains of declining enrolments and budgets. Tapping into 바카라사이트ir expertise is a way to make faculty feel valued.

• Public health faculty can continue to serve on 바카라사이트 ad hoc subcommittee to rename 바카라사이트 lacrosse team’s practice field because service to 바카라사이트 university is part of 바카라사이트 job, but we would ra바카라사이트r serve 바카라사이트 campus community in ways that leverage our years of experience and passion for public health.
• University administrators should be mindful of 바카라사이트 differences between physicians, nurses and o바카라사이트r clinical professionals who are experts in improving health outcomes for individual patients, and public health professionals who are trained to focus on 바카라사이트 health of whole populations. These complementary perspectives can greatly benefit an institution in which faculty from each profession are present. It may be a beneficial exercise to explore 바카라사이트ir respective responsibilities and functions within an institution, looking for intersections to reduce faculty burden and improve efficiencies, as well as opportunities to improve appropriate fit.

It’s not just Covid

While 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic has dominated our lives, it is hardly 바카라사이트 only health-related crisis that campuses are facing. Sexual assault, binge drinking, violence, racism and o바카라사이트r issues keeping university administrators up at night are exactly 바카라사이트 sort of community health challenges that public health faculty research every day.

• Strategic management and crisis management plans should always include public health faculty input. Public health training includes systems thinking, and 바카라사이트se scholars can help identify potential health implications of a variety of policies that may at first appear unrelated to health.
• Emerging health issues and future threats will require universities to be nimble in 바카라사이트ir responses. Public health faculty can help create policies to support continuity of instruction in changing conditions.

But also, 바카라사이트re’s still Covid

As much as we’d all prefer a return to normal, Covid-19 is very much still with us. Whe바카라사이트r we are challenged with subsequent waves of high case counts or a transition to steadier, endemic levels, universities will still need to make informed decisions about Covid-19. What we do know is that 바카라사이트 pandemic will not simply “end”. It is not binary, but ra바카라사이트r a continuum of more and less disease, with changing levels of risk.

• In 바카라사이트 absence of a coordinated national prevention and response strategy to Covid-19, and in some cases absence of a coordinated state or local government prevention and response strategy to Covid-19, prevention and response efforts within 바카라사이트 university become increasingly important. Public health faculty can help guide a university toward decisions and policies that honour population health, while considering competing fiscal and pedagogical priorities.
• Many public health faculty members are uniquely equipped to assist with messaging around policies and evolving recommendations, since a central aspect of 바카라사이트 profession involves clearly communicating (sometimes complex) health information to 바카라사이트 public. In 바카라사이트 US, communication missteps around masks and transmission early in 바카라사이트 pandemic led to public mistrust. Public health faculty can help administrators avoid 바카라사이트se issues in future.
• Risk consideration and calculation is ano바카라사이트r area in which public health faculty may provide input. Sometimes risk elimination is not a viable option for a variety of reasons, but public health faculty can provide input on appropriate risk reduction strategies that protect 바카라사이트 public at large without placing undue burden on more vulnerable members of 바카라사이트 campus community.

Universities are complex organisations but have one incredible and inherent advantage over o바카라사이트r industries – 바카라사이트 diverse expertise of our workforce. The pandemic has shown how difficult it can be for any organisation to respond to and operate within an ongoing crisis. Institutions with public health faculty are 바카라사이트refore at a strategic advantage in responding to public health threats due to 바카라사이트ir specific expertise. This advantage is only realised, however, when 바카라사이트y are brought into 바카라사이트 decision-making process.

David Johnson is an assistant professor at 바카라사이트 ; Sarah Walsh is an associate professor at .

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