ColoradoSPH Receives Preliminary Reaccreditation from CEPH

Dear ColoradoSPH Community,

Over the past 2+ years, we prepared for our school’s Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) reaccreditation process that occurs every 7 years (this time 8 years due to the pandemic), with our last reaccreditation in 2016, accrediting the school into 2024.

During the reaccreditation process, there are multiple requirements, but these two are most important:

1. The development and submission of a self-study report that addresses 43 different criterion required by CEPH (submitted December 2023).

2. A CEPH review team, comprising 3 individuals in academic administrator roles from other accredited schools and one CEPH representative, visited ColoradoSPH February 21-23, 2024. The site visit included 10 interview sessions in which 80 students, staff, faculty, alumni, employers, receptors, community partners, and university leaders from all 3 campuses participated.

At the culmination of the 3-day site visit, the review team provided an official exit briefing of the preliminary results of our reaccreditation process. The exit briefing includes compliance findings for each of the 43 criteria required for accreditation. The compliance findings can be one of 4 outcomes: (1) met, (2) met with commentary, (3) partially met and (4) not met. The CEPH review team indicated that ColoradoSPH’s preliminary results are MET for all 43 criteria. Receiving all “met” results for compliance is a rarity and a prestigious designation. We should be very proud of this accomplishment.

Next steps in the reaccreditation process:

1. The CEPH review team has until April 21, 2024 to provide ColoradoSPH a final report.

2. ColoradoSPH will have 1 month to respond. Once we submit our response, the CEPH board of councilors provide us with a final decision in August 2024. Our compliance results are preliminary until the Council officially approves the compliance findings.

Over the past 2+ years, the entire school came together to make reaccreditation a huge success. I witnessed tremendous pride and trust in our school and how the important work we do impacts public health in Colorado, the Rocky Mountain Region, the country, and the world.

We received the best possible outcome from the CEPH’s compliance findings. We can continue to improve as one of the few collaborative schools of public health in the country. We have much to give to public health, and now with our new strategic planning underway, together we are identifying pathways for: (1) developing and delivering high quality academic programs that meet our students’ and the public health workforce needs; (2) having innovative public health research; (3) nurturing relationships with communities; (4) embedding health equity into all that we do; and (5) ensuring that ColoradoSPH is an employment destination for talented staff and faculty.

I want to personally thank each of you for all that you give to our school and to public health. I also want to personally thank Tony Romero, Michelle Bell, KC Hall, and Dani Brittain for their tireless efforts in making sure that our reaccreditation was a success. You helped us reach the stars and patience, kindness, and a tremendous level of pride.

This reaccreditation process illustrated that we are STRONG and ready for our next 15 years of success!