Faculty members in the College of Health and Wellness are committed to providing a quality education to students and producing self-directed graduates who can make a difference in the community as highly competent, caring, culturally-sensitive, healthcare professionals. By using multiple classroom innovations, technology-rich curricula and small group discussions as appropriate, our diverse faculty members encourage active learning and strive to produce graduates who are committed to lifelong learning, providing healthcare, and promoting social justice for all.
Learning is a lifelong endeavor that leads to professional development. Adult learners should be self-directed and committed to the development, evaluation, and application of knowledge that is based on scientific inquiry. For health-related professions this scientific inquiry informs decisions, interventions, and practices for all professions.
Health professionals should be safe and competent practitioners/providers who represent and advocate for multicultural and diverse populations. Cultural sensitivity, along with mutual respect for others, is necessary to practice in a global society. The cultural aspects of health and illness require interventions that can be tailored to individuals, improving adherence and health outcomes. The College of Health and Wellness embraces diversity such as cultural, ethnic, economic, and religious differences among our students, as these add to the cultural competence of all students and promote mutual respect and tolerance among and between students and faculty. Adding culturally diverse healthcare providers to the current workforce is necessary to minimize healthcare disparities, and reduce barriers to healthcare and create an inclusive global community.
Social justice is an important value and mission of healthcare providers. It serves as a paradigm by which professionals teach, serve, and conduct research in order to distribute healthcare resources among all citizens. It drives the efforts to educate populations about their risk factors and to serve those who live in communities with limited resources. Social justice also relies on scientists and researchers to produce findings that inform the healthcare community at large about the plight and needs of disenfranchised segments of the population.
To reach their full potential, healthcare professionals should become proficient as leaders, change agents, problem solvers, negotiators for conflict resolution, and promoters of multicultural health and well-being. The ability to engage clients, communities, and larger segments of the population in health promotion and disease reducing initiatives will require a strong sense of social responsibility, a commitment to lifelong learning, and the knowledge and skills necessary to make a difference for one’s profession and in the lives of others.
The faculty expect all students in the College of Health and Wellness to adhere to the ethical principles of their profession. They should exercise academic integrity, adherence to HIPAA regulations, and respect for the confidentiality and privacy of others. They should exercise civility at all times, as this is crucial to collaborative practices where relaying and receiving information about clients/employees/colleagues is necessary to promote the well-being of those we serve. Students should be accountable for their actions, assuming responsibility and acknowledging when mistakes are made. This will prepare them for a career where variances from standard practices must be addressed in order to provide benchmark services. Moral character, ethical behavior, and the pursuit of knowledge will enable our students to become graduates who will contribute to the reputation we aspire to achieve in the state and region.