ECU STRUCTURAL CHANGE ANALYSIS: SCENARIOS
COLLEGE OF ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES RESPONSE
April 13, 2012
The College of Allied Health Sciences (CAHS) held two Faculty/Staff Forums on April 3 and 4,
2012 to discuss scenarios that directly affected the college and consider other options not
contained in the PPC scenarios. A Scenario Response Form was provided for confidential input
through a Likert-type scale and narrative comments. Since there were only 16 responses, reports
of ratings were omitted, however, comments have been provided as they were representative of
faculty comments shared during the April 3 and 4 Forums.
CAHS remains open to mergers that offer opportunities to strengthen both the college and
compatible academic units. Issues that affect mergers into CAHS include a lack of office, lab
and classroom space, and 11/11ths faculty contracts versus to 9/11ths contracts on East Campus.
The complexities in creating successful mergers will require extensive negotiations, faculty-tofaculty meetings and significant time to develop trust and productive working relationships.
Determining 2-6% administrative savings initially and over 2-3 years in light of past and future
budget cuts will challenge already stretched budgets and undermine faculty performance, moral
and retention.
Understanding Allied Health
Allied health, by its very nature, is a highly collaborative and inclusive college because it is an
alliance of small but significant health and health care disciplines. These by themselves, lack the
size to compete with the better known medical and health professions for resources, particularly
in workforce development. Where fields such as medicine, dentistry, nursing and pharmacy are
well known to the public, allied health suffers from a lack of identity. However, when you
become familiar with allied health professions such as physical therapy, speech pathology and
audiology and occupational therapy, it is easy to identify the unique contributions of these allied
health professions.
In Federal regulations, the term allied health professional is defined by exclusion as being “a
health professional (other than a registered nurse or physician assistant) who has received a
certificate, an associate's degree, a bachelor's degree, a master's degree, a doctoral degree, or
post-baccalaureate training, in a science relating to health care; who shares in the responsibility
for the delivery of health care services or related services . . . and who [is not a physician, dentist,
veterinarian, podiatrist, pharmacist, chiropractor, clinical psychologist, counselor, health
administrator, or public health professional] (Definitions, The Public Health and Welfare, U.S.
Code 42, Chapter 6A, Subchapter V, Part F, Sec. 295p (2010). In many instances, degree
programs that prepare physician assistants, health managers/administrators and counselors can be
found in allied health colleges and schools since affiliation with a larger academic unit can
provide leverage in the acquisition of funding, faculty and facilities.
Workforce Size and Demand
This is one of the greatest strengths of the CAHS. A May 2011 Allied Health Vacancy Tracking
Report by the UNC-CH Sheps Center for Health Services Research reported that 35% of health
care jobs are “Allied Health Professions” (the largest), 25% RN’s and 4% physicians. Further,
the employment growth in North Carolina between 1999 and 2010 was -1% for total NC
employment, 47% for health care and 69% for allied health. This data is based on allied health
degree programs from community colleges and universities in the state. Clearly, this speaks to
the critical importance of the allied health professions.
CAHS is a very diverse yet cohesive college with eight departments and 15 degrees that include
health and health care fields that offer treatment and rehabilitation therapies to students and
patients; clinical counseling and substance abuse services to clients; health care management and
medical data management services to medical and health care staff; and diagnostic laboratory
services that have little or no contact with patients. Although health care and rehabilitation
services comprise a large percentage of the eight departments, prevention is a part of all allied
health programs that have contact with the people they serve.
Recommendations
To begin, the College of Allied Health Sciences urges that PPC consider recommending Scenario
#1, No Structural Changes in its report to the chancellor. It is further recommended that the 5%
savings over 2-3 years 1) be reconsidered in light of future state budget reductions, and 2) that
deans be given the discretion to determine where reductions can best be taken to minimize the
impact on the mission of each college. This recommendation would not eliminate an academic
unit’s ability to merge with a different college or department if relocation would offer better
compatibility and opportunity. If the PPC decides that this recommendation is not in the best
interests of the university then the information from their exhaustive data collection processes
should be used to formulate other university-wide recommendations.
Following are recommendations within each scenario from the College of Allied Health Sciences
for review and consideration.
Scenario #2
4) Move Physician Assistant Studies (PADP) to BSOM, into Family Medicine.
PADP requests that it retain its department status and its current location in the Health
Sciences Building until similar space is available in BSOM. PADP shares a primary care
emphasis with the Brody School of Medicine making it a relatively good match. However,
PADP accreditation issues and requirements will need to be addressed in its new home to
ensure that they remain in compliance.
5) Move Clinical Laboratory Science (CLSC) to BSOM, into Pathology and Laboratory
Medicine.
CLSC requests that it remain in the College of Allied Health Sciences. Traditionally, when
they are present, CLS degree programs are found in allied health programs. CLSC has
created a plan for student retention and growth within CAHS that will be supported by the
college. The laboratory space allocated in CAHS to CLSC is critical to the education of
clinical laboratory professionals.
9) Adjust operations at HSL (Laupus) and ULS (Joyner) to reduce duplication and improve
efficiencies.
The current structure of the two libraries and their administrations should not be changed.
The Laupus Health Sciences Library serves a large regional medical and health care
community through Eastern AHEC and a wide range of specialized services unique to
Academic Health Centers. Joyner Library views this merger as a way to reduce Laupus
administrative positions to minimize its own future budget reductions. It is further
recommended that if this adjustment in operations is considered that the accreditation
standards in medicine, dental medicine, nursing and allied health, and their respective
departments, be carefully reviewed and followed to ensure compliance.
Scenario #3: CHE
1) Child Development and Family Relations to College of Education or College of Allied Health
Sciences.
It is recommended that the possibility for a merger be explored if both units are agreeable.
There are opportunities for potential collaborations since several departments and research
projects in CAHS also place emphasis on services to children. The family therapy and
medical family therapy programs have maintained collaborations with the substance abuse
and clinical counseling degree program.
3) Social Work to CAHS
The merger of Social Work into CAHS should not be considered. Social work left CAHS in
the 1980’s due to a lack of a common vision. Although medical social work would be a good
fit, the majority of the school focuses on nonmedical priorities.
Scenario #3: CHHP
3) Kinesiology to College of Allied Health Sciences.
This is a large department that has degree programs and research that would be compatible
with several CAHS departments. It is recommended that if both units are agreeable, the
possibility of a merger can be explored with selected degree programs in Kinesiology.
4) Nutrition Sciences from CHE to College of Allied Health Sciences.
It is recommended that the possibility for a merger be explored if both units are agreeable.
Nutrition is an important aspect of health and health care within a number of departments in
CAHS not only in instruction but research as well.
Conclusion
CAHS is a diverse yet cohesive and collegial college that has always valued and engaged in
collaborations across campus. The structure and campus-wide outreach of Operation Reentry
North Carolina has demonstrated this inclusiveness. As a result, CAHS departments have
always been encouraged to seek opportunities to broadly collaborate in teaching, research,
service, engagement and clinical practice on this and other campuses.