RSPH
CRITERION II – ORGANIZATIONAL SETTING
A. EXTERNAL
The Rollins School of Public Health is one of six independent professional schools at
Emory University. Administratively, the school is part of the Woodruff Health Sciences
Center (WHSC). Academically, the school reports to the Executive Vice President for
Academic Affairs and Provost of Emory University in a manner similar to all other schools
with degree programs at Emory University.
II.A.1 Description of Emory University
Emory University, founded in 1836, has become a major national teaching, research, and
service center with a total enrollment exceeding 11,600 (undergraduate, 6,285; graduate,
1,589; professional, 3,726). The university employs 19,288 people (including The Emory
Clinic, Emory University Hospital, Emory Crawford Long Hospital, and Wesley Woods
Center), with 2,700 faculty members among them. The university consists of nine colleges
and schools, including six professional schools: Rollins School of Public Health, Emory
University School of Medicine, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Goizueta
Business School, Emory University School of Law, and Candler School of Theology.
The campus is situated on 686 acres six miles northeast of downtown Atlanta, a city rich in
public health resources and activities, and operations are housed in more than 170 buildings
(8.2 million square feet of space). Emory University is currently ranked among the ten US
colleges and universities with the largest endowments and is one of the fastest growing
research universities in the country. Emory is building increasingly recognized academic
programs, as evidenced by its election to the Association of American Universities (AAU).
The Rollins School of Public Health is fourteen years old, although the MPH program itself
is 29 years old. It is highly valued by Emory University for its unique and significant
contributions to the university’s vision of working “collaboratively for positive
transformation in the world.” Since its inception it has been an independent school with all
the operational, fiscal, and programmatic responsibilities of any of the professional schools
at Emory University. The RSPH was first accredited by the Council on Education for
Public Health (CEPH) in 1992. In January 1995, the school moved into the Grace Crum
Rollins Building, a ten-story facility that houses offices, classrooms, and laboratories of the
school. Peers rated the school as being among the “top ten” schools of public health in the
most recent ranking of schools of public health by the U.S. News and World Report.
Emory University and its professional schools respond to a number of accrediting agencies
including:
 Emory University: Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges
and Schools
 School of Medicine: Liaison Committee on Medical Education of the American
Medical Association
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



School of Nursing: The National League for Nursing Council of Baccalaureate and
Higher Degree Programs
School of Law: American Bar Association
School of Business: American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business
School of Theology: Association of Theological Schools in the U.S. and Canada, and
the Senate of the United Methodist Church
II.A.2 Organizational Chart of Emory University
Emory University
An organizational chart of Emory University, which shows the school’s position within the
Woodruff Health Sciences Center, is provided in Figure II.A.2.1.
Key University Officers
The governing and policy body of the university is the Board of Trustees. The University
President, James W. Wagner, is responsible for university management and is appointed by
and accountable to the Board of Trustees. Other senior officers of Emory University
include the Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost, Earl Lewis;
Executive Vice President, Finance and Administration, Michael J. Mandl; Senior Vice
President for Campus Life, John Ford (whose faculty appointment resides in the RSPH);
Senior Vice President, Development and University Relations, Johnnie D. Ray; Senior
Vice President and General Counsel, Kent Alexander; and CEO, Woodruff Health Sciences
Center and Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, Michael M.E. Johns.
Woodruff Health Sciences Center
The Rollins School of Public Health is among the three schools (Rollins School of Public
Health, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing and the School of Medicine) and an
academic research center (Yerkes Primate Research Center) that reside in the Robert W.
Woodruff Health Sciences Center. An organizational chart of the Woodruff Health
Sciences Center is provided in Figure II.A.2.2.
The CEO, Woodruff Health Sciences Center and Executive Vice President for Health
Affairs is Michael M.E. Johns. Dr. Johns is assisted by the Vice President for Academic
Affairs, Jeffrey Koplan, who oversees academic activities in WHSC; John T. Fox,
President and CEO of Emory HealthCare, who oversees the operating units of Emory
HealthCare (Emory Hospital, Crawford Long Hospital and affiliates, The Emory Clinic,
Wesley Woods Center, and Emory Children’s Center); Ronnie Jowers, Vice President for
Health Affairs and WHSC CFO who oversees the financial affairs; and Gary Teal, Sr.
Associate Vice President and Chief of Staff, who coordinates administrative affairs.
Emory University’s Academic Structure
The Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost of Emory University, Earl
Lewis, is responsible for the academic program of instruction for the undergraduate,
graduate, and professional colleges and schools. The Dean of the Rollins School of Public
Health has a reporting relationship to the Provost regarding the school’s academic
programs, as do all deans of the professional schools.
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The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) administers all Doctor of Philosophy
(PhD), Master of Arts (MA), and Master of Science (MS) degrees granted at Emory
University and must approve any new doctoral programs. The GSAS receives applications
for admission to all PhD, MA, and MS programs at Emory University; however, the
department offering the degree makes admission decisions for these candidates. All tenure
track faculty members with doctoral degrees in departments offering the PhD degree are
considered to be co-appointed as faculty in the GSAS.
Interim leadership and impending organizational changes in the Graduate School of Arts
and Sciences and the Office of the Provost have posed challenges in planning for the
expansion and coordination of doctoral programs by departments in the RSPH. The
organizational administration and funding of doctoral programs by the GSAS limits the
autonomy of the RSPH in coordinating doctoral training within the school.
Emory University
Organizational Chart
Emory University
Board of Trustees
Robert W. Woodruff
Health Sciences Center Board
EMORY HEALTHCARE
Board
Emory University
President
James Wagner, PhD
Executive VP
Finance &
Administration
Michael J. Mandl
Executive VP
Academic Affairs
& Provost
Earl Lewis, PhD
Senior VP for
Campus Life
Dean, Emory College
John Ford, PhD
Dean, Graduate A & S
Dean, Oxford
Senior VP for
Development &
University Relations
Johnnie D. Ray
Dean, Theology
CEO, Woodruff Health Sciences Center &
Executive VP Health Affairs &
Chairman of the Board, EMORY HEALTHCARE
Michael M. E. Johns, MD
EMORY HEALTHCARE
VP for
Research
Administration
Dean,
Medicine
Dean,
Nursing
Dean,
Public Health
Director,
Yerkes
Dean, Law
President and CEO
John T. Fox
The Emory Clinic
Emory Hospitals
Wesley Woods
ECC
Dean, Business
Senior VP &
General Counsel
Kent Alexander
Veteran’s
Veteran’sAffairs
Affairs
Medical
MedicalCenter
Center
EMCF
Children’s
Children’s
Healthcare
Healthcareof
ofAtlanta
Atlanta
Grady
GradyMemorial
Memorial
Hospital
Hospital
Emory
Emory
Adventist
Adventist
Hospital
Hospital
EHCA,
EHCA,
LLC
LLC
= not a subsidiary entity or operating component of Emory University
Source: Strategic Planning Office
Figure II.A.2.1
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Woodruff Health Sciences Center
Organizational Chart
CEO,
CEO,Woodruff
Woodruff Health
HealthSciences
SciencesCenter
Center &&
Executive
Vice
President
for
Health
Executive Vice President for Health Affairs
Affairs&&
Chairman
of
the
Board,
EMORY
HEALTHCARE
Chairman of the Board, EMORY HEALTHCARE
Michael
MichaelM.E.
M.E.Johns,
Johns, MD
MD
President
President &&Chief
Chief Executive
ExecutiveOfficer,
Officer,
EMORY
HEALTHCARE
EMORY HEALTHCARE
John
JohnT.T.Fox
Fox
Vice
VicePresident,
President, Academic
AcademicHealth
Health Affairs
Affairs
Jeffrey
JeffreyW.
W.Koplan,
Koplan, MD,
MD, MPH
MPH
Vice
VicePresident
President for
for Health
Health Affairs
Affairs&&
CFO,
CFO,Woodruff
Woodruff Health
HealthSciences
SciencesCenter
Center
Ronnie
Ronnie L.L.Jowers
Jowers
Dean,
Dean, Emory
EmoryUniversity
UniversitySchool
School ofofMedicine
Medicine
Thomas
J.
Lawley,
Thomas J. Lawley, MD
MD
Dean,
Dean, Nell
Nell Hodgson
Hodgson Woodruff
Woodruff School
School ofof Nursing
Nursing
Marla
E.
Salmon,
ScD,
RN,
Marla E. Salmon, ScD, RN,FAAN
FAAN
Vice
VicePresident
President for
for Research
Research Administration,
Administration,
Emory
EmoryUniversity
University
Frank
FrankStout
Stout
Dean,
Dean, Rollins
RollinsSchool
School ofof Public
PublicHealth
Health
James
JamesCurran,
Curran, MD,
MD, MPH
MPH
Chief
Chief Counsel,
Counsel,WHSC
WHSC &&EMORY
EMORYHEALTHCARE
HEALTHCARE
Jane
E.
Jordan,
Jane E. Jordan,JD
JD
Director,
Director,Yerkes
YerkesNational
National Primate
PrimateResearch
ResearchCenter
Center
Stuart
Stuart M.
M. Zola,
Zola,PhD
PhD
Senior
Senior Associate
AssociateVice
VicePresident
President for
for Health
Health Affairs
Affairs
&&Chief
Chief ofof Staff
Staff
Gary
Gary Teal
Teal
Senior
Senior Associate
AssociateVice
VicePresident,
President, WHSC
WHSC Development
Development
Philippe
Philippe Hills
Hills
Associate
Associate Vice
VicePresident,
President, WHSC
WHSC Communications
Communications
Ron
RonSauder
Sauder
Associate
Associate Vice
VicePresident,
President, Strategic
Strategic Planning
PlanningOffice
Office
WHSC
WHSC &&EMORY
EMORYHEALTHCARE
HEALTHCARE
Shari
Shari Capers
Capers
Figure II.A.2.2
II.A.3 Relationship of the School of Public Health to Emory University
Administration
The Dean of the school is accountable to the CEO, Woodruff Health Sciences Center, and
Executive Vice President for Health Affairs on all matters pertaining to budget, space,
and finances. The Dean’s accountability on academic matters is described in the
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preceding section. The Executive Vice President for Health Affairs appoints the Dean for
a renewable term of five years, in consultation with the university President, Provost, and
Board of Trustees. The Dean has authority comparable to deans of other schools at
Emory University and of schools within the WHSC.
The deans of the schools and directors of certain other university units and affiliates (e.g.,
the Carter Center, Information Technology, and Libraries) meet on a monthly basis with
the university Provost concerning matters of policy, procedure, personnel, organization,
and university-wide programs. Through this process, the Dean of RSPH shares in
governance of the university. In addition, the Dean regularly meets with the CEO,
WHSC/Executive Vice President for Health Affairs to report on budget issues, programs,
or initiatives of the school and discuss matters of the WHSC and university that have an
impact on the school. The Dean also shares in governance of the WHSC by attending
weekly executive meetings (chaired by the Executive Vice President for Health Affairs
and the Vice President for Academic Health Affairs) along with the other WHSC deans,
directors, and executives.
Budget
The Rollins School of Public Health follows a budget process that is similar for all three
of the professional schools in WHSC. The Dean presents the annual operating budget to
the Executive Vice President for Health Affairs and his staff for review and discussion.
The Executive Vice President for Health Affairs then presents the proposed budget to the
University Ways and Means Committee, which, in addition to himself, includes the
Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost, and the Executive Vice
President, Finance and Administration.
The RSPH generates the bulk of its operating income from three sources: 1) tuition
charged to students; 2) indirect cost recovery (facilities and administration costs) applied
to sponsored projects; and 3) the spending distribution from endowment accounts. In
addition, the school receives, through a long-term commitment, approximately $1 million
per year from an endowment fund held by the WHSC and Emory University.
The university charges all its schools, including RSPH, an annual assessment, which is
used to maintain Emory University’s central services and academic activities. The
assessment is based on facility costs, expenditures, numbers of students and alumni, as
well as other indirect measures.
Space
Campus space allocation for the RSPH is authorized by the WHSC but is paid for, in
general, by the school. The majority of school activities are housed in the Grace Crum
Rollins Building (1518 Clifton Road). Space is also assigned in these four locations: the
adjacent 1462 Clifton Road Building; across the street in the Seretean Center at 1525
Clifton; approximately one mile away on the Emory Briarcliff Campus; and in the new
School of Nursing, which is connected by an internal corridor to the Grace Crum Rollins
Building. The original plans for the nursing school were expanded to provide an
additional floor of space permanently assigned to RSPH, which now houses the research
projects of several RSPH faculty members. In addition, the nursing school and the RSPH
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share a teaching pavilion that contains three large classrooms and an auditorium that
accommodates 150. In total, RSPH has over 175,000 gross square feet of space, which
provides over 92,000 assignable square feet of space, as described in IV.4. Finally,
several faculty members have been assigned laboratory space by collaborators in the
Whitehead Biomedical Research Building, at the Winship Cancer Institute, and at the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Personnel Recruitment, Selection and Advancement
The school follows university policies for employee recruitment, evaluation, and
promotion. The policies and procedures for general staff employment are included in the
university’s employment manual (available on site and on the web). The university is an
Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity employer (AA/EEO). University
policies also address compliance with other federal regulations, discriminatory
harassment, performance review and evaluation, vacation and sick leave. The web
address is http://emory.hr.emory.edu/policies.nsf.
Emory University’s Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunities guidelines
stipulate that an open search must be conducted for any regular faculty appointment.
RSPH departments receive permission from the Dean to conduct searches for faculty
positions and must initially file a report on search procedures and process with the Emory
Office of Equal Employment Opportunities before initiating the search and at its
conclusion. For new faculty appointments, the school’s Appointment, Promotion and
Tenure (APT) Committee makes recommendations to the Dean regarding academic rank
of appointment, promotion and tenure, after a review and recommendation by the
appropriate department.
Academic Standards and Policies
The school must receive university approval before adding a new degree program. The
university Provost reviews the proposal and, if approved, he forwards it to the
university’s Board of Trustees for final consideration. In addition to degree program
approval, the Office of the Provost may review certain academic issues pertaining to
admission policies and procedures, registration, academic standards, and accreditation,
particularly as they may require coordination across the university.
The Graduate Executive Council and the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and
Sciences decide curriculum policy for the MS and PhD degrees. The Graduate Executive
Council is comprised of nine graduate school members, three from each division of the
university (humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences). GSAS oversight can
sometimes create challenges for the school’s internal coordination; however, schools and
individual departments within schools offering doctoral programs are primarily
responsible for curriculum matters and for maintaining the quality of their programs.
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II.A.4 Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met
Strengths
 The Dean of the Rollins School of Public Health has the same authority as the deans
of other schools within the university.
 The school follows the same procedures for faculty promotion and tenure as other
schools within the university.
 The school follows the same budgetary process as other schools within the WHSC
and, effectively, other schools within the university.
 Emory University is a nationally recognized institution and Atlanta, as the “Public
Health Capital of the World,” is an excellent setting for training and research.
 Senior leadership of Emory University and Woodruff Health Sciences Center
understand and value public health.
Weaknesses
 Interim leadership and impending organizational changes in the Graduate School of
Arts and Sciences and the Office of the Provost have posed challenges in planning for
the expansion and coordination of doctoral programs offered by departments in the
RSPH.
 The organizational administration and funding of doctoral programs by the Graduate
School of Arts and Sciences limits the autonomy of the RSPH in coordinating
doctoral training within the school.
Recommendations
 The Dean should be proactive in assuring that the Graduate School of Arts and
Sciences meets the needs of the RSPH doctoral programs.
This Criterion is met.
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