THE COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Established in 1977, the College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) is one of seven WMU academic
colleges and consists of the Departments of Blindness and Low Vision Studies, Occupational Therapy,
Physician Assistant, and Speech Pathology and Audiology, and the Schools of Nursing and Social Work. In
addition, the College also offers certificate programs in alcohol and drug abuse and holistic health care, a
bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary health services, and a Ph.D. in interdisciplinary health sciences.
Also part of CHHS, and located nearby, are the Unified Clinics and Center for Disability Services (CDS).
Through these affiliated enterprises, students practice clinical skills, and a broad population—from infants to
elders—receives specialized health care and diagnostic and therapeutic services in speech, hearing, vision,
substance abuse, women’s health, and trauma assessment. CDS is a community funded program which serves
approximately 130 clients and is administered by CHHS.
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching places WMU among the 76 public institutions in
the nation designated as research universities with high research activity. CHHS is one of only a few schools
and colleges of allied health in the nation which consistently receive prestigious research awards from the
National Institutes of Health each year.
In 2005, CHHS programs came together under one roof for the first time in a striking new facility, which
represents the best of science, technology and humanitarianism and facilitates progressive methods of teaching,
learning and research. The building’s 2009 gold-level certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) distinguished it as the most highly rated higher education building in
the United States.
CHHS was highly instrumental in establishing two WMU academic centers in 2010. The Center for
Gerontology was founded by CHHS Dean Earlie M. Washington to address the aging of America and
forecasted future needs and services for older adults. It provides for the study of aging, the education of WMU
students in gerontology, interdisciplinary research to improve health and human services for older persons, and
education and service learning activities for professionals, as well as older adults and their families.
The Center for Health Information Technology Advancement (CHITA) is a collaborative effort of the CHHS
Bronson School of Nursing and the Department of Business Information Systems at the WMU Haworth College
of Business. It addresses state and federal priorities aimed at using technology to reform healthcare delivery.
Through courses and real world experiences, CHITA students are able to offer ways to organize and deploy
information technology effectively and efficiently for better health care outcomes.