Student Policies

• Student Progress
• Time and Location of Courses
• Public Health Grand Rounds Lecture Series
• Advising Policy
• Time Limits
• Graduation
• Academic Integrity
• Student Conduct
• Attendance Requirements
• HIPAA Awareness Training & Confidentiality Statement
• Protection of Human Subjects Training
• Student Health Policies & Resources
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Financial Aid
• Tuition Assistance & Reimbursement
• Statement of Student Responsibility
• Organization of Public Health Stuents & Alumni of Stony Brook University (OPHSA)

STUDENT PROGRESS

The following grading system is used in the Graduate Program in Public Health:

A (4.0), A- (3.67), B+ (3.33), B (3.00), B- (2.67), C+ (2.33), C (2.00), C- (1.67), and F (0.00). Unless specified differently in the course syllabus, course grades on a 100 point scale are: A (93-100); A- (90-92); B+ (87-89); B (83-86); B- (80-82); C+ (77-79); C (73-76); C- (70-72); F (69 or lower).

Students must maintain an overall 3.0 average in the MPH Core. Students may receive a grade less than B- in one course, without being penalized. After earning one course grade less than B-, students will be required to repeat any other courses in which they receive a grade of less than B-. All courses in the concentration must receive a B or better. All electives must be listed as selectives or approved by the student's faculty advisor in order to count toward completion of the MPH degree. In evaluating a student's standing, the Program will not include electives in the GPA that are not listed as selectives or approved by the faculty advisor.

The specific policy on grading the quality of writing will be the prerogative of the course instructor, and it must be explained in the course syllabus.

The MPH degree requirements are rigorous, and students must be able to devote sufficient time to meet the performance standards required. Most students are part-time. If the student carries 7-8 credits per semester, including two summers, the MPH degree can be earned in two years. The Program also accommodates full-time study.

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TIME AND LOCATION OF COURSES

Most courses are taught on the Health Sciences Center campus and are offered in the late afternoon or early evening.

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PUBLIC HEALTH GRAND ROUNDS

To provide MPH students with information on emerging and important public health issues, the Graduate Program in Public Health sponsors a Public Health Grand Rounds lecture series each fall and spring term. MPH students must attend at least 6 grand round lectures each academic year for each term in attendance in the Program, regardless of full- or part-time status. Lectures other than those scheduled as part of the Public Health Grand Rounds lecture series may be substituted on a case by case basis, with prior approval from the MPH Program Coordinator, and with proper documentation of attendance. Students cannot receive a passing grade in the Capstone Seminar if they have not attended the required number of lectures.

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ADVISING POLICY

Each student is assigned a Faculty Advisor upon matriculation into the program. Whenever possible, that advisor will be a faculty member in the student's concentration: Evaluative Sciences, Community Health, or Public Health Practice. The student may change advisors at any time with the consent of the Director of the Graduate Program in Public Health. In addition, students who change their concentration will be assigned, or may select, a Faculty Advisor in the new concentration.

Faculty Advisors must meet with their advisees at least twice a year to discuss students' progress through the program, assess academic growth, and provide guidance with independent study and practicum projects. The Faculty Advisor also discusses the students' expectations for the future and acts as a touchstone if the student is having problems. The two mandatory meetings take place at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters and can be conducted in person or by phone, whichever is preferred by both the student and Faculty Advisor. Students will be contacted by the Program to schedule an appointment with their Faculty Advisor. At other times, students should contact their Faculty Advisor directly to make appointments.

Questions about course offerings, plans of study, degree requirements, deadlines, practicum requirements, and procedural issues including registration, academic standing, leaves of absence, change of concentration, graduation, and attendance at grand rounds should be directed to the MPH Academic Coordinator at (631) 444-2074.

Questions about classroom assignments, text books, and required readings should be directed to the Program Secretary, Eileen Zappia (444-9396). Questions related to student employment, research assistantships, scholarships, and other matters related to finance, should be directed to the Office Administrator, Mary Vogelle-Buscemi, (631) 444-1120.

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TIME LIMITS

Not including granted leaves of absence, all requirements towards the MPH degree, the BS/MPH degree, and the MBA/MPH degree must be completed within five years from matriculation in the Program. The MD/MPH and DDS/MPH concurrent degrees can take six years.

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GRADUATION

The Graduate Program in Public Health has only one graduation ceremony (convocation), which is held each year in the spring. This ceremony serves all students who greauate from the Program during the year.

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ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Intellectual honesty is a cornerstone of all academic and scholarly work. Therefore, the Graduate Program in Public Health views any form of academic dishonesty as a very serious matter. The Program treats each suspected case of academic dishonesty on a case-by-base basis. The course instructor may choose to handle an incident or bring it to the Executive Committee for review and recommendations. In this case, the Director will make the final determination of action, based on the recommendations of the Executive Committee. The student may appeal the decision of the course instructor or the Director, following the guidelines of the Program's Academic Appeal Policy (See Graduate Program in Public Health Student Handbook). Penalties for misconduct may vary according to the circumstances of each particular case. Penalties may range in severity from verbal warning to expulsion from the University with the reason recorded on the student's permanent transcript.

The Stony Brook University Academic Judiciary Committee defines academic dishonesty as follows: Academic dishonesty includes any act that is designed to obtain fraudulently, either for oneself or for someone else, academic credit, grades, or other recognition that is not properly earned or that adversely affects another's grade. The following represents examples of this and does not constitute an exhaustive list:

• Cheating on exams or assignments by the use of books, electronic devices, notes, or other aids when these are not permitted, or by copying from another student.
• Collusion: two or more students helping one another on an exam or assignment when it is not permitted.
• Ringers: taking an exam for someone else, or permitting someone else to take one's exam.
• Submitting the same paper in more than one course without permission of the instructors.
• Plagiarizing: copying someone else's writing or paraphrasing it too closely, even if it constitutes only some of your written assignment, without proper citation.
• Falsifying documents or records related to credit, grades, status (e.g., adds and drops, P/NC grading, transcripts), or other academic matters.
• Altering an exam or paper after it has been graded in order to request a grade change.
• Stealing, concealing, destroying, or inappropriately modifying classroom or other instructional material, such as posted exams, library materials, laboratory supplies, or computer programs.
• Preventing relevant material from being subjected to academic evaluation.
• Presenting fabricated excuses for missed assignments or tests.

Some ways that student can protect themselves from involvement in academic dishonesty are as follows:

• Prepare thoroughly for examinations and assignments.
• Take the initiative to prevent other students from copying exams or assignments (for example, by shielding answers during exams and not lending assignments to other students unless specifically granted permission by the instructor).
• Check the syllabus for a section dealing with academic dishonesty for each course. There may be requirements specific to the course.
• Avoid looking in the direction of other students' papers during exams.
• Use a recognized handbook for instruction on citing source materials in papers. Consult with individual faculty members or academic departments when in doubt.
• Use the services of the Writing Center for assistance in preparing papers.
• Discourage dishonesty among other students.
• Refuse to assist students who cheat.
• Do not sit near students with whom you have studied.
• Do not sit near roommates or friends.

Many cases of plagiarism involve students improperly using Internet sources. If you quote an Internet source, you must cite the URL for that source in your bibliography. Copying (or closely paraphrasing text) text or figures from a website without citing it and placing it in quotation marks is plagiarism. It is no different from doing the same thing with a printed source. Professing ignorance of this rule will not be accepted as a legitimate basis for appealing an accusation of academic dishonesty.

For more comprehensive information on academic integrity, please refer to the academic judiciary website at http://www.stonybrook.edu/uaa/academicjudiciary/.

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STUDENT CONDUCT

Stony Brook University expects students to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other people.  Faculty are required to report to the Office of the Student Judiciary any disruptive behavior that interrupts their ability to teach, compromises the safety of the learning environment, or inhibits students' ability to learn.  Faculty in the Health Sciences Center Schools and the School of Medicine are required to follow their school-specific procedures. 

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ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS

Attendance is mandatory, unless there is a medical reason or the student is excused by the Program Director or course instructor. If a course instructor has no written policy in the syllabus regarding the consequences for being absent from class, the Graduate Program in Public Health policy will apply:  three or more unexcused absences from class will reduce the final course grade by a full letter grade (e.g., A to B).

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HIPAA TRAINING & CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT

The Graduate Program in Public Health requires all students to complete training in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) by the end of the fall semester after matriculation in the Program. The instructions for completing this training are found on the website of the Office of the Vice President for Research: http://ws.cc.stonybrook.edu/research/orc/humans/training.shtml

The HIPAA training requirement is satisfied by reading the training materials on this site and sending an e-mail to Debra Passariello (Debra.Passariello@stonybrook.edu). The email should be copied to, or printed and provided to, the MPH Academic Coordinator.

To complete their training, students must enter their employee or student ID number and their date of birth. Once they have read through the module, they indicate their status (Faculty, Staff, and Student) and submit. This serves as their electronic signature which is automatically recorded in a report that is submitted to Human Resources and uploaded to the PeopleSoft database. The training material can be printed and reviewed more than once but the electronic signature is only recorded once.

The other item on the website is the Confidentiality Agreement, which must be reviewed and electronically signed by all students. Again, the agreement is accessed by entering the employee/student ID number and date of birth. After reading the agreement, students have the option to agree or disagree. A report is generated of all individuals who have "agreed." Once you have reviewed and agreed to the Confidentiality Agreement, you are no longer able to access it.

All MPH students must complete their training and complete the Confidentiality Agreement by the end of their first semester enrolled in the Program.  Verification of completion must be provided to the MPH Academic Coordinator.

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PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS TRAINING

The Graduate Program in Public Health requires all students to take the Stony Brook University on-line training program in protection of human subjects in research, offered by the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) at: http://www.citiprogram.org.Information about how to complete this training program is available on the website of the Office of the Vice President for Research: http://ws.cc.stonybrook.edu/research/orc/humans/training.shtml.

Protection of human subjects training must be complete by the end of the fall semester after matriculation in the Program. A copy of the certificate of completion from CITI must be provided to MPH Academic Coordinator.

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STUDENT HEALTH POLICIES & RESOURCES

The Student Health Service is the on-campus source for meeting students' primary health care needs.  The staff includes physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, health educators, laboratory technologists, and technical and administrative staff, dedicated to providing students with quality medical care and the services necessary to optimize preventive health and wellness.  We encourage you to explore their website and learn about the resources available to you.

The student health policies of the University ensure that all students meet the physical examination and health history requirements of the University and that students working in clinical settings meet the requirements of University healthcare facilities and clinical affiliates, as well as the state health code. These policies also comply with Public Health Law 2165, which requires all students in post-secondary education to be immunized against poliomyelitis, mumps, measles, diphtheria, and rubella.

Information about the University's Student Health Service and health policies is provided, with links to all forms, at the Student Health Services website:  http://studentaffairs.stonybrook.edu/shs/index.shtml.

Medical and Health Insurance Requirements

The requirements for full and part-time students are different and are explained in detail at: http://www.stonybrook.edu/sb/newstudents/nshealthrequirements.shtml.  All forms are available online at this address.

Full-Time Students

The following are requirements for full-time students:

• A completed Health Form signed and completed by their physician.
• Documentation of Immunizations on the health form as per New York State law.
• All full-time students must read the medical information about meningococcal meningitis at the Student Health Services website, and complete and return the Meningitis Information Response Form.  The information and form can be downloaded.  Those who have a SOLAR account and are 18 years of age or older may use SOLAR to submit the response form.
• All full-time matriculated students must have health insurance coverage at all times without exception.  Stony Brook offers a health insurance plan for all full time domestic* students that meets this requirement.  This plan pays for most medically necessary bills, such as doctor visits, mental health counseling, prescriptions, emergency room, lab testing, diagnostic testing, surgery, hospitalization, etc.  The plan covers our students anywhere in the world, every day, no matter whether on campus or on semester breaks.

Part-Time Students

The following are requirements for part-time students:

• Immunization Record Form signed and completed by their physician.
• Documentation of Immunizations on the health form as per New York State law.
• All part-time students must read the medical information about meningococcal meningitis at the Student Health Services website, and compete and return the Meningitis Information Response Form.  The information and form can be downloaded.  Those who have a SOLAR account and are 18 years of age or older may use SOLAR to submit the response form.

Some part-time students MAY be eligible for the health insurance plan under special circumstances.  Please contact the Insurance Office at (631) 632-6331 well before September 28, 2009, for information regarding eligibility and for an enrollment form.

Stony Brook Infirmary

All students must pay the SUNY Stony Brook Infirmary Fee. The fee covers comprehensive health services for both medical and mental health problems, for students and visiting scholars. It is not a substitute for health insurance. The Student Health Service building is the only location on campus where the mandatory health fee can be used. Medical Services that are beyond the scope of the Student Health Service can be obtained either at University Hospital Medical Center or through other medical providers in the community. However, the infirmary fee will not cover the cost of any medical services outside the Student Health Service Building. Call (631) 632-6740 for further information.

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AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

Students with a physical, psychological, medical or learning disability that may impact course work, should contact Disability Support Services, ECC (Educational Communications Center) Building, room128, (631) 632-6748. The staff will determine with the students what accommodations, if any, are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential.

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FINANCIAL AID

Inquiries about financial aid should be directed to the Health Sciences Center, Office of Student Services:  HSC Level 2, Room 271, (631) 444-2111.

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TUITION ASSISTANCE & REIMBURSEMENT

Several tuition assistance and reimbursement programs are available to full-time employees at Stony Brook University and state hospital employees represented by United University Professions (UUP).  More information about these programs is available at:  http://sbumc.informatics.sunysb.edu/medicalcenter/tuitionreimbursement

Employee Tuition Waiver Program

All full-time state employees at Stony Brook University are eligible for tuition assistance for one course each semester.  The waiver program pays a percentage of tuition for courses that are deemed to be job-related.  The waiver is intended to be used by full-time employees for a second course, or a course not covered by any other program.  Patricia Volz, (631)-632-6136, will answer questions about this benefit.  For the application, see:  http://naples.cc.sunysb.edu/Admin/HRSForms.nsf/webstate?OpenPage

UUP Tuition Assistance Program

The UUP Tuition Assistance Program covers tuition, but not fees, for one course each semester throughout the year, including Fall, Spring, Winter Session, Summer Session 1, and Summer Session 2 on a space-available basis.  Shirley Menzies, Hospital Human Resources, (631)-444-4759, is the contact person for residents and fellows who are hospital employees.

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STATEMENT OF STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY

Students themselves are responsible for reviewing, understanding, and abiding by the University's regulations, procedures, requirements, and deadlines as described in all official publications. These include the Graduate Bulletin, the Health Sciences Center Bulletin, as well as the Graduate Program in Public Health bulletin, website, and handouts. Students should keep all catalogs and correspondence with Program and University personnel for reference.

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ORGANIZATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH STUDENTS & ALUMNI OF STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY (OPHSA)

The Graduate Program in Public Health graduated its first class in May 2006. Since that time, the alumni of the Program have organized with students to create an association that serves both groups:  Organization of Public Health Students & Alumni of Stony Brook University (OPHSA).  The purpose of OPHSA is to organize current students and alumni to achieve the following goals:

• To promote the general welfare and professional image of Stony Brook University and the Program.
• To foster a strong relationship between the school, faculty and members of the organization.
• To foster and sustain collegial relationships between members of the student body and alumni of the Program.
• To promote participation between alumni and students in educational, scientific and public health research activities.
• To identify and develop resources to assist students, alumni and faculty in their careers.
• To maintain student and alumni representatives who will advocate for the needs of the student population on standing committees of the Program.
• To promote educational activities necessary for the maintenance and promotion of certification and/ or credentialing in the public health professions.
• To promote public participation and advocacy for topical public health issues. 

The Graduate Program in Public Health strongly supports the development of OPHSA and encourages alumni and student participation.  We view this initiative as the next important step in furthering the vision, mission, and goals of the Program.

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