Expanding ethics curriculum resources: American College of Epidemiology's syllabus collection project

Abstract

This commentary provides an update on the evolution of the American College of Epidemiology's online and open-source collection of ethics syllabi in epidemiology and public health. Begun in 2011, the syllabus-collection project anticipated the Council on Education for Public Health's accreditation requirement calling for “the development of ethical practice” and identifying a need to “demonstrate our commitment to ethical dealings.” The Ethics Committee of the American College of Epidemiology continued the project in 2018 seeking to acquire as many syllabi as possible for the repository; all 180 Council on Education for Public Health–accredited schools and programs were contacted and asked to share syllabi that addressed ethical and related issues. The overarching goal was to support institutions that have not yet introduced ethics into public health and epidemiology curricula. In total, 45 new syllabi were collected in 2018 and collated with the 38 acquired in 2011; 83 syllabi have been compiled from 52 accredited entities. Having a readily available on-line resource to support institutions and faculty seeking to introduce or improve the presentation of ethics in public health and epidemiology curricula is believed to be an important contribution to public health science and pedagogy.