Minority-serving Institutions Research Articles

Abstract 25: Hospitals That Serve Minority Patients Do Less to Reduce Readmissions Yet Report More Barriers: Results of a National Survey of Hospital Leaders

Objective: The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP), initiated in 2012, penalizes hospitals with higher-than-expected readmission rates. This is particularly salient for minority-serving hospitals (MSHs), which have higher readmission rates than peer institutions, and may face unique barriers. The objective of this study was to determine whether there were differences in the strategies used and barriers faced by MSHs in their efforts to reduce readmission rates. Methods: We surveyed leadership at 1600 U.S. acute-care hospitals between January 2013 and January 2014, oversampling minority-serving institutions. We achieved a 62% response rate. We defined three categories: 1) Major MSHs: Top 10% of hospitals with the highest proportion of black patients, 2) Minor MSHs: top 10 to 25%, and 3) non-MSH: the remaining 75% of hospitals. We compared survey responses between groups, adjusting for non-response and sampling strategy. Findings: Of the 992 respondents, 219 (22.1%) were hospital leaders at Major MSHs, 341 (34.4%) Minor MSHs, and 432 (43.5%) non-MSHs. Major MSHs were less likely than non-MSHs to use the following strategies: 1) discharge planner (67.9% vs. 76.5%, p<0.001), 2) electronic tools to share discharge summary (65.3% vs. 72.9%, p<0.005), 3) pharmacists to reconcile discharge medications (29.6% vs. 39.5%, p<0.001), and 4) contact patients within 48hrs after discharge (60.1% vs. 67.3%, p=0.005). Major MSHs were more likely to report the following as important barriers: 1) availability of primary care in the community (36.4% vs. 24.8%, p<0.0001), availability of financial resources (70.0% vs. 62.9%, p=0.018), and adequacy of transitions of care (52.3% vs. 44.8%, p=0.009). There were no significant differences in the perceived availability of nursing homes, visiting nurse services, or mental health/substance abuse services in the community between the three groups. Major MSHs were also more likely to report homelessness (40.2% vs. 25.3%, p<0.001) and lack of transportation (55.5% vs. 43.6%, p<0.0001) as significant challenges than non-MSHs. Additionally, minor MSHs also reported that language barriers (21.3% vs. 17.3%, p=0.02) and mental health/substance abuse (74.5% vs. 69.5%, p=0.016) were greater challenges than non-MSHs. Conclusions: In a nationally representative survey, we found that hospitals that serve a high proportion of blacks were less likely to use several important strategies in their efforts to reduce readmissions, and identified availability of primary care, poor transitions of care, financial resources, and patient-related factors as barriers to reducing readmissions. These findings suggest that additional resources to support in-hospital interventions to reduce readmissions may help close the racial gap in readmission rates. Policies that help build community capacity may also be an important component of readmission reduction.

A Discussion on the inclusion of minorities and underserved populations in global health workforce

Program/Project Purpose: According to the 2011 report developed by the Committee on Underrepresented Groups and the Expansion of the Science and Engineering Workforce Pipeline and the Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy, “America is at a crossroads” in which greater national efforts to strengthen infrastructures of science must include the knowledge and talents of minority Americans. They believe inclusion of a variety of Americans will significantly enhance the sustainability of the nation, and at present such contributions are underrepresented in fields such as science and engineering. Concurrently, there is a lack of participation of minority groups in global health which inspired a partnership between the Consortium of Universities for Global Health and the Public Health Institute to develop the Global Health Engagement Initiative. Through this agreement, the collaborative has researched and produced data detailing the involvement of minority and underserved populations in global health academic programs and activities in universities and colleges across the United States and its Territories. The Initiative also specifically reached out to Minority-Serving Institutions to better understand the opportunities available to students through existing international programs as well as obstacles faced at individual and institutional levels that need to be addressed. This presentation will discuss these findings and offer recommendations for engagement of minorities in the field in global health. Funding: Consortium of Universities for Global Health and the Public Health Institute. Abstract #: CUGH001

Presidencies Derailed: Why University Leaders Fail and How to Prevent It by Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, Gerald B. Kauvar, & E. Grady Bogue (review)

Reviewed by: Presidencies Derailed: Why University Leaders Fail and How to Prevent It by Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, Gerald B. Kauvar, & E. Grady Bogue Kim Nehls, Visiting Assistant Professor Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, Gerald B. Kauvar, & E. Grady Bogue. Presidencies Derailed: Why University Leaders Fail and How to Prevent It. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2013. 184 pp. Hardcover: $34.95. ISBN-10: 1421410249. As I type this book review, reports about the forced resignation of University of Texas’s president are dominating my daily news feed. Headlines include “UT President Proposes Graceful Exit,” “UT’s Powers Refusing Ultimatum to Resign,” “Supporters Rally behind UT Austin President,” “Will University of Texas President Get the Ax?” and so on. As the role of the college president becomes more complex, so do the stories behind their transitions. In just two years, more than 50 college, university, and system presidents resigned, retired prematurely, or were fired, and therein was the focus of Presidencies Derailed. Trachtenberg, Kauvar, and Bogue emphasized unsuccessful presidencies at several colleges and universities across the United States. Derailment is defined as “when a president is terminated or forced to resign prior to the end of the term of the first contract—an involuntary departure” (p. 1). The authors have identified six main reasons for derailment: (1) ethical lapses, (2) poor interpersonal skills, (3) inability to lead key constituencies, (4) difficulty adapting to institutional culture, (5) failure to meet business goals, and (6) board shortcomings. The book develops each of these reasons with examples. Presidencies Derailed is divided into two parts. The first part, comprising Chapters 2–6, highlights derailments at different types of institutions: private liberal arts institutions in Chapter 2, public master’s level institutions in Chapter 3, public research universities in Chapter 4, and community colleges in Chapter 5. These examples demonstrate that no type of institution is immune from controversy among its leaders. However, it was unclear how these institutions were selected for inclusion as case studies in the book. In fact, additional cases from minority-serving institutions, women’s colleges, and for-profit universities would have been a welcome addition since these types of institutions seem to consistently find their leaders in the spotlight. A current example is Alabama State University, a historically Black university, whose legal counsel just penned an op-ed that denounced the current president: I want to publicly apologize to the entire Alabama State University family. I made a serious error in judgment when I nominated Dr. Gwendolyn E. Boyd and asked the board of trustees to elect her as president of ASU. At the time, I sincerely believed that Dr. Boyd was qualified for the position. I have since learned that her prior executive experience was greatly exaggerated and that her administrative skills are sorely lacking for what is required to be an effective president. (Watkins, 2014, p. 1) Egregious examples like this one highlight the need for a book on presidential derailments that includes a broader selection of institutional types. Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, Gerald B. Kauvar, and E. Grady Bogue act as editors for Part 1, contributed by four authors. It ends with insightful, firsthand experiences from two derailed presidents and, in my opinion, constitutes the best part of the text. First, William Frawley, President of University of Mary Washington, 2006–2007, provided a narrative about his termination from his position after a publicized arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol. The second experience was provided by Michael Garrison, President of West Virginia University, 2007–2008, [End Page 476] who was embroiled in political controversy from the start and ultimately resigned under board pressure. The costs of a derailment at all institutions were quantifiable in real dollars, such as severance pay, search fees, and loss of donor support, as well as less-quantifiable costs consisting of depressed morale and unfavorable publicity for the institution and its leadership. Thus, the last section of the book, authored by Trachtenberg, Kauvar, and Bogue offered guidelines for avoiding presidential derailments as well as lessons learned from studying these situations. Chapter 7 looked at the academic search process and how much can be gleaned by having more thoughtful and more realistic searches. The authors state, “Members...

Addressing health disparities in the undergraduate curriculum: an approach to develop a knowledgeable biomedical workforce.

Disparities in health and healthcare are a major concern in the United States and worldwide. Approaches to alleviate these disparities must be multifaceted and should include initiatives that touch upon the diverse areas that influence the healthcare system. Developing a strong biomedical workforce with an awareness of the issues concerning health disparities is crucial for addressing this issue. Establishing undergraduate health disparities courses that are accessible to undergraduate students in the life sciences is necessary to increase students' understanding and awareness of these issues and motivate them to address these disparities during their careers. The majority of universities do not include courses related to health disparities in their curricula, and only a few universities manage them from their life sciences departments. The figures are especially low for minority-serving institutions, which serve students from communities disproportionally affected by health disparities. Universities should consider several possible approaches to infuse their undergraduate curricula with health disparities courses or activities. Eliminating health disparities will require efforts from diverse stakeholders. Undergraduate institutions can play an important role in developing an aware biomedical workforce and helping to close the gap in health outcomes.

Minutes of the ESA Governing Board, November 7–8, 2013, Washington, DC

Minutes of the ESA Governing Board, November 7–8, 2013, Washington, DC

The Leadership Alliance: Twenty Years of Developing a Diverse Research Workforce

The Leadership Alliance is a national academic consortium currently comprising 32 academic institutions including Ivy League and major-research and minority-serving institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). For 2 decades these institutions have worked collaboratively to train, mentor, and support underrepresented minority students from undergraduate through advanced graduate training programs. Effectively bridging the research capacity of Ivy League and leading research institutions with minority talent at HBCUs and minority-serving institutions, the Alliance has leveraged its long-standing partnership to develop and implement the Summer Research Early Identification Program (SR-EIP) and the Leadership Alliance National Symposium (LANS), proven programs for diversifying the pipeline of scholars. The objectives of this descriptive study are to demonstrate (a) the impact of these programs on student participants' undergraduate learning experience, and (b) the subsequent academic and career outcomes that occur for program participants. Discussion of the data sources and analysis approaches used in this study follow a description of the SR-EIP/LANS program participants. The outcome data demonstrate that the Alliance has become a nationally established pipeline program that successfully mentors underrepresented students along the entire academic pathway to produce scholars and researchers poised to contribute to a competitive 21st-century workforce.

Examining the Use of HIT Functions among Physicians Serving Minority Populations

The Institute of Medicine highlighted the fact that the U.S. health care system does not provide consistent, high quality medical care to all people. The routine use of health information technology (HIT) that includes certain key functions may be critical in reducing such disparities. We used logistic regression analyses to examine differences when it comes to the routine use of key HIT functions that are linked to improvements in clinical care. Physicians predominantly serving Black patients were more likely than physicians predominantly serving White patients to routinely use HIT to generate reminders for clinicians and patients about preventive services. Similarly, physicians predominantly serving Hispanic patients were more likely than physicians predominantly serving White patients to routinely use HIT to access patients' preferred language. Importantly, although minority-serving institutions have lower adoption rates overall, differences exist in the routine use of key HIT functions that have the potential to reduce health disparities.

Public Deliberation and Practical Application of Civic Engagement through a “Train the Trainer” Process at a Historically Black College

IntroductionThe work of institutions of higher education is often associated with processes and activities beyond the gates of the college/university and is reflected in experiences framed in constructs of the institutional mission. This is often captured in the consciousness, commitment, and engagement of the campus and community. The work of institutions takes higher education outside the confines of the campus and into communities and society with focus on deliberate experiences and activities connecting work to engagement. Creating for deliberation on college campuses involves a commitment to engagement and connection to that mission. Such spaces and opportunities provide experiences for students (and all campus constituents) to embrace and actualize the of deliberation, responsibility and professional practice of public work.This study is positioned in the conceptual framework of civic agency, which emphasizes the collective capacity of engagement (civic) and voice. Boyte (1997) suggested that the concept of agency highlights the broader set of capacities and skills required to take skillful, imaginative collective action in fluid and open environments. Additionally, Boyte notated agency through a project initiative with the American Association of State Colleges & Universities (AASCU; www.aascu.org) and the Kettering Foundation (www.kettering.org). The focus is to incorporate agency into minority-serving institutions such as historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and regional institutions. A key component of the initiative involves building capacity for agency through engagement and among students, faculty, and staff. Public, private, HBCUs and predominantly White institutions (PWIs) through the years have had a service component associated with their institutions. Activities may take the form of a variety of experiences (e.g., community service, learning, and engagement) and link the campus and community through work. Connecting or reconnecting the academic life of the college with work of citizenship calls for commitment and intentional efforts toward the democratic process. The relevancy of an engaged people must be examined with focus on the establishment of an institutional culture of engagement, democratic practice, and scholarship. Mathews (2005) asserted that a scholarship movement off campus is as great as the potential on campus. The connection between community and campus serves as a platform for forums or marketplaces as described by Mathews. Review of scholarship and leads to analysis and a reflective process involving institutional purpose and mission.Examination of the mission of institutions is directly linked to the process of institutional self-study. Whisenton and colleagues (1969) concluded that the self-study process aids an institution in making a realistic appraisal of its status and effectiveness, whereby providing opportunities for rethinking the purpose and yielding insights into the institution and its people. As such, a question emerges: Does the institutional mission represent the practice of the institution with focus on engagement and service? Peters (2005) highlighted four key points related to higher education's public-service mission: (a) higher education's mission directly links the academy with external partners in both the sphere and the private sector through the work of engagement; (b) engagement is a two-way activity, which is mutually beneficial, and helps to advance the interests of external partners and the general as well as the academy; (c) engagement has declined in the post-world War II era in both status and frequency, which leads to conversation regarding the need for renewal; and (d) there are significant barriers and disincentives blocking scholars and as such engagement is not sufficiently appreciated, valued, documented, assessed, or rewarded. …

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease readmissions at minority-serving institutions.

About 20% of patients hospitalized for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations are readmitted within 30 days. High 30-day risk-standardized readmission rates after COPD exacerbations will likely place hospitals at risk for financial penalties from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services starting in fiscal year 2015. Factors contributing to hospital readmissions include healthcare quality, access to care, coordination of care between hospital and ambulatory settings, and factors linked to socioeconomic resources (e.g., social support, stable housing, transportation, and food). These concerns are exacerbated at minority-serving institutions, which provide a disproportionate share of care to patients with low socioeconomic resources. Solutions tailored to the needs of minority-serving institutions are urgently needed. We recommend research that will provide the evidence base for strategies to reduce readmissions at minority-serving institutions. Promising innovative approaches include using a nontraditional healthcare workforce, such as community health workers and peer-coaches, and telemedicine. These strategies have been successfully used in other conditions and need to be studied in patients with COPD.

Experience Preferred

Universities offering undergraduate degrees in health promotion or health education and/or graduate degrees in public health typically require an internship, practicum, or fieldwork experience. This type of mentored experience is an important aspect of career development for the next generation of public health professionals and benefits not only the students but also the profession and the communities in which they work. This article provides perspectives from four public health professionals who have recently graduated from designated minority-serving institutions and highlights the ways in which internship, practicum, or fieldwork experiences have contributed to their career development. From a career development perspective, internships provide unique opportunities to develop professional networks, practice competencies learned in the classroom, gain experience in different environments, and share lessons learned with others in our field. The diversification of the public health research and practice workforce is increasingly recognized as crucial in building health equity. Internship programs that focus specifically on the academic and professional development of students underrepresented in public health provide experiences that meet or supplement academic requirements, and provide students with real-world experience and an expanded network of mentors and role models.

Models of Interinstitutional Partnerships between Research Intensive Universities and Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) across the Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA) Consortium

Health disparities are an immense challenge to American society. Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs) housed within the National Center for Advancing Translational Science (NCATS) are designed to accelerate the translation of experimental findings into clinically meaningful practices and bring new therapies to the doorsteps of all patients. Research Centers at Minority Institutions (RCMI) program at the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) are designed to build capacity for biomedical research and training at minority serving institutions. The CTSA created a mechanism fostering formal collaborations between research intensive universities and minority serving institutions (MSI) supported by the RCMI program. These consortium-level collaborations activate unique translational research approaches to reduce health disparities with credence to each academic institutions history and unique characteristics. Five formal partnerships between research intensive universities and MSI have formed as a result of the CTSA and RCMI programs. These partnerships present a multifocal approach; shifting cultural change and consciousness toward addressing health disparities, and training the next generation of minority scientists. This collaborative model is based on the respective strengths and contributions of the partnering institutions, allowing bidirectional interchange and leveraging NIH and institutional investments providing measurable benchmarks toward the elimination of health disparities.

Partnered Research Experiences for Junior Faculty at Minority-Serving Institutions Enhance Professional Success

Scientific workforce diversity is critical to ensuring the realization of our national research goals and minority-serving institutions play a vital role in preparing undergraduate students for science careers. This paper summarizes the outcomes of supporting career training and research practices by faculty from teaching-intensive, minority-serving institutions. Support of these faculty members is predicted to lead to: 1) increases in the numbers of refereed publications, 2) increases in federal grant funding, and 3) a positive impact on professional activities and curricular practices at their home institutions that support student training. The results presented show increased productivity is evident as early as 1 yr following completion of the program, with participants being more independently productive than their matched peers in key areas that serve as measures of academic success. These outcomes are consistent with the goals of the Visiting Professorship Program to enhance scientific practices impacting undergraduate student training. Furthermore, the outcomes demonstrate the benefits of training support for research activities at minority-serving institutions that can lead to increased engagement of students from diverse backgrounds. The practices and results presented demonstrate a successful generalizable approach for stimulating junior faculty development and can serve as a basis for long-term faculty career development strategies that support scientific workforce diversity.

Scholarly Productivity in Rehabilitation Counseling

As with most disciplinary areas in the realm of academe, the prestige of rehabilitation counseling has always been assessed by a faculty’s research productivity, which is determined by the frequency of publications in the leading peer-reviewed journals. The purpose of the present study was to appraise peer-reviewed publication venues, order of authorship, article types, research productivity of scholars, and their affiliated programs in the field of rehabilitation counseling. A total of 1,855 peer-reviewed articles from seven major rehabilitation-related journals over a 10-year period (2000 to 2009) were investigated. Results revealed disparities in research productivity between minority-serving institutions and White-dominant institutions, and also between teaching-oriented institutions and research-oriented institutions. The authors also found a positive correlation between an institution’s research productivity ranking and its U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools ranking. Toward the conclusion, suggestions for future research on scholarly productivity are provided.

Building an Academic Community: Minority Serving Institutions and How They Influence Students Pursuing Undergraduate Degrees in STEM

Abstract Scientific and technological innovation, according to a report by the National Academy of Sciences (2007), can only be secured with individuals’ success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Because STEM remains White and male-dominated, programs that focus on increasing the participation of female and minority students has been of great interest to organizations, universities, and national agencies (e.g., National Science Foundation [NSF]) alike. Ways to increase students’ interest, participation, matriculation, and completion of STEM undergraduate degrees have been discussed throughout the scholarly community – from primary to secondary to postsecondary school officials and researchers.

Occupying the Academy: Just How Important Is Diversity Work in Higher Education? ed. by Christine Clark, Kenneth J. Fasching-Varner, and Mark Brimhall-Vargas (review)

Reviewed by: Occupying the Academy: Just How Important Is Diversity Work in Higher Education? ed. by Christine Clark, Kenneth J. Fasching-Varner, and Mark Brimhall-Vargas Blanca E. Vega (bio) Christine Clark, Kenneth J. Fasching-Varner, and Mark Brimhall-Vargas, (Eds.). Occupying the Academy: Just How Important Is Diversity Work in Higher Education? New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2012. 253 pp. Cloth: $70.00. ISBN 978-1-4422-1272-5. Diversity work in education is the latest chapter in a long history of the struggle for social justice. Occupying the Academy: Just How Important Is Diversity Work in Higher Education?, edited by Christine Clark, Kenneth J. Fasching-Varner, and Mark Brimhall-Vargas, addresses the permanence of racism as manifested in higher education. The collected narratives and case studies presented in this book provide testimony about how racism evolves in an era that many people call "postracial," symbolized by the election of our nation's first Black president, Barack Obama. However, the case studies in this book also suggest that diversity workers, for all their best intentions, should name their work for what they are actually doing: race work. The authors divide the book's narratives into three areas: those from chief diversity officers, midlevel administrators, and faculty. The editors charged contributing authors to adhere to several guidelines: They must (a) understand multicultural organizational model concepts, (b) employ Critical Race Theory (CRT) and variations of CRT as conceptual frameworks for understanding diversity work, and (c) provide counter narratives as case studies for analyses. Despite the use of these frameworks that center race in research, however, "diversity" seemed to replace the word "race." Diversity work is the umbrella term for all work done in the name of social justice. Race work centers racial justice as a core value. In the foreword, Sonia Nieto makes this relationship apparent, but this focus does not remain clear throughout the book. Each case occurs at a public higher education institution, and all the narratives employ the same pseudonym, Acme, using, as a rationale, the fact that these stories can occur at many public institutions. There are a few exceptions: none of the cases occurred at minority-serving institutions (MSIs) and none (for reasons they do not explain) were situated in the "Pacific Northwest, Alaska, or Hawai'i" (p. 195). Despite these limitations, the editors argue that these stories are more common than we believe and must be written and published to record the ongoing history of racism in higher education. To understand diversity workers, the editors provide a brief historical background of the role of the chief diversity officer (CDO) in their introduction. The role of CDOs was shaped by private corporations to explain why these roles are often created without much power: "It is important to note that many Fortune 500 companies that signed the amicus brief in support of the University of Michigan's recent bid to protect affirmative action practices (Gratz v. Bollinger, 2003; Grutter v. Bollinger, 2003) have driven the emergence of the CDO position in the private sector and public higher education alike" (p. 2). The editors describe the complexities of diversity workers, particularly those who identify as people of color. Diversity workers of color often find themselves caught between two competing interests—demonstrating a united front with their colleagues, or speaking for their identity group (p. 3). The CDO is caught in contradictory roles. On the one hand, the existence of the CDO symbolizes an institution's seriousness about diversity work; but on the other, they bear the very real responsibility for diversity work, causing authors to ask: "Who is ultimately responsible for the success of institutionalized effort?" (p.89) Three themes prevail throughout the book: (a) difficulties with accomplishing diversity work in the postracial era, (b) understanding diversity knowledge, and asking (c) for whom is diversity work performed? First, all of the narratives demonstrate how difficult diversity work has become in the postracial era. The editors "thought it would get better" (p. xvii), an attitude that was clearly expressed in Case 1 (p. 26). This case reveals the difficulties of diversity work from the perspective of a White, female CDO. It also explores the impact of presidents with different understandings...

Abstract 186: Understanding Readmissions at Minority-Serving Hospitals

Objective: The Affordable Care Act requires that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reduce payments to hospitals with high readmission rates starting in 2013. Minority-serving institutions have higher rates of readmissions, and are therefore likely to be financially penalized as a result of this policy. Our objective was to better understand the characteristics, settings, and strategies that differentiate strong and poor performing minority-serving hospitals. Methods: We conducted case studies at six U.S. hospitals with a patient population over 50% black, choosing sites based on either strong or poor performance on readmissions in 2008-2009. Chief Medical Officers, Chief Executive Officers, Chief Quality Officers, Case Managers, and other key staff at each site each participated in hour-long semi-structured interviews where questions about hospital and patient characteristics, priorities, strategies to reduce readmissions, and general impressions about CMS’s policies were asked. Detailed notes were collected and supplemented by a review of audio tapes. Themes and intensity of comments were coded and prepared as a matrix. Results: Nearly all of the case study respondents felt that the readmission rate was an important quality metric for CMS to assess, and most respondents felt their hospitals could do better to reduce readmissions. However, few respondents knew if they were going to be penalized by CMS. The majority of respondents reported implementing new programs or procedures to try to reduce readmissions regardless of whether they were going to be penalized. Hospitals that had a low proportion of self-pay patients, high occupancy rates, and high margins had more programmatic efforts around reducing readmissions and improving transitions of care. Some strategies employed were the implementation of call centers, focused attention on discharge planning, and availability of local external resources to support program staff. Nevertheless, nearly all respondents felt that they were unable to reduce readmission rates to the level they wished because of patient and community factors, including difficulties with paying for and managing medications, literacy, housing stability, and income. Respondents also identified significant challenges in terms of infrastructure, including inadequate staffing and expertise in this area to implement potentially beneficial programs. Conclusions: Minority-serving hospitals in our case studies faced substantial challenges to reducing readmissions, including their own financial health as well as community and patient-level factors. Better understanding the strategies and approaches that work in resource-poor settings, or accounting for the poverty of the underlying patient population, are two potential strategies for ensuring that CMS’s readmissions policies do not inadvertently worsen disparities.

The Impact of Demographic Variables on Professor’s Perceptions of Post-secondary Health Education Curricula

The focus of this study was to examine the differences in health educators’ attitudes regarding the effectiveness of the current health education curriculum at predominately White institutions and minority-serving institutions. More specifically, the researchers were concerned with the influence of the variables age, ethnicity, gender, years of teaching experience, and institution type on the attitudes of health educators regarding the health curriculum at colleges, universities, and junior/community colleges in the southern region of Texas. The researchers formulated and tested 11 null hypotheses in this study. Each served to determine whether there was significant statistical difference in health educators’ attitudes. Part I of the Fisher Health Education Curriculum Attitude Survey, developed by the lead researcher, represents demographic information data that were used to obtain background information about the respondents (see Appendix 1). Part II of the Fisher Health Education Survey was used to determine health educators’ attitudes regarding the health education curriculum as it relates to students’ social and emotional needs (see Appendix 2). The researchers established content validity for the instrument as well as reliability. A population sample of 214 health educators who were randomly selected from 2-year and 4-year institutions were invited to participate in the survey. A total of 168 participants returned the surveys, which yielded a completion rate of 79 %.

Weight-gain misperceptions and the third-person effect in Black and White college-bound females: Potential implications for healthy weight management

Elements of social norm theory and communication theory on the third-person effect may prove useful in efforts to prevent excessive weight gain among emerging adults entering college. The present study explored the associations of race/ethnicity and BMI status with these socio-cognitive factors that may affect first-year weight regulation in a sample of Black (N=247) and White (N=94) college-bound females. Participants completed an online survey assessing first-year weight-gain perceived norms along with weight-change expectations and concerns. Results provided evidence of the persistence of the myth of the “Freshman 15”, belief in the typicality of gaining weight during the first year of college, and significant concern about first-year weight gain. Initial findings further revealed a robust third-person effect whereby despite nearly 90% of the sample endorsing that first-year weight gain was common, only 12% expected they would experience weight gain. Main effects of race/ethnicity, BMI status, and their interaction further uncovered distinct patterns of findings. Preliminary results highlight the need for college health officials at both predominantly White as well as minority-serving institutions to adequately address the significant concern over first-year weight gain in conjunction with the desire to lose weight expressed by an appreciable number of incoming college females. Findings also advocate the utility of evaluating social norm theory and the third-person perceptual bias in the context of first-year weight gain to potentially enhance the design and effectiveness of healthy weight management initiatives among ethnically-diverse young women entering college.

Diverse Experiences in Diversity at the Geography Department Scale*

Departments are critical intervention points for enhancing diversity in any academic discipline, yet their experiences related to diversity differ widely. This article explores how several geography departments that vary by region, setting, and institutional type have experienced and promoted diversity. We also explore geography at different types of institutions, particularly minority-serving institutions and land-grant colleges and universities. We conclude that plans for improving the recruitment and retention of diverse students and faculty should make explicit the connection between structural factors, such as institutional contexts, and the agency of geography departments as key actors.

INCREASE-ing Access to DOE Laboratory User Facilities

The Interdisciplinary Consortium for Research and Educational Access in Science and Engineering (INCREASE) promotes competitive research and education in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs). Founded in 2007 and based at Hampton University in Virginia (USA), the consortium is increasing MSI faculty utilization of national user facilities and facilitating education and research training, especially for members of groups underrepresented in science and engineering research at national facilities, such as African-Americans, Hispanics, and women. INCREASE is a multi-campus and interdisciplinary consortium including more than 40 science and engineering faculty participants from over 30 MSIs and other strategic university partners to facilitate access to world-class facilities so that faculty members can conduct cutting-edge science.