The petition
A Statement of Support for a Health Studies Program at Yale College
I. Recognizing that many faculty and students have been expressing support for a health studies program at Yale College for over four and a half years
* In April 2003, the Committee for Yale College Education Report recommended the creation of a strong, interdisciplinary health studies program at Yale University
* In April 2006, the Yale College Council passed a resolution to Expand Interdisciplinary Health Studies at Yale
* President Levin has long declared that Yale should be a global university, "educating leaders and advancing the frontiers of knowledge ... for the entire world." Education in global health can and should be an essential part of this mission
II. Acknowledging that the College's current offerings in the area of health studies are not sufficient
* Some new courses have been added, but without a structured program, these courses do not constitute a comprehensive curriculum
* Significant gaps remain in areas such as global health and medical anthropology (which has been offered and then cancelled for the several years)
* Some new fellowships have been added to facilitate student travel and research in the area of health studies, but there remains little academic coursework to prepare students adequately for these experiences
* About 100 students are estimated to apply this year to the Select BA-BS/MPH Program in Public Health, but only about 10 students can be accepted
* Outside the classroom, over 40 student groups on campus are working on public health issues and over 340 students have signed up as members of the Yale Public Health Coalition, but inside the classroom, these students lack the educational opportunities to think critically about areas of interest
* The administration has not publicly committed to the development of a health studies program at Yale College and no timeline has been established
* Other peer institutions, such as Harvard, Duke, Stanford, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University have already created strong curriculums for undergraduates interested in studying health issues as part of a larger liberal arts education
III. Affirming that a formal health studies program is a feasible way for the university to supplement existing efforts and strengthen the educational curriculum at Yale College
* Second majors, such as International Studies, demonstrate that interdisciplinary majors can enhance the Yale College curriculum without detracting from a disciplinary focus
* At least 29 health studies-related courses are already offered in a variety of different departments of Yale College
* Faculty members of the Health Studies Advisory Committee have been meeting to discuss the possible structure of a health studies major for several years
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We, the undersigned faculty and students, hereby urge the administration to act upon its own recommendations and make a clear commitment to the development of a strong, interdisciplinary health studies program at Yale College
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