Phone: 703-993-1901
Web: chhs.gmu.edu
The mission of the College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) is to equip professionals to provide leadership, care, and services related to health promotion, wellness, disease prevention, and quality of life through the promotion of physical, social, and environmental health practices. Graduates practice in a variety of roles in settings that are complex, multicultural, and dynamic. The college is a resource for health promotion to the university, as well as to citizens of Virginia.
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and the State Board of Nursing approved the baccalaureate nursing program in 1974. Since then, the program has grown from a department of nursing to a school of nursing. In 1993, the school was reorganized into the College of Nursing and Health Science, and in 2006, into the College of Health and Human Services to provide the breadth needed to respond to dramatic and dynamic fundamental changes occurring in health care and social work. The expanded, multidisciplinary CHHS offers degree programs and research opportunities in health administration, health policy, health information systems, health services research, nursing, nutrition, rehabilitation science, senior care, and social work.
Shirley Travis, Dean
Robin Remsburg, Associate Dean and Director, School of Nursing
J. Goodlett McDaniel, Associate Dean, Practice, Marketing, and Finance
Frank J. Whittington, Associate Dean, Academic Affairs
Vacant, Assistant Dean, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management
Lisa Pawloski, Chair, Global and Community Health
P. J. Maddox, Chair, Health Administration and Policy
Miriam Raskin, Acting Chair, Social Work
Faculty emeriti: Ailinger, Carty, Cohelan, Jenkins, Johnson-Brown, Parker-Smith, Redmond, Silva, Walker
Professors: Alemi, Butler, Gaffney, Gerber, Hadley, Howell, Maddox, Meiners, Metcalf, Moore, Raskin, Ritchie, Rose, Sluzki, Sorrell, Travis, Whittington
Associate professors: Baghi, Chong, Davidson, Davis, Douglas, Eckenwiler, Harris Rome, Keyser, Langley, Mahon, McDaniel, Moidu, Panniers, Pawloski, Vail, Vakalahi, Wolf-Branigin, Wu
Assistant professors: Boland, Boyd, Brenkus, Cangelosi, Carle, Cartwright, Cleaveland, Gewa, Hahn, Ihara, Jacobsen, Kitsantas, Kodadek, Maradiegue, Miklancie, Normile, Oh, Perlin, Roberts, Rudowski, Smoczynski, Telford, Tompkins, Urban, Webster, Weinstein, Willis, Yang, Young, Zhou
Instructors: Almond, Blasser, Campo, Clark, Cox, Davis, Dickman, Durham, Gaston, Gillette, Hall, Henderson, Kiernan-Stern, Liss, Middle, Moss, Mulqueen, Shiver, Stoehr, Toulouse, Venske, Welsh
CHHS offers all course work designated GCH, HAP, HHS, NURS, and SOCW in the Course Descriptions chapter of this catalog.
Continuing education is a commitment of CHHS and Mason. Activities are planned to meet the special needs of individuals and groups in the community. CHHS offers opportunities for credit and noncredit courses. Contract courses are offered in a variety of agencies in the Northern Virginia area. Comments and suggestions for programming from the health care community are welcomed. For information about specific activities, call 703-993-1910 or 703-993-2120.
CHHS reserves the right to place on probation, suspend, or dismiss any student in the program who does not demonstrate professional conduct. This conduct includes, but is not limited to, verbal abuse or insubordination, as well as behavior that threatens the safety of a client, another student, a faculty member, or other health care provider when the behavior occurs within the context of the academic program. The student has the right to appeal.
The Office of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management maintains student records and reviews for degree completion, acts on all student issues with the exception of grade appeals (which are filed according to university policy described in the Academic Policies chapter of this catalog), and processes all academic actions for undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the college. Student health and immunization records, copies of active licenses, and copies of current CPR certification are maintained in student files. All students are assigned an academic advisor and are expected to meet with the advisor at least one time per semester.
Many clinical agencies and practicum sites mandate that all students have a criminal background check. All students enrolled in the School of Nursing are required to complete a background check prior to beginning their program. Students enrolled in other CHHS programs may be required to complete background checks before entering a practicum environment. Information obtained from the background check is confidential and may result in a student’s inability to perform clinical or practicum activities and, therefore, will disqualify the student from entering or continuing in the academic program. Students must pay a fee for the background check. Students also are responsible for notifying the assistant dean of student affairs and enrollment management of any arrests, regardless of adjudication, that occur after acceptance and during enrollment in the program. Failure to promptly notify the assistant dean of student affairs and enrollment management may be grounds for dismissal from the student’s program.
To comply with the regulations established by the Commonwealth of Virginia and the agencies to which students are assigned and minimize risks to student health, every student enrolled in a CHHS program requiring clinical or practicum course work must document and submit evidence of good health and currency in immunization requirements on admission to the CHHS. Immunizations can be obtained from Student Health Services in Student Union Building I on the Fairfax Campus, the Truland Building on the Arlington Campus, or the Occoquan Building on the Prince William Campus. Students must submit copies of required health records to the CHHS Office of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. That office may verify compliance for clinical and practicum agencies but will not release health records to any agency without authorization from the student. Students should keep their own copies of health records available for clinical and practicum assignments should the agency require documentation. All costs associated with immunization and certifications are the student’s responsibility.
All students are required to have an active Mason e-mail account. Students are responsible for their own uniforms and transportation. Student liability insurance is provided by the university. Students are strongly advised to maintain health insurance coverage at all times. An accident and health insurance plan is available through Mason. Students are responsible for their own health care, including emergency care. CHHS assumes no financial responsibility for the health care of students.