• Introduction

School of Health Sciences and Human Performance

Steven F. Siconolfi, Dean

Patricia E. Green, Associate Dean

For full faculty listing, see "Directory of Faculty and Administration."

Introduction

The School of Health Sciences and Human Performance (HS&HP) educates students to participate in the health, health care, and sport continuum. Health and physical education programs provide students with the background, understanding, and experience for teaching healthy lifestyles. Students in exercise science programs learn to use exercise as a modality to safely guide children and adults - whether they are well, at-risk, or suffering from diseases - to an improved level of physical function. Athletic training students are prepared to manage and rehabilitate injuries that may result from exercise or sport participation. Prevention of and recovery from injury, trauma, or disease are aided by our physical therapy students who learn to help people become strong and flexible, occupational therapy students who learn to help people gain function, recreational therapy students who learn to help people lead a better quality of life, and speech therapy students who learn to help people improve or regain speech in both school and community settings. Adding to the continuum are three other degree programs, where students learn to help shape the policies that affect health and health care on a local and global level, to help manage and promote the world of sport, and to help people plan and use their leisure time in meaningful ways.

The strength of these programs comes from a dedicated faculty who believe in and practice their areas of expertise and who fully support the integration of the liberal arts and sciences in their professional programs. Students have the flexibility to elect courses in areas other than their majors, with the option of declaring a minor from a variety of programs at Ithaca College. Most programs require students to learn in the work environment, and many offer experiential learning opportunities on campus as well as off campus.

Academic Departments	Degree Programs
Exercise and Sport Sciences (ESS)	Athletic Training/Exercise Science Clinical Exercise Science Exercise Science
Health Policy Studies (HPS)	Health Policy Studies Health Services Administration*
Health Promotion and Human Movement (HPHM)	Community Health Education Health Education Physical Education Health Education and Physical Education Health Sciences
Occupational Therapy (OT)	Occupational Science (B.S.) Occupational Therapy (M.S.)
Physical Therapy (PT)	Clinical Science (B.S.) Physical Therapy (M.S.)
Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology (SLPA)	Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Teaching Students with Speech and Language Disabilities
Sport Management and Media (SMM)	Sport Management Sports Information and Communication Sport Studies
Therapeutic Recreation and Leisure Services (TRLS)	Therapeutic Recreation Leisure Services

*The health services administration major is being discontinued.

All of our students may select a minor or concentration to complement their degree programs and increase the breadth of their education at Ithaca College. Some degree programs require a minor or concentration.

The minors offered within the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance include coaching, exercise science, health, health communication, health services administration, integrative health studies, nutrition promotion, nutrition science, outdoor recreation, recreation, and sport studies. Many students choose minors offered by other schools at the College.

Community Service: Faculty, staff, and students in HS&HP participate in many community activities. Ithaca College's partnership with the senior care facility at Longview is supported by HS&HP's Project CARE (SLPA and TRLS), a quilting group (OT), Seniors with Seniors (OT), a faculty lecture series (HS&HP), a driving study (OT), volunteer work with people who have Alzheimer's disease (TRLS), activity observations and participation in labs (PT), a walking group (TRLS), and nutritional assessment (HPHM). Several departments are involved with the Center for Life Skills at Longview and with an interdisciplinary pediatric assessment team. The exercise and sport sciences department has developed and runs the Ithaca College - Ithaca Fire Department Wellness Partnership program and a mentorship program with the Ithaca Youth Bureau and area elementary schools. The Sir Alexander Ewing - Ithaca College Speech and Hearing Clinic provides services to the Ithaca community, as does the occupational therapy - physical therapy clinic.

Student Profile: We currently enroll over 1,350 full-time students (66 percent female in undergraduate and 87 percent female in graduate programs) in 23 different degree programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The class of 2006 had a median composite SAT score of 1182. Student retention is high, with more than 84 percent of the incoming HS&HP students graduating from our programs. Some 42 percent of HS&HP students come from states other than New York, including 17 international students.

Diversity: The School of Health Sciences and Human Performance is committed to increasing diversity among faculty, staff, and students. Eight percent of the class of 2006 is from minority groups. With the recent hiring of faculty with minority status, we have increased the percentage of minority faculty to a figure greater than the percentage of minority HS&HP students. Diversity, however, is more than numbers. Our OT and PT students are in a pilot project that allows them to participate in a course on multicultural psychology. Our health policy studies department is working with other units at the College to develop a yearlong academic enrichment program with a theme of politics, race, culture, and health. Our sport management and media department offers such courses as Gender Issues in Sport and Sport and the Civil Rights Movement. Our TRLS majors are required to complete a course entitled Inclusive Community Leisure Services.