Progress 05/15/17 to 05/14/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The Nutri-Vias project had multiple target audiences, depending on the phase of development. Initially, directors of professionally accredited coordinated master's degree programs in Nutrition and Dietetics in the U.S. and dietetic internship directors in Puerto Rico (PR) were targeted to join the Nutri-Vias team. Educational and humanitarian aid institutions in the Dominican Republic (DR) were also considered as an international point of experiential supervised practice or community research for Nutrition and Dietetics students. Technological personnel and creative faculty were also targeted for insights and methodologies for creating the digital bank of case studies and inter-institutional faculty-sharing of courses. Academic deans, department directors, and the deans of international relations and student exchange programs were also targeted during the phase of forming memoranda of understanding and formal agreements. After several years of meetings, considerations and negotiations, the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) Río Piedras Campus and University of Pittsburgh (U Pitt) were the two institutions who agreed upon the "visiting" professor, student-exchange model to include a bank of specialized multicultural case studies (Nutri-Banco) that support inter-institutional, team-taught online learning experiences (Nutri-Módulos), and research and experiential supervised practice opportunities (Nutri-Práctica) of cultural immersion for Hispanics and other underserved minority students and economically-challenged students. Ultimately, the target audiences for this project are Nutrition and Dietetics students and faculty and the public to be served through the work force. We have worked to unite professional and scientific expertise from different institutions in an integrative collaboration to enhance and diversify student learning, while providing faculty release time from some core and elective online courses through a "visiting" professor, student-exchange model. The endpoint goal is to be able to prepare future dietitian-nutritionists and nutrition scientists more thoroughly to be resilient, competent, and culturally sensitive entry-level professionals who can think critically to meet the societal challenges of nutrition-related public health problems, including the obesity pandemic. Changes/Problems:The original project timeline was shifted forward according to the grant award date, and due to external factors described below. Noteworthy delays in project progress have occurred due to the damaging effects of Hurricanes Irma and Maria on Puerto Rico's infrastructure, particularly due to the loss (and instability) of electricity and communications (Internet and phone services) for multiple months, and intermittently thereafter. Years later, much administrative focus continues on the restoration of damaged facilities, follow-up on insurance claims, as well as FEMA and additional forms of aid. The hardships have resulted in emigration of families to the mainland US, including students, support personnel and faculty. The financial situation of the University of Puerto Rico is directly related to the economic stability of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico that is under an economic recession and controlled by the Puerto Rico Oversight Board created by the U.S. Congress in 2016, under the Puerto Rico Oversight and Management Stability Act (PROMESA). This has resulted in million-dollar reductions in the budget for the UPR system. It has also resulted in an increase in tuition and a focus on new sources of funding independent of local government assignments. The reduction in budget caused ripple effects on regional accreditation status by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) and professional accreditation status by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Full accreditation status has since been restored. Changes in the university's academic policies and procedures were put in place during the first year of this Nutri-Vías project: the UPR administration placed a moratorium on the development of new degree programs (and new courses not included in previously approved required degree curricula), which directly affected the advancement of our planned Coordinated Masters of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics (graduate academic sequence coordinated with supervised practice hours). The development of our own program would place the coordination of student supervised practice hours under our direct administration. Without this capability, we began to focus on the task of working with existing Dietetic Internship Directors on the island about the possibilities of coordinating some of their students' supervised practice experiences with our campus and external universities, as detailed in the Nutri-Vías project overview. This was particularly challenging, and understandably so, being that it would require flexibility and/or change in the established curricula of others through the professional nutrition and dietetics accreditation agency. The moratorium on the development of new degree programs was lifted at UPR. Our Nutrition and Dietetics Program proceeded with the development and submission of a Coordinated Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics, allowing us the liberty of administering our own students' supervised practice curriculum and of including the diversity of experiences planned through our Nutri-Vías Educational Consortium. In addition, two graduate nutrition certificate programs are in parallel development to have an additional mechanism for teaching graduate nutrition courses at the institution, which may also create a source of income for the program, college and university. The development of two, 12-credit (4, 3-credit course) online Graduate Certificates toward a Graduate degree (offered through the Continuing Education and Professional Studies Division or DECEP) was seen as a positive strategy toward the development of a self-sustaining graduate program for Río Piedras Nutrition and Dietetics. Development of these online courses for two graduate certificates would receive solid institutional approval and could be integrated into the Nutri-Módulos curricula. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a pause in the formal agreement process between UPR-RP and the University of Pittsburgh. The logistics proposal for U Pitt had to be rewritten taking into consideration all the additional safety policies and procedures for the student-exchange program. It is in its final revision for submission to the institutional AORs along with the Memorandum of Understanding and Bilateral Agreement. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During the first year, the grant supported travel of the Project Director to the professional meeting of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: the 2017 Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo in Chicago, IL, October 21-24th. She gained 15 hours of continuing education-professional development in scientific aspects of nutrition, nutrition and public health, leadership strategies, new ACEND accreditation standards, and was able to network with university representatives and nutrition professionals, gaining insights to best practices for the continued development of the graduate program with coordinated supervised practice. The afternoon of Friday, February 7th, 2020, collaborators of the Nutri-Vias Educational Consortium Committee partnered with the PR Chapter of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in providing four conferences for three hours of continuing education credit for PR dietitians at the UPR-Central Administration Botanical Gardens Campus in San Juan, PR; this symposium served approximately 30 dietetics professionals and 20 students. I. 1:30 - 2:30 pm: GRE and Graduate Applications: Implications and Next Steps [via Zoom]; Amanda S. Holliday MS, RD, LDN and Beth Jenks, MS, RD, LDN; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill II. 2:30 - 3:00 pm: Competency Based Education (CBE) In Dietetics Future Education Model (FEM) Professional Programs. "Insights from the University of Pittsburgh;" Deborah A. Hutcheson, DCN, RDN, LDN; University of Pittsburgh III. 3:00 - 3:30 pm: Breastfeeding Focus Group Research and Strategies on Ways to Incorporate into the Profession; Trisha A. Cousins, MS, RDN, LDN; University of Pittsburgh IV. 3:30 - 4:00 pm: Dietary, Nutritional and Cultural Factors in Cancer Prevention: The Example of Onions, Garlic and Sofrito and Breast Cancer in Puerto Rico; Michelle Schelske Santos, PhD; University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras V. 4:00 - 4:30 pm: Question & Answer (Q & A) Panel As part of the strategy to continue to create a trusted networking environment with our collaborators after project termination, two faculty and three graduate students from University of Pittsburgh were invited to accompany two UPR-Rio Piedras faculty and five undergraduate students at the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) NUTRITION 2021 LIVE ONLINE professional convention on June 7 - 10, 2021 [registration support was provided by the Curricula, Research & Technology grant, as approved by the National Program Leader]. This meeting brought together top nutrition science researchers and practitioners from around the world, global and public health professionals, policy makers and other related professionals, with whom we learned the most up-to-date and far-reaching nutrition science and networked in a safe way. On June 11th, we held a post-conference virtual meeting of UPR-RP and U Pitt students and faculty to share impressions and knowledge gained from the professional conference, as well as present ourselves and get to know one another, and talk about the possibilities of student exchange for online courses and on-site supervised experiential practice and research. Students and faculty from both institutions were enthusiastic about participating in future integrated opportunities and were excited to have participated in this professional meeting, many for the first time. Joint attendance to this virtual event helped solidify the collaborative relationship between U Pitt and UPR-RP and evidenced the desire of the students for integrated learning and research opportunities. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Dr. Schelske Santos, Project Director, was contacted by the United Kingdom editorial staff of Scientia to highlight the Nutri-Vias Educational Consortium project in their August edition on food, agriculture, and natural resources. The Scientia publications are an attractive descriptive of research and creative projects that purpose to connect researchers with the larger public-society and stakeholders, help researchers broaden the dissemination of their work and their sponsoring agencies. It is an open-source digital publication, as well as hard copy 4-page brochure-type article. The intellectual property rights and copyrights belong to the investigator-institution and may be posted on websites and distributed as seen fit. The article was shared with students, faculty, deans as well as the Vice President of Investigation at the UPR Central Administration, and collaborators from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. The editorial staff at Scientia began a Twitter campaign and it is included on the PDs Linked-In account. The publication will continue to be used as a marketing tool as the project progresses. To link to this article, HTML: https://www.scientia.global/dr-michelle-schelske-santos-nutri-vias-creating-pathways-for-diversified-nutrition-education/ PDF: https://www.scientia.global/wp-content/uploads/Michelle_Schelske-Santos/Michelle_Schelske_Santos.pdf DOI: https://doi.org/10.33548/SCIENTIA403 The Nutri-Vias project is also being disseminated on the College of Natural Sciences' Nutrition and Dietetics Program webpage, where an abstract and link to the Scientia article can be found: http://natsci.uprrp.edu/nutricion/projects-and- research-groups/ What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Close to 70% of adult US Americans suffer from overweight or obesity, increasing the predominance of chronic diseases and reduced quality of life. The burden of obesity is greater among people of color, including Hispanics and underserved minorities. Highly qualified nutrition and dietetic professionals representing our minority populations are of utmost importance to help reduce the burden of obesity and chronic disease through nutrition intervention. Budgetary constraints and human resource limitations at our institutions of higher education highlight the need for collaborative efforts. This Nutri-Vias Planning Grant has completed the groundwork for diversifying and enhancing learning experiences in Nutrition and Dietetics by creating a collaborative curricular model and educational consortium between the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus and the University of Pittsburgh that would be comprised of a bank of specialized multicultural case studies (Nutri-Banco) that support team- taught online learning experiences (Nutri-Módulos) and student-exchange experiential supervised practice and research opportunities (Nutri-Práctica) with cultural immersion for underserved Hispanic and other minority students and students who normally could not afford to travel as part of their education. The University of Pittsburgh is a highly acclaimed state-related research university founded in 1787, making it one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the US. Their partnership with the Nutrition and Dietetics Program of the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras, a Hispanic-Serving Institution that is the oldest and largest institution of higher learning in the Caribbean, affirms the Nutri-Vias Educational Consortium. Although faced with multiple challenges including Hurricane María and its aftermath in PR, and the COVID-19 pandemic, we have continued onward. We will complete the formal inter-institutional agreements and continue to apply for external funding to support students with travel and living stipends for the student-exchange experiential supervised practice and research rotations and operationalize all the established plans. Our final goal continues to be sharing our best with others to maximize resources, outcomes, and impacts while training future dietitians-nutritionists within diverse cultural contexts so they can enter the workforce with confidence to address complex nutrition-related health issues and health disparities. Objective 1: Network at the Puerto Rico, United States, and international levels in academia as well as at professional and scientific meetings. Networking with prospective and final collaborators was key to meeting our goals, and was accomplished through virtual meetings, telephone conferencing, professional scientific meetings and in person meetings at the UPR Medical Sciences and Río Piedras campuses. Nutrition and Dietetics faculty from our final collaborating institution, University of Pittsburgh, served as mentors for identifying best practices in developing the master's degree with supervised experiential practice at the UPR Río Piedras campus using a competency-based education model, integrating practical experiences with coursework for students to dominate professional level competencies and enter the job force more quickly. Supervised practice and community research sites were identified in PR and PA. Objective 2: Complete recruitment of two Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics faculty to formally establish the Nutri-Vías Curriculum and Supervised Practice Committee. Recruitment of the four members the Nutri-Vías Committee was originally completed with two faculty from each of two US higher education institutions with Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics accredited Coordinated Masters Programs: Dr. Deborah Hutcheson and Prof. Trisha Cousins from the University of Pittsburgh, and two faculty from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Nonetheless, UNC-Chapel Hill did not have a viable mechanism to implement the Nutri-Vias "visiting" professor, student-exchange model and therefore did not continue in the consortium committee. UPR-RP and U Pitt remain interested in recruiting an additional Hispanic-serving institution to expand the consortium. Objective 3: Host the Nutri-Vías Curriculum and Supervised Practice Committee Meeting in PR. The multi-institutional Nutri-Vías Consortium Curriculum Meeting and Symposium was hosted at UPR-RP on February 6-7, 2020 (Day 1, 8:30 am - 6:00 pm; Day 2, 8:30 - 11:30 am). University of Pittsburgh collaborators arrived in Puerto Rico on February 5th. Invited collaborators from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill decided to connect remotely via Zoom due to the WHO declaration of the COVID-19 global health emergency. Dean Irizarry from the UPR-RP Office of International Relations provided models for the two general MOUs and Bilateral Agreements. Summary of agreements for the Nutri-Vias model: Use a "visiting" professor, student exchange model where students pay the tuition of their home institution, and professors would share teaching responsibilities in selected courses as part of their regular course load; Nutri-Banco - require identification as professor or professional and ask for an upload in exchange for a download, focus on specialized multicultural case studies to support the consortium courses; Nutri-Práctica - use community outreach centers and projects, urban and rural farmers' markets, develop a common community research protocol that could be replicated at all geographic locations; Nutri-Módulos - team-teach online core course (Life Cycle Nutrition) and specialized electives (Global Nutrition); teach individual online electives (Nutrigenomics and Advanced Metabolism; Pediatric and Maternal Nutrition) through the institutions' online learning management systems. Objective 4: Submit a Joint Project or Large-scale Comprehensive Initiative Project Proposal. On April 2, 2020, we submitted the USDA NIFA HEC Consortium Type 1 Grant, Proposal No. 2020-03263, Nutri-Vías: Consortium for Diversified Learning in Nutrition and Dietetics, 3-years, $300,000, (Dr. Michelle Schelske Santos, Project Director; Dr. Nancy Correa Matos, UPR-RP Co-PD) with a $150,000 sub-award to the University of Pittsburgh (Dr. Deborah Hutcheson, U Pitt Co-PD, Prof. Trisha Cousins, U Pitt Project Coordinator). Since UNC-Chapel Hill faculty were not able to identify a viable student exchange mechanism at their university to fit the consortium model, they withdrew from the new grant submission process. Although the proposal did not receive funding, UPR-RP and U Pitt remain committed to rewriting and resubmitting the proposal to obtain funding for the student exchange opportunities. Objective 5: Complete formal academic agreements between institutions. A first draft of the Logistics Proposal for the University of Pittsburgh with attached brochures and documents was completed and is in its final post-COVID-19 revision and edition by the UPR-RP for submission to the University of Pittsburgh AOR as a pre-requisite to consideration of the MOU and Bilateral Agreement, which are also being drafted. The UPR-RP has regained full accreditation by Middle States Commission on Higher Education, and the undergraduate program of the Nutrition and Dietetics Program at UPR-RP has regained full professional accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics, allowing us to submit our master's program with supervised practice, which has been through several phases of approval. A commitment remains between UPR-RP and U Pitt to pursue the completion of the formal agreements to benefit underserved minority and underprivileged students, faculty, and the public who will be served by highly competent, culturally sensitive dietitians in the work force.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Dr Michelle Schelske Santos Nutri-V�as: Creating Pathways for Diversified Nutrition Education. (2019, August 28). Scientia. doi: 10.33548/SCIENTIA403
|
Progress 05/15/19 to 05/14/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience has been refined to collaborators from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, in addition to Academic and Assistant Deans and Legal Services at UPR-RP to assist in the development of the student exchange program for Nutri-Práctica as well as technological (and creative) personnel for establishing the open source case study bank (Nutri-Banco) and the sharing of online educational modules and courses (Nutri-Módulos). Changes/Problems:The UPR Río Piedras Campus Middle States Commission on Higher Education full accreditation status was reaffirmed on June 27, 2019, with the next mid-point peer review scheduled for 2021 (https://www.msche.org/institution/0606/). The Nutrition and Dietetics Program's Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) received a letter from the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) indicating that the results of the February 2019 site visit would be delivered during the summer of 2020 instead of January 2020. In order to encourage, support and promote best-practices for online learning, the UPR-RP has developed a new web-based unit that is ascribed to the Division of Continuing Education and Professional Studies (DECEP for its Spanish acronym), the Online Education Unit, which is accessible at https://enlinea.uprrp.edu/ . The Rio Piedras Campus of the University of Puerto Rico is the first Campus of the UPR system to receive authorization (Sept.-Oct. 2019) from theMiddle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) to offer an academic program (Master of Information Science) via distance education. As of May 14, 2020, there remains $3,663.36 (12%) in unobligated funds due to no international travel to the DR, and flight cancellations by North Carolina collaborators who chose to connect virtually instead of travel to PR for the consortium curriculum meeting due to the COVID-19 global health emergency declaration. Since the major travel needed to accomplish grant objectives was covered and the present status of the COVID-19 pandemic restricts or limits travel, a request is made to move these funds from the travel category to materials and personnel categories (student, faculty or service contract/invoice) that will support technological aspects of online learning, particularly the development of educational video animations to support Nutri-Módulos and Nutri-Banco case studies. This budget change request is well within the scope of the project and enriches its outcomes and impacts. Inclusion of animated learning objects for online science education modules helps keep students engaged and may help learners better retain and retrieve information, as well as reduce the time for learning (Lin & Atkinson, 2011). Depending on the source of video animation generation (student, faculty, freelance, or small studio), it is estimated that the unobligated funds should be able to generate 6 or more 2-minute educational video animations ($3,450.00, $575.00 or less per 2-minute animation; (F-learning Studio, 2018)), and cover the cost of 4 computer headsets with microphone booms for professors ($200.00, $50. each) in support of Nutri-Vias online higher education in Nutrition and Dietetics. F-Learning Studio. (2018, March 14). How much does an educational animation cost per minute: $30, $150 or $3,000? Retrieved from https://www.flearningstudio.com/educational-2d-animation-cost-per-minute/ Lin, L. & Atkinson, R. K. (2011). Using animations and visual cueing to support learning of scientific concepts and processes. Computers & Education, 56(3), 650-658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2010.10.007 What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The afternoon of Friday, February 7th, 2020, collaborators of the Nutri-Vias Educational Consortium Committee partnered with the PR Chapter of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in providing four conferences for three hours of continuing education credit for PR dietitians at the UPR-Central Administration Botanical Gardens Campus in San Juan, PR; this symposium served approximately 30 dietetics professionals and 20 students. I. 1:30 - 2:30 pm: GRE and Graduate Applications: Implications and Next Steps [via Zoom]; Amanda S. Holliday MS, RD, LDN and Beth Jenks, MS, RD, LDN; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill II. 2:30 - 3:00 pm: Competency Based Education (CBE) In Dietetics Future Education Model (FEM) Professional Programs. "Insights from the University of Pittsburgh;" Deborah A. Hutcheson, DCN, RDN, LDN; University of Pittsburgh III. 3:00 - 3:30 pm: Breastfeeding Focus Group Research and Strategies on Ways to Incorporate into the Profession; Trisha A. Cousins, MS, RDN, LDN; University of Pittsburgh IV. 3:30 - 4:00 pm: Dietary, Nutritional and Cultural Factors in Cancer Prevention: The Example of Onions, Garlic and Sofrito and Breast Cancer in Puerto Rico; Michelle Schelske Santos, PhD; University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras V. 4:00 - 4:30 pm: Question & Answer (Q & A) Panel How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Dr. Schelske Santos was contacted by the United Kingdom editorial staff of Scientia to highlight the Nutri-Vias Educational Consortium project in their August edition on food, agriculture, and natural resources. The Scientia publications are an attractive descriptive of research and creative projects that purpose to connect researchers with the larger public-society and stakeholders, help researchers broaden the dissemination of their work and their sponsoring agencies. It is an open-source digital publication, as well as hard copy 4-page brochure-type article; the intellectual property rights and copyrights belong to the investigator-institution and may be posted on web-sites and distributed as seen fit. The article was shared with students, faculty, deans as well as the Vice President of Investigation at the UPR Central Administration, and collaborators from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. The editorial staff at Scientia began a Twitter campaign and it is included on the PDs Linked-In account. The publication will continue to be used as a marketing tool as the project progresses. To link to this article, HTML: https://www.scientia.global/dr-michelle-schelske-santos-nutri-vias-creating-pathways-for-diversified-nutrition-education/ PDF: https://www.scientia.global/wp-content/uploads/Michelle_Schelske-Santos/Michelle_Schelske_Santos.pdf DOI: https://doi.org/10.33548/SCIENTIA403 The Nutri-Vias project is also being disseminated on the College of Natural Sciences' Nutrition and Dietetics Program webpage, where an abstract and link to the Scientia article can be found: http://natsci.uprrp.edu/nutricion/projects-and-research-groups/ What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In support of distance education capacity-building, all 8 UPR-RP Nutrition and Dietetics Program permanent and tenure-track faculty, in addition to 1 adjunct part-time faculty have completed an institutional certification program for teaching distance education. The UPR-RP has also added an online modality definition (100% virtual format) to the former definitions of in class (over 75 percent in class), hybrid (over 25 percent, yet under 75 percent virtual) or distance education format (over 75 percent virtual). To Do, Objective 5: Complete the Memorandum of Understanding and the Bilateral Agreement between the UPR-RP and University of Pittsburgh with signatures from both AORs. To Do, Budget: Utilize unused travel funds (due to COVID-19) for materials and personnel categories to support technological aspects of online learning, particularly the development of educational video animations to support Nutri-Módulos and Nutri-Banco case studies. Inclusion of animated learning objects for online science education modules helps keep students engaged and may help learners better retain and retrieve information, as well as reduce the time for learning (Lin & Atkinson, 2011). Lin, L. & Atkinson, R. K. (2011). Using animations and visual cueing to support learning of scientific concepts and processes. Computers & Education, 56(3), 650-658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2010.10.007 Projected Timetable for Completion of the Nutri-Vias Project July 2020: Purchase 4 computer headsets with microphone boom for professors of online education August 2020: Complete drafts of academic MOU and Bilateral Agreement with U Pitt September 2020: Identify potential animators for educational video clips October 2020: Complete and record six video narration scripts for animator(s) November 2020: Contract animator(s) December 2020: Complete official academic MOU and Bilateral Agreement with U Pitt January 2021: Receive animation proofs and give input on design finalization March 2021: Receive finalized educational video animations May 14, 2021: Complete final report and close grant
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Over 65% of adult US Americans, including Puerto Ricans, suffer from overweight or obesity. Diet quality and nutrition-related factors play an important role in weight management, and prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. Budgetary constraints and human resource limitations at our educational institutions highlight the need for collaborative efforts. This Nutri-Vias Planning Grant has firmly set the foundation for diversified learning experiences in Nutrition and Dietetics through the collaborative commitment to elaborate a bank of specialized multicultural case studies (Nutri-Banco) that support team-taught online learning experiences (Nutri-Módulos) and experiential supervised practice opportunities (Nutri-Práctica) of cultural immersion for underserved minority students and students who normally could not afford to travel as part of their education. The University of Pittsburgh's Dietitian Nutritionist Program with dedicated, renown professional nutrition faculty has committed participation in Nutri-Vias. The University of Pittsburgh is a highly acclaimed state-related research university founded in 1787, making it one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the US. Their partnership with the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras, a Hispanic-Serving Institution that is the oldest and largest institution of higher learning in the Caribbean, affirms the Nutri-Vias Educational Consortium. Widespread dissemination of the Nutri-Vias project to stakeholders is occurring through sharing the publication of an attractive project feature article in Scientia. The Nutri-Vías Curriculum and Supervised Practice Committee Meeting was held in PR on February 6-7, 2020 and the Nutri-Vias Collaborative Type 1 Consortium Grant was submitted to USDA NIFA HEC Grant Program on April 2, 2020 to be able to support students with stipends and operationalize all the plans accomplished here in this planning grant. Our goal is to share our best with others to maximize resources, outcomes, and impacts of training future dietitians-nutritionists within diverse cultural contexts so they can enter the workforce with confidence to address complex nutrition-related health issues and health disparities. Objective 1: Network at the PR, US and international levels in academia as well as at professional and scientific meetings. In the end, personnel from the Medical Sciences Campus made the decision not to enter into a collaborative agreement with the Rio Piedras Campus for an integrative nutrition program, and instead, work among themselves. Therefore, networking efforts were concentrated on collaborators from the US through video meeting platforms and telephone conversations. Video conferences were held every 1-2 months to delineate and elaborate the best ways in which our different programs could converge in the consortium. The feasibility assessment of recruiting a collaborator in the Dominican Republic (DR) was completed; the decision was made to abstain from including venues in the DR as possible practicum rotations based on the inability to guarantee student security due to an upsurge in tourist related violent crimes. The possibility of including humanitarian aid projects within Puerto Rico, however, remains a viable option, particularly after the multiple natural disasters faced by the island population. Objective 2: Complete recruitment of faculty to formerly establish the Nutri-Vías Curriculum and Supervised Practice Committee. Recruitment of the four members the Nutri-Vías Curriculum and Supervised Practice Committee was completed with two faculty from each of two different US higher education institutions with Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics accredited Coordinated Masters Programs: Dr. Deborah Hutcheson and Professor Trisha Cousins from the University of Pittsburgh, and Professor Amanda Holliday and Professor Elizabeth Jenks from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Both institutions are registered as demo programs for the competency-based Graduate Future Education Model of the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Objective 3: Host the Nutri-Vías Curriculum and Supervised Practice Committee Meeting in PR The multi-institutional Nutri-Vías Consortium Curriculum Meeting and Symposium was hosted at UPR-RP on February 6-7, 2020 (Day 1, 8:30 am - 6:00 pm; Day 2, 8:30 - 11:30 am). Invited collaborators from the University of Pittsburgh arrived in Puerto Rico on February 5th. Invited collaborators from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill made the decision to connect remotely via Zoom due to the declaration of the COVID-19 outbreak as a global health emergency by the WHO. Dean Irizarry from the UPR-RP Office of International Relations was also integrated and helped provide models for student exchange between the UPR-RP and each institution for experiential practice and research opportunities (Nutri-Práctica). The dean also provided models for the two general MOUs and Bilateral Agreements. Progress was made on the consortium grant proposal. Summary of agreements: Project overview - use the student exchange model where students pay tuition at their home institution, work with existing institutional student exchange and study abroad programs, exchange models of MOUs and bilateral agreements; Nutri-Banco - require identification as professor or professional and ask for an upload in exchange for a download, focus on specialized multicultural case studies to support the consortium courses; Nutri-Práctica - use community outreach centers and projects, urban and rural farmers' markets, develop a common community research protocol that could be replicated at all geographic locations; Nutri-Módulos - team-teach online core course (Life Cycle Nutrition) and specialized electives (Global Nutrition); teach individual online electives (Nutrigenomics and Advanced Metabolism; Pediatric and Maternal Nutrition); develop technological sharing mechanism. Objective 4: Submit a Joint Project or Large-scale Comprehensive Initiative Project Proposal On April 2, 2020, we submitted the USDA NIFA HEC Consortium Type 1 Grant, Proposal No. 2020-03263, Nutri-Vías: Consortium for Diversified Learning in Nutrition and Dietetics, 3-years, $300,000, (Dr. Michelle Schelske Santos, Project Director; Dr. Nancy Correa Matos, UPR-RP Co-PD) with a $150,000 sub-award to the University of Pittsburgh (Dr. Deborah Hutcheson, U Pitt Co-PD, Prof. Trisha Cousins, U Pitt Project Coordinator). Since UNC-Chapel Hill faculty were not able to identify a viable student exchange mechanism at their university to fit the consortium model, they withdrew from the new grant submission process. Objective 5: Complete formal academic agreements between institutions A twenty-six page Logistics Proposal for the University of Pittsburgh with several attached brochures and documents is in its final revision and edition by the UPR-RP for submission to the University of Pittsburgh AOR as a pre-requisite to consideration of the MOU and Bilateral Agreement, which are also being drafted. Formal signing of the agreements is expected by the AORs of U Pitt and the UPR-RP by December 2020.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Dr Michelle Schelske Santos Nutri-V�as: Creating Pathways for Diversified Nutrition Education. (2019, August 28). Scientia. doi: 10.33548/SCIENTIA403
|
Progress 05/15/18 to 05/14/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The main target audience for this period was a variety of academic and internship Directors and academic Deans from the Medical Sciences Campus of the UPR, as well as the Río Piedras Campus. Changes/Problems:The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) accreditation status report for the UPR Río Piedras Campus is scheduled to be released in the summer of 2019, after great institutional strides for compliance and submission of all required financial and progress reports. Our Nutrition and Dietetics Program's Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) submitted its Self-Study for Re-Accreditation on November 12, 2018 and received the site visit from representatives of the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) on February 3-5, 2019. The exit interview was positive indicating that the Program had accomplished much after Hurricane Maria. Observations were addressed and incorporated into the continuing improvement and pass rate improvement plans. Results of the site visit are scheduled for release in January 2020. The moratorium on the development of new degree programs has been lifted at UPR, and the new norms and procedures were distributed, effective for March 2019 (Certification 64 - JG - 2018-2019; available at https://academicos.uprrp.edu/normativa-academica/programas/ ). Our Nutrition and Dietetics Program is proceeding with the development of a Coordinated Masters of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics, which will allow us the liberty of administering our own students' supervised practice curriculum and of including the diversity of experiences planned through our Nutri-Vías Educational Consortium. In addition, two graduate nutrition certificate programs are in parallel development to have a potentially more rapid mechanism of approving and teaching graduate nutrition courses at the institution. In a meeting on March 26th, 2019, with the Dean of Academic Affairs of the UPR-RP and Dean of the College of Natural Sciences, the possibility of the Nutrition and Dietetics Program developing two 12-credit (4, 3-credit course) online Graduate Certificates toward a Graduate degree (offered through the Continuing Education and Professional Studies Division or DECEP) was seen as a positive strategy toward the development of a self-sustaining graduate program for Río Piedras Nutrition and Dietetics. Development of these eight online courses for two graduate certificates would receive solid institutional approval and could be integrated into the Nutri-Módulos curricular consortium. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Progress Notes: In support of distance education capacity-building, five UPR-RP Nutrition and Dietetics faculty have completed the 42-hour Certification Program for Construction of Virtual Environments for Learning offered by the Center for Academic Excellence of the Río Piedras campus, and two other professors either have distance education experience or are completing the Certification Program in compliance with campus policies for distance education. The institution has also modified the Student Information System to include whether a course will be offered in class (over 75 percent in class), in hybrid format (over 25 percent, yet under 75 percent virtual) or in distance education format (over 75 percent virtual), so students are informed of the teaching modality at the time of course registration. Projected Timetable to Complete the Remaining Portions of the Nutri-Vias Project July, 2019: Complete recruitment of two Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics faculty and two human nutrition scientists-research faculty, or renowned health care professionals and formerly establish the Nutri-Vías Curriculum and Supervised Practice Committee / Educational Consortium October, 2019: PD complete feasibility assessment of including the Dominican Republic (DR) in the project, including any initial travel to DR to meet with university or non-profit personnel for of collaboration of UPR Nutrition and Dietetics Program (student development of Leadership or Humanitarian Aid Projects and possible practicum rotation). December, 2019: Draft preliminary formal academic agreements; Follow up on ACEND accreditation requirements of new curricular agreements February, 2020: Host the face-to-face Nutri-Vías Curriculum and Supervised Practice Committee Meeting in PR April, 2020: Complete formal academic agreements (memoranda of understanding, articulations, etc.) May, 2020: Submit Collaborative Proposal to USDA HEC Grants Program May, 2020: Nutri-Vías Planning Grant closure
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Although moving at a slower pace than originally planned due to circumstances beyond our control, recruitment of institutions to form the Nutri-Vias Educational Consortium for diversified learning in Nutrition and Dietetics is making progress. One highly acclaimed Nutrition and Dietetics Program with renown nutrition scientists has committed to participation in Nutri-Vias: University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Their graduate nutrition program is located at one of the oldest public universities in the United States in the Gillings School of Global Public Health. Their partnership with the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras, a Hispanic-Serving Institution that is the oldest and largest institution of higher learning in the Caribbean, begins the Nutri-Vias Educational Consortium. This Consortium will increase student exposure to a diversity of cultural experiences through a bank of specialized multicultural case studies (Nutri-Banco) that support team-taught online learning experiences (Nutri-Módulos) and experiential supervised practice opportunities (Nutri-Práctica) of cultural immersion for underserved minority students and students who normally could not afford to travel as part of their education. These unique opportunities have the potential to positively impact students' and faculty's understanding and attitudes for cultural awareness and health disparities, in addition to students' level of knowledge, skills and competencies in core and specialty courses as they increase their exposure to new areas of critical thinking in new cultural contexts. Nutri-Vias has the potential to serve as an educational model for enhanced learning and for long-term community impact by equipping highly qualified nutrition professionals for the workforce. Objective 1: In an effort to strengthen the UPR alliance and maximize use of institutional resources, the Nutrition and Dietetics Program has been holding monthly or bimonthly meetings with faculty and deans at the Río Piedras and Medical Sciences campuses to articulate the Bachelor degree in Nutrition and Dietetics with the Master of Health Sciences in Nutrition and the Dietetic Internship. These meetings have covered a period of over two years. The Memorandum of Understanding between the two campuses originally drafted was placed on hold by the Dean of the School of Health Professions pending curriculum revision by all three parts. Initial internal curriculum revision has been occurring at individual units: the Río Piedras campus's Nutrition and Dietetics Program at the College of Natural Sciences, the Medical Sciences' Master of Health Sciences in Nutrition at the Graduate School of Public Health, and the Medical Sciences' Dietetic Internship at the School of Health Professions. Curricular changes have been discussed at the Nutrition and Dietetics Program Curriculum Committee to reduce the number of credits to more closely approximate the minimum requirement of 120 credits, with modifications in courses towards competency-based education. Internal curriculum revision of the Master of Health Sciences in Nutrition has occurred to reduce the number of credits and time to completion from two years to one year with summer, including the revision of content of at least two courses to cover specific Knowledge Requirements for Dietitians-Nutritionists targeted to increase the credentialing exam pass rate. Directors of the Master program and Dietetic Internship on the Medical Sciences campus have been working together to better integrate the didactic graduate coursework with practicum experiences for increased knowledge retention and reduced time to degree and supervised practice completion. During the last meeting with Academic Deans from all three units on March 27th, 2019, the Graduate School of Public Health was asked to hold an internal meeting to formalize their decision for the curricular direction for the Master of Health Sciences in Nutrition. This will help direct the final version of the Memorandum of Understanding between the two campuses. Objective 2: The combined challenges of the fiscal, regional (MSCHE) and professional (ACEND) accreditation status scenarios coupled with recovery from natural disasters have produced an even bigger challenge for innovation and creativity on the part of the Nutri-Vías grant to gain the trust and committed collaboration of partnering institutions, particularly outside of Puerto Rico. Nonetheless, communication was continued with interested US institutions through virtual video meeting platforms such as Skype and through telephone conversations; one university desisted due to time commitments. Collaborative institutions were narrowed down to those with the greatest interest and with the best fit for the Nutri-Vias project. In May 2019, the PD attended the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) 2019 Research Conference, Diet, Obesity, Physical Activity and Cancer: Beyond the Blueprint, at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, through a stipend provided by the UPR-RP College of Natural Sciences' Dean's Office. On May 15th, she met with two Chapel Hill Nutrition and Dietetics faculty in person about the Nutri-Vias educational consortium and received their enthusiastic verbal commitment to the consortium and to the submission of the multi-institutional grant. Objective 3: While in North Carolina in a meeting with Chapel Hill Nutrition and Dietetics faculty, we consulted schedules and separated February 6-7, 2020 as the tentative date for the Nutri-Vías Curriculum and Supervised Practice Committee Meeting in Puerto Rico. Objective 4: The multi-institutional grant proposal continued to be discussed and planned with a submission goal of FY2020. Objective 5: The formal agreements between institutions are to be addressed forthcoming.
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Progress 05/15/17 to 05/14/18
Outputs
Target Audience:Directors of Coordinated Master Degree Programs in Nutrition and Dietetics (Master curricula + supervised practice) were identified through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics web portal, www.eatrightpro.org , and contacted by e-mail about potential participation in the Nutri-Vías Curriculum and Supervised Practice Committee. A total of seven Directors or Assistants from six higher education institutions in the continental US expressed interest. Networking with nutrition science researchers and faculty from potential collaborating institutions occurred at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' 2017 Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo, held in Chicago, IL, October 21-24th (supported by this grant), as well as in Boston, MA, at the American Society for Nutrition's Annual Convention June 9-12, 2018 (supported by other funds). The Nutri-Vías project was also presented to local PR representatives from existing Dietetic Internships and Master's Program of Health Sciences in Nutrition at the UPR Medical Sciences Campus. Investigation of existing academic agreements between UPR-Río Piedras and institutions of higher education in the Dominican Republic was initiated to begin identification of potential faculty contacts. Changes/Problems:The original project timeline was shifted forward according to the grant award date, and due to external factors described below. The new timeline is pending ratification by the interested US university representatives, as it requires their travel to Puerto Rico for the Nutri-Vías Curriculum and Supervised Practice Committee Meeting for the signing of formal agreements, the elaboration of plans for the components of the diversified graduate curricula, the finalization of details of the Collaborative 2-type Project Proposal to be submitted to the USDA Higher Education Challenge Grants Program, and educational presentations. Noteworthy delays in project progress have occurred due to the damaging effects of Hurricanes Irma and Maria on Puerto Rico's infrastructure, particularly due to the loss (and instability) of electricity and communications (Internet and phone services) for multiple months. Close to a year later, much administrative focus continues on the restoration of damaged homes, schools, businesses, and other facilities, follow-up on insurance claims, as well as FEMA and additional forms of aid. The hardships have resulted in emigration of families to the mainland US, including students, support personnel and faculty. The financial situation of the University of Puerto Rico is directly related to the economic stability of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico that is under an economic recession and controlled by the Puerto Rico Oversight Board created by the U.S. Congress in 2016, under the Puerto Rico Oversight and Management Stability Act (PROMESA). On April 20, 2018, the fiscal plan for the University of Puerto Rico was approved. It includes a restructuring of the institution by consolidating 11 campuses to 5 conglomerates that is expected to result in million-dollar reductions by sharing of personnel and increasing effectiveness in the operation. In addition, there is an increase in tuition and a revitalized focus on new sources of funding independent of local government assignments. The university's financial challenges and restructuring plans produce changes in (or movement of) personnel, including the President of the UPR system, Campus Chancellors and Deans, College Deans, Department Directors and administrative support personnel. This can result in delays in day-to-day operational procedures until the new structure and new protocols are established. A letter of change in AOR for the project will be formally submitted to the National Program Leader's Office. Some changes affecting the university's academic policies and procedures were put in place during the first year of this Nutri-Vías project: the UPR administration placed a moratorium on the development of new degree programs (and new courses not included in previously approved required degree curricula), which directly affected the advancement of our planned Coordinated Masters of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics (graduate academic sequence coordinated with supervised practice hours). The development of our own program would place the coordination of supervised practice hours of our students under our direct administration. Without this capability of direct administration of student academic activities, we began to focus on the task of working with existing Dietetic Internship Directors on the island about the possibilities of coordinating some of their students' supervised practice experiences with external universities, as detailed in the Nutri-Vías project overview. This has been particularly challenging, and understandably so, being that it would require flexibility and/or change in the established curricula of others through the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During the first year, the grant supported travel of the Project Director to the professional meeting of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: the 2017 Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo in Chicago, IL, October 21-24th. She gained 15 hours of continuing education-professional development in scientific aspects of nutrition, nutrition and public health, leadership strategies, new ACEND accreditation standards, and was able to network with university representatives and nutrition professionals, gaining insights to best practices for the continued development of the graduate program with coordinated supervised practice. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Response to Problems: Within the same scope and original framework of the project, we are currently exploring ways to directly impact our graduates in the summer months before they enter a Dietetic Internship, through research, shadowing, simulation and other Nutri-Vías activities that could be positive transitioning experiences from the Didactic Program in Dietetics to the supervised practice of the Dietetic Internship or entry to a graduate studies program; these activities would have the potential to count towards a maximum of 300 hours of alternate activities allowed by ACEND under the total required hours of supervised practice. We are also seeking an exception to the moratorium on the development of new degree programs in order to proceed with our planned Coordinated Masters of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics, which would allow us the liberty of administering our own students' supervised practice curriculum and of including the diversity of experiences planned through our Nutri-Vías Educational Consortium. We will also identify and hire the undergraduate student assistant. To Do, Objective 1: Determine the feasibility of including the Dominican Republic in the project at the international level through an existing university agreement with the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra or through an aid agency within the next month. To Do, Objective 2: Confirm commitment of all members (nutrition faculty and scientists from US universities, UPR campuses, DR institution or agency) of the Nutri-Vías Curriculum and Supervised Practice Committee and Educational Consortium; confirm project timeline, determine contributions of each member to the planning grant and the new collaborative grant. To Do, Objective 3: Host the Nutri-Vías Curriculum and Supervised Practice Committee Meeting in PR with 4-5 faculty guests, and local PR representatives. To Do, Objective 4: Submit a Collaborative Type-2 Project Proposal to the USDA NIFA Higher Education Challenge Grants Program according to the 2019 application dates. To Do, Objective 5: Complete formal academic agreements between all institutions (memoranda of understanding, articulations, etc.) by the planning grant closure.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This planning grant is fostering interaction between academic institutions in Puerto Rico (PR), the United States (US), and potentially the Dominican Republic (DR), in preparation to expose Nutrition and Dietetics students to a variety of graduate level, multicultural learning experiences. Each educational institution who commits to taking part in the Nutri-Vías Curriculum and Supervised Practice Committee will be creating opportunities for students to participate in a variety of learning experiences that would not be possible at their institution alone. Pooling and sharing our best educational resources to equip highly-qualified, culturally-sensitive nutrition professionals for the workforce is our goal. Highly-qualified nutrition and dietetic professionals are of utmost importance for a society that is increasingly obese and suffering from sickness and death due to chronic diseases that may be prevented or treated to some degree by healthful diets and nutrition intervention. A healthier population is a happier, more productive population that requires substantially lower budgetary inversion in health care. Hispanics and Latinos make up 18% of the US population, yet many Nutrition and Dietetics students from the US have not had real-life cultural immersion experiences with Hispanics. On the other hand, many underserved Hispanic students from the island of Puerto Rico have not had the opportunity for different cultural immersion experiences in the continental US. Fostering an ethic of compassion and service to the underprivileged through nutrition education in regions of socioeconomic disadvantage or in times of emergency capacitates students with enhanced life skills and the ability to think beyond themselves, while weaving cultural understanding into the fabric of their profession. This project has the potential to serve as an educational model for other institutions to follow, while helping elucidate health disparities among Hispanics and Latinos. In order to enrich the graduate Nutrition and Dietetics curricula with innovative and collaborative knowledge, skills and attitudes, the Nutri-Vías project proposes the creation and sharing of Nutri-Banco, an open-source bank of nutrition case studies; Nutri-Módulos, distance education modules for diversified learning; and Nutri-Práctica, supervised practice and research rotations in PR, US, and DR through the establishment of an Educational Consortium. Objective 1: Network at the Puerto Rico, United States and international levels in academia as well as at professional and scientific meetings in order to identify best practices and explore collaborative interest in the elaboration of Nutrition and Dietetics curricula and supervised practice opportunities Networking at the Puerto Rico level to explore collaborative interest in the Nutri-Vías project has been accomplished through both formal and informal meetings with Dietetic Internship Directors, Deans of Academic Affairs from two UPR campuses (Río Piedras and Medical Sciences), Department Chairs and Director of the Medical Sciences Campus Graduate School of Public Health's Master of Health Sciences in Nutrition program. Networking at the United States level in academia to explore collaborative interest in and best practices for the Nutri-Vías project has been accomplished through Skype sessions, teleconferences, digital file sharing and attendance to professional meetings: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' 2017 Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo in Chicago, IL, October 21-24th, as well as the American Society for Nutrition's Annual Convention, Nutrition 2018, June 9-12th, in Boston, MA. Objective 2: Complete recruitment of two Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics faculty and two human nutrition scientists-research faculty, or renowned health care professionals, to formerly establish the Nutri-Vías Curriculum and Supervised Practice Committee Progress has occurred toward the formation of the Nutri-Vías Curriculum and Supervised Practice Committee. Recruitment of faculty from two different US higher education institutions with Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics accredited Coordinated Masters Programs is pending final commitment (University of Pittsburg, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill). Recruitment of the two human nutrition scientists-research faculty, or renowned health care professionals to form part of the Committee is in progress. Objective 3: Host the Nutri-Vías Curriculum and Supervised Practice Committee Meeting in PR with 4-5 faculty guests, and local PR representatives from existing Dietetic Internships and two UPR campuses with existing graduate degrees in Public Health Nutrition (Medical Sciences) and Food Science and Technology (Mayagüez), UPR Rio Piedras faculty and UPR Deans of Academic Affairs, to elaborate plans for the supervised practice (Nutri-Práctica), case study bank (Nutri-Banco), and distance education course (Nutri-Módulos) components of the diversified graduate curricula Within the revised timeline, new dates have been proposed to interested faculty from the two US higher education institutions for celebrating the Nutri-Vías Curriculum and Supervised Practice Committee Meeting in Puerto Rico, and are pending confirmation. Objective 4: Submit a Joint Project or Large-scale Comprehensive Initiative Project Proposal to the USDA Higher Education Challenge Grants Program Once established, the Nutri-Vías Curriculum and Supervised Practice Committee will be charged with completing plans, budget distribution and documentation for submittal of a Collaborative Type-2 Project Proposal to the USDA NIFA Higher Education Challenge Grants Program in 2019, in order to compete for funding to implement the Nutri-Vías project and positively affect graduate level Nutrition and Dietetics students. Objective 5: Complete formal academic agreements between institutions (memoranda of understanding, articulations, etc.) Academic agreements will be formalized between UPR, Río Piedras, and all other participating institutions by the end of the planning grant period.
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