Frequently Asked Questions

 

How do I nominate someone?

Simply email us! We need a name, contact information, and a short paragraph on your rationale. Send to phli@unc.edu. Thanks in advance!

What is the cost to attend?

Tuition for the program is free, paid for by CDC. Scholars will have to pay for their travel, room and board during the two on-site sessions, and a modest amount for books and articles. We estimate total room and board at $2500 for the year.

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What is the time commitment for on-sites?

Both on-site sessions last three days. Scholars are expected to arrive the night before and participate in three full days of activities. Chapel Hill on-site starts the evening of Tuesday May 13; the California on-site starts the evening of Sunday, October 19.

PHLI is a serious time commitment and will be a test of your ability to delegate. Scholars will be asked to keep cell phone and PDA use private during on-site sessions.

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My organization has a travel freeze/no training budget/cash flow issues. Can PHLI help?

We won’t exclude high-potential leaders from the program based on ability to pay. If you need help with financing, please go ahead and apply, then call or email us and we can work together on a financial solution.

If I attended a regional public health leadership institute, should I apply for PHLI?

Yes. We are actively recruiting high-potential graduates of regional programs to attend the national program.

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As an alumni scholar of PHLI, how can I access materials or get involved with the new PHLI?

Alumni can access materials and distance-learning sessions through PHLS, the Public Health Leadership Society. Go to the PHLS website to join the Society.

In addition, PHLI alums may want to get involved by sponsoring national priority projects for PHLI teams to address. Mentoring, though it is not currently a formal part of the program, is another avenue for alumni to get involved. Please call or email us (phli@unc.edu) for details.

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What is action learning?

Action learning is a process for professional development that uses real-world challenges (action) to drive individual and team development (learning). Adults learn by doing. Action learning helps drive learners to apply new skills and knowledge to real problems, in an environment that requires analysis and reflection, not just action. Ideally, action learning benefits the individual learner by providing space to develop new skills, and benefits organizations/systems by helping them address relevant issues.

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Do leadership programs work? What is the evidence base?

The short answer is yes, this program works. A team of UNC evaluators led by Karl Umble has just completed a major retrospective analysis of the first 16 years of PHLI, copies of which are available on our evaluation page. The report concludes that PHLI contributed to individual change, network development and systems impact.

Our team has published extensively on workforce development in public health and on training program outcomes specifically. Our staff pages include bibliography material.

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What are the technical requirements for the distance learning sessions?

At a minimum you will need a high-speed internet connection and a low-cost webcam. We expect that most or all of the web content will be accessible through a standard web browser (like Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari) without specialized software to download.

What is the purpose of the optional "learning partner"?

Learning partners are optional, but useful on two levels. Our first goal is to expand the network. We believe PHLI is a better program for all the scholars if the scholars represent a broad spectrum of organizations and perspectives. Meaningful system change in public health usually depends on broad coalitions.

Our second goal is to support system changes back home. Learning partners may help each other drive organizational and system changes in their own jurisdictions—after PHLI is over.

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