2023-2024 University Catalog 
    
    Oct 08, 2024  
2023-2024 University Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

General Information


Address

Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU) is located at 16200 Amber Valley Drive, Whittier, California 90604.

Faculty, Administration, and Board

The University publishes the names and qualifications of its regents, administration, and faculty on its website.

Mission, Vision, and Values

Mission

Our mission is to educate students as competent, caring, and successful integrative healthcare practitioners and professionals. The University is committed to providing an academic community imbued with kindness, integrity, humor, and determination.

Vision

To transform and redefine health and healthcare education.

Values

Integrative Health: We teach, learn, collaborate, and lead by creating an open environment for multiple disciplines and professionals to bring their shared and unique skills together for the benefit of patients and students.

Evidence-based Practice: We value a culture of inquiry, assessment, research, scholarship, and judicious use of current best evidence to inform our decisions and work.

Health Equity1: We value people’s health equally. We want all individuals and communities to have a fair and just opportunity to be healthy.

Inclusivity: We welcome and celebrate the breadth of human diversity including, but not limited to, age, race, ethnicity, culture, socioeconomic status, spiritual and religious belief, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, and geographic background. Inclusivity broadens perspective in our reasoning and leads to better representativeness in our conclusions, more ingenuity in our problem solving, and greater equity in our care.

1“Health equity means reducing and ultimately eliminating disparities in health and its determinants that adversely affect excluded or marginalized groups” (RWJF)

University Learning Outcomes (prior to 9/1/23)

Professional Therapies: The graduate will perform professional therapeutic skills in a competent and caring manner.

Critical Thinking: The graduate will analyze and integrate information gathered from patient/client interactions and apply it to professional healthcare practice.

Evidence-based Knowledge: The graduate will utilize foundational health science knowledge, and critically appraise and apply relevant scientific literature in professional healthcare practice.

Outcomes-focused Practice: The graduate will successfully develop and implement a healthcare management plan utilizing appropriate professional methodologies and quality care to achieve best patient/client outcomes.

Communication: The graduate will effectively engage with patients/clients, colleagues, and the public using appropriate professional verbal, non-verbal, and written communication.

Professionalism: The graduate will demonstrate leadership, integrity, respect, and self-reflection while employing ethical and legal standards in professional and community interactions.

Integrative Healthcare: The graduate will serve as an effective member of a healthcare team, collaborating with other professionals to improve community health and patient outcomes for the health of individuals and the community.

University Learning Outcomes (effective 9/1/23)

SCU and all academic programs are in process of transitioning to new University Learning Outcomes. (updated 9/22/23)

All Programs

Critical Thinking: The graduate will analyze and integrate information and apply it as appropriate to their field of study.

Evidence-informed Knowledge: The graduate will utilize health science knowledge and critically appraise and apply scholarly literature as appropriate to their field of study.

Communication: The graduate will effectively engage using appropriate professional verbal, non-verbal, and written communication.

Professionalism: The graduate will demonstrate leadership, integrity, respect, and self-reflection while employing ethical and legal standards in professional and community interactions.

Integrative Healthcare: The graduate will apply their training in complex, interdisciplinary contexts to improve community health and patient outcomes.

Clinical Programs Only

Professional Therapies: The graduate will perform professional therapeutic skills in a competent and caring manner.

Outcomes-focused Practice: The graduate will successfully develop and implement a health care management plan utilizing appropriate professional methodologies and quality care to achieve best patient/client outcomes.

The SCU Model of Interprofessional Education

The SCU Model of Interprofessional Education incorporates curriculum, clinical care pathways, co-curricular opportunities, and professional symposia focused on integrative health. The University fosters an environment in which students from across the University can learn, study, work, socialize, and in many cases, treat patients together regardless of their chosen field of study. We strive to prepare our graduates to function as a member of an interprofessional team and to excel in collaborative practice. The extent to which students participate in interprofessional education varies by program of study and degree level.

Policy on University Catalog and Right to Change

The University Catalog is the authorizing document for University requirements, policies, and procedures related to students including but not limited to the requirements associated with their program of study. Academic and business units may issue additional or more detailed information consistent with or more stringent than the policies and procedures published in the University Catalog.

Students must meet the degree requirements outlined in the University Catalog in effect at the time of matriculation, unless changes are necessitated by regulatory requirements, accreditation guidelines and standards, or licensure requirements and standards.

The University reserves the right to change the requirements, policies, and procedures contained within the University Catalog at any time without notice. Changes may be necessitated by regulatory requirements; accreditation guidelines, standards, and requirements; licensure requirements and standards, public health or other emergencies or directives, administrative need, academic standards, and/or financial considerations. Changes may include curriculum, academic policies, administrative policies, financial policies, and other requirements. The University will make reasonable effort to inform students in advance of changes. Additionally, consistent with the “Right to Change,” the University reserves the right to make rare exceptions to policy where University interests, common sense, unforeseen circumstances, and/or support of students make such exceptions reasonable and prudent. In such circumstances, the Provost or designee will provide in writing the nature of the exception and rationale (including supporting documentation where appropriate), with a record of the exception kept in the student’s file, Provost’s Office, or other location appropriate to the nature of the exception.

The University Catalog is maintained in the Office of the Registrar and approved by the President’s Cabinet. It is published annually. Addenda are published as needed to clarify, update, alter, or otherwise change the requirements, policies, and procedures contained within it.  The catalog is effective September 5, 2023. (Updated 9/22/2023)