Academic Health Sciences Project

The Council of Health Science Deans will soon have a new chair. Starting July 1, Dean of the College of Medicine Dr. William Albritton will fill this role. Dr. Gerry Uswak, dean of the College of Dentistry will assume the role past-president and Dr. Lorna Butler, dean of the College of Nursing, will take on the position of vice-chair.

In January of this year, University Provost and VP Academics approved the White Paper on Health Sciences Governance submitted by the Health Science Deans Committee. The report outlines the new organizational model for Academic Health Sciences along with goals and objectives that the council members will oversee in the upcoming years. Of most importance is the formation of the Council of Health Science Deans (CHSD) replacing the Health Science Deans’ Committee. Membership includes the Provost and VP Academics and the six deans from the health sciences colleges.

The new governance model will support the priorities of the university’s second integrated plan by improving student experience, enhancing the profile in research, scholarly and artistic work, and openly working together across unit and institutional boundaries.

Over the next integrated planning cycle, the council will direct health sciences in:
• Interdisciplinary teaching and learning
• Interprofessional Health Research and Innovation
• Co-Managed Common Health Sciences Resources
In addition, the council will strive to be effective, efficient and inclusive and move forward the vision and mission of health sciences. They will set strategic direction and policy with respect to interprofessional curricula, research and service and achieve the priority outcomes of the Academic Health Sciences project. Health disciplines face different challenges and have different stakeholders, and as such not all areas will be appropriate for collaboration. There is a need to preserve the identity of the disciplines and links to the respective professional bodies and professionals. There are distinct accreditation requirements to ensure that each health science program is of the highest quality. Colleges will maintain administrative autonomy of curricula and academic matters, control a significant portion of resources to deliver individual programs, provide continuing education beyond the degree and determine graduate programming and research focus.

For a copy of the White Paper on Health Sciences Governance, please contact Annette Horvath, Communications Specialist for the Academic Health Sciences project.