New strategic goals and priorities set for the Faculty
![Feature image](https://healthsci.mcmaster.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/cap_0008healthsciencessignage_jpg.jpg)
New strategic goals and priorities for the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) have been launched with approval of its Faculty Executive Council.
New strategic goals and priorities for the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) have been launched with approval of its Faculty Executive Council.
The goals and priorities were developed over the past 18 months with leadership from the dean and vice-president and the vice-deans, consultation with faculty and staff, and review by the council. They were most recently revised over the summer to reflect the Faculty’s responsiveness to the environment.
“This will be our way forward for the next five or so years, and it is important that we embrace these directions,” said Paul O’Byrne, dean and vice-president. “At the same time, the Faculty will also be fully engaged in the university’s Shape the Future development; that will be absolutely critical.”
McMaster President David Farrar began the Shape the Future initiative this week by opening a university-wide consultation process on how McMaster should develop over the next 30 years. These consultations will inform the development of a new vision and strategic plan for the university.
The new strategic goals for the Faculty include updating of the guiding statement of purpose and the vision.
The guiding statement of purpose is:
In health sciences education, research and clinical practice, we are here to question, learn, discover, communicate and lead.
The vision is:
We aspire to a culture of innovation, exploration and collaboration, where we lead by learning what was, challenging what is and optimistically embracing what could be.
The tenets are:
We value:
- Innovation and excellence
- Flexibility, nimbleness and entrepreneurship
- Diversity, inclusivity and equity
- Cultural competency and safety
- Professionalism, including accountability, integrity and respect
- Well-being and engagement of our people
- Interprofessional and transdisciplinary collaboration
- Commitment to local, national and international communities and partnerships
- Strategic decision making.
“The strategic goals and priorities have been expanded and refreshed to include specifics regarding the research mission and to embrace the Faculty’s commitments for building a more inclusive community,” said Susan Denburg, executive vice-dean and associate vice-president, academic, who oversaw the revisions to the plan.
“We have wanted this document to compellingly reflect the Faculty’s values, goals and priorities and ensure that it remains current and relevant, irrespective of challenges we face,” she said.
The five strategic goals for the Faculty include preserving and growing the university’s reputation for excellence and innovation in education; pursuing ground-breaking and impactful research consistent with McMaster’s commitment to advancing human an societal health and well-being; enabling a culture consistent with the Faculty’s tenets; advancing the Faculty’s influence and leadership profile locally and globally, and ensuring its fiscal and operational strength, stability and efficiency.
Regarding growing the reputation for excellence and innovation in education, the priorities are:
- Foster and insist on innovation and evidence-based approaches to education
- Ensure educational programs continually evolve and anticipate the future, and
creatively exploit new modes of delivery
- Promote excellence in Indigenous health education, ensuring inclusion of diverse Indigenous knowledge and world views, and addressing systemic barriers for Indigenous learners
- Take a leadership role in supporting McMaster’s commitment to address existing inequities and advancing human and societal health and well-being in our local and global community
- Develop strategies to attract international students and explore opportunities for international partnerships.
About pursuing impactful research consistent with the university’s commitment to advancing human and societal health and well-being, the priorities are:
- Grow and build on our internationally recognized research intensivity
- Cultivate global leadership in research that transcends boundaries
- Actively collaborate with Indigenous people, and promote research to improve health and well-being
- Train the researchers of tomorrow who will make impactful contributions to basic, translational, clinical and social research, transform research paradigms and support translation of scientific discoveries into the public realm
- Facilitate collaborative research and knowledge transfer between industry, government, clinical and community partners
- Enhance societal health and well-being through commercialization of health innovation.
To enable a culture consistent with the Faculty’s tenets, the priorities are:
- Optimize the Faculty’s inclusive, collaborative, and interprofessional character
- Foster an organization that is nimble, creative and responsive to emerging opportunities
- Create professional development opportunities to support the evolving needs of our faculty members
- Foster a vibrant, collaborative and safe environment for all students, staff and faculty by embracing and adapting the institution-wide EDI Strategy and Action Plan within the Faculty of Health Sciences
- Advance the work and concepts of truth, reconciliation and anti-colonization by implementing the Indigenous Health Initiative Strategic Plan priorities
- Build leadership capacity to strengthen our programs and enable strategic succession planning.
To advance the Faculty’s influence and leadership profile locally and globally, the priorities are:
- Lead in the development and evaluation of integrated healthcare delivery models and interprofessional education
- Enhance knowledge creation and translation capacity that promotes health equity and well-being for all
- Promote strategic alliances within the University, and with external partners and the broader global health community
- Pursue strategic engagement in government relations
- Lead and work with our clinical partners to advance health equity for Indigenous Peoples.
Regarding ensuring fiscal and operational strength, stability and efficiency, the priorities are:
- Maximize revenue opportunities that are consistent with our mission/vision
- Continually refine the allocation of the Faculty’s resources in alignment with an activity-based budgeting and management strategy
- Assess real and ongoing costs of present and new initiatives within the framework of environmental and climate impact on health and societal wellbeing
- Invest in technologies that optimize our core business
- Encourage and support responsible risk taking.
“This Faculty, through the excellence of our faculty members, staff and students, has consistently raised the standard for leadership in health sciences education, research and clinical care, and I know that having these goals and priorities set will enable us to have the direction to continue to strive for excellence in all that we do,” said O’Byrne.
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