Search underway for new Associate Dean, Windsor Program

The process to select a new Associate Dean for the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry-Windsor Program is underway. The University of Western Ontario has engaged the services of Laverne Smith & Associates, a leading search firm that has worked extensively with universities across the country.

Consultation will be an integral portion of the hiring process. Faculty, staff, students, and stakeholders in the Windsor community have been invited by the consulting firm to complete a confidential survey. This input is seen as critical to the success of the search process.

As well, recommendations from the organizational review will be incorporated into the role description. The review was conducted by Murray Bryant of the Richard Ivey School of Business at The University of Western Ontario and Robert Renaud, retired VP of Chrysler Canada and past executive-in-residence of the Odette School of Business at the University of Windsor. The key message out of the review process was "this is one program, two campuses."

The review found students believe they have the best of two worlds and the authors noted both Western and the University of Windsor can be proud that the start-up of undergraduate medical education in Windsor has gone well. But the review found several areas for improvement, especially in communication.

"We are grateful for this thorough and thoughtful report. The reviewers have provided us with incisive analysis and recommendations to enable continued success for Schulich's Windsor Program," says Dean Carol Herbert. "An Implementation Task Force will be struck to oversee specific recommendations, and to address the communication issues identified. As well, effective immediately, we will adopt the recommended leadership model."

Under the recommended model, reporting paths have been clarified and position titles and duties have changed to better reflect these roles. The Associate Dean of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry -Windsor Program will no longer hold the additional title of Director of Medical Studies at the University of Windsor. Instead the Provost's Office at the University of Windsor will be the point of connection with Schulich for all actions that relate to that university.

"We agree with the reviewers that community relations are vitally important for the Windsor Program," says Kathleen McCrone, University of Windsor's Acting Provost and Vice-President Academic. "As recommended, we will appoint a person, reporting to the University of Windsor Provost, to act as the liaison between our university and the Windsor Program on operational matters, health-related academic partnerships, and the Windsor/Essex community. This review has plotted a course to make our partnerships stronger and our relationships clearer."

The reviewers' action plan focuses on people, processes and technology and closes with the statement "If Windsor wins, Schulich wins and if Schulich wins, Windsor wins, because it is one program, two campuses." The full report has been distributed to faculty, staff, students, and our community partners and is available online.