Maintaining Excellence

Excellence is a core value of our Faculty and its pursuit infuses all our activities.

A fundamental component of our quest for excellence is the need to offer academic programs of high quality, programs that meet the needs of today’s students, and programs that prepare them for tomorrow’s challenges. By offering the programs students need, and assisting our students to succeed, we will support the University’s objective to increase enrolment, in a sustainable and responsible way. But let us not overlook that teaching, and student learning opportunities, are enriched by a strong tradition of research excellence, and that the creation of new knowledge is an attribute that defines universities.

1. Maintain high-quality academic programs Actions Measures

• Engage in regular curriculum review • Review course marks • Provide training about academic integrity early on • Provide experiential learning opportunities (e.g., expose students to research centres) • Integrate research activities into teaching • Build student and faculty capacity in interprofessional education (IPE) • All curricula will be reviewed within a five-year period • All programs will receive QA approval • All professional programs will be accredited • All students will receive training about academic integrity during their first year • All students will graduate with at least one experiential opportunity • Proportion of students who were exposed to faculty research • Student satisfaction survey results • Enrolment • Retention rate • Seven-year graduation rate • Employment rate within 1 year • Number of courses, practica and extra-curricular learning opportunities that are directly and indirectly incorporating IPE

2. Develop new programs/pathways to meet today’s and tomorrow’s challenges Actions Measures

• Develop new undergraduate and graduate programs aligned with current workforce needs and informed by market analyses • Expand current entry programs and develop new entry programs • Solicit input from community partners and other stakeholders to determine needs • New programs in response to identified needs • Number of new entry programs and enrolment • Number of applicants to programs • Feedback from community partners and other stakeholders

3. Grow enrollment and increase retention rates Actions Measures

• Be flexible and meet students where they are; increase access by offering regional options and increasing distance/online course offerings • Enhance strategic regional recruitment by engaging with high schools (faculty presentations, providing FHBS information to guidance counselors, etc.) • Explore opportunities for increasing the numbers of international students • Promote student engagement by employing innovative teaching techniques, using the resources available at the Teaching Commons, and harnessing existing talent to support instructors • Enhance retention rates by developing new retention strategies and increasing awareness of existing retention strategies • Share SEM information and enrolment projections within the faculty • Enrolment rates in programs • Retention rates

4. Conduct high-quality research Actions

• Publish articles in peer-reviewed journals • Publish books and book chapters • Acquire competitive external research funding • Present at regional, national, and international scholarly conferences • Disseminate research to our communities • Provide opportunities for student involvement in research • Number of publications • Funding dollars • Number of presentation and geographic distribution • Number of students involved in publications, research funding, and presentations

Measures

Enhancing the Faculty’s Profile

Members of our Faculty contribute meaningfully to our society in multiple ways.

Yet, it is easy for us to stay focused on the work ahead and to lose track of our accomplishments. Showcasing our successes, and highlighting the value of our activities, should be a common and deliberate practice.

1. Support FHBS Branding and Marketing Actions Measures

• Develop initiatives to “brand” FHBS and enhance

FHBS marketing strategies • Number of times the FHBS brand appears on

FHBS materials

2. Increase FHBS visibility and raise our profile Actions Measures

• Maintain informative, up-to-date, and appealing

Faculty and unit websites • Develop promotional materials • Publish Faculty and unit newsletters • Include FHBS brand and logo on all FHBS sponsored events • Number of website visits and feedback provided • Number of promotional materials and newsletters created • Number of times the FHBS brand/logo on promotional material for FHBS sponsored events

3. Showcase FHBS successes Actions

• Publicize research and funding success within the Faculty and externally • Advertise unit events to the whole Faculty • Share newsletters with other units • Create new faculty awards • Create new student awards • Distribute annual FHBS Activity Report widely • An Activity Report is produced on an annual basis • Number of faculty and student awards • Number of Activity Report downloads and hard copies distributed

Measures