(419) Implementation of Ambassadors of Joy Within a College of Pharmacy

Objective: Improving engagement in the workplace can lead to positive effects, such as improved productivity, better wellbeing, a sense of belonging, and decreased turnover. The purpose of this poster is to describe the implementation of focused engagement for faculty and staff within a single College of pharmacy.

Methods: Two faculty members were appointed as the “Ambassadors of Joy” in Fall 2023 with a goal of engaging faculty and staff periodically throughout the academic year. They were given autonomy to determine the activities as well as when and how often they happened. No funding was allocated for events, and Ambassadors were encouraged to creatively tap into existing funds.

Results: A variety of engagement activities, known as “Joy Events,” were planned and hosted every other month throughout the 2023-2024 academic year. Activities were designed to be “easy” and appealing to attend and occurred on varying days and times. Some examples of activities included a happy hour, holiday gift exchange, a baby picture guessing game during a faculty/staff meeting, a game night and friendship bracelet making with students. Events were well attended and received positive feedback. Faculty and staff will be surveyed for their perceptions and feedback at the end of the academic year.

Conclusion: Two Ambassadors of Joy were appointed to increase faculty and staff engagement this past academic year. Joy Events were successful and will continue next year.