(439) Professional development, recognition and celebration to strengthen faculty and staff success

The motto of Create. Care. Connect. and the strategic goals at the College of Pharmacy (COP) set the foundation for investing in the success of all personnel associated with the COP. Professional development begins with a structured orientation for faculty and staff; including a mandatory academic bootcamp (ABC) for faculty. New faculty hires are paired with a mentor usually until they are promoted. The Faculty Orientation and Development Committee has a regular series of seminars with internal and external speakers on a variety of topics related to teaching, scholarship, service and career development; funded through a budgeted line item. Staff development includes an annual full-day retreat with staff-developed programming, and regular monthly staff meetings, occasionally including the Dean. Individual faculty are also provided development funds for external programs with associated accountability.
The COP continues to promote internal transparency and collaboration with regular communications and a visibly inclusive and cohesive culture, exemplified by collaborative teamwork for grading, interview sessions etc.
COP personnel are recognized for their scholarly contributions through Email announcements, and through annual service awards on Honors Day; faculty are selected by department committees based on exceptional service. Staff awardees are selected following an anonymous rating on a rubric by faculty.
COP further promotes a collegial atmosphere through retreats, gatherings for faculty and staff including: celebrations of life events, holiday festivities, and annual department-level lunch after commencement.
Collectively these activities help establish a culture of value and appreciation, that increases engagement and a sense of belonging related to Well-Being. WesternU has been voted a ‘great place to work’ for 8 consecutive years; and this is affirmed by the COP’s retention and long tenure of personnel.