News

The inaugural year of the Professional Development Fund for Staff has been hugely successful. The $15,000 fund has been almost entirely utilized, providing a wide range of professional development opportunities for Faculty of Health staff. The Professional Development Fund was created with the Faculty of Health’s Strategic Plan in mind, and all applications were aligned with at least one of its strategic priorities. 

“I’m very pleased that our inaugural fund is nearly depleted for the year, with staff taking full advantage of these rewarding, new professional development opportunities,” says Cathie Smith-Gillis, Director of Human Resources. “Staff will return from these PD experiences filled with ideas and ready to share new knowledge and apply best practices to their roles and units.”

Cathie notes that the work of the Professional Development Fund Committee is ongoing. The committee’s next step is to develop terms of reference.

“I want to thank those that served with me on this Committee, Shelley Colbourne (OT), Niki Power (PhD Health), Irene Fitzgerald (HSc) and Mark Monk (SCSD) for supporting professional development through committee involvement and also the Dean, Dr. Brenda Merritt in accepting Committee recommendations,” she says. "Given the success of this initiative, we look forward to receiving even more applications next year.”