Official faculty and staff announcement from dean Crespo: Welcome to the 2024-25 academic year

Dear AHS faculty and staff,

Welcome to the 2024-25 academic year! I want this opportunity to provide you with a few updates.

Modernizing our learning environment

During the past several months, in collaboration with the Discovery Partners Institute, we commissioned a space assessment study of our facilities informed by our current needs and growth projections.

Key findings:

• The most significant type of space needed is working space for faculty and staff
• The existing general building area does not reflect the large travel distances and infrastructure inefficiencies
• Student and faculty/staff lounge spaces are very limited
• There is a shortage of right-sized classrooms to accommodate ideal class sizes
• General classrooms are not shared across departments/programs for optimized use
• Research labs are not designed for the specialized research needs of the college
• Administrative offices feel disjointed from the rest of the college
• The need to share our academic spaces with other university programs negatively impacts their condition

Recommendations:

1. Amplify the AHS brand to gain local and international recognition
2. Cultivate a culture and community rooted in transparency, wellness and collaboration
3. Foster symbiotic relationships with industry, health, academic and community partners
4. Strengthen outcomes in care delivery by integrating learning, research and clinical care
5. Transform access, inclusivity and equity by being the nexus in removing barriers

Once finalized, the report will be made available.

Integrative Physiology Laboratory

The Integrative Physiology Laboratory is a college-wide resource for all AHS faculty, post-doctoral fellows and graduate students, and their campus and external (e.g., Rush, Northwestern) collaborators. The IPL has two primary spaces: the applied lab and the gym. The applied lab contains equipment for exercise testing as well as metabolic and cardiovascular function. The gym houses equipment for aerobic and resistance exercise training. The IPL also has workstations and desktop computers. The lab is directed by Robert Motl and managed by Ryan Cloud. To learn more, visit the IPL website or contact Rob, who can facilitate resource documents for grant submissions, price quotes for funded research testing and management, and pilot research for unfunded projects.

AHS Strategic Enrollment Management Task Force

To implement targeted strategies that support student enrollment efforts across the college, the AHS Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Task Force is examining current enrollment activities and trends. The task force is comprised of AHS faculty and staff and includes student insight and feedback. Four subcommittees have been established: 1) Marketing and Communications; 2) Recruitment and Yield; 3) Academic Programs and Pathways; and 4) Retention and Degree Completion. Each subcommittee has prioritized initial recommendations made by recruitment, admissions and administrative representatives from AHS departments and programs. They have also begun identifying gaps where additional data or information is needed to inform the next steps of the task force and target areas of greatest need. The task force is preparing a summary report with recommendations that can be implemented in the short term and those that require additional planning and/or resources, which will be proposed in the next phase of the task force’s work.

Highlights of activities to date include:

• Implementation of a marketing and communications support ticketing system
• The addition of Jennifer Hernandez as assistant director for the Urban Health Program
• Hiring and onboarding a student ambassador team to support recruitment and outreach efforts
• Partnering with the UIC Office of Admissions to create visit and engagement opportunities for students in our Transfer Admission Guarantee program pipeline

Human resources

Gladys Lopez's has been appointed as UIC’s vice chancellor for human resources. At the college level, we have added two associates to the human resources team who’ve been working closely with departments and programs. Centralizing the college’s human resource functions will facilitate hiring practices and improve communications.

KN department head search

After a national search for the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition head, I am pleased to recommend David Marquez to the University of Illinois Board of Trustees for the role. Please join me in congratulating David. I want to thank the members of the search committee and those who evaluated the candidates and provided feedback.

AHS Office of Research

The AHS Office of Research is currently adding staff and evaluating its processes for grants management and other ways to support and promote research, scholarship and creative exchange. During this transition period, we will continue to utilize fee-based grants management services provided by the UIC Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, particularly for large and complex projects. Your feedback has been invaluable in shaping our plans so far. Keep an eye out for continued opportunities to provide input on how we can best meet your needs.

OT accreditation

The Department of Occupational Therapy will have its top-ranked Entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate program reviewed by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).  During the week of September 18, ACOTE will conduct a site visit to evaluate the department and the resources supporting its programmatic activities. Please plan accordingly and be prepared to provide an informed opinion of the program's quality. The OT faculty and staff have worked hard to reach this stage!

Strategic planning

As I enter my third year as AHS dean, we have coalesced on a set of priorities under OMG: Optimizing, Modernizing and Greater Diversity. While this provides a working framework, we also need a strategic plan to guide our current and future activities toward the next five years (2025-2030). During the 2024-2025 academic year, we will finalize a strategic plan that builds upon the work that has started in various committees. Your input will be critical in prioritizing recommendations, areas of convergence and future opportunities. We are working with experts to guide us in this process in a manner that is less disruptive of our existing duties, but that can meaningfully capture your ideas and encourage you to continue to do so for the future of the college.

I look forward to sharing more information with you during the academic year.

Carlos