Faculty of Health - special meeting of Senate on Feb. 9, 2024

February 2, 2024

Dear colleagues,

I am writing as Chair of the ad-hoc Senate Committee on Academic Health Programming to provide you with another update on our work towards establishing a Faculty of Health at UVic.

As noted in our Dec. 12 update, the Committee has been engaging in meaningful consultations with faculty, staff, students and leaders throughout the fall and into the spring term. There is overwhelming enthusiasm for this initiative, and a desire for the university to create a Faculty of Health. We have received several expressions of interest from units who want to be included in a Faculty of Health, as well as statements from units currently in the Faculty of Human and Social Development who want to move, as a whole, into other faculties. Through our consultations, we have also addressed some concerns about how this change may impact individuals.

At a special meeting of Senate on Feb. 9, the Committee will share outcomes of these consultations along with a recommendation for the creation of a Faculty of Health. We invite you to review the agenda and materials and tune in on Feb. 9 to hear the proposal and discussion. As we expect gallery seating to be limited, we will livestream the special meeting. Feedback from Senators will inform the materials presented to Senate at the March 1 meeting to support an informed vote of an omnibus motion leading to the creation of a Faculty of Health.

If Senate votes in favour of the proposed omnibus motion on March 1, the Committee will take Senate’s recommendation to the March Board of Governors for approval then begin phase two of the project. This next phase includes additional consultations, launching the search for the inaugural dean, refining the organizational structure, and creating an implementation plan that would have the Faculty of Health operational next year, on May 1, 2025. As part of phase three, the inaugural dean, once appointed, will work with faculty to develop the mission and mandate. There will also be parallel processes, including to support individuals and units moving to a different faculty and space planning. 

We look forward to engaging with Senate on Feb. 9 and will continue to update campus on this transformative initiative through regular emails and our project web page.

Sincerely,

Helga Hallgrímsdóttir, PhD
Chair, Senate Committee on Academic Health Programming
Deputy Provost, Office of the Vice-President Academic and Provost