College of Health and Medicine

Dear Colleagues,

Recently the Provost, Professor Mike Calford, updated our staff and students on impending changes to the Faculty of Health and Menzies Institute for Medical Research.

Menzies, School of Medicine, School of Health Sciences and Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre will soon sit within the College of Health and Medicine. This will come into effect on 1 January 2018.

As Executive Dean of the College, I wish to introduce and congratulate Mr Craig Davies on his appointment to the role of Executive Director, Operations for the College of Health and Medicine. Craig is responsible for overseeing the transition to the College, implementing College operations and leading our professional services teams across the College.

Joining Craig and myself through this transition will be senior representatives from the existing Faculty of Health and Menzies Institute:

• Associate Dean Learning & Teaching, Professor Justin Walls
• Acting Associate Dean Research and Global, Professor Andrew Hills
• Director of Menzies Professor, Alison Venn
• Director of Wicking Centre, Professor James Vickers
• Head of School of Medicine, Professor Ben Canny
• Head of School of Health Sciences, Professor Nuala Byrne
• Director of Rozelle Campus, Professor Greg Rickard

Leading up to this date, we will be working through key activities required as we transition to this new model. This includes:

• The establishment of the new College Management Team
• Governance review with assistance from the Provost/central University
• Review of committee structures across the new College model
• Transition of the Faculty office to the College office, adapting to encompass key needs of Menzies as well as the Schools and Wicking

From 1 January, we will then operate as the College of Health and Medicine with more information about the impact of this to be provided as it progresses.

VCAR Update

In addition to this news, I wish to share with you our recent success and feedback from the Vice-Chancellors Annual Review (VCAR).

This year the Faculty and Menzies presented a joint College Plan for 2018 at VCAR and received positive feedback about the strategic direction we are planning to take. Through the formation of a College, we communicated our intent to:

• Deliver relevant, contemporary, sustainable and high quality courses offering a quality student experience that produces quality graduates
• Build critical mass in internationally significant health and medical research
• Work with communities and key partners to improve health outcomes locally and globally

If you would like to hear more about this and have the opportunity to ask key questions to your management teams, we are planning some campus-wide meetings.

More information on these meetings will be made available throughout September.

As we work through this transition, both myself and your Director/Head of School will continue to provide updates on our progress.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with me via OTD.HealthLiaison@utas.edu.au

Thank you,

Professor Denise Fassett
Executive Dean, College of Health and Medicine
Dean, Faculty of Health