College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

1. College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Challenges and Opportunities; Strategic Planning for the College Gerard.loftus@nuigalway.ie

4. College Academic Restructuring – Creating a College School of Health Sciences School of Medicine School of Nursing & Midwifery What do Schools’ needs from the College structure? What does College need from its Schools? How do needs differ across Schools? How should resourcing match these needs?

5. Developmental Status of Schools; the source of needs School of Medicine D I S C I P L I N E S & R E S E ARCH F L E X I B I L I T Y & I N N O V A T I O N Mature, established disciplines, Research -capable Crowded, internally competitive School of Nursing & Midwifery Emerging disciplines, programme expansion, Internally collaborative Research challenge School of Health Sciences [HP, OT, Pod, SLT.] Therapies newly established, teaching focussed, HP more developed Few disciplines, research challenge in therapies

6. Strategic Planning • ‘Where are we, where are we going how do we get there?’ • Do we need to bring sandwiches? • Realistic, practical, with priorities and timescales. • Informed, ambitious and in the ownership of staff

7. Planning [Contd.] • Information Trends Foresight • Integration; joined-up thinking • Comprehensive and reasonably detailed • Flexible but not aspirational • Supporting endeavour rather than constraining it

8. SWOT Analysis • Strengths • Weaknesses • Opportunities • Threats

9. College Strengths Include: • A unique alliance of healthcare educators [medicine, nursing & midwifery, therapies and health promotion are rarely so well aligned] • A dynamic and ambitious culture. A record of internal review, vigour, collaboration and innovation • A professional background and orientation • A focus on students and the quality of student intake • Restructuring; Schools have cognate rationale • Strong research ethos and emerging areas of research [bench to bedside to community to population to public policy]

10. College Weaknesses Include: • Dependence on external actors; HSE, HEA/DES, professional bodies, other Universities • Relationship between Schools – good neighbours or family? • In the absence of common ‘bread-and-butter’ programmes as in Science and Arts, where is the cement that binds? • Administrative structures are not aligned in all areas • Bi-located and cramped; Áras Moyola and CSI [plus Distillery Rd.], HBB?

11. College Opportunities Include: • Increased student numbers [Medicine] • New programmes [Health Sciences] • Postgraduate innovation [Nursing and Midwifery] • Research collaborations [Strategy and PRTLI5] • Growth in PhD profile all areas • Growth in taught post-graduate programmes [Cert., Dip. And Masters] using clinical/in-service and blended learning models • Overseas recruitment • Joint Governance structures with HSE

12. Threats to College Include: • Impact of HSE budget difficulties esp. Nursing. • Changes in University income model [RGAM] • Changes in University resource allocation, moving to profitability /entrepreneurial models • Employment scenario for graduates • Building delays – HBB • Status quo; provincial /national focus

13. Strategic Objectives • Common purpose across Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences • Student engagement, societal contribution. • Integration of the 3 Schools in Education • Develop shared governance with HSE West • Integrating College into the University • Expand the student base

14. Objectives [continued] • Develop collaborative research to • Fund growth, develop infrastructure • Build relationships across the 3 Schools, developing College integration • Replicate the REMEDI /NCBES success across other disciplines and colleges • Develop professional collaboration within Healthcare services • Inform student learning and development • Serve community healthcare needs

15. FUNCTIONS (include) • Policy, strategy & co-ordination in teaching and research, external liaison, academic policy [admissions, assessment etc], ‘accreditation’ of degree/awards, ‘quality assurance’, student appeals, programme board reports, support technologies, financial allocation. COLLEGE OFFICE: Dean, Director, Admin Assistant. plus Executive-committee and Vice-deans. SCHOOLS OFFICES (3): Heads, Senior Administrators, other admin and academic support. FUNCTIONS (include) Programme design, management & delivery [liaison with Admissions, Records/syllabus file, Examinations], postgrad admissions, student support, specific reports to College

16. Let’s just hope we’re not doing anything silly!