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DLSPH Open: Academic Plan Update & Strategic Planning Retreat

February 6/2019


UPDATE: DLSPH’s 2019-2024 Academic Plan was published in 2020 and can be viewed here.

Dear colleagues,

Over the last few months, the DLSPH community has engaged in an academic planning process to develop an overarching strategic direction for the School from 2019 to 2024. As our first academic plan since becoming a faculty, it is critical for us to reinforce our shared vision and brand, ensure consistency with U of T’s long-term goals, and address resource needs and gaps.

I’d like to extend my gratitude to all students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners in both the Graduate Department of Public Health Sciences and the Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation for their contributions to the What I have Heard document and for their participation in consultations over the last few months.

Through this collaborative consultation process, we validated that our shared vision, mission and values statements remain relevant, and that the themes of impact and partnership are core to our identity and academic plan.

Here are the four sections of the plan, including high level priorities under each:

  1. Supporting Excellence in Interdisciplinary Research
  • Using artificial intelligence and big data to improve population health and healthcare
  • Responding to climate change and environmental health challenges
  • Implementation and improvement science to support public health and health system change
  • Building sustainable health systems through integration and engagement at the municipal and regional, and sub-national level
  • Reducing the burden of preventable disease
  1. Building cutting edge programming
  • Expanded continuing education
  • New educational programs
  • Modernized graduate public health education
  1. Creating impact from our work
  • Create the Dalla Lana Annual Survey
  • Create the Dalla Lana Annual Report
  • Create a sustained program of public and professional engagement
  • Leadership capacity for advocacy and change
  1. Management
  • Improve the experience of status and adjunct faculty
  • Increase research support infrastructure
  • Increase equity and inclusion
  • Create value out of existing data resources

With these high level priorities identified in draft form, the next step is to explore these themes at the upcoming Strategic Planning Retreat and Professors’ Rounds Celebration on February 20 from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. Professor David Naylor will help kick-off the conversation in a productive way and help our community make critical connections between the re-establishment of the School in the early 2000s and our future.

At this retreat, I urge folks to contribute all feedback to the draft plan, consider how their own work aligns with these priorities, and how we can amplify our shared efforts to improve our health system and make our impact on population health even stronger.

I invite all faculty and staff to register for the retreat. Given space limitations, we may not be able to accommodate everyone who is interested in attending, but all are welcome to contact me with any comments, questions or concerns as we look forward to your input and engagement.

Sincerely,

Adalsteinn Brown
Dean and Professor
Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Academic Plan 2019 - 2024 FINAL