A version of this article was published in the Fulcrum; University of Ottawa Newspaper. For the link to the Fulcrum’s article click here
The faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa, is unique in that it has access to the three Canadian Government research funding agencies (tri-agency); Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). Given this holistic field – students study, teach and research everything from qualitative to quantitative issues and from the cellular level (nucleus, stem cell) to determinants of health and society and lifespan – we have clout and an edge.
These were views expressed by Dean Lucie Thibault od the Faculty of Health Sciences, during our interview a few weeks following the ISRCH Conference on Healthcare which was held on March 30th, 2019 at the University of Ottawa Roger Guindon Hall. Dean Thibault spoke with passion and confidence about her vision for the Faculty and the university as a whole. Her goal, she explained, “is to flip the organizational chart to be student-centered. It has been that you have students, then professors and administrators and then the Dean at the top. But it should be that I am at the bottom.” Her belief is that professors and students should be at the peak of this triangle. She explained “Because ultimately, if the students are happy, then they become happy alumni. And happy alumni will remember us and are more likely to cooperate with us, and this cooperation will be an opportunity for enrolled students to then connect and work in the workforce under our previous students.” This is the ideal cycle according to the Dean.
Dean Thibault is of a humble background, raised in the Vanier district of Ottawa, studied physical education at Ottawa U where she later taught at the school of Human Kinetics. She worked at Brock university for 16 years before assuming her position as Dean last July. Her background for the past three decades has been in teaching, from organizational theory, to sport globalization to policy and governance in sports. Her experience has transported her to this influential position where she would like to bring forth her vision. “I really want to focus on life-long learning so that any elder interested in attending a class can be welcomed, free of cost. From my experience I have had many audit my classes.” She shared an example of an 80-year-old man who asked questions in a class that, although she knew the answers to them, he made her think of how to deliver them in different ways. Dean Thibault added that after that class, students would often mention to her how that question made them understand the material from a different viewpoint and sparked more interest.
Dean Thibault spoke of her wish to include more students and alumni in future decisions, policy making and curriculum. She explained that her sister went to see a physiotherapist in Vanier who expressed their wish of meeting with the Dean to discuss how physio and rehab schools can improve. “I think advice from professionals working in the field is of great value”, she added.
When asked whether as the new ‘coach’ of the faculty, does she feel that she must not only develop but also undo certain things. She said, “Yes, indeed, but I am fortunate to have a wonderful team and as any coach, I must build on what is working and fix that which was set up but is not working.” She expressed her support for initiatives such as ISRCH stating that the inter-professional teams will play an important part in healthcare and wellbeing, this being a wonderful opportunity for current professionals to connect and share their knowledge. My conversation with the dean could have lasted much longer. I felt she was very outgoing and down to earth and I came away from my visit with a sense of positivity and hope knowing that our ‘coach’ wants the students, young and old, to be at the centre of this pyramid that is education, throughout their lifetime, as learners, decision makers and influencers.