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Tips from Dean Marvis Lary, The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions
The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions, under the leadership of Dean Marvis Lary, is leading the way toward national prominence with several key programs.
Among many notable accomplishments, the college’s physician assistant class of 2006 scored the best in the nation on its first-year standardized Physician Assistant Clinical Knowledge Rating Assessment Tool Exam, 17 percent higher than the national average.
The college’s audiology, physician assistant, speech-language pathology, and physical therapy programs are consistently ranked among the best graduate programs in the country.
Lary said that the first thing colleges, units, and departments can do is identify their existing programs with the potential for national prominence.
“This could be a number of things, like a creative curriculum, unique student projects, high achievement by students, or a faculty expertise,” she said.
Once these programs are identified, “it’s all about visibility,” said Lary.
“This can be done through national
organizations that are always looking for
shining stars within the profession. Press releases are important – even sending achievement announcements to other colleges gets the word out,” she said.
Lary also makes sure that the health professions college newsletter is sent to other health professions colleges.“It does take time, money, and initiative to be nationally prominent,” she said.
But even without a lot of resources, faculty and staff can find creative ways to plan strategically.
“I like to have a ‘wish list’ of future projects that we can work toward when funds are available,” she said. “It behooves all of us to be creative in carrying out our mission. I feel that it is my responsibility as dean to maximize resources so that we can move forward. Under no circumstances can we be satisfied with maintaining our status quo, regardless of the fiscal environment.” •
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