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July 1, 2022

ORGANIZING FOR EMPOWERMENT

Dear WesternU Family,

In my first 120 days, I’ve been focused on building intramural and extramural community relationships and building the infrastructure to support our maturing University, as we embrace unparalleled potential for growth and expansion in both California and in Oregon. We have embarked upon a transformative mission, and we have arrived at an exciting inflection point for the University in which we are joining the ranks of established mature universities. In this time of transition comes tremendous opportunity for growth and positive change. As we grow, I am thrilled to serve our campus community and the community at large with integrity, bold vision, collaboration, and transparency. The organizational elements in this newsletter represent my commitment to listening and responding to the needs of both our internal and external communities. 

Together we will catapult our great University to further national and international acclaim and pre-eminence.

SHARED GOVERNANCE MODEL

UNIVERSITY COUNCIL

The University Council (UC) will serve as an institutional think-tank to further encourage an environment of engagement and transparency on University matters.

1. Topics may be submitted to the UC by any campus member from the University. Depending on the number of submissions and the subject matter, the UC may need to prioritize submissions that will be placed on the agenda.
2. When a submission requires analysis or assessment, the UC will refer those submissions to the relevant institutional or college group/departments or representative groups (i.e., Student Government Association, Academic Senate, Dean’s Council, Staff Council or University Executive Operations Team). 

Our quest is to achieve transformative health for both people and animals and hence to create a healthy society for present and future generations. 

PRESIDENT'S ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

Effective July 1, 2022, WesternU will be implementing a new institutional administrative organizational structure. This new structure is in line with that of a mature university and offers a strong Provost model that elevates the Provost and Chief Academic Officer role and empowers this position to align resources for greater integration between co-curricular and academic programming. 

The structure also creates a new concept for WesternU: External Relations, which includes Community & Governmental Relations, Public Affairs & Marketing, and University Advancement. This group will focus on developing relationships necessary to gain the support of constituents (both internal and external) to ensure that our faculty, staff, and students have what they need to succeed. This will entail embarking upon a comprehensive capital campaign to help fund the growth of our footprint in both Pomona and Lebanon, shore up our physical and research infrastructure, and provide scholarships to help reduce student debt. This work will be guided by interaction with Marts & Lundy, a strategic consulting firm focusing on helping mission-driven organizations build the capacity needed to achieve their highest potential through customized, sustainable philanthropic solutions.

This organizational structure is a living and breathing model that responds to the evolving needs of our maturing University and our communities. It will be assessed and adapted as needed.

ENGAGEMENT

PRESIDENT'S ENGAGEMENT & RELATIONS TEAM (PERT)

The President’s Engagement & Relations Team demonstrates our top priority to engage with our communities and provides a mechanism to listen and respond to community needs. The PERT will be led by a Liaison Officer who will have a dual reporting role to the Board of Trustees and to the President’s Office. This position will assist the Board of Trustees with quarterly meetings and be a sounding board for members of the internal and external communities. Open dialogue and communication with important public constituencies will balance the engagement of internal and external stakeholders with the Board of Trustees and the University.

The expanded University infrastructure laid out in this newsletter allows us to bring focus and clarity to our esteemed body of work as we carve out our unique brand of humanism and excellence in serving students, patients, and communities.

• Focus on drivers of academic and research excellence for the ultimate success of our students.
• Focus on improving the volume of research and college/program grant funding. 
• Focus on connecting at the micro level with our alumni and community members.
• Engage partners in impactful initiatives that build stronger and healthier communities.

ONGOING GRATITUDE

THANK YOU

I am so grateful to the Board of Trustees, student body, faculty, staff, deans, and administrators for the extraordinary progress that we have made together in such a short period of time: 

• We have begun the process to launch a successful comprehensive capital campaign.
• We have turned our focus to create revenue diversity.
• We have set our sights on the establishment of scholarships and lowering tuition.
• We are creating educational opportunities for our underserved communities.
• We are advancing our humanism, diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism infrastructure and initiatives.
• We are forging new partnerships with community leaders and legislators.
• We are designing innovative plans to grow and expand our campuses in Pomona and Lebanon.

Together, we are transforming our institution and securing WesternU’s sustainable future for generations to come. It is my esteemed pleasure to serve this institution as we cultivate a culture of both humanistic and scientific excellence to prepare our students to be the health care leaders of the future.

My very warmest wishes!

Robin Farias-Eisner, MD, PhD, MBA

President

Office of the President

We inspire, in a humanistic tradition, health care professionals and biomedical knowledge that enhances and extends the quality of life in our communities.