Administrative staff: The key to unlocking our future success

One of the secret ingredients to Temerty Medicine’s success is the excellence and commitment of our administrative staff. Their contributions have shaped an academic community where excellence in education, research and clinical care can thrive.

Much like how our staff are there to support our faculty and learners, we want to be there to support them in their professional journeys. That’s why I want to take this opportunity to share with you some of initiatives we’ve undertaken to make Temerty Medicine not only a world-class destination for research and scholarship, but also a great place to work.

This year, we are thrilled to host the first faculty-wide Staff Professional Development Day on May 5. The day’s theme, “Unlocking Our Future Success”, reflects our belief that investing in our staff is an investment in our future. As societies and universities evolve, it is important that our employees are equipped with the skills they need to succeed in their roles today and in the jobs of the future. 

The Staff Professional Development Day is one offering in a suite of exceptional programs available through the university and faculty that foster employee development.

One of these programs is the Temerty Medicine Mentorship Program which, now in its fourth year, has grown from 15 mentor-mentee pairs to 24 pairs participating this year. Since the initiative started in 2019, over 70 administrative staff (as well as their paired mentors) have benefited from the mentorship and meaningful relationships that have formed through the program.

More recently, a staff-led initiative established two communities of practice focused on data analytics and project management. These groups bring together staff with experience or interest in these topics for regular meetups to discuss challenges, opportunities and best practices.

While these programs may sound and operate differently, they share common goals: to break down siloes, foster connections, encourage future collaborations and provide opportunities for skill building. Through this growing series of employee development programs, we aim to support our administrative staff in achieving their career goals, no matter where they are on their professional journeys.

We encourage everyone to take advantage of these opportunities and share your ideas for other offerings we could add. Together, we’ll continue to strengthen our community and cultivate a supportive work environment and continued excellence at Temerty Medicine.

Denis Bourguignon
Chief Administrative Officer
Temerty Faculty of Medicine
University of Toronto