Dear Colleagues,

As members of the Faculty of Health may be aware, Dean Paul McDonald will complete his initial term as Dean on June 30, 2021, and under the procedures for decanal renewals, the possibility of a second term is to be considered at this time. In accordance with these procedures, we have consulted with Dean McDonald with regard to his interest in a second term. He has indicated that he does not wish to seek a second term, but has generously confirmed his willingness to extend his term by one year to complete several key initiatives in progress and to provide stability to the Faculty as it manages and recovers from the pandemic. A search will therefore be initiated in the spring of 2021, with the intention of appointing the next Dean effective July 1, 2022. We will be scheduling a visit to Council in the Winter term of 2021 to initiate the search and discuss the process with colleagues.

Professor McDonald has provided strong leadership as Dean of the Faculty of Health over the past four years, with the Faculty experiencing budget and enrolment stability. Significant investments have been made in the appointment of outstanding new faculty members across the Faculty in both the professorial and teaching streams, and in the expansion and refurbishment of space for faculty members’ research. Dean McDonald has overseen the development of a proposal for, and the establishment of, a School of Global Health, drawing together and highlighting the Faculty’s growing research and teaching strengths and reputation in this key area. An innovative new undergraduate program in Neuroscience has been developed in collaboration with the Faculty of Science, and planning for doctoral programming in Global Health is also under way. Human and financial resources have been committed to support experiential and online education, as well as student advising and success. Finally, he has played a key role in York’s exploration with community partners of the creation of a health precinct in Vaughan.

We are very grateful that Professor McDonald has agreed to continue to serve the Faculty and the University for an additional year as Dean, and we look forward to working with him and colleagues in the Faculty towards the achievement of our shared objectives.

Sincerely,
Rhonda L. Lenton
President & Vice-Chancellor