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WesternU / Office of Humanism / WesternU Initiatives and Strategies for Humanism (WISH) Plan

WesternU Initiatives and Strategies for Humanism (WISH) Plan

The WesternU Initiatives and Strategies for Humanism (WISH) Plan, Phase 1, was adopted by the Board of Trustees on April 5, 2025. It is important to recognize that this plan is not a static blueprint; rather, it is a living document that will evolve over time in response to new challenges, opportunities, and insights. As circumstances change and our understanding deepens, we may need to revisit, revise, and refine our strategies to ensure they remain relevant and effective, without being formally amended. This flexibility is not only expected but essential, as it allows us to remain responsive to the needs of our campus community and the dynamic environment in which we operate.

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WISH Principles

  • Commitment to our distinctive WesternU core institutional value of Humanism.
  • Practice is essential to actualizing Humanism at WesternU.
  • The practice of Humanism requires sustained, collective action and change-agency.
  • The practice of Humanism creates the conditions for people in our community to belong and thrive.
  • The practice of Humanism empowers people in our community to belong and thrive.
  • The practice of Humanism is measured through impact, not by intention.
  • The practice of Humanism is in communion with people, not work done to or for people.
  • The goal of Humanism is to improve health care and health outcomes for all.

    • WISH Phase I Goals

     

    I. Curricula: Integrate Humanism into academic curriculum, co-curriculum, professional development, and training such that WesternU students and employees are distinguished by their respective leadership and advocacy to improve health care and health outcomes.

    G-I Objective-1: In collaboration with the respective faculty and administrators in each College, Office of the Provost, Deans Council, Interprofessional Practice and Education, the Office of Humanism will select and integrate a unifying framework for the learning and practice of Humanism into the academic curricula across all colleges.

    G-I Objective-2: The Office of Humanism will develop a curated university repository in the Pumerantz Library that collects and shares curricula and curriculum transformation scholarship in Humanism for university-wide access and professional reference.

    G-I Objective-3: The Office of Humanism will develop professional development badge and/or certificate programs in Humanism for employees and students at WesternU which will be offered on an annual basis through the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.

    G-I Objective-4: The Office of Humanism will work with the Offices of the Provost and Research and Biotechnology to incorporate Humanism in practice into the current Faculty and Student Research Mentoring Program.

    II. Climate: Create and proactively sustain a Humanistic university climate for all members of our campus community, across multiple dimensions of identity.

    G-II Objective-1: The Office of Humanism will formally define, ratify, and proclaim Humanism as the institutional core value for WesternU.

    G-II Objective-2: The Office of Humanism will collaborate with the Colleges and Office of Human Resources to explicitly include the core value of Humanism in all requisite new student orientations and new employee on-boarding.

    G-II Objective-3: The Office of Humanism will collaboratively create an annual educational programming calendar of 6-8 monthly, university-wide, signature events that visibly celebrate humanity, history, and culture at WesternU, and their significance to the practice of Humanism in the health sciences.

    G-II Objective-4: The Office of Humanism will create and formally ratify a WesternU Statement of Solidarity with Native American Peoples for university-wide utilization.

    G-II Objective-5: The Office of Humanism will develop a Campus Humanism Climate component which will be included in all institutional climate surveys distributed to the campus.

    G-II Objective-6: Establish dedicated spaces for the Center for Humanism that enhance the university-wide practice of WesternU Humanism through teaching, learning, and experiential activities for all on both California and Oregon campuses respectively.