Exceptional Workplace Initiative 2012

 

Support Staff Endowment Fund Western University Field Trip

endowment 2012

Pictured departing James Richardson International for London, Ontario-April 26,2012 (l to r) Sina Allegro-Sacco, Cindy Stanley, Susan Nazarewich, Heather Brownlee, Lorraine Reinfort, Paula Asham.

On April 26/12, six members of Clinical Support Services for the Faculty of Dentistry had the privilege of participating in the 2012 University of Manitoba Support Staff Endowment Fund Field Trip to Western University in London, Ontario. This participation, believed to be the largest from one U of M Department in the history of the fund, was made possible through the generous support of the Support Staff Endowment Fund, as well as Dean Iacopino.

The trip consisted of each of the approximately 40 University of Manitoba Support Staff being paired with counterparts in their respective Faculties & Departments. We spent the day at Western, touring the campus and the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry. It was fascinating to see the similarities between their Faculty and ours! Many of us said we felt as if we had known each other for a long time and we had been living in parallel universes! We had a beautiful lunch before a guided bus tour of the entire Western University Campus. Friday evening the Hilton Hotel hosted a lovely dinner for the group which gave us an opportunity to get to know the other Support Staff members on the trip and to reconnect with our own co-workers that we rarely get a chance to just sit & chat with! On Saturday we spent the day at Niagara Falls & Niagara on the Lake, before our return to Winnipeg on Sunday.

This trip was a great opportunity to see how another Canadian Faculty of Dentistry is organized and how they function. The chance to mutually share information with others in similar work situations was very interesting. The Support Staff Endowment Fund is wonderful way to explore other Universities, and we thank them again as well as Dean Iacopino, for allowing us this great learning experience. Paula Asham~Oral Diagnosis Clinic Coordinator