The newly created Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Office will continue to be an integral program in the continuum of education in the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) at McMaster University. By bringing together the efforts and leadership expertise of the Continuing Health Science Education program, the Program for Faculty Development, and the Learning Technology Lab, the scope of the new office has broadened into serving both healthcare professionals and faculty. The mandate of the CPD Office is to lead continuing professional development for healthcare professionals and faculty, supporting schools, departments, programs and faculty members in the designing, planning, developing, and delivering of effective CPD activities.
The CPD 0ffice in the Faculty of Health Sciences was established in 2019 after a review of business processes and organizational needs mandated by the Faculty Executive. Best practices highlighted that an office of continuing professional development is more effective rather than stand-alone programs. The new office allows a greater strategic oversight of the various programs and permits greater efficiencies, improved quality, increased productivity, and enhanced scholarship.
The CPD office is structured to facilitate the development and delivery of high-quality educational activities that meet the national CPD accreditation standards. This structure also enables the Office to achieve continuous improvement in education and scholarship and accomplish the desired growth needed to achieve the Faculty’s academic mission.
The organizational structure, as shown on the chart, reflects the current positioning of the CPD Office within the Faculty’s leadership system which demonstrates the support and value it is given. Support staff positions have also changed since the 2019 report and will continue to develop as the strategic plan and shared resource model among the amalgamated portfolios evolves.
The CPD Office Organizational Chart can be downloaded below.