Dean Hurn appointed to lead U-M Working Group on Culture Change
President Mark Schlissel announced May 20 that a collaborative, systemic effort to bring about broad cultural change regarding community workplace norms and behaviors at the university would continue with the formation of a Working Group on Culture Change led by Patricia Hurn, dean of the School of Nursing, and Sonya Jacobs, chief organizational learning officer for the university and senior director for faculty and leadership development at Michigan Medicine.
Schlissel said Hurn and Jacobs are developing a charge for the effort and a work plan for the group “whose purpose is to create an environment of mutual respect and accountability that is free of retaliation, where everyone can feel safe to report misconduct and feel supported throughout the process.”
As nursing school dean, Hurn leads an academic unit that is uniquely positioned in a frontline health profession that has specialized knowledge with respect to trauma-informed care for people affected by sexual and gender-based misconduct and violence.
The working group will oversee the development of a universitywide statement of values and ethics through a process that will include robust engagement with faculty, staff, students and other stakeholders across campus. The remainder of the group’s members will consist of subject matter experts and community members at large and will be formed over the summer.
