News Summary
Dean Aron Sousa of Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine has resigned, effective immediately. His departure aligns with MSU’s contentious restructuring plans to merge the college with the College of Osteopathic Medicine. Faculty members have expressed significant concerns regarding the transparency and potential impacts of the One Team, One Health initiative. Sousa, who took the role as dean in 2022, will begin his position as president at Rosalind Franklin University in November 2023, while Supratik Rayamajhi is set to become the interim dean.
East Lansing, MI – Dean Aron Sousa of Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine has announced his resignation, effective immediately. His departure comes during a controversial restructuring effort of the university’s medical programs, as MSU moves forward with its One Team, One Health initiative, which proposes to merge the College of Human Medicine with the College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Sousa has served as dean since 2022 and was previously an interim dean for the college. He will take on the role of president at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in Chicago starting November 10, 2023. Supratik Rayamajhi, the associate dean for clinical affairs, is poised to become the interim dean on October 1, pending approval from the Board of Trustees.
The One Team, One Health initiative aims to create a new “College of Health Professions” and an institute for collaborative biomedical research. However, this effort has faced significant pushback from faculty within the College of Human Medicine, who have expressed concerns regarding insufficient information sharing and the potential adverse impacts on their work.
An internal survey conducted among faculty members revealed that more than half of the respondents opposed the proposed merger. Many faculty members fear that the consolidation of the two colleges may dilute their professional identity and undermine the accreditation status of their programs. Critics have highlighted that while both colleges aim to produce qualified physicians, they operate with distinct curricula and philosophies.
Furthermore, a notable percentage of faculty participants articulated dissatisfaction with the transparency surrounding the evaluation process for the One Team, One Health initiative. This has amplified concerns and discontent among the faculty regarding the restructuring plans.
During his tenure, Sousa has played a pivotal role in enhancing the college, having established new public health facilities in Flint and Grand Rapids, and successfully secured $37 million in funding from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, among other initiatives. Under his leadership, the College of Human Medicine has achieved significant financial success, becoming the top MSU college in total research funding.
MSU leadership is confident that the One Team, One Health initiative will enhance educational experiences for students and foster a more unified approach to the university’s medical research endeavors. However, the backlash from faculty raises concerns that achieving these goals may come at the cost of faculty morale and institutional stability.
The council tasked with evaluating the blending of the two colleges is expected to present final recommendations to MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz by late October 2025. As the issues surrounding the restructuring continue to develop, Dean Aron Sousa’s resignation marks a crucial moment in the college’s history as it navigates these significant changes.
Although Sousa described his decision to leave MSU as painful, he acknowledged the college’s educational reach and the innovative contributions of its staff and students in a farewell email, highlighting a period of substantial growth and development for the institution.
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Additional Resources
- The State News: MSU College of Human Medicine Dean Resigns
- Wikipedia: Michigan State University
- Crain’s Grand Rapids: MSU Medical School Dean Named President
- Google Search: MSU College of Human Medicine
- The Flint Courier News: MSU to Cut Ribbon on New College of Human Medicine Building
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Medical Education
- WNEM: MSU College of Human Medicine Ribbon Cutting
- Google News: MSU Human Medicine
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