CIH Affiliate Faculty & Ambassador Program

six participants in an escape room learning activity

The Center for Interprofessional Health (CIH) Affiliate Faculty & Ambassador Program is an longitudinal professional development program designed to engage UMN faculty, staff, or community-based health professionals who are interested in:

interprofessional teaching
interprofessional practice
interprofessional innovations
and/or faculty-initiated interprofessional research

About the Program

The Affiliate Faculty and Ambassador Program is an investment in professional growth for individuals interested in interprofessional practice and education. Through participation in the program, individuals learn to foster effective collaborations, strengthen contributions to quality patient care, create fun social connections, and build a professional network of interprofessional colleagues across the UMN campuses and in the community.

Timeline and Format

The program runs July - May annually. In July, the in-person workshop facilitates connections among participants, introduces key concepts and lays a strong foundation for the virtual communities. Cohort-based virtual meetings occur September - April and the program concludes in May with an in-person celebration.

What Participants Have Said About Their Experience

“I enjoyed being able to stay connected at a higher level with this program, I feel like I'm developing additional professional skills in ways I cannot do in other areas of my appointment.”
“I love learning from my colleagues that I co-facilitate with. I also learn skills to take away in my interactions with trainees when I'm doing clinical work.”
“I learned valuable teamwork, communication, and collaboration skills from the IPE curriculum. This included understanding diverse roles in healthcare, effective interprofessional communication strategies, and the importance of collaborative problem-solving.”
“A really rewarding and inspiring experience. I'm excited to continue and to recruit more faculty into this "space".”

Questions?

Email us at [email protected].

Affiliate Faculty and Ambassador Program Outline

Position	Year	Program Focus	Expectations
Affiliate Faculty	Year 1	Learning foundational interprofessional principles, becoming knowledgeable about CIH programs and activities, and developing a network of interprofessional colleagues	Approximately 25-30 hours, which includes monthly meetings, as well as direct involvement in interprofessional teaching and facilitation.
Senior Affiliate Faculty	Year 2	Translating foundational interprofessional knowledge into a specific project, continuing engagement with CIH programming, and deepening connections across an interprofessional network	Approximately 25-30 hours, which includes monthly meetings, as well as the opportunity to engage in an interprofessional project or take on more leadership in interprofessional teaching.
Ambassadors	*Year 3+	Implementing an interprofessional project, serving as ambassadors for the program and CIH, and mentoring new affiliates	Approximately 25-30 hours, which includes at least four monthly meetings and mentorship to support Ambassador projects. *Individuals can serve as Ambassadors for multiple years
Ambassador Community of Practice	Year 4+	Serving as an IPE champions within CIH and sharing expertise to support the Affiliate Faculty program and CIH activities	Approximately 5-10 hours/year, which includes quarterly meetings and support of the Affiliate Faculty program.