IIHHS: Collaboration Summit

Can you name the IIHHS program that helps people manage after a stroke? How about the program that did 54 condom demonstrations last year? Which program provides psychological and educational assessments to children with developmental delays?

These are just a few of the questions posed during a Bingo game at the first annual IIHHS Summit held on Aug. 25 at the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences . The event brought together 73 staff from the 26 programs and partners that comprise IIHHS.

Summit attendees learned more about the Institute’s mission of collaboration among its programs and partners, with JMU academics, and with the community.

“This summit’s theme of collaboration is timely, as it’s an emphasis now among other colleges on campus,” said Dr. Sharon Lovell, the dean of CHBS, the college of which IIHHS is an outreach.  

“The College of Health and Behavioral Studies’ mission is to prepare our students to make meaningful contributions to the world,” Dr. Lovell said. “IIHHS plays a key role in that preparation.”
IIHHS’s director, Dr. Rhonda Zingraff, brought home the theme of collaboration in her brief report of the institute’s 2015-2016 year.

From the JMU campus last year, participants in IIHHS programs and partners included: 

• 900 students representing 32 undergraduate and graduate degree programs

• 64 faculty members representing 20 academic disciplines

• 47,716 hours of student engagement in direct services, program assistance, and service learning

• 743 students enrolled in IIHHS workshops and 218 in IIHHS IPE courses

Outreach to the community:

• 24,448 client services or clinical encounters on campus or at community sites

• 18,253 clients served by IIHHS programs

• 250 events coordinated for the community

• Extensive community impact thanks to grant revenues of $6,210,480

Dr. Zingraff talked about the emergence of a “third way” in higher education, of which IIHHS is a frontrunner.

“We’re changing the way we look at the world,” she said. Academics are becoming more “integrative, collaborative, inclusive, and engaged. We’re moving toward a network culture.”

After Dr. Zingraff’s talk, staff members brainstormed ideas in small groups about further collaboration between IIHHS programs and partners, IIHHS and JMU academic departments, and IIHHS and the community.Attendees who won Bingo and door prizes took home travel mugs, canvas tote bags, t-shirts, and other goodies.