Dr. Wandinger-Ness also wondered if the goal was to facilitate collaboration that once or twice a year is inadequate. Perhaps something like a monthly dinner or some other regular activity would cultivate a culture of collaboration. Dr. Omdahl remarked that in the past the Council had discussed how to improve relationships between clinical and research faculty. Perhaps it is time to revisit this topic. Dr. Wheeler expressed concern that the research retreat mechanism was prone to exclusiveness.
Many researchers never have an opportunity to participate.
The discussion that followed mentioned that there was an open invitation to all faculty. The discussion ended with no clear resolution. Dr. Moseley is interested in developing a database that will allow him to better understand SOM research and potential collaborations. The database will be a tool that will be available to faculty once it is implemented. Dr. Shipp-Buchanan and Lee Gulbransen are currently working on creating a web interface for the Controllers database.