Jill Purcell is one of the newest recipients of the President’s Awards for Exemplary Employees (Champion of Service).
However, the manager of the Learner Well-Being and Success office in the Faculty of Medicine says the honour reflects the collective commitment of her team.
“I came to Memorial in 2007 in the Human Resources department as an advisor,” she said. “I was in that role for 12 years until I started with the Faculty of Medicine in 2019.”
The faculty was undergoing a restructuring of its then-Student Affairs office, and Ms. Purcell found herself having to implement a vision that she had not been involved in creating.
“Not an easy task,” she said.
Proactive learner support
One of her early challenges involved building a team that could shift the new Learner Well-Being and Success office from a reactive model of learner support to a more proactive one.
“I often saw students who came to the office and were struggling,” said Ms. Purcell. “The services we provided helped them feel relief in the moment, but the same concerns would sometimes arise again, creating a cycle that was hard to break.”
She was determined to figure out what was causing it and what skills the learners needed to prevent it from happening.
“The great thing about the office now is that everything runs so smoothly because we have the right people doing the right job.”
That desire influenced her hiring choices, which included learner success consultant Anders Jensen; learner well-being consultant Andrea Keating; wellness navigator Janet Bartlett; events co-ordinator Charlotte Hobden; and intermediate secretary Kayla Wilson.
“I looked at who they were and what skills they had and how we could put those skills to use in this environment,” said Ms. Purcell. “The great thing about the office now is that everything runs so smoothly because we have the right people doing the right job.”
An emotional surprise
Ms. Purcell’s initiatives have extended far beyond the scope of her position.
She has driven recognition initiatives across the faculty, including a kiosk displaying honours and awards and a scholarship wall currently under development, and brought a renewed focus to the creation of a faculty-wide recognition program.
“Anything in the Faculty of Medicine that affects learners is something I stay closely involved in, because I want to ensure their interests are protected.”
Receiving the President’s Award was a welcome and emotional surprise, she says.
“It’s one thing to be nominated, but to actually receive it is something else,” said Ms. Purcell. “It was humbling to think my staff would do that. I was floored . . . I’m still floored.”
