Community wellbeing is one of the four School of Business key strategic initiatives

The School of Business’ new strategic plan for the years 2021-2024 includes four new key strategic initiatives. They have been set to ensure that the School meets the ambitious goals set out in the new strategy. The key strategic initiatives are fully in line with the Aalto University living strategy for the same period but emphasize those priorities that are particularly relevant for the School of Business.

HR Manager Eliisa Lassila and Marcus Wallenberg Professor of International Business Rebecca Piekkari lead the actions within the strategic initiative Community wellbeing. According to them, there are both short and longer-term plans that aim at enhancing the wellbeing of the School’s students, faculty, and staff.

‘The first action will be supporting a hybrid working mode, not only during the corona restrictions but also looking forward to a new normal. Aalto HR is preparing new support material for hybrid working, and related wellbeing conversations will be included in the My Dialogue discussions of every employee,’ Eliisa Lassila explains.

Students who have already studied remotely for almost a year have not been forgotten either.

‘Community wellbeing is based on an inclusive learning environment and students with different backgrounds are equally welcome to our community. Inclusivity is really at the heart of this initiative and, as we see it, it also contributes to better learning outcomes. This is crucial especially now with the pandemic,’ Rebecca Piekkari says.

‘At the moment, we advise professors to build in some slack into their course outlines so that there would be time for students to interact socially both with other students and faculty. We also recommend that professors would come up with alternative ways of passing a course or assignments, given the stressful situation that the students are facing.’

In the School of Business strategic plan, this initiative is described in the following way:

We care for the mental and physical wellbeing of our students, faculty, and staff. We enhance diversity and inclusion as well as a sense of community and a sense of place – both physical and virtual – among our members. Our belief is that community wellbeing is founded on good leadership at all levels.

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The four new strategic initiatives are:

• Educational renewal with life-wide learning
• Cutting-edge research and infrastructure
• Community wellbeing
• Sustainability