WesternU
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Office of the Provost
Office of the Provost
Message from the Provost
WesternU is built on a simple but powerful belief: academic excellence thrives when it is guided by purpose, strengthened through collaboration, and sustained over time. The Office of the Provost exists to support this shared work by partnering with colleges, deans, faculty, staff, and students to advance learning, scholarship, and academic leadership across our campuses.
Our role is to help bring vision to life. By connecting priorities, policies, processes, and data, we support strong programs, uphold high standards, and prepare future health professionals to lead with competence and compassion in a complex and evolving world.
We share the responsibility for student success, invest in faculty excellence together, and uphold commitments to accreditation, governance, and continuous improvement as a community. Through thoughtful academic planning and collaborative program development, we create an environment where teaching and learning can thrive, and where innovation and growth are guided by purpose and sustainability.
Beyond our campus, WesternU’s academic mission extends into the communities, professions, and lives our graduates will serve. We prepare graduates who are not only ready for professional practice but also grounded in purpose and committed to making a meaningful, lasting contribution.
This is the work of our academic community. By providing enduring education and prioritizing relationships, we create impact that lasts a lifetime. The Office of the Provost is honored to support this mission, today and for life.
Our role is to help bring vision to life. By connecting priorities, policies, processes, and data, we support strong programs, uphold high standards, and prepare future health professionals to lead with competence and compassion in a complex and evolving world.
We share the responsibility for student success, invest in faculty excellence together, and uphold commitments to accreditation, governance, and continuous improvement as a community. Through thoughtful academic planning and collaborative program development, we create an environment where teaching and learning can thrive, and where innovation and growth are guided by purpose and sustainability.
Beyond our campus, WesternU’s academic mission extends into the communities, professions, and lives our graduates will serve. We prepare graduates who are not only ready for professional practice but also grounded in purpose and committed to making a meaningful, lasting contribution.
This is the work of our academic community. By providing enduring education and prioritizing relationships, we create impact that lasts a lifetime. The Office of the Provost is honored to support this mission, today and for life.
Office of the Provost
The Office of the Provost supports the academic heart of the University and the engine that brings our shared purpose to life. As the chief academic office, we take pride in the educational quality, academic integrity, student success, faculty excellence, and the strength of our accreditation across every college and program. This allows us to care for what matters most: our graduates and their future patients.
Academic leadership at WesternU is collaborative by design. Deans serve as the primary academic leaders of their colleges, while the Office of the Provost provides shared infrastructure to support innovation, compliance, and excellence.
Our work brings vision into action—connecting strategy, governance, data, and daily academic practice to support meaningful learning and lasting impact. Grounded in purpose and accountability, we are committed to continuous improvement and to upholding academic excellence as a shared promise to our students, our graduates, and the communities they will serve throughout their lives.
Academic leadership at WesternU is collaborative by design. Deans serve as the primary academic leaders of their colleges, while the Office of the Provost provides shared infrastructure to support innovation, compliance, and excellence.
Our work brings vision into action—connecting strategy, governance, data, and daily academic practice to support meaningful learning and lasting impact. Grounded in purpose and accountability, we are committed to continuous improvement and to upholding academic excellence as a shared promise to our students, our graduates, and the communities they will serve throughout their lives.
WesternU Names Dr. Heather Phipps COMP-Northwest Site Dean
Western University of Health Sciences has selected Heather Phipps, DO, MBA, as Site Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific-Northwest (COMP-Northwest), effective August 18, 2025. “We’re incredibly excited to welcome Dr. Heather Phipps as the new Site Dean for COMP-Northwest,” said COMP and COMP-Northwest Dean Lisa Warren, DO ’01, MBA. “She brings not only a wealth of leadership and clinical experience, but also a deep commitment to working in partnership with our students, faculty, and the broader community.
WesternU College of Dental Medicine Awards Delta Dental Community Care Foundation Scholarships
Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Dental Medicine recently awarded four students with the Delta Dental Endowed Scholarship for Opportunity. CDM received a $1 million grant from the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of California and affiliates, to launch the Delta Dental Endowed Scholarships for Opportunity program.
America’s Shortage of Veterinarians Veterinary Medicine Students Profiled in L.A. Times Article
California faces a shortage of professional veterinarians, partly due to high turnover rate in the field and a surge in pet ownership spurred by the pandemic. More than 344,000 shelter animals in California do not have adequate access to veterinary care staff. Across the state, about 60% of shelters say they have unfilled veterinarian positions. Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Veterinary Medicine is one of only two accredited veterinary colleges in California.
WesternU Among Best Medical Schools Makes U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Rankings
For the second consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report has named Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP) and COMP-Northwest as a Tier 1 institution for primary care training. WesternU could not be more proud of its faculty, administration, staff and students for this incredible achievement. This is affirmation of our commitment to creating healthy communities. Notable rankings:
• Tier 1 – Best Medical Schools: Primary Care
• #6 – Most Graduates Practicing in Primary Care
• Tier 1 – Best Medical Schools: Primary Care
• #6 – Most Graduates Practicing in Primary Care
Welcome Dean Evans Grayson College of Health Sciences
“The College of Health Sciences is well-positioned to build on its success through interprofessional education, program innovation, and community partnership,” said WesternU Provost and Chief Academic Officer Paula M. Crone, DO ’92. “We are excited about what lies ahead and confident that Dr. Evans Grayson’s leadership will continue to elevate CHS and WesternU as a whole.”
New Innovative PharmD-MBA Pathway Program WesternU Partners With Cal Poly Pomona
Cal Poly Pomona’s Singelyn Graduate School of Business (CPP SGSB) and the College of Pharmacy (COP) at Western University of Health Sciences (WesternU) are proud to announce an exciting new partnership to launch the dual assurance PharmD-MBA Program.
