STRATEGIC PLAN: STUDENTS
- Manage the recruitment of underrepresented and minority (URM) students to meet targets established by the University.
The COM has many effective recruitment strategies in place to expand the diversity of the student body. Developing relationships with schools which have a high percentage of URM students should be expanded. - Establish retention rate goals and benchmarks with the objective of improving retention rates for all students with special attention for retaining URM students.
The COM will Compile data from the past that provides as much quantitative and qualitative information as possible about how many and why students leave NEOMED. Compile data going forward which details specific information on students who leave NEOMED. Standardize methods and processes used to collect data about students so information can be input in a consistent format regarding interactions with students. - Create more opportunities for students to practice and enhance their leadership skills.
Create a mechanism that would enable students to identify their leadership objectives so opportunities could be matched to the skills they seek to enhance. - Review academic support and policies regularly as a key part of the exceptional student experience.
The COM needs to place more emphasis on identifying at-risk students before their retention becomes seriously jeopardized. An additional consideration is to review the tactics that are used to mitigate students from performing poorly. - Promote a healthy study/life balance .
The faculty and staff the students interact with are often the most persuasive influencers in their lives which means they are in a position to take a more proactive role in promoting and demonstrating a positive life/study balance. Furthermore, COM needs to structure activities that promote student wellness and provide support to students to help maintain a health study/life balance. - Develop and promote more COM community-building activities among students, faculty, and staff.
Although packed schedules and time constraints will always challenge faculty and staff participation, becoming involved social events helps students feel more connected to the COM in general and helps establish relationships with individual faculty and staff. Many social events are already offered, for example, mocktail events, movie night, book club, welcome back dinners and many other events. Students have indicated that they would like the chance to interact with more faculty and staff from across the University at these types of events. - Develop more opportunities for students to engage in patient-centered care, volunteer service projects, and research opportunities.
Most students are eager to engage in hands-on, real-life experiences. The COM should promote a wider variety of service- oriented opportunities that will give students real-life experiences earlier in their medical school careers that also support the University’s mission of improving the health and quality of life of the communities of Ohio and beyond, including those both diverse and underserved.
