STRATEGIC PLAN: LETTER FROM THE INTERIM DEAN
Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,
I am pleased to share our strategic plan for 2022-2027. This plan was developed collaboratively with faculty, staff, and student input and I am grateful for the thoughtfulness and care that the College of Medicine community put toward thinking about our future.
Since our last strategic plan was implemented, much has been accomplished focusing on key areas: accreditation, curriculum change, and student satisfaction. Most pressing was our need to meet LCME requirements in a very short time period. Because of the hard work of so many our accreditor has granted us continued full accreditation with the next site visit planned for 2026-27. We could not have earned accreditation without the dedication and care of those within our college who worked so hard under very short timelines.
Embarking on the development of this strategic plan, it was of utmost importance that faculty, staff, students and alumni had the opportunity and the voice to contribute to the vision of the College. In that vein, the process of putting together this plan focused heavily on listening to feedback. Constituents had the opportunity to provide feedback through surveys, focus groups, meetings with the Dean, as well as providing comments on drafts of the plan. The end result — a roadmap for next five years that is a culmination of the collaboration across our College with a shared vision for our future and success. I thank everyone who took part in that process.
The planning and pillars and strategic initiatives lay out how we hope to accomplish our future goals — strong communication, investing in our students, faculty staff and alumni, an exceptional educational program, enhanced research and scholarship and continuing to evolve with the changing needs of the healthcare space. The strategic plan provides an outline for action, but we must decide on the deliverables and the measures to accomplish our objectives in a unified manner. And, because the rate of change is unlikely to slow down, we need to be agile. I am committed to collaboration and facilitating these critical discussions in our college so we can move forward together.
Developing the Center for Integrated Primary and Mental Health Care is one of the most significant transformational initiatives our college will undertake. Our Center will offer a unique educational experience and care delivery model by integrating mental health with primary health care. This initiative will demonstrate that we have the expertise and the will to become a leader in medical education and produce physicians who provide a more comprehensive and responsive level of care for their patients.
The College of Medicine prepares exemplary physicians. Our partner institutions report that our students are more compassionate and patient-centered physicians. We have a special niche that distinguishes us from other medical universities. It’s a niche that I’m proud of and want to develop further—together with our faculty, staff and students.
I’m looking forward to working with all of you.
Sincerely,
Eugene Mowad, M.D.
Interim Dean, College of Medicine
