Wichita State University
College of Health Professions
Strategic Plan
I. Excellence
The College of Health Professions will create and sustain a culture of excellence by nurturing, recognizing, and rewarding actions that continually foster improvement, respect, achievement, pride, competency, concern, and communication. To achieve excellence in a changing and competitive environment, the College of Health Professions must continually anticipate the expectations of its constituencies. Internal constituencies - students, faculty, and staff - expect to be valued and respected in a learner-centered culture which rewards excellence and achievement and provides the mentoring and support necessary to each individual. University constituents - university administration, the Board of Regents, the Kansas Legislature, and other coordinating Kansas institutions of higher education - expect that the College
will meet the demand for excellent graduates through effective and cost-efficient operations that meet the larger mission of the University and Regents System. Constituents external to the University - community partners, employers, alumni, donors - expect the College of Health Professions to continually adjust to their changing needs for excellent and competent graduates. They expect leadership in health professions scholarship and problem-solving relevant to our community, and that the College will be a role model for community service. All constituents want to feel pride in the accomplishments of the College and to play a part in the achievement of the College vision of "innovation and excellence in health professions
education to promote a healthy society."
Initiatives
A. Maintain and expand programs of college-wide recognition for faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community partners
B. Achieve recognition of program excellence
C. Foster and sustain a culture of excellence through models developed by the Kansas Award for Excellence and the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award for Excellence in Education
II. Valuing Students
The College of Health Professions will create a culture that values students by supporting learning, enhancing the educational experience, and fostering a climate of respect. Valuing students is a commitment made by the administration, faculty and staff of the College and will be evidenced through continual program improvement, as well as interactions on the individual level. A well-structured learner-centered environment requires a welcoming and caring atmosphere and physical environment that is conducive to learning. It requires technical support and mentoring which allows access to learning resources, available information, and assistance with university services that support the educational process. A climate of respect is fostered through formal and informal interaction between faculty, staff, and students. Learning is encouraged and emphasized as a life-long pursuit.
Initiatives
A. Create a welcoming and caring atmosphere within the College
B. Support student learning through mentoring and technical resources
C. Design the physical environment of Ahlberg Hall to enhance the educational and social experience for students
D. Provide comprehensive advising services and information to current and prospective College of Health Professions students
III. Integrating teaching, scholarship, practice, and service
The College of Health Professions will encourage, support, and reward the integration of scholarship, practice, and service into the learning environment, especially through collaborations and partnerships. The College is unique as it requires the melding of different disciplines and abilities from its faculty to create a learning community. Innovative teaching, inquisitive scholarship, competent practice, and caring service ensure that faculty can create an educational experience for the health professions student to excel in his or her chosen field. Educating exceptional health professionals requires an integrated, interdisciplinary approach, capitalizing on the scholarship of professional practice and service of faculty. Formal faculty development programs and mentoring will provide support for faculty in developing and enhancing skills to support program, department, College, and University mission and goals. The College must create and communicate to faculty clear definitions and expectations of teaching, scholarship, practice, and service. Excellence in teaching, scholarship, practice, and service reflect the core values of the College.
Initiatives
A. Create a culture of excellence in Health Professions Education
B. Create and support formal faculty development and mentoring programs to enhance faculty skills in support of program, department, College, and University mission and goals
C. Increase external funding that supports teaching, scholarship, practice, and service
IV. Partnering
The College will encourage, support, and reward efforts to establish, maintain, and improve partnerships and collaborative efforts within the College, university, and community and across universities. Partnerships are essential to the College of Health Professions. To promote a healthy society requires the collaborative efforts of the College and all its constituents. Resources, talents, and energies combine to create a dynamic relationship between the College and its partners, with all parties gaining mutual benefits and in their ability to serve society. Collaborative scholarship and teaching conducted among programs and departments within the College leads to multi and inter-disciplinary educational experiences for students, greater knowledge and understanding among faculty and staff, and a greater sense of community
within the College. Partnering with other colleges within the university, with other universities, and with the community will facilitate the integration of teaching, scholarship, practice, and service. In the rapidly changing worlds of health care and higher education, building lasting partnerships, and working to nurture them, will enhance the strength of the College for the future.
Initiatives
A. Cultivate partnering opportunities within the College to enhance scholarship, teaching, and service among faculty, programs, and departments
B. Facilitate partnerships within the University and across universities to enhance teaching, scholarship, practice and service
C. Form dynamic relationships between the College and its community partners
V. Recruitment and Retention
The College will attract and retain students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, and community partners that further the college vision, mission, and core values. The recruitment and retention plan should focus on enhancing the quality, quantity, and diversity of these groups.
Students are the lifeblood of the College and of the health professions. A successful student recruitment program attracts, enrolls, retains, and educates the highest quality students possible. As the College moves toward excellence and as it embodies the philosophy of valuing students as its primary focus, recruitment and retention will be enhanced. The specific recruitment efforts of the College will be strengthened by an administration, faculty, and staff that create a learning community which attracts students of all backgrounds.
The College will recruit faculty and staff to support the mission of the college and its departments and to reflect the diversity of society. Specific recruitment efforts will be supported through focused attention on the strategic plan. As the four aspects of education - teaching, scholarship, practice, and service - are brought together, the College will support faculty and staff in their quest to achieve their personal best. As the College becomes noted for its support of faculty and staff excellence, recruiting outstanding faculty and staff will become a strength of the College.
A cornerstone of health professions education is developing strong, enduring relationships with academic and community partners. Recruitment and retention of these partners center on the philosophy that the College must work in concert with these organizations to achieve its own goals while simultaneously becoming a vital force in the realization of the partners. vision for the future. Opportunities for faculty and student research and service as well as sites for student clinical and practicum experiences grow directly from successful affiliations with community partners. As health professions education strives to meet the continually-evolving health care needs of society, the recruitment and retention of academic and
community partners is critical.
The goals and aspirations of the College cannot be achieved without alumni and donor involvement. The development of non-state resources is essential to the strength of the College. Working with the WSU Foundation, the College will recruit new donors, retain and strengthen relationships with existing benefactors, and will reach out to its alumni, motivating and providing them with opportunities to share their time, talent, and money. By valuing students during their educational experience in the College and maintaining communication after graduation, the College will encourage alumni loyalty and involvement in our endeavors.
Initiatives
A. Implement student recruitment and retention programs that attract, enroll, retain, and educate the highest quality students possible
B. Establish faculty and staff recruitment and retention plans that support College, departmental, and program goals while providing opportunities for faculty and staff achievement
C. Initiate and foster relationships with academic and community partners that create opportunities for achievement of College and partners' goals
D. Engage alumni and donors with opportunities to develop lasting relationships with the College
VI. Communication
The College of Health Professions will communicate effectively with its external and internal constituents. To promote a healthy society through health professions education requires communication that educates and informs constituents, partners, and the community about the College and its endeavors. Effective communication can be elusive within institutional environments, but it is essential for the achievement of the College. s initiatives and strategic directions. Through effective and on-going communication, the College and its partners - student, university and community - can share energies, talents, and resources in the pursuit and attainment of individual and institutional goals.
Initiatives
A. Establish a marketing strategy to communicate the College. s vision, mission, core values, and programs to all constituents
B. Foster communication among College departments, programs, faculty, staff, students, and College administration
C. Communicate regularly with prospective, pre-program, undecided, and professional students
D. Communicate regularly and effectively with constituents, partners, and the community