Strategic Plan

 i.    Explore forming Centers of Excellence with an expectation for revenue generation, possibly including but not limited to:

i.    Hire outstanding, creative researchers with a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences aligned with college and campus priorities

ii.   Support equity, inclusion and career development for everyone

iii.  Actively promote succession planning and development of a diverse pipeline of future researchers to ensure stability in the college’s research efforts

i.   Engage in innovative interdisciplinary projects with other campus units

ii.  Incentivize interdisciplinary research with partners outside the college, including minority-serving institutions, to attract prospective faculty and graduate students

iii. Be recognized as the go-to source for expertise in animal models and diagnostics

iv. Work collaboratively to improve campus-level services and ensure their utility for college researchers

• Biostatistical consulting at Interdisciplinary Health Science Institute
• Technology transfer and approval of research agreements with corporate partners

v.  Enhance equity and inclusion in research outreach activities and expand collaboration opportunities with the veterinary community, practicing veterinarians, producers, community-based non-profit organizations, and state and federal agencies

vi. Strategically place college faculty members on campus-level, national, and international committees

vii. Promote public-private partnerships for translational research

viii. Make clinical trials more available to clients of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and Medical District Veterinary Clinic

i.  Facilitate and reward submission of proposals for grant programs that provide research experience for underrepresented minority and disadvantaged students

ii. Engage house officers in research projects key to their career progression and encourage veterinary student participation in these projects

iii. Revitalize graduate programs to ensure competitiveness for federal training grants

iv. Prioritize and facilitate involvement of research-interested veterinary students in biomedical research and enhance combined-degree program opportunities

v. Develop and require formal instruction for all trainees regarding responsible conduct of research

vi. Train researchers to communicate the importance of their work and findings to the nonscientific community

i.   Expand the scope of education that leads to student and alumni distinction, including certificate programs, master’s degree programs, and research experiences

ii.  Explore development of additional combined degree programs, such as a DVM/MBA program

iii. Make veterinary and graduate education more accessible to students from underrepresented backgrounds

iv. Actively recruit students from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds to research/veterinary programs through research fellowships, clinical days, and volunteer experiences

v.  Incentivize faculty participation in efforts to recruit and retain students from underrepresented groups by recognizing the time and effort in annual activity reports

vi. Reduce resident and non-resident student debt by helping students with financial planning and by increasing scholarships and graduate assistantships

vii. Connect students with services to support quality of life and mental health

i.  Develop educational programming to address critical issues such as food security and animal, human, and ecosystem health in underserved communities

i.  Expand existing and develop new online, hybrid, and in-person signature for-credit and non-credit educational programs to capture the opportunities created by the funded Investment for Growth programs and lessons learned during the college’s response to COVID-19

ii.  Develop a variety of educational opportunities including stackable badge courses, certificates, and degrees that meet workforce needs and promote economic growth locally, nationally, and globally

iii . Leverage campus-wide initiatives to create and participate in multidisciplinary educational programs to tackle the complex problems of society

i. Leverage college strengths in scholarly, educational, and clinical/diagnostic activities in alignment with university priorities by integrating with a broad range of campus stakeholders, including but not limited to the Beckman Institute, the Cancer Center at Illinois, the Center for Digital Agriculture, the Discovery Partners Institute, and the Institute for Genomic Biology

ii.  Engage key external stakeholders by developing novel programs that integrate scholarly, educational, and clinical activities to address threats to animal, human, and ecosystem health

iii. Invest in new facilities, infrastructure, and resources that advance the college’s leadership in conservation medicine and ecosystem health . Leverage expertise in the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory to be a leader in new and emerging molecular diagnostic technologies

iv. Enhance food security by expanding relationships with and services to Illinois livestock producers through the development of novel next-generation sequencing, bioinformatics, and artificial intelligence tools in the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

i.  Explore alternative business organization models for clinical services to facilitate cost control and enhanced operational efficiency

ii. Explore alternative employment models for clinicians to facilitate the recruitment and retention of exceptional personnel in areas critical to long- term growth of caseload and revenue across the portfolio of clinical services

iii. Develop improved communication and data exchange between the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory to benefit our clients and referring veterinarians

i.  Leverage funding sources to support activities that enhance diversity and inclusion

ii.  Ensure open communication and transparency in organizational governance

• Provide opportunities for open dialog about issues in society, the profession, and the college

iii. Expand opportunities for student, faculty, staff and administration training in diversity, equity, and inclusion and recognize training in annual evaluations

• Hold retreats for in-depth exploration of diversity, equity, and inclusion topics
• Require implicit bias training for those serving on the admissions committee, interview teams, and search committees

iv . Expand initiatives in outreach, recruitment, and retention focused on creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive college climate and recognize these activities in annual evaluations

i.  Provide appropriate opportunities to ensure a fulfilling and rewarding professional career for faculty and staff

• Enhance and standardize hiring and onboarding processes to welcome new employees
• Enhance and standardize mentoring and transparency around tenure and promotion
• Implement standardized exit interviews for faculty and staff
• Recognize and address the importance of emotional well-being in the workplace
• Recognize and celebrate the many dimensions of diversity

ii.  Develop a college-wide fundraising plan, in conjunction with the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement, that aligns with college strategic plan goals

• Create endowed chair positions and professorships
• Develop corporate engagement and partner plan for research, student programs, gifts-in-kind, and current-use donations

i.  Develop a comprehensive college-wide marketing and communications plan to support college strategic goals and improve national perception and rankings

• Broadly communicate achievements of the college and its faculty

ii. Facilitate and promote faculty activities that elevate the reputation of the college nationally and internationally
iii. Celebrate and track national/international recognition garnered by college personnel, students, and alumni