School of Heatlh Professions

School of Health Professions Strategic Plan 2013-17

Goals for Strategic Initiatives

Education Initiative 1
Support quality teaching through enhanced student-centered learning.

  • Identify and incorporate standards for quality teaching into faculty performance evaluations.
  • Provide ongoing professional development opportunities for faculty that focus on educational best practices.
  • Provide tutoring and peer-mentoring for students.
  • Increase the number and diversity of faculty in the School of Health Professions.
  • Review curriculum and identify courses that can be integrated across all disciplines.
  • Develop a common academic calendar that facilitates integrated courses.
  • Improve the professional development component of the curriculum for students.
  • Develop and implement protocol for peer review of classroom teaching.

Education Initiative 2
Enhance educational and clinical experiences for students in South Texas and underserved areas through participation in interprofessional education and service learning activities. 

  • Develop and implement service learning activities and educational initiatives that involve interprofessional health care teams.
  • Expand clinical rotation sites to include additional sites in health professional shortage areas.
  • Expand academic program offerings in South Texas.
  • Collaborate on inter-institutional initiatives and program offerings.

Education Initiative 3
Expand the use of technology in classroom and clinical settings that supports educational best practices.  

  • Continue to expand the use of case-based studies that align with the QEP.
  • Collaborate with the HSC to upgrade all classrooms with technology.
  • Seek extramural funding to support technical upgrades.
  • Provide technology training for faculty and staff.
  • Expand distance education course offerings.
  • Recruit support personnel to support technology advances.

Education Initiative 4
Further develop key academic programs of excellence to attain national stature.

  • Recruit and retain new faculty that are nationally recognized for contributions in their field.
  • Encourage and support faculty participation in leadership positions in nationally recognized professional organizations.
  • Facilitate the scholarship of education among faculty to enhance best practices and to achieve excellence.

 

Education Initiative  5
Increase enrollment in SHP programs that meet the greatest workforce shortages.

  • Identify and monitor workforce shortages and adjust programs accordingly.
  • Expand the PA program to produce more primary care providers.
  • Expand the OT and PT programs.

Research Initiative 1
Increase research and scholarly output by 5% each year.

  • Prioritize key research initiatives.
  • Enhance research collaborations with funded programs in other HSC schools.
  • Successfully complete for extramural funding to support research and scholarly endeavors.
  • Integrate research into clinical and educational practice.
  • Collaborate across the HSC to enhance translational research.

Research Initiative 2
Increase the amount of resources that support the research initiative.

  • Establish a formal research mentoring program to assist faculty with scholarly endeavors.
  • Develop and implement a strategic plan for facilities and space to support research.
  • Recruit faculty for key research initiatives.
  • Recruit staff support for research initiatives.

Health Care & Community Service Initiative 1
Expand health care services.

  • Increase faculty practice plan activities.
  • Increase the number of public health care screenings and referrals.
  • Establish new collaborations among HSC schools to leverage our strength and expertise to benefit the health outcomes.
  • Recruit clinical care faculty and staff to support the key health care initiatives.

Health Care & Community Service Initiative 2
Inform and educate the community on health care issues.

  • Continue to host an annual conference on health care issues in South Texas and the border region.
  • Conduct an annual school-sponsored health care lecture series.
  • Develop a SHP speaker’s bureau that would be available for public speaking engagements.
  • Partner with local businesses and organizations to promote preventive care, healthy lifestyles and healthy workplaces.

 

Growth Initiative 1
Recruit new leadership for the SHP.

  • Recruit the key leadership position of Dean of the School of Health Professions
  • Develop and implement timeline for the recruitment of a dean.
  • Identify resources to support key initiatives.

Growth Initiative 2
Expand and diversify revenue sources.

  • Expand practice plan activity.
  • Increase the number of funded grants and contracts.
  • Increase the number of Continuing Education courses.
  • Increase revenue received through private philanthropy and alumni giving.
  • Establish a Dean's Community Advisory Council.
  • Develop innovative methods to deliver professional continuing education courses for practitioners.

Growth Initiative 3
Streamline and enhance efficiencies of support structures.

  • Formalize the roles and responsibilities of the research, academic and clinical leadership teams.
  • Improve efficiencies of business and administrative processes.
  • Recruit administrative staff to support implementation of initiatives.

Growth Initiative 4
Support faculty and staff growth and development.

  • Develop and implement a pilot project to support and encourage educational pursuits for staff returning to school.
  • Implement a professional development seminar series for staff.
  • Continue to conduct annual performance reviews of all faculty and staff to ensure that professional goals are linked to the HSC Strategic Plan.
  • Expand participation and leadership roles of faculty and staff in their professional associations.
  • Create an incentive plan for staff.

Growth Initiative 5
Invest in and collaborate with alumni.

  • Establish an Alumni Advisory Council.
  • Implement alumni activities to encourage engagement with SHP.