College of Health Professions Strategic Plan
Established in 1997, the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions currently houses the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Department of Physical Education and Sport, Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, School of Rehabilitation and Medical Sciences, and an interdisciplinary Environmental Health and Safety program.
Our dynamic academic environment is characterized by professionalism, compassion, and collaboration. Faculty and staff provide learning opportunities for students aiming for careers in healthcare, wellness, education, or sport management, while also engaging students in research and professional development. The strategic plan prioritizes service, quality, finance, and growth within our college, as well as the well-being of people.
Our mission and vision
Mission: The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions is defined by its positive impact on the health and well-being of society through its faculty, staff, students, and alumni.
Vision: The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions will be nationally recognized for the development of competent professionals, contributing to the well-being of society.
Our strategic priorities
To fulfill our mission, our strategic plan is built around five key priorities
- Priority 1: Promote the health and well-being of faculty, staff, and students
- Priority 2: Provide community engagement and educational opportunities that promote health professions
- Priority 3: Deliver high-quality health professions programs
- Priority 4: Capitalize on growth opportunities while promoting financial sustainability
- Priority 5: Implement a strategic planning team to execute the college's priorities
Priority 1: Promote the health and well-being of faculty, staff, and students
Objective 1: Promote wellness opportunities
- SMART Goal 1: By May 2027, evaluate and share faculty and staff job satisfaction.
- SMART Goal 2: By December 2027, promote events and resources that foster several dimensions of health and well-being based on college feedback.
Objective 2: Champion a sense of belonging and pride for faculty, staff, students, and alumni.
- SMART Goal 1: By May 2026, launch a "Fire Up for CHP" campaign and host networking events to foster our sense of community and strengthen connections within the college.
- SMART Goal 2: By May 2026, engage in three recruitment efforts to promote health professions.
- SMART Goal 3: By May 2026, showcase current faculty, staff, students, and alumni for their excellence in health professions.
Priority 2: Provide community engagement and educational opportunities that promote health professions
Objective 1: Enhance community engagement efforts in collaboration with the Community Engagement Committee.
- SMART Goal 1: By May 2026, document a baseline number of community engagement activities.
- SMART Goal 2: By May 2026, increase awareness and participation in nominating process for community engagement awards.
- SMART Goal 3: By May 2026, increase membership in the Community Engagement Committee.
Objective 2: Promote quality instruction and lifelong learning.
- SMART Goal 1: By May 2026, promote use of available resources (e.g., Center for Instructional Support [CIS], College Curriculum Committee) to further enhance quality course instruction and service learning.
- SMART Goal 2: By May 2027, identify learning opportunities (e.g., online space, competency area) that meet existing and/or future needs of healthcare professionals.
Priority 3: Deliver high quality health professions programs
Objective 1: Identify areas of student success as a metric of program quality.
- SMART Goal 1: By May 2026, document student success (e.g., graduation rates, professional certification and/or licensure examination pass rates, and employment rates).
Objective 2: Ensure facilities are equipped with operational and relevant technology.
- SMART Goal 1: By December 2026, locate, conduct inspections (if needed), and report status of departmental technology on an annual basis to determine utility and life-cycle stage of owned equipment and new equipment acquisition needs.
- SMART Goal 2: By December 2026, establish an annual process to track applications for internal and external financial resources to support technology acquisition and maintenance.
Objective 3: Expand online presence to improve program visibility.
- SMART Goal 1: By August 2026, establish a process to ensure programs, faculty and staff webpages are reviewed and up to date.
- SMART Goal 2: By May 2028, establish a process to ensure content creator(s) for the College is notified of noteworthy accomplishments to promote via CMU News, website, or social media platforms.
Priority 4: Capitalize on growth opportunities while promoting financial sustainability
Objective 1: Increased engagement with the University Advancement Division.
- SMART Goal 1: By May 2027, enhance collaboration for strategic fundraising efforts.
Objective 2: Increase recruitment and retention efforts.
- SMART Goal 1: By May 2027, identify and track current activities to promote recruitment and retention (e.g., Student Services).
- SMART Goal 2: By December 2027, assess retention trends for faculty and staff.
Objective 3: Explore opportunities to increase revenue streams that support programs.
- SMART Goal 1: By December 2026, create a list of new opportunities to generate revenue.
- SMART Goal 2: By December 2028, increase awareness of available resources (e.g., funds, technology, campus organizations, and expertise) to improve overall efficiency.
Objective 4: Promote professional development opportunities and increase scholarly and creative contributions.
- SMART Goal 1: Be December 2026, create a system to share professional development opportunities that support faculty, staff, and students.
- SMART Goal 2: By May 2026, develop and implement a plan in collaboration with the CHP Research Committee to increase scholarly and creative activities (e.g., professional presentations, manuscripts, and external funding submissions [e.g., grants, contracts, and patents]).
Priority 5: Implement a strategic planning team to execute the college's priorities.
Objective 1: Recognize the strategic plan as the guide to our college's progress.
- SMART Goal 1: By December 2026, establish a College of Health Professions Strategic Planning Team (CHPSPT) to promote, evaluate, and disseminate SMART Goal progress.
- SMART Goal 2: By December 2026, document baseline SMART Goals data.
- SMART Goal 3: By December 2026, establish an annual process for evaluating and revising SMART Goals as necessary.
