Strategic Plan

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The College of Veterinary Medicine is an outstanding organization that is effective in all three of its mission areas: teaching, research and service.

We are committed to creating and delivering high quality educational instruction for veterinary and graduate degree-seeking students, interns, residents, and graduate veterinarians; to providing exceptional healthcare; to treating clients and referring veterinarians with respect and dignity; and, to discovering and sharing new knowledge broadly for the benefit of animals, people, and the environment.

It is essential that our College remain fully accredited by the AVMA Council on Education and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. We have framed our strategic plan around guiding standards associated with the accreditation of our DVM, MS, and PhD degree granting programs, and have included elements essential to the personal and professional growth of our people.

2015-2022 Strategic Plan Goals

  1. Standard 1, Organization
    1. Goal 1.1: Ensure the college organizational structure and guiding policies are aligned to advance our teaching, research, and service missions.
  2. Standard 2, Finances
    1. Goal 2.1: Ensure finances are adequate to sustain the college educational programs and mission.
  3. Standard 3, Physical Facilities and Equipment
    1. Goal 3.1: Ensure the college and hospital facilities provide an appropriate learning and working environment.
    1. Goal 3.2: Ensure the faculty and staff offices, and our research laboratories are sufficient for the needs of the faculty and staff.
    1. Goal 3.3: Ensure our hospital, diagnostic laboratories, and research equipment are appropriate to meet the teaching, research, and service needs of the faculty and staff.
  4. Standard 4, Clinical Resources
  5. Goal 4.1: Ensure the Veterinary Medical Center and Diagnostic Laboratories provide its patients, clients, referring veterinarians, and other stake-holders exceptional animal healthcare and service.
    1. Goal 4.2: Provide exceptional personal and professional service to our clients and referring veterinarians.
    1. Goal 4.3: Provide an exceptional clinical education program.
    1. Goal 4.4: Create a work environment that promotes a balance of work, professional growth, and personal wellbeing.
    1. Goal 4.5: Ensure normal and diseased animals of various domestic and exotic species are available for instructional purposes. It is essential that a diverse and sufficient number of surgical and medical patients be available for students’ clinical educational experiences.
  6. Standard 5, Library and Informational Resources
    1. Goal 5.1: Ensure faculty, staff, and students have timely access to informational resources and information professionals to allow effective veterinary medical education, research, public service, and continuing education.
  7. Standard 6, Students
    1. Goal 6.1: Ensure existing internships, residencies, and graduate-degree programs complement and strengthen the professional DVM degree program.
    1. Goal 6.2: Ensure student services are available to support student wellness and to assist in meeting academic and personal challenges of the DVM program.
    1. Goal 6.3: Ensure clear and current information is posted and available for prospective students. Print catalog or electronic information must state the purpose and goals of the program, provide admission requirements and procedures, state degree requirements, present faculty descriptions, clearly state information on tuition and fees along with procedures for withdrawal, give necessary information for financial aid programs, and provide an accurate academic calendar. Must include information for national and state licensure requirements.
    1. Goal 6.4: Consider expansion of hospital workforce to enhance patient care and student learning.
    1. Goal 6.5: Consider adding a veterinary technician program.
  8. Standard 7, Admissions
    1. Goal 7.1: Ensure the college has a well-defined and officially stated admissions policy that includes factors other than academic achievement in consideration of admission.
    1. Goal 7.2: Ensure the required pre-veterinary education provides a broad-base upon which the professional curriculum is built, leading to lifelong learning with continued professional and personal development.
    1. Goal 7.3: Develop a recruitment plan that helps ensure a diverse and qualified applicant pool.
    1. Goal 7.4: Develop a set of validated admissions committee training material that can be delivered by secure web-based training modules.
  9. Standard 8, Faculty & Staff
    1. Goal 8.1: Ensure faculty and staff numbers, qualifications, and scholarly excellence are sufficient to deliver the educational programs and fulfill the college mission.
    1. Goal 8.2: Increase faculty engagement in essential college activities.
    1. Goal 8.3: Work to maintain/further enhance faculty and staff collegiality and morale.
  10. Standard 9, Curriculum
    1. Goal 9.1: Ensure sufficient flexibility in curriculum planning and management to facilitate timely revisions in response to emerging issues and advancements in knowledge and technology.
    1. Goal 9.2: Create an educational environment that balances professional and personal growth, where all veterinary and graduate students, interns, and residents are provided the resources and support to reach their maximum potential.
    1. Goal 9.3: Create DVM-MPH and DVM-PhD dual degree programs.
    1. Goal 9.4: Improve DVM student education in Public Health, Public Practice, and Outreach.
    1. Goal 9.5: Ensure NAVLE first- and second-attempt pass rates remain above the national average.
  11. Standard 10, Research Programs and Scholarly Information Dissemination
    1. Goal 10.1: Develop and advance basic, clinical, and translational research for the betterment of animal and human health.
    1. Goal 10.2: Expand research training.
  12. Standard 11, Outcomes Assessment
    1. Goal 11.1: Integrate assessment and curricular goals to ensure better use of existing data and identify additional data needs.
    1. Goal 11.2: Ensure effective measurement and analysis of veterinary student basic science and clinical knowledge, skills, and values believed necessary to provide entry-level veterinary healthcare.
  13. Other Considerations
    1. Goal 12.1: Respect and embrace individual diversity and promote a college-wide culture of teamwork and appreciation.
    1. Goal 12.2: Share our knowledge and expertise broadly, improving the health and well-being of animals and people in Tennessee.

This executive summary and the college’s strategic plan are intended to convey our commitment to our mission, vision and values.Â