PREFACE
The College of Veterinary Medicine is an outstanding organization that is effective in all three of its mission areas: teaching, research and Service. The college believes in planning for the future and pursuing excellence. In 2002 we developed a systematic planning process and a performance excellence initiative. These two developments have significantly improved the college's agility and efficiency and produced ever improving value added customer services, organizational learning, and innovation. Our first strategic plan, "Retooling for the 21st Century", outlined seven strategic goals that addressed organizational structure; revenues and budget, infrastructure, facilities, and personnel; homeland security and agroterrorism, teaching and curriculum; and assessment. We have accomplished a significant number of the objectives and goals outlined in the last plan. As we develop future plans we will always have goals that address our mission areas and that contain ongoing and new objectives and action plans.
The college's next five year plan, "Creating Our Destiny in the 21st Century", outlines seven goals involving strategic focus areas:
- Teaching and Curriculum
- Diagnostic and Clinical Services
- Community Outreach
- Communication and Marketing
- Resources and Infrastructure
- Research
- Diversity
Job one is teaching and the college continues to expend the highest proportion of its budget for the support of teaching. Resources will always remain a focus and as state and federal support for higher education continue to remain static or to decline. The college continues to expand its relevancy in a rapidly developing marketplace. The college has included in its new five year plan goals and objectives which address community outreach on a local, regional, national and international level, communication and diversity. The college has already taken a leadership role in providing risk assessment guidelines for potential agroterrorism against agricultural commodities. This role will continue into the next five years and beyond. The college continues to provide community support through multiple outreach services and several learning initiatives. And lastly the college continues to promote and advance diversity in its broadest sense, within the organization.
This executive summary and the college's new strategic plan are intended to convey our commitment to our mission, vision and values.