University of Iowa College of Dentistry
Strategic Plan 2020 - 2025

Core Values, Goals and Strategies

Strategic Plan 2020-2025 (pdf)

Mission

To advance oral health for the people of Iowa and beyond through education, research, and person-centered care.

Core Values

 The College of Dentistry is committed to the University’s core values:
 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Student Success, Research and Discovery, Engagement

STUDENT SUCCESS VISION: Create an environment for students to succeed that encompasses a contemporary curriculum intentionally balanced to promote student well-being while grounded in exceptional educational and clinical experiences that prepares students to become compassionate healthcare providers and team members. Be a national leader in teaching and learning as indicated through peer reviewed models, invited presentations, and national review panels.  
 
Goal #1:  Provide a dynamic, evolving contemporary curriculum that prepares students to be practice and future ready.
Strategy:  We can meet our student success goal #1 if we develop an intentional, coordinated, integrated curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking and evolving areas such as digital dentistry so students are more adaptive and equipped for placement.
 
Goal #2:  Provide transformative educational experiences and support that enables students to grow personally and professionally.
Strategy:  We can meet our student success goal #2 if we have dedicated space in the curriculum for growth opportunities.
 
Goal #3:  Prepare students to become impactful and effective leaders and team members that emphasize person-centered care
Strategy:  We can meet our student success goal #3 if we develop and provide students with intentional and relevant experiences that build healthcare leadership and team skills that enable them to provide person-centered care (PCC).
 
 
 
RESEARCH AND DISCOVERY VISION: To be a globally recognized leader in oral, craniofacial and related research
 
Goal #1: Increase research capacity to pursue oral, craniofacial and related research.
Strategy: We can meet our goal #1, by providing supportive and collaborative environment for researchers to increase grant submissions and grant success rate.
 
Goal #2: Recruit and retain tenure track and/or tenured faculty members.
Strategy: We can meet our goal #2, by providing competitive salary and incentives for researchers
 
Goal #3: Increase clinical and translational research output.
Strategy: We can meet our goal #3, by enhancing the interactions between researchers and clinicians.
 
Goal #4: Foster training of future researchers and academic workforce.
Strategy: We can meet our goal #4, by developing newer training programs and strengthening existing programs that will facilitate effective development of future academic workforce.
 
Goal #5: To be a leader in big data, machine learning and scholarship involving digital dentistry.
Strategy: We can meet our goal #5, by enhancing the interactions between clinicians and researchers in big data and allocate resources to collaborative projects that come out of such interactions.
 
Goal #6: To increase dissemination of research findings.
Strategy: We can meet our goal #6, by creating a culture that value scholarship and dissemination of research findings.
 
 
 
ENGAGEMENT VISION:  Sustain and enhance our educational, research, and clinical missions to prepare leaders in oral health through engagement. Provide excellent oral healthcare in an innovative, multidisciplinary, and person-centered model while embracing proven technologies to advance oral health. Serve as an oral health advocate for all citizens in the state, nation, and world through actively engaging faculty, staff, alumni, friends, and other key stakeholders to improve the oral health of the public.
 
Goal #1: Promoting and Advocating Oral Health
Strategy: We can meet our engagement goal 1 if we are actively involved in local, state, and national levels as Oral Health Advocates
 
Goal #2: Provide Excellent Person-Centered Oral Health Care
Strategy: We can meet our engagement goal 2 if we focus on person-centered care
 
Goal #3: Provide a Productive and Supportive Work Environment with-in the College of Dentistry
Strategy: We can meet our engagement goal 3 if we improve faculty retention and provide professional development
 
Goal #4: Engaging Alumni, Friends, and other Key Stakeholders
Strategy: We can meet our engagement goal 4 if we actively and continuously engage alumni and friends.
 
 
 
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION VISION:  To create an environment that promotes and supports the diversity of our students, staff, faculty, and community through equitable access and intentional inclusion
 
Goal #1: Create and sustain an inclusive and equitable environment in the College of Dentistry
Strategy: We can meet Goal #1 if we provide on-going support for DEI-related programs, events, media promotion, and training sessions.
 
Goal #2: Recruit, retain, and advance a diverse community of faculty, staff, and students
Strategy: We can meet Goal #2 if we implement research-based strategies to improve acceptance rate and timely graduation of diverse students and adequate training to recruit, retain and advance a diverse community
 
Goal #3: Enhance College-wide diversity, equity, and inclusion accountability and effectiveness
Strategy: We can meet Goal #3 if we evaluate existing strategies and policies, identify and address gaps related to DEI.