University of Iowa College of Dentistry
Strategic Plan - 2015-2020

Core Values, Goals and Strategies

Strategic Plan 2015-2020 (pdf)

Mission

To educate dentists for Iowa and beyond through excellence in patient care, education, and research.

Vision

To be an invaluable resource to Iowa and to influence the direction of dentistry in this country and around the world.

Core Values

 The College of Dentistry is committed to the University’s core values:
 Excellence – Learning – Community – Diversity – Integrity – Respect – Responsibility.

Goal 1:   Provide the highest quality education to prepare our graduates to deliver general dental care in a changing environment in Iowa and beyond.
Strategy

1A: Use collegiate educational outcomes to shape our predoctoral curriculum:

  • Develop core knowledge in the basic and clinical dental sciences.
  • Ensure technical excellence in a core of dental/oral patient procedures.
  • Apply critical thinking skills and evidence-based practice in patient care.
  • Instill ethical and professional values.
  • Develop basic dental practice management skills.
  • Develop social responsibility awareness.
  1B: Recruit and retain high caliber students to include representative diversity in gender, ethnicity, culture and socioeconomic status.
  1C: Provide and coordinate educational and patient care experiences appropriate for developing contemporary practice skills.
  1D: Foster self-directed, life-long learning.
  1E: Sensitize students to societal oral health needs through experiences with diverse and underserved populations.
  1F: Incorporate contemporary educational technology and methodology.
  1G: Provide research and leadership opportunities for students.
  1H: Provide state-of-the-art clinical and preclinical facilities.
  1I: Develop educational programs that will be recognized as national models and publish articles in peer-reviewed journals about outcomes from our educational programs.
  1J: Assess programs continuously using measures that require faculty, students and alumni to reflect on educational experiences.
  1K: Expand interprofessional education opportunities and solicit input into curricular planning from other institutions and University of Iowa colleges.  
   

Goal 2:   Maintain nationally recognized advanced educational programs in all dental specialties and selected clinical disciplines.
Strategy 2A: Recruit students who will meet the needs for specialty care in Iowa and beyond.
  2B: Provide appropriate research, professional experiences and mentorship for academic careers.
  2C: Encourage faculty to pursue national leadership roles in the specialties, selected clinical disciplines and in councils of patient care policy and standards.
   

Goal 3:  Advance research and scholarship in oral, craniofacial, and general health as well as in public health and health services research.
Strategy 3A: Support and encourage scholarly pursuits for all collegiate faculty.
  3B: Maintain a critical mass of funded faculty to reinforce a selected number of thematic areas.
  3C: Pursue extramural funding through NIH and other federal sources; industrial/ corporate partnerships; and state and private foundations.  Align with NIH/NIDCR missions.
  3D: Provide state-of-the-art core research facilities.
  3E: Develop a reward system commensurate with research productivity.
  3F: Pursue basic, clinical and translational research collaborations.
  3G: Establish a campus-wide, interdisciplinary research presence.
  3H:  Redefine and strengthen clinical research including clinical research subject recruitment.
   
Goal 4:  Maintain an effective patient care program to meet the needs and expectations of our patients.
Strategy 4A: Ensure that collegiate standards of patient care guide treatment planning and patient management.  Communicate and coordinate those patient care standards that are department-specific.
  4B: Deliver care in a timely manner using established criteria. Streamline patient entry into the College.
  4C: Embrace and implement a service excellence model.
  4D: Coordinate patient care with our curricular needs and across departments.
  4E: Incorporate advanced technologies in patient care services. 
  4F: Provide oral health literacy through all stages of life as related to caries as a disease and its management.
   
Goal 5:  Recruit, nurture and retain a vital, productive, and collegial faculty by fostering the essential balance of research intensive scholars, clinical scholars and teacher clinicians.
Strategy  5A: Enhance mentoring and professional development opportunities for faculty to utilize a scholarly approach to teaching, research, and patient care as well as to prepare them for administrative and leadership opportunities.
  5B: Develop strategies for enhancing satisfaction with faculty life.
  5C: Increase the proportion of new faculty appointed to the tenure track to enhance collegiate contributions to scholarship.
  5D: Pursue endowed professorships/chairs to recruit and retain senior faculty.
  5E: Provide research design, statistical, writing and grant submission support for faculty.
  5F: Actively mentor junior faculty so that they are prepared for promotion and tenure as well as to assume leadership roles within the College.
   
Goal 6:  Provide a productive and supportive work and learning environment.
Strategy 6A: Recruit, retain, and nurture a vital, diverse, and collegial staff.
  6B: Maintain infrastructure improvements and continue to advance sustainability.
  6C: Provide opportunities for professional development for faculty and staff.
  6D: Improve effectiveness and efficiency of administrative processes.
  6E: Recognize the achievements of faculty, staff, students and collegiate units.
  6F: Pursue additional funding streams consistent with our mission.
  6G: Cross-train staff in key areas to maintain coverage especially during times of transition.
  6H: Initiate creative loan repayment strategies for those who have an interest in entering academia.
   
Goal 7:  Serve as a resource to the University, the state, and the profession.
Strategy 7A: Provide leadership to identify policies and strategies to serve the needs of underserved populations in the state.  Position the College as a key part of the tertiary care system for complex health needs and a key part of the dental safety net for the underserved populations of the state.
  7B: Provide national and international leadership in the dental specialties, in oral health, in research and in dental education.
  7C: Provide innovative continuing education by focusing on the needs of professionals in the state.
  7D: Raise public awareness about the excellent treatment provided patients by the College.
  7E: Pursue opportunities to participate in University shared governance, policy development, and appointments and reviews.
  7F: Cooperate with community colleges to enhance educational opportunities in the allied oral health professions.
  7G: Continue to serve the state of Iowa with outreach activities.
  7H: Facilitate Iowa practice opportunities.
  7I:  Help eradicate dental caries in the United States through the promotion of science-based disease management.To educate dentists for Iowa and beyond through excellence in patient care, education, and research.