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Mission

Our mission is to inclusively educate and train outstanding clinicians and scientists from diverse backgrounds, generate new knowledge, engage stakeholders, and foster economic growth, all of which promote and protect the health and welfare of animals and people.  Simply put, our mission is to Teach, Heal, Discover and Serve.

Vision and Values

We are passionate about defining the future of veterinary medicine to improve animal and human health.

Our shared vision is reflected in our mission and our values statements. These beliefs have guided the strategic planning process and the establishment of our strategies, objectives and goals.  As we move the College of Veterinary Medicine forward, we will seek excellence in all aspects of our mission including teaching, research, service, economic growth, and outreach and engagement.

We define excellence as:

• Training a diverse group of professional leaders who think critically, solve problems, effectively communicate with others, and adapt to the evolving demands of the veterinary profession,
• Creating flexibility in our systems, processes and resources to meet the changing needs of our profession and our constituents,
• Leading the way in One Health through our exceptional collaborations within and across disciplines,
• Maintaining a collegial and inclusive environment that values integrity, accountability and respect for each individual,
• Achieving financial sustainability to thrive in any economic landscape, and
• Creating awareness of the mission of the CVM and building ongoing commitment and loyalty to that mission.
  

Strategic Goals

We have defined four strategic goals encompassing the four components of the College’s mission – Teach, Heal, Discover, and Serve.  Accordingly, each of the strategic goals and accompanying objectives outlines the College’s priorities in each of these areas for the next three years (2020-2023).

In addition to the four strategic goals articulated below, among the overarching goals of the College will be to enhance diversity and promote an atmosphere of inclusion, mutual respect and open expression, and establish and grow programs for faculty, staff and student wellness that promote healthy and sustainable workloads for all members of the CVM community.

Strategic Goal #1: Teach

We are committed to educating those who will help define the future of veterinary medicine: veterinary students, veterinary interns and residents, graduate students, veterinary technicians, veterinary practitioners, and researchers who seek to advance their knowledge and expertise. The teach roadmap for the CVM is informed by an overarching vision for curricula, assessment, and teaching in the CVM that is connected to accreditation criteria, better engages stakeholder perspectives, and promotes healthy and sustainable workloads for all community members.

This vision defines our student outcomes and directs how they will be assessed and reported.

In addition, it outlines mechanisms for departments and service units to enhance curricula and the delivery of course content in the CVM.  To focus efforts on assessment, enhancement, and improvement of established curricula in the CVM, with the exception of initiatives currently underway and approved by the Dean, this process will limit the development of new curricula, certificates, and programs during the next three years.

The teach vision and goals align with principles from the Student Success component of MU’s Strategic Plan. Specifically, they incorporate student engagement and well-being, supporting, recognizing and incentivizing teaching excellence and creating workforce ready graduates.

G1-Objective 1: Continue to improve the overall education experience for all CVM trainees.

Actions:

• Continue to improve curricular content and delivery so that it better aligns with principles of wellness, COE standards, and the results from internal reports including the CVM holistic curriculum review, the simulation lab task force report, and results of a faculty and house officer survey regarding the curriculum.
• Better define holistic CVM student outcomes and plans for their assessment.
• Establish more realistic workloads for students including time for students to engage in dedicated study as well as personal and professional development.
• Provide multiple transparent mechanisms for student involvement and feedback related to improvements in the curricula and teaching delivery.

G1-Objective 2: Emphasize and exemplify a culture that prioritizes, rewards and invests in teaching excellence.

Actions:

• Incentivize, assess, and reward effective teaching connected to plans generated from Mizzou’s Teaching for Learning Center and the Task Force for Enhancing Learning and Teaching (TFELT).
• Establish local programs and promote campus and national/international professional development opportunities for faculty, trainees and staff in matters of education.
• Provide education “onboarding” for new faculty, graduate students, and house officers that utilizes a cohort-based faculty learning community (FLC) with CVM defined goals for orientation and FLC defined goals for intrinsic professional and community development.
• Provide dedicated and protected time for new faculty hires with teaching expectations to complete a required college teaching certificate (or equivalent) in first three years of employment.

G1-Objective 3: Improve resources for teaching, by enhancing the CVM learning infrastructure.

Actions:

• Renovate classrooms for teaching, rounds, and student study across our facilities.
• Establish a new state of the art clinical skills and simulation lab that will support curricular improvements outlined in 1.1.
• Integrate clinical skills and professional skills throughout the curriculum.
• Dedicate or reallocate faculty and staff FTE to curriculum improvement and advancement of innovative, evidence-based teaching methods.

Strategic Goal #2: Heal

We will continue to position the Veterinary Health Center and Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory as leaders in advanced clinical care and diagnostics.  Our services will provide hands-on experiences for teaching and focus our research by identifying clinical and translational problems that warrant further investigation.  We will demonstrate excellence in practice using leading-edge expertise, techniques, and equipment in a manner that is accessible to our clientele.

G2-Objective 1: Invest in people (existing and new hires), technology, equipment, and facilities to meet or exceed accreditation standards and ensure the competitiveness of the VHC and VMDL.

Actions:

• As VHC and VMDL operations evolve, identify opportunities for deliberate growth and expansion taking into consideration our primary mission(s) and balancing those mission(s), while evaluating the potential impact on faculty and staff well-being and the return on further investments in people, technology, equipment and facilities.
• Evaluate areas where deliberate growth and expansion are needed versus areas that should be sustained at the current level or diminished. Adjust staffing (faculty, technicians, and support staff) to meet current and future needs including hiring or reassigning people where needed.
• Evaluate the ratio of non-tenure and tenure track faculty within each service to meet the needs of teaching, research, clinical and diagnostic service, and outreach and engagement.
• Evaluate current and future infrastructure needs, i.e. technology, equipment, and facilities that are needed to sustain current service activities, but also that will be necessary for deliberate growth and expansion of our service operations or to respond to emergent situations.
• Use data-driven approaches to evaluate the success of investments in people, technology, equipment, and facilities.
• Evaluate potential retention strategies for all personnel (see also 2.1 and 2.2 above).
• Enhance existing programs and institute new programs that provide professional development opportunities for personnel (faculty, technicians, and staff). For example, potential expansion of career ladder to all staff or sabbatical or research leave for faculty.
• Continue existing programs and institute new programs that recognize and reward personnel for excellence in clinical and diagnostic services.
• Explore innovative funding mechanisms to offset the cost of professional development activities, e.g. scholarships or grants. Funding could be tied to conditions of employment to facilitate retention.
• Continue to invest in equipment and technologies that advance our clinical and diagnostic capabilities and maintain our competitiveness in the marketplace.
• Continue to develop strategies that allow reinvestment of a portion of clinical and diagnostic revenue into infrastructure, e.g. “plant” accounts.
• Develop a 20-year plan for major equipment and technology purchases with priority given to equipment and technologies that have the greatest ability to impact future revenue, but potentially also meet the needs of our educational and research missions.
• Evaluate technologies that could improve inventory control and clinical and diagnostic case tracking to improve efficiencies and cost recovery in the VHC and VMDL.
• Expansion/replacement of physical facilities.
• Deliberate growth and expansion in the clinical and diagnostic service areas is currently constrained by the size and condition of our physical facilities. Further, some areas will not meet the future requirements from key accrediting bodies (i.e. AVMA, AAVLD) without significant investment. Hence, evaluation of clinical and diagnostic space needs along with expansion of the VHC and replacement of the VMDL are key to the future of our clinical and diagnostic service operations.

G2-Objective 2: Continually enhance patient care, customer service, and accountability among personnel within the VHC and VMDL.

Actions:

• Maintain a culture within the VHC and VMDL that values excellent patient care, customer service and communication among all personnel (faculty, staff, and students).
• Continue to recognize and incentivize examples of excellent patient care, customer service, and communication.
• Provide user-friendly, accessible training opportunities for all personnel aimed at improving communication and clinical skills.
• Continue, and enhance, communication and client interaction training efforts for students, interns, and residents entering clinics.
• Continually improve customer service through assessment of formal and informal stakeholder (e.g. rDVM and client) feedback (e.g. CalPro surveys) and implement corrective action when needed.
• Identify strategies to improve clinical and diagnostic service efficiency and foster accountability within the VHC and VMDL.
• Identify optimal technician/assistant-to-faculty/house officer ratios in each of the service areas to improve efficiency and productivity in the VHC and VMDL.
• Evaluate strategies to improve operational efficiencies within and among clinical and diagnostic services. This should include an analysis of how to optimize case management whilst fulfilling our educational mission.
• Provide career advancement opportunities that allow technicians and staff to take on leadership roles aimed at improving clinical and diagnostic efficiencies.
• Cross-train a complement of staff and technicians so that we have personnel that are available to ensure continuity of services and patient care when short term personnel shortages arise, e.g. vacations and unexpected absences.
• Ensure that expectations of all personnel (i.e. faculty, staff, house officers, fellows, and graduate students) are clearly defined and open and honest performance evaluations are performed according to the requirements of the employee’s position and/or training program. Ensure that course corrections are taken when an individual is not meeting the conditions and expectations of their employment contract.

G2-Objective 3: Effectively manage clinical and diagnostic caseload through marketing efforts and expanded services to support and fulfill the educational, research, and service missions of the VHC and VMDL.

Actions:

• Continually develop relevant marketing strategies that generate awareness of services offered and expertise available to our constituents through the VHC and VMDL.
• Enhance the visibility of faculty and technicians on the frontline of patient care and diagnostic services.
• The VHC and VMDL should have specific staff members dedicated to marketing, outreach, and engagement efforts.
• Evaluate existing marketing strategies and adjust and develop new strategies using data-driven approaches, e.g. media outlets, billboards, social media, internet, coupon programs, face-to-face visits with rDVMs, CE offerings to rDVM and clients, and extension, outreach and engagement activities.
• Evaluate target areas for potential new business development using available data.
• Make faculty and staff aware of marketing efforts.
• Evaluate service areas where deliberate growth and expansion is possible and where investment (i.e. FTE, financial, etc.) is likely to correlate with improvement in caseload and revenue generation.
• Continue to serve local veterinary clinics with 24-hour emergency and critical care services, and seek opportunities for expansion where feasible.
• Evaluate mechanisms to balance referral caseload with routine or teachable caseload.
• Evaluate where deliberate growth an expansion of services is possible and not in direct competition with referring veterinarians. Survey practitioners to determine gaps that need to be serviced, e.g. within our practice radius are there practices that need large animal emergency coverage for parts or all of the year. While current staffing may not allow expansion, if there was a demonstrated need and available clientele, a case could be made for after-hours large animal clinical faculty or staff.
• Explore areas of need within the state that we could potentially provide services to on a part-time basis.
• Leverage our presence in Wentzville, Kansas City, and Springfield to increase services in Columbia, e.g. VMDL sample pick up, shuttle service for animals to Columbia that need care we cannot provide at satellite locations.

G2-Objective 4: Track and balance revenues/expenditures within the VHC and VMDL to allow for improved prioritization and decision making whilst considering our primary mission(s).

Actions:

• Reinstitute a mechanism for tracking revenue and expenditures by service section and revenue collection by faculty member.
• Develop and/or utilize existing tools to accurately provide estimates to clients and referring veterinarians for patient procedures, care, and diagnostics. Provide training and set expectations among all personnel responsible for writing and/or communicating estimates.
• Develop mechanisms to evaluate cost structure relative to income to better define the economic viability of existing services and areas of potential growth while ensuring the financial stability of VHC and VMDL.
• Use available data to evaluate potential areas to focus marketing efforts for expansion of services and new business development (see Objective 4).

G2-Objective 5: Seek new and untapped service, research, and educational ventures to increase revenue for the VHC and VMDL including building collaborations within and outside MU, e.g. Next Generation Precision Health Initiative, Clinical and Translational Science Award One Health Alliance (COHA), and MU School of Medicine.

Actions:

• Identify services that leverage existing infrastructure to build revenue for the VHC and VMDL, e.g. fee for service contract research in food animal, CWD testing in the VMDL, and clinical trials in oncology.
• Market revenue-generating contract research and service opportunities available within the VHC and VMDL.
• Identify educational programs that leverage existing infrastructure and generate revenue but also feed the pipeline for tomorrow’s veterinary professionals, e.g. Veterinary Technician program with Moberly Area Community College.
• Explore mechanisms and opportunities to maximize our service, educational, and research to have a more global reach.
• Advertise our world-class clinical and diagnostic services regionally, nationally, and internationally.
• Explore which services could be expanded to an international audience, e.g. highly specialized diagnostic services.
• Explore public-private partnerships that leverage our infrastructure and expertise.
• Explore online CE offerings that generate notoriety and revenue for the VHC and VMDL.

Strategic Goal #3: Discover

We are committed to expanding knowledge and expertise in veterinary medicine, comparative medicine and translational research to advance animal and human health. We will lead nationally and internationally by positioning the CVM as a premier research entity based on the strengths of our areas of research focus and our research training programs.

G3-Objective 1: Build a strong research environment and provide the tools to support research success.

Actions:

• Invest in the CVM research infrastructure including research laboratory space, animal housing facilities, and personnel (investigators, technicians, and support staff) in order to accommodate, expand and build research programs.
• Facilitate access to information that fosters partnerships and enhances collaborative research opportunities. Examples include access to analytic programs, regular networking events, etc.
• Provide information related to departmental, College, campus, system and federal regulatory processes in an easily accessible location and format.
• Reduce regulatory burdens by streamlining processes. This will be done directly at the college level and through participation of CVM faculty on campus-wide initiatives/committees.
• Building upon existing programs, establish formal peer-mentoring mechanisms in each department to assimilate junior faculty and support them throughout the career/tenure process.
• Provide financial support to assist and sustain promising research programs.
• Provide incentives and reward faculty who demonstrate exemplary research productivity.
• Hire or redefine existing support staff to provide centralized support for grant administration, regulatory compliance and statistical analysis.
• Hire or redefine existing support staff to focus on advancement activities that specifically target research support, endowed chair positions, etc.
• Hire or redefine existing support staff to provide centralized support for clinical trials.
• Hire and support more clinician scientists whose primary focus is research.

G3-Objective 2: Bolster graduate and postdoctoral training programs to benefit trainees and elevate the reputation of CVM research.

 Actions:

• Establish new and support growth of existing professional, graduate, postdoctoral fellowship and dual degree training programs.
• Formally outline and promote guidelines for pursuing a DVM/PhD.
• Develop an umbrella graduate program for the College of Veterinary Medicine. Should include support staff dedicated to training grant support, recruiting and liaising with the graduate school.
• Enhance interactions and networking among all CVM trainees conducting research (veterinary students, graduate students, postdocs, interns and residents) to foster a supportive community and facilitate an environment of success.
• Find mechanisms for financial support to sustain programs such as Phi Zeta / CVM Research Day and the Veterinary Research Scholars Program, which foster introduction of research to veterinary professional students.

G3-Objective 3: Enrich the nationally and internationally ranked research presence of the College.

Actions:

• Identify focused areas of research that incorporate both basic and clinician scientists and build on existing/emerging strengths. Establish collaborative programs centered on these areas of research excellence.
• Highlight the talent of our research scientists and programs at the international, national and state level. This can be accomplished by regularly promoting research accomplishments through various mechanisms such as social media, news outlets, website, etc. and creating a rigorous process for nominating individuals for local, national and international awards and honors.
• Expand our interdisciplinary research environment by facilitating interactions with colleagues on campus, in industry and beyond to support further advances in animal and human health.
• Commit resources (e.g. travel grants) for faculty travel to national/international meetings with the objectives to showcase their work and promote the research reputation of the College.
• Provide resources for and encourage leave opportunities including paid short-term leave and those outlined in the Collective Rules (research leave, development leave, sabbatical).

Strategic Goal #4: Serve

We will increase public and stakeholder awareness through engagement and outreach and develop targeted marketing and advancement strategies to provide additional CVM revenue streams and better serve our internal and external stakeholders.

G4-Objective 1: Strategically and inclusively expand the CVM’s engagement and outreach efforts, first focusing on the needs of Missourians.

Actions:

• Strengthen relationships between the CVM and agricultural commodity groups and organizations, to enhance awareness of the CVM’s impact on Missouri’s agriculture.
• Identify key commodity groups and organizations (e.g., Farm Bureau) which should have an ongoing dialogue with the CVM.
• Ensure communication, engagement, and understanding between the CVM and commodity group representatives.
• Enhance the CVM’s visibility via increased interactions between CVM personnel and its various stakeholders.
• Increase CVM personnel attendance and participation at local, state, regional and national veterinary medical professional organization meetings and conferences.
• Increase CVM personnel attendance at agricultural exhibitions, including the Missouri State Fair.
• Increase CVM personnel participation in local and statewide emergency responses impacting pets and livestock.
• Increase use of telecommunications technologies to enhance the CVM’s interactions with stakeholders when in-person attendance is not possible.
• Provide CVM and personnel with increased opportunities for mentored service learning opportunities in communication, diversity, and inclusion, involving K-12 STEM education.
  • Increase awareness of the role of veterinary medicine in STEM education.
  • Continue the CVM’s Annual Open House, focusing on STEM-related topics and inclusive public engagement.
  • Enhance CVM interactions with youth organizations such as 4-H and FFA.
  • Use telecommunications technology to enhance the CVM’s role in K-12 STEM education throughout the state.

G4-Objective 2: Market the CVM’s unique role in serving Missourians and society.

Actions:

• Support the CVM communications office to ensure coherent media interactions across the CVM, MU Campus, UM System and the CVM’s external stakeholders throughout Missouri.
• Collect and analyze data on the CVM’s economic impact in Missouri and prepare a summary report for key internal and external stakeholders.
• Maintain a productive marketing partnership with organized veterinary medicine and other influential stakeholders with shared goals.

G4-Objective 3: Foster a culture of innovative economic development and entrepreneurship by forming strategic partnerships with industry and other key stakeholders. 

Actions:

• Ensure that a system is in place to reward participating faculty for their entrepreneurial efforts.
• Actively lobby within the University System for more faculty-friendly innovation and commercialization structure and educate CVM faculty on existing and future policies.
• Promote CVM’s multidisciplinary programs for the creation of commercially viable ideas in the areas of biomedical innovation, telemedicine, e-learning, and outreach.
• Identify potential industry partners for the development of mutually beneficial relationships.

G4-Objective 4: Expand philanthropic investment in the CVM to enhance its teach, heal, discovery, and service missions.

Actions:

• Increase the number of personnel within the advancement office.
• Hire and train an additional advancement officer in the VHC to lead early identification and cultivation of major gift prospects.
• Prepare for the expansion of the advancement office with a fourth professional fundraiser in 2-3 years.
• Hire a college-wide event professional who will work closely with advancement.
• Clearly define specific funding priorities, establishing targets for which the CVM can strategically market projects and demonstrate success.
• Establish funding models with prospective funders (private or public).
• Identify internal leaders (individual or committee) for each funding project to collaborate with CVM advancement.
• Create a formula for private funding for VMDL and VHC renovation/construction to complement public funding component.
• Identify prospective donors for the project and develop mechanisms of recognition for donors.