Strategic Plan 2024
The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences is dedicated to improving health in the communities and region we serve. We do this by educating excellent clinicians and scientists, by providing patient centered and high-quality care and by producing nationally recognized research in focused areas. Read more about our mission.
Strategic Plan Draft
As the University has rolled out a new strategic plan, we have been tasked with aligning our COMLS strategic plan with the University’s. Find the list of reimagined goals below, along with priorities for action.
Priority Areas
- Goal 1: Implement Incentive Based Budgeting
- Goal 2: Strategic Faculty Expansion
- Goal 3: Healthcare Partnerships
- Goal 4: Increase Undergraduate & Graduate Enrollment
- Goal 5: Faculty & Staff Success
- Goal 6: Student Success
Reimagined Goals
Goal 1: Ensure Student Success From Recruitment Through Graduation
Priorities for Action
- 1.1 Increase the competitiveness of UToledo undergraduate students who apply and matriculate to COMLS graduate and MD programs.
- 1.2 Enhance the recruitment of competitive residents and fellows into UToledo graduate medical education programs.
- High priority: 1.3 Build the COMLS-housed, credit-bearing undergraduate courses in partnership with existing programs within the university.
- 1.4 Standardize admissions process from recruitment to matriculation across COMLS. High priority
- 1.5 Enhance formal advising and mentoring programs throughout the COMLS to assist in the retention and success of our learners.
- High priority: 1.6 Build sustainable collaborative relationships with local and regional, and national healthcare systems.
- 1.7 Maintain the highest level of accreditation for all COMLS programs through continuous program improvement.
- High priority: 1.8 Improve opportunities for students to engage with specialized academic tracks/concentrations based on areas of strength and uniqueness of COMLS programs.
- High priority: 1.9 Foster a sense of belonging among learners within and across COMLS programs and community partners involved in the education of our learners.
Goal 2: Deliver Relevant and Innovative Programs
Priorities for Action
- 2.1.a Increase faculty development opportunities (e.g., funding for registration, travel for conferences)
- 2.2 Increase marketing of graduate, undergraduate, and certificate programs, enhance web presence, and prioritize recruitment for Radiation Therapy and Neurosciences undergraduate programs
- 2.3 Invest in academic technology
- 2.4 Build our bench in vulnerable programs
- 2.5 Enhance inclusion in COMLS programs
Goal 3: Set the Standard for Health Education and Patient Care
Priorities for Action
- 3.1 Expand UTCOMLS Faculty by recruiting strategically important research and clinical faculty
- 3.2 Increase student: faculty ratio UTCOMLS
- 3.2A Normalize faculty complement of understaffed departments and develop strategic plan for right-sizing, n+2
- 3.2B Increase clinical faculty to achieve adequate teacher/learner ratio
- 3.3 UTCOMLS college faculty nationally or regionally recognized Ohio
- 3.4 Provide faculty with the clinical structure (hospital, clinics, support staff) for efficient and timely processes of clinical care
- 3.5 Expand Primary Care departments and Align COM and clinical practice plans to meet the subspeciality educational needs of learners
Goal 4: Distinguish UToledo Regionally, Nationally and Internationally
Priorities for Action
- 4.1.1 Increase Healthcare Organizations Partnerships to expand the footprint of the
COMLS and increase our impact in the community.
- 4.1.2 Enhance Civic / Government Relations for additional funding pipelines for clinical and biomedical sciences.
- 4.1.3 Raise Awareness of Foundations & Corporate Philanthropy to generate new collaborations.
- 4.1.4 Support and Strengthen Youth Centered Engagement & Pathway Programs to serve Northwest Ohio
- 4.2.1 Medical and graduate student research
- 4.2.2 Faculty Research
- Recruitment/Retention
- Support clinical research
- Encourage collaboration
- 4.2.3 Implement a research incentive carry forward policy
- 4.2.3 Enhance the influence of MRS (regionally)
- 4.3.1 Increase Average Research Dollars per FT Faculty Member
- 4.3.2 – Increase the Residency Directors touchpoints to improve our assessment score
- 4.3.3 -Increase the number of qualified applicants to the COMLS that positively impact national rankings
- 4.4.1 – Increase the touchpoints for prospective students and community members that
showcase our excellence
- 4.4.2 Create a culture of philanthropy to allow increased engagement and philanthropy donations among students, faculty, staff, and graduates
- 4.5.1 Encourage Environmental Sustainability on the HSC by providing new opportunities
to reduce waste
- 4.5.3 Waste / Recycle Prevention
- Focus on improving recycling throughout all of the HSC
Goal 5: Foster a People-Centered Culture
Priorities for Action
- 5.1 Promote a Culture of Respect, Inclusion and Belonging
COMLS Priority: Implement educational, learning, continuing medical education and engagement sessions that promote an inclusive and welcoming climate
- 5.1.a. Create a semi-annual “Language of Inclusion and Respect” seminar series, that promotes a safe space for faculty, staff, and students to interactively discuss challenges and opportunities for fostering a welcoming and supportive culture for everyone in COMLS.
- 5.1.b. Support and implement a communications and marketing strategy that supports belonging, respect, and inclusiveness that reaches all COMLS members, community stakeholders, and partners.
- 5.1.c. Create a COMLS Staff Council (similar to COMLS Faculty Council) that improves communication and allow input and decision making by COMLS staff.
- 5.1.d. Encourage and provide support for Departments/Divisions to hold structured team-building activities/retreats for their faculty and staff.
- 5.1.e. (linked to 5.1.d) Identify areas where multiple Departments, Divisions, and/or UTMC groups can participate in team-building activities to improve communication, create efficiencies, improve patient satisfaction, improve culture, etc.
- 5.1.f. Provide support for leadership, faculty, and staff to be trained in facilitating discussions on inclusiveness, belonging, and respect.
- 5.1.g. (linked to 5.1.f) Promote discussions in every department on inclusion, belonging, and respect, that aligns with the central strategic goal of promoting respect, inclusion, and belonging.
- 5.2.b. Provide formative feedback to leadership regarding the climate of respect,
inclusiveness, and belonging.
- 5.2.c. Build on existing junior faculty mentoring, create mid-career faculty mentoring, staff development sessions, and peer-peer mentoring opportunities.
- 5.2.d. Hold quarterly seminars for faculty and staff on wellness topics, including work-life integration, time management/ getting things done (GTD), and being a working parent.
- 5.3 Provide Opportunities to Connect Students, Faculty and Staff with our Community,
Alumni and Donors
- 5.3.a. Create a semi-annual lecture series featuring alumni or past residents.
- 5.3.d. Hold summer (e.g., May, June, July, August, September) events in UTMC/COMLS courtyard to bring everyone together with farmers’ market booths, food trucks, and local bands either at lunch or at the end of day.
Goal 6: Position UToledo for Future Success Through Financial andOperational Effectiveness
Priorities for Action
- 6.1 Implement and Assess the Incentive-based Budget Model
- 6.1.a Negotiate and set a fixed subvention rate for FY25-28 with The University of Toledo
- 6.1.b Once subvention rates, have been negotiated and set, fully align funding resources with activity levels to increase revenue with the intent to reinvest earnings back to the COMLS.
- 6.1 c Prioritize reinvestment dollars to be used to accomplish goals 1-5 in the UToledo Reimagined Strategic Plan for the COMLS
- 6.2 Strengthen Alumni and Donor Engagement
- 6.2.a Continue to identify, engage and cultivate current students, residents, fellows, alumni and community partners in ways that are meaningful to them.
- 6.2.b Grow COMLS Advancement Team to include the following staff: Campus Communicator, Events Coordinator, Annual Giving Officer, Leadership Annual Giving Officer, Mid-level Giving Specialist, Major Gifts Officer, Sr. Major Gifts Officer and a Principal Gifts Officer.
- 6.2.c Utilize mapping software to identify key locations; locally, regionally, nationally and globally to identify target areas to develop relationships with alumni, donors and key stakeholders.
- 6.3 Increase Fundraising Opportunities and Major Investments
- 6.3.a Cleanse and refresh COMLS Alumni and Donor demographic data
- 6.3.b Create a list of funding opportunities to meet the needs of faculty, staff and students in the COMLS that are listed in sections 1-5.
- 6.3.c Create a Case for Support that aligns with a Comprehensive Fundraising Campaign hosted by the UToledo Foundation. The Case for Support will align with the prioritized list that is created from 6.2.d
- 6.3.d Create boundaries and ensure fidelity of gift officers’ primary roles of qualifying, cultivating, soliciting and stewardship of gifts
- 6.4 Align UToledo’s Physical Footprint with Current and Future Utilization Needs
ONLY LOOKED AT RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC FOOTPRINT – NOT CLINICAL SPACES
- 6.4.a Identify academic classrooms, study spaces and student spaces that need to
be updated and or repurposed to better meet the needs of our learners.
Identify research spaces that need to be updated or repurposed to better meet the needs of our researchers. - 6.4.b Conduct feasibility study to consider building a 26,000 square foot research facility with state of the art equipment and wet-labs, animal research and translational research initiatives.
- 6.4.a Identify academic classrooms, study spaces and student spaces that need to
be updated and or repurposed to better meet the needs of our learners.
- 6.5 Invest in Strategic Capital Improvement Projects
- 6.5.a Bring up to date deferred maintenance of current academic, research and clinical spaces
- 6.5.b Reinvest in Clinical Skills and Simulation Center to ensure we are meeting the future needs of our students
- 6.5.c Reinvest in Research laboratories and core facilities to ensure our research focused faculty, staff and student have proper equipment to remain competitive in their fields.
- 6.6 Increase Sustainable Operations
- 6.6.a Utilize the COMLS strategic plan that mirrors the UToledo Reimagined Strategic Plan to continue to sustain and grow current initiatives in the COMLS. This will be funded by revenue generated by the COMLS.
- 6.6.b Create incentives and opportunities to retain talent and attract talent.