Mission

• Educates and develops skilled veterinarians for a lifetime of investigation, innovation, and care and protection of animal health;
• Discovers and disseminates knowledge concerning health and disease mechanisms of biomedical and veterinary medical importance;
• Creates and utilizes effective methods for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of animal diseases and those transmissible to humans; and
• Provides a state-of-the-art veterinary medical resource center that serves the citizens of Oklahoma, the nation, and the world.

Vision

• Become the Oklahoma State Center for Veterinary Health Sciences;
• Be ranked among the top 15 veterinary colleges in the United States;
• Be continually commitment to educating students to become balanced, knowledgeable, capable, and respected veterinarians who are life-long learners in their chosen fields;
• Become an international leader for innovative biomedical as well as basic and clinical veterinary research;
• Be committed to the training and education of the next generation of scientists, teachers, and clinical specialists;
• Develop a modern regional referral center for clinical veterinary medicine;
• Stand as the sentinel for animal disease and protection in Oklahoma and regionally;
• Recruit, develop, and retain highly motivated, well-trained, diverse faculty and staff;
• Foster an environment of professionalism, cooperation, tolerance, optimism and enthusiasm;
• Provide technologically advanced support for teaching, research, diagnosis, and treatment; and
• Continue its strong tradition in educating veterinarians for practice in rural communities.

Core Values

Excellence - We seek excellence in all our endeavors, and we are committed to continuous improvement.

Intellectual Freedom – We believe in ethical and scholarly questioning in an environment that respects the rights of all to freely pursue knowledge.

Integrity – We are committed to the principles of truth and honesty, and we will be equitable, ethical, and professional.

Service – We believe that serving others is a noble and worthy endeavor.

Diversity – We respect others and value diversity of opinion, freedom of expression, and other ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

Stewardship of Resources – We are dedicated to the efficient and effective use of resources. We accept the responsibility of the public’s trust and are accountable for our actions.

Professionalism – We are committed to treating the public, our students and colleagues in a manner becoming the profession of veterinary medicine.

Student Centered – We are committed to providing for our students an atmosphere that is conducive for and promotes educational, professional and personal development.

Scholarship – We are committed to the discovery, application and sharing of new basic and applied scientific knowledge.

Cooperation – We strive to always be supportive of one another in our academic and personal endeavors.

Unity of Purpose – We are committed to our mission and vision and strive together to achieve them.

Synergy of Human Resources – We believe that teamwork and cooperative efforts will maximize each other’s strengths and minimize each other’s weaknesses.

Goals, Critical Success Factors, Objectives, and Strategies

Goal One. Enhance quality of life and economic development in rural Oklahoma.

Critical Success Factors:

• Design and implement an interdisciplinary instructional, service and research food animal production medicine, health, and food safety program
• Graduate each year at least 10 students that will enter mixed or food animal practice in rural communities of Oklahoma
• Development of start up companies in Oklahoma Technology and Research Park
• Early detection and prevention of animal and zoonotic diseases

Objectives:

• Recruit a nationally recognized food animal production medicine veterinarian to provide leadership for the food animal production medicine program.
• Enter into partnerships with state agencies such as the Department of Corrections, to develop comprehensive herd health programs that can serve as a teaching program and later as an extension program for producer groups.
• Enter into a partnership with the United States and Oklahoma Departments of Agriculture for training veterinarians in careers in public health and food safety.
• Develop partnerships with food animal consultants to assist with development and delivery of production medicine – food safety programs.
• Establish a College of Veterinary Medicine Advisory Group to provide external input into production animal health programs.
• Enhance the food animal clinical residency program by increasing the number of residents in production animal medicine.
• Increase the number of food animal production electives for second, third and fourth year veterinary students.
• Emphasize veterinary training for rural communities.

Goal Two. Enhance the professional curriculum and instructional programs to increase the quality of education and job placement of our graduates.

Critical Success Factors:

• Award at least 75 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees each year
• Establish minor degrees or certificate programs in small animal practice, equine practice, food animal production medicine, public practice, conservation medicine, and comparative biomedical research
• Expanded array of second and third year electives to include courses in nutrition of individual animal species, practice management/leadership, career planning, and biosecurity, beginning in fall 2004
• Establish a comprehensive college program to systematically assess and review the core – elective curriculum to be fully implemented by June 2005
• Implement in Fall 2005 a plan for peer review of instruction whereby one-fourth of all teaching faculty are evaluated each year
• Implement in Fall 2005 a new plan to enhance clinical exposure of first and second year students
• 100% of graduates will pass national boards by date of graduation
• Place at least 5 students in each class into public practice careers within 5 years of graduation
• Place at least 10 students each year into internships and or residency training programs

Objectives:

• Develop a program of systematic and periodic review of curriculum.
• Develop a program of faculty peer review of instruction coordinated by the Department Heads.
• Enhance faculty communication within courses taught and across the core – elective curriculum through a coordinated program administered by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

• Explore ways to enhance clinical teaching utilizing high population or other specific areas in the state.
• Implement the “e” curriculum by 2006.
• Develop and integrate telemedicine into teaching, service and outreach programs.
• Increase the number of elective courses offered via teleconference to professional students.
• Increase clinical contact for students in the first two years of the curriculum.
• Implement minor degree options within the DVM major.
• Increase the number of graduates entering public practice.

• Define and assess measures of success for our graduates.
• The College’s Office of Admissions will develop, in conjunction with the College’s Outreach Office, a computer based tracking program for College graduates to be implemented in the summer of 2005.
• Share factors associated with career success with faculty, curriculum committee and incorporate those measures into orientation courses for professional students.

Goal Three. Enhance research and scholarly activities in the College.

Critical Success Factors:

• Establishment of at least 3 College research focus areas
• Increase in extramural research funding by 10% per year
• Establishment of international partnerships with 2 or more veterinary schools in North America or abroad for faculty exchange programs
• Establishment of regional research alliances to increase competiveness for multi-institutional research grants
• Increased funding for clinical research
• Increase in the number of faculty publications in refereed journals and presentations at national and international meetings

Objectives:

• Focus College research resources on primary research areas.
• Develop alliances with at least three other institutions in beef cattle research, tick-borne diseases, biodefense and emerging diseases.

• Expand opportunities for clinical research and develop a program of clinical faculty research mentoring.
• Develop annual grantsmanship training program for trainees and faculty.
• Hire a research administrative assistant to assist investigators with forms, budgets, format, illustrations, routing, etc. and to assist college research office with screening for funding announcements/opportunities in both basic and clinical research.
• Establish a premier research seminar series, separate from existing programs, integrating clinical and basic sciences.
• Develop a training program for new investigators and faculty wanting to change research emphasis.
• As part of a mentoring program, foster new investigator collaborations with established investigators to facilitate research program development.

• Seek extramural funding from private sources through interactions with Oklahoma State University Foundation to support graduate and postdoctoral fellowships that support major research themes.
• Establish interactions with State Health Department and Federal Agencies such as Centers for Disease Control and the Departments of Homeland Security, Defense and Justice to support research, graduate education, and post-doctoral training in areas important in biodefense-related activities.

Goal Four. Expand College Outreach programs and funding to address the needs of animal owners, veterinarians, College alumni, and the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association.

Critical Success Factors:

• The College Outreach program will have at least 3 full-time equivalent companion, farm animal, and equine extension veterinarians
• The College will hire adequate support staff to assist the extension veterinarians
• The budget of the College Outreach Office will be increased to support faculty, staff, publications, and seminars
• Attendance at Outreach and alumni functions will increase by 10% annually

Objectives:

• The College will continue to publish an alumni newsletter.
• The College will continue to publish a newsletter to referring veterinarians.
• The College will continue to host continuing education seminars and a fall conference featuring lectures and wet labs on subjects of small, exotic, equine, and farm animal medicine and surgery given by faculty members and invited speakers.
• The College will continue to publish a companion animal newsletter to clients established with the hospital for more than one year.

• The College will collaborate with other state agencies to promote the health and welfare of animals and provide information for legislators, administrators, and educators in the state and surrounding region.
• The College will offer one-hour client education seminars on the subjects of small, exotic, equine, and farm animal health and welfare.
• The College will publish a farm animal newsletter to client producers.
• The College will publish a newsletter to equine clients.

• The Office of Outreach along with the Veterinary Administrative Council will develop a plan for fiscal growth that will include state funds, private donations, and income.
• The College will solicit corporate, alumni and private sponsorship for Outreach programs.

Goal Five. The College will continue to efficiently use and strive to expand its fiscal and physical resources to enhance its mission.

Critical Success Factors:

• Install emergency power and security for critical research areas
• Develop a paperless medical record information system for clinical use and didactic teaching and integrate the system with the Boren Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, necropsy service, clinical pathology laboratory, radiology, and Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory services
• Construct state-or-the-art veterinary critical care facilities within the Boren Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital
• Expand and renovate the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory
• Build a multi-user educational center

Objectives:

• Expand the use of student, staff and faculty to solicit donations to support and expand scholarships, educational and research programs and physical facilities.
• Increase and maintain tuition at 90-95% of the average for peer institutions.
• Enhance partnership with the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association and other professional organizations to increase lobbying in behalf of the College.
• Solicit corporate support for joint interest ventures to support expansion of equipment and facilities.

• Identify areas for Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory expansion and develop architectural drawings secure funding, and begin construction of that expansion.
• Select potential building sites for the educational center, secure funding, and begin construction of that building.
• Identify currently available hospital space for site of equine critical care facility construction, develop architectural plans, secure funding, and begin construction of the facility.
• Convert current Department of Clinical Sciences faculty and administrative offices to clinical seminar and teaching areas.

Goal Six. Enhance the College’s national visibility and reputation and become ranked among the top 15 veterinary schools in the country.

Critical Success Factors:

• Host one national or regional meeting on current research topics affecting veterinary/human medicine per year
• An external college advisory committee to provide stakeholder input into College programs
• At least one faculty member from each academic department and the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory will be an invited speaker at a national or international scientific meeting
• Develop an annual presentation and publication describing activities and accomplishments to market the College locally and nationally
• Expanded participation among College faculty for national or international sabbatical leaves
• A college-wide strategy for web-site development that is accessible and current
• National accreditation of all academic and service programs including laboratory animal resources

• Sponsor at least one national or research scientific symposium or meeting at Stillwater in areas of College research expertise.
• Provide full travel funding for faculty/graduate students/residents presenting papers at national meetings.
• Encourage faculty/ graduate students/residents to present papers at national meetings for all major disciplines.
• Encourage faculty sabbatical leaves and create opportunities for visiting faculty.
• Develop collaborative research projects with regional medical and dental colleges.

• Consult a professional public relations person to develop a program to market the College nationally.
• Develop a College faculty committee to work with public relations staff to aid dissemination and coordination of information.
• Form an external college advisory committee to provide stakeholder input into College programs and work with faculty committee and public relations individual to advance the College’s image.
• Develop a program for public education about animal health and market the program to television and radio stations as well as local newspaper and in states without veterinary colleges.
• Develop a College display booth describing College programs and exhibit at national and regional meetings.

Goal Seven. Increase academic and government partnerships nationally and internationally.

Critical Success Factors:

• Establish research development and teaching partnerships with two foreign veterinary schools
• Establish partnerships between the College and all veterinary technician programs in the state
• Develop the Great Plains Consortium for Food Animal Disease and Agraterrorism Research

Objectives:

• Develop list of 5-10 possible foreign schools that we could benefit by collaboration and select 1-2 of these that appear to be the best fit, e.g., areas of expertise, possibility for synergy.
• Develop and implement short-term research exchange program with faculty and graduate students for sharing of information and methodology.

• Develop, consistently scheduled faculty visitation program to teach and recruit at the technician training sites.
• Provide paid rotations for technician trainees in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

• Survey regional academic institutions and appropriate foundations to determine interest in the Consortium.
• Sponsor a 2-day workshop to develop a white paper describing the organization and goals of the Consortium.
• Elect or appoint a Consortium Director and Board of Governors.
• Seek funds to support Consortium programs and an annual research meeting.

Goal Eight. Enhance the educational experience and intellectual development of graduate and professional students.

Critical Success Factors:

• Establish alumni-funded scholarships to support tuition of at least two students in each veterinary class
• Increased scholarship endowments by 25%
• A college program to assist students in career choices
• Increased graduate and house officer stipends/salaries by 30% over the next 5 years
• Increased enrollment in DVM – MS and DVM – PhD program by 10%

Objectives:

• Implement a telefund campaign hosted by veterinary students to raise funds for student scholarships.
• Focus greater than 50% of the fund raising efforts of the College Development Office on student scholarship donations.

• Develop a College plan for out-of-state recruitment of professional students.
• Focus non-resident recruitment efforts in existing contract states and in states with large populations and no veterinary school.
• Seek out opportunities to develop contracts for veterinary students with at least two additional states without veterinary schools.
• Establish a legacy program whereby children of College alumni could be admitted as residents and by classifying nonresident graduates of OSU undergraduate programs as residents.

• The curriculum committee will review the professional curriculum for the first two years and find areas where presentation of career options can be increased.
• The curriculum committee will meet with representatives of the College of Veterinary Medicine Advisory Group and the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association, discuss options for more comprehensive presentation of career options to students, and develop a plan to achieve this objective.
• The College will implement the plan to broaden exposure of veterinary students to career options.

• The Research Advisory Committee and the College Graduate Coordinator will review current combined graduate/professional degree opportunities and programs and develop a plan to expand those opportunities for veterinary students.

• Develop and implement options for combining graduate degree programs with veterinary specialty training programs in Veterinary Clinical Sciences.
• Increase the number of clinical faculty specialists to enhance residency training and graduate education in clinical specialties.
• Increase stipends for graduate students, residents, and post doctoral trainees to at least the national average.
• Develop and implement a marketing program to publicize College research program focus areas and associated graduate programs.

Goal Nine. Enhance diversity among the student body, faculty, and staff.

Critical Success Factors:

• Increased numbers of students in the professional curriculum from underrepresented groups
• Increased percentage of staff from underrepresented groups
• Increased percentage of tenure-track and tenured faculty who are women or from underrepresented groups

Objectives:

• The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the Office of Admissions and Recruitment will develop and present to the Veterinary Administrative Council a plan for recruitment of highly qualified minority students.
• Monitor applicant pool each year to achieve increase in underrepresented applicants per year for faculty and professional students.
• Focus high school recruiting efforts for future applicants on 4-H and FFA organizations and on schools in predominately Native American locations.

• Obtain research fellowships through federal, state and private funding agencies to support underrepresented graduate students, faculty, and postdoctoral fellows.
• Develop recruitment program initiative to target underrepresented groups of students and faculty.

Goal Ten. Recruit the highest quality staff members into open positions and facilitate staff career development.

Critical Success Factors:

• All open staff positions filled by 2005
• Increased number of staff positions throughout the college to achieve a ratio of three staff members to each faculty
• Staff salaries increased to the mean for similar jobs in the Oklahoma private sector
• Each staff member develops an annual plan with his/her supervisor for career development and job enhancement
• Increased computer access and e-mail to all staff who desire it
• A College website containing continually updated college calendar, minutes from administrative, faculty and staff meetings
• Increased hiring of certified veterinary technologists in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital

Objectives:

• Develop resources to support Oklahoma State University’s “broad banding program.”
• Develop a program through Veterinary Administrative and Staff Councils to provide paid time and travel funds to support staff attendance to local and distant job/career training meetings.
• Develop defined methodology for career path advancement for each staff Job Questionnaire and incorporate criteria for rank advancement into each questionnaire.

• Hire an outside consultant to review College-wide salary and benefits for staff positions.
• Develop a College plan for upgrading of staff positions and present it to university human resources for evaluation.
• Identify and allocate College/departmental/unit state funds to be used for staff promotions annually.

• Formulate a plan to expand staff through Veterinary Administrative Council, College Faculty Council, and Staff Council to increase the ratio of staff to faculty to 3:1.
• Identify and allocate College funds and Veterinary Teaching hospital income to increase staff numbers.
• Develop educational relationships among the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, and veterinary technician training programs throughout the state.
• Allocate teaching hospital funds to support salary and/or living expense stipends for 4 veterinary technologist interns per year.
• Seek state support from legislature and Career Tech to enhance veterinary technologist internship program at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

• Provide computer hardware and software access for all staff through appropriation of College/unit funds.
• Place on the College webpage continually updated college calendar, minutes from administrative, faculty and staff meetings.

Goal Eleven. Recruit the highest quality faculty members into open positions and facilitate their career development.

Critical Success Factors:

• All vacant faculty positions filled
• Tenure track faculty positions increased to 85 by 2006
• Annually increased scholarly activity and grant support among faculty
• Average faculty salaries at all ranks at the mean for peer institutions
• College reappointment, promotion and tenure guidelines reviewed and updated
• Increased number of clinical specialists

Objectives:

• Through College Faculty Council and Veterinary Administrative Council, review current faculty recruitment strategies and develop a plan to enhance recruitment.
• Develop a coordinated and effective faculty recruitment program.
• Develop college-wide mentoring program for all untenured faculty.
• Develop a program to facilitate growth and development of tenure-track, research-track, and clinical-track faculty at all ranks.
• Provide appropriate college funds to provide additional compensation to research-track faculty for graduate or professional teaching.
• Develop college wide guidelines for scholarship and creative activities for use in reappointment and tenure decisions for tenure-track, clinical-track, and research-track appointments.
• Assess the College’s current program for distribution of facilities and administrative costs to assure that they effectively support overall research and scholarly growth and faculty development.
• Provide College support for faculty to attend grant-writing seminars or receive professional assistance in grantsmanship.

• Develop realistic salary adjustments associated with promotions to associate and full professor and allocate appropriate state funds to implement.
• Develop and implement a plan to annually use a percentage of faculty salary savings funds to temporarily enhance faculty salaries to cover overload.