A key step in a process to devise a new strategic plan for the University of Maryland School of Dentistry was taken as 2015 drew to a close with a schoolwide retreat for faculty and staff.
Though interspersed with activities ranging from a scavenger hunt to knocking down stacks of aluminum cans with rubber bands, the lighthearted spirit of the retreat was underpinned by a more serious focus on devising the new strategic plan. Work on the plan is being undertaken in the newly begun year.
Dean Mark A. Reynolds, DDS, PhD, MA, stressed during the event December 10 and 11, that, though people have many different functions, the efforts of all are important to ensuring that the School of Dentistry functions at a high level. Moreover, he stressed, ensuring that everyone is involved and working toward a common goal will be vital in improving the school.
A framework for the strategic plan – a document that is to serve as a game plan for helping the School of Dentistry achieve pre-eminence in its various functions – was devised at the retreat, but the process will continue. As the process advances, people from across the School of Dentistry will have the opportunity to participate in refining and clearly outlining specific steps that will need to be taken to ensure the School of Dentistry is able to build on its accomplishments.
New vision and purpose statements for the school were revealed in the days prior to the retreat as a way of guiding discussions about the many varied areas that will be addressed in the broader strategic plan. Though the details of the plan’s various components will vary, they should all reflect the school’s vision statement, “Good oral health is integral to general health and quality of life. We will achieve preeminence through excellence and innovation in education, patient care, research, public service, and global engagement,” as well as the new statement of purpose, “Advancing Oral Health. Improving Lives.”
The idea is to relate these statements so the ideas behind them are easily recognizable in the day to day operations of the whole school.
Inset: Dean Mark A. Reynolds, DDS, PhD, MA, addresses those participating in the University of Maryland School of Dentistry Faculty and Staff Retreat.