Themes

The following framework has been developed by the 2017-2021 Strategic Plan Steering Committee at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) made up of representatives from across campus and headed by co-chairs Roger Ward, EdD, JD, MPA, and Claire Fraser, PhD. UMB’s individual schools and units will make the strategic plan “come alive” by developing measurable goals that align with the strategic objectives and put UMB on a trajectory to realize the strategic outcomes in the plan.

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Theme 1: Health, Justice, and Social Impact ▾

Strategic Objective

Deepen and expand local and global engagement by providing health, legal, and social work programs and engaging in research to promote social justice and improve health.

Strategic Outcomes
  1. A strong relationship with the Baltimore community in which UMB is viewed as a local resource and trusted partner by its residents.
  2. A focused leveraging of institutional expertise and knowledge to tackle systemic problems impacting local and global communities.  
  3. A demonstrated commitment by leadership at every level of the institution that positions UMB as an anchor institution at the forefront of finding solutions to local and global health disparities and social injustices. 
  4. A University environment that encourages the use of evidence to measure and document the impact of UMB’s health, legal, and social work programs.
  5. A University culture that values and rewards its faculty, staff, and students for achievements in local and global community engagement.

Theme 2: Research and Scholarship ▾

Strategic Objective

Harness the power of research and scholarship to deepen understanding of systems, institutions, and basic and translational sciences in the search for solutions to complex problems impacting individuals, families, and communities.

Strategic Outcomes
  1. Strategic investment that enhances the core research infrastructure, allowing UMB to achieve its research goals and compete more successfully for extramural funding.
  2. An environment that attracts and retains the best educators, scientists, scholars, clinicians, and entrepreneurs across all disciplines.
  3. Additional interdisciplinary centers of excellence that fully leverage the expertise of the UMB faculty across schools and programs.
  4. A productive discovery-to-delivery research model that serves as a catalyst for economic development.
  5. An increase in sponsored research funding that bolsters UMB’s standing as a first-class public research university.
  6. A robust and dedicated research agenda related to UMB’s community engagement activities.

Theme 3: Student Success ▾

Strategic Objective

Design contemporary teaching and learning environments that are accessible and affordable to prepare students to be exemplary professionals and leaders in society.

Strategic Outcomes
  1. Academic programs and offerings that are affordable and accessible to Maryland’s residents of all races, ethnicities, and income levels.
  2. Policies and practices that encourage and support innovation and experimentation with emerging approaches to teaching and learning.
  3. A demonstrated commitment to interdisciplinary faculty development to spotlight, celebrate, and scale exemplary pedagogical approaches.
  4. Experiential learning opportunities that allow a greater number of students to integrate their education with activities promoting leadership and advocacy skills.
  5. Innovative curricular and co-curricular initiatives that multiply pathways to diverse careers and leadership opportunities inside and outside of academia.

Theme 4: Inclusive Excellence ▾

Strategic Objective

Foster an environment that recognizes and values each member of the UMB community, enabling members to function at their highest potential to achieve their personal and professional goals.

Strategic Outcomes
  1. Opportunities at UMB that enable faculty, staff, and trainees to excel and advance in their careers.
  2. Faculty, staff, trainees, and students who are culturally competent in their engagement with each other and those they serve and lead.
  3. Access to a comprehensive support network at UMB that is responsive and nurturing in promoting work-life and academic-life balance for faculty, staff, trainees, and students.
  4. An inclusive environment that embraces, celebrates, and promotes UMB’s diversity.

Theme 5: Partnership and Collaboration ▾

Strategic Objective

Collaborate internally and externally to provide impactful education, services, and expertise to benefit Maryland and society at large.

Strategic Outcomes
  1. Productive and mutually beneficial relationships with USM institutions, business, government, K-12 education, arts, and others, to advance Baltimore's and Maryland’s economic goals.
  2. A strategic partnership with University of Maryland, College Park that can be viewed as a regional and national model of collaboration between distinct institutions with complementary missions.
  3. An effective partnership, as a Baltimore City anchor institution, with surrounding communities resulting in meaningful and sustainable educational, employment, and economic opportunities that serve as a catalyst for community empowerment. 
  4. Wide recognition as a thought leader and statewide resource on policy and legislative initiatives aimed at improving the health, legal, and social well-being of Maryland’s residents.

Theme 6: Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Assessment ▾

Strategic Objective

Incentivize efficiency, effectiveness, and evaluation to make more responsible and impactful use of UMB’s resources.

Strategic Outcomes
  1. Schools and administrative units with enhanced measures to evaluate the effectiveness of their programs and that use data to inform improvements.
  2. A University that is perceived, internally and externally, as an institution that uses best business and operating practices to realize greater efficiency and effectiveness in the stewardship of its resources.
  3. A philanthropic identity that includes a culture of giving, which augments and complements UMB’s other resources and supports the strategic needs of the University and its schools.
  4. An institutional effectiveness program that routinely disseminates key organizational data to promote transparency and inform decision-making.