Feb. 4, 2020  

To the UMB Community:

Many great ideas came out of UMB's 2011-2016 Strategic Plan and that planning process. Among those that most resonate with us today are the Core Values - seven elements that are at the heart of UMB's mission to improve the human condition. The Core Values guide our academic programs, operating philosophy, and commitment to our constituents, while supporting our dedication to that mission.

This year's President's Fellows are working on a white paper that will explore how to further institutionalize UMB's Core Values so that they are sustained and strengthened even as the University and its people change. Today, I'm proud to inform you about a way all of you - faculty, staff, and students - can be involved in reinforcing the Core Values at UMB.

This year, we are launching the Core Values Awards, which will recognize those individuals or teams who exemplify one of our values of accountability, civility, collaboration, diversity, excellence, knowledge, and leadership. And we need your help. Please nominate your colleagues for an action, special project or initiative, exemplary service, or achievement that occurred during 2019.

The Core Values Awards Selection Committee will make award recommendations to me. One award will be given for each of the seven Core Values.

So please give these awards some thought and forward your nomination either by mail or electronically. Details are on the website. And don't delay. Nominations close on Friday, Feb. 21, at 5 p.m.

I look forward to recognizing those whose dedication to accountability, civility, collaboration, diversity, excellence, knowledge, or leadership deserves to be highlighted. Thank you in advance for your assistance in this exciting new endeavor.

Sincerely, 

Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS
Interim President