Vision of Excellence
2020-2025
To elevate our students, staff, and faculty, the College of Health (COH) has set goals in developing our academic programs; increasing the impact of how we educate; creating new knowledge; working across schools and colleges as part of the University of Utah’s One U initiative; increasing equity, diversity, and inclusion; and increasing excellence in teaching and learning.
The dean welcomes all students and those interested to learn more about the College of Health. Learn more about the dean.
Goal Areas
- Academic Program Development
- High Impact Educational Practices
- Creation of New Knowledge
- One U
- Diversity and Inclusive Excellence
- Teaching and Learning Excellence
Academic Program Development
Consideration of New Programs
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Sports Analytics
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Computing Analytics
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Technology and Behavior Change
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Coaching Science
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Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Certification Program
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Transition to Direct Admit
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Pilot via College Scholars or Health Scholars with funding for underrepresented students
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Engage Block U as avenue for direct admit
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Maximize residence halls for promoting direct admit and majors
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Develop CoH year-long core curriculum before selecting major
High Impact Educational Practices
Develop a model undergraduate research experience
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CoH specific database of research projects and labs
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CoH undergraduate/graduate symposium (similar to HKR masters presentations)
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Internationalize the curriculum with enhanced opportunities for student and faculty international exchanges
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Rotating class with CoH faculty and students engaging internationally
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Engage students in community-based research and service (building on community engaged learning activities)
Continue to support current student participation within U’s Honors College and Learning Communities
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Find “right size” of CoH offerings of honors courses
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Incentivize completion of honors degrees
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Enhance inter-professional approaches to teaching, research, and clinical education
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CoH undergraduate/graduate symposium (similar to HKR masters presentations)
Creation of New Knowledge
- Maintain current funding base (20% increase may be feasible although resources are limited)
- Increase the number of multi-PI or PPG grants
- Capture CoH strengths in research collaborations
- Create research symposia or get-togethers
- Provide more mentoring for grant submission
- Develop shared research infrastructure (e.g. RAs)
- Develop strategies to recognize all forms scholarship
One U
Lead the development of cross-campus initiatives aimed at improved health of Utah’s communities and the region
Healthy Parks, Healthy People
Culinary Food Lab / Programs
Partner with campus entities to create a Center for Patient Health Advocacy
Participate in the continued development of team-based, interprofessional care that improves patient access to preventive screenings, education and care – both locally and through remote initiatives (telehealth, mobile clinics, digital health).
Lead the development of a One U Symposium of College of Health projects that go beyond the recent round of U funding.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
- Champion teaching, research, and community engagement initiatives that embrace and value a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion within the College of Health, across campus, and in the community.
- Develop and implement mechanisms to support and track department recruitment, retention, and promotion of faculty, staff, and students from historically underrepresented backgrounds.
- Ensure that our graduates reflect the diversity of our communities by supporting the College of Health department programs in implementing transparent holistic admissions processes.
- Support diversity initiatives beyond the accreditation standards of each profession, and identify ways departments can contribute to the overall diversity plan of University of Utah Health.
Teaching and Learning Excellence
- Explore career-line faculty sabbatical
- Create mechanisms to support course development
- Increase access to, and knowledge of, best practices for teaching in higher education
- Support faculty engagement in educational scholarship
- Adopt a consistent CoH-level Canvas platform across Departments
- Transition the Teaching and Learning Excellence task force to a College of Health standing committee
See Our Previous Goals
Strategic Plan 2015-2019
Creation of New Knowledge
Academic Program Development
High Impact Educational Practices
Organizational Structure, Infrastructure, and Space
Diversity and Inclusive Excellence
University of Utah Health Collaboration
Creation of New Knowledge
- Raise the level of prominence of the CoH research program through development and implementation of a research strategic plan
- Focus on interdisciplinary programs that might leverage other University of Utah Health and University initiatives, e.g.,
- Diabetes/metabolism/obesity
- Cancer and physical activity
- Neurosciences including traumatic brain and spinal cord injury
- Overall management of persons with chronic diseases
- Explore potential of shared and cluster hires with CoH, School of Medicine, and Colleges of Pharmacy, Nursing, Engineering, Education, and Social Work
Academic Program Development
- Timely establishment of new programs to address changing landscape of health care
- Explore potential of several new programs, e.g.,
- BS and MS degrees in Interdisciplinary Health and Health Technology
- MS degrees in Integrative Health, Clinical Health, Health Technology, and Disability Studies
- MS degrees in Prosthetics/Orthotics
- PhD in Nutrition
- Consider creation of an online pre-health professions degree (marketed especially to underserved and non-traditional students)
High Impact Educational Practices
- Development of a model undergraduate research program, building on Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program
- Internationalization of the curriculum with enhanced opportunities for student and faculty international exchanges
- Engagement of students in community-based research and service, building on Community Engaged Learning activities
- Expand current student participation within U’s Honors College and Learning Communities
- Enhance inter-professional approaches to teaching, research, and clinical education
Organizational Structure, Infrastructure, and Space
- Review organizational structure of departments/divisions/programs to optimally position CoH
- Relocate administrative operations of CoH to Utah Health campus
- Create a CoH Office of Research
- Participate in the campus master planning process for University of Utah Health
- Explore co-location of more departments/divisions/programs of the CoH
Diversity and Inclusive Excellence
- Champion initiatives around diversity, multicultural awareness, and inclusive excellence with CoH and across the U
- Increase the diversity of the faculty, staff, and student populations
- Contribute to diversifying the health professions workforce through recruitment and support of diverse students
- Central role to be played by CoH Diversity and Inclusion Committee
University of Utah Health Collaboration
- Collaborate with health care leaders to support quality, patient safety, and cost-reduction initiatives
- Leverage CoH’s strengths in wellness and across the continuum of care to support University of Utah Health's transformation initiatives
- Cultivate community leaders and potential philanthropic partners to help develop a world class College of Health
Ways to Give
You can help the College of Health continue to progress with even a small contribution.
From the Dean
Upcoming Events
April 26, 2024
Palliative Care & Hospice Symposium
This year's symposium will be held in-person on Friday, April 26th, at the Eccles Health Sciences ...