MOVING FORWARD INCLUSIVELY

The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine takes pride in the progress made by teams of faculty, staff, and students as a result of our Strategic Plan for 2015-2020, while we also look towards the future.  As we chart our course, we continue the team-oriented approach that has proved so vital in developing our vision for continuous improvement while upholding our core values.

The 2015-2020 strategic plan relied on the work of a number of focus area teams that developed the various plan components.  As we reviewed the results of that plan, members of each of those teams reflected on accomplishments and developed new strategic goals for the next three years of growth and development within the broad strategic themes of education, discovery, and engagement.  That approach led to the development and adoption of a refreshed strategic plan covering the period of 2021-2023.

Message from the Dean

I am pleased to say that in the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, strategic planning is a way of life. Over the past ten years, we have developed and carried out two five-year strategic plans that have led to a number of significant accomplishments.  With the second of those plans ending in 2020, faculty and staff worked diligently to review the document, take stock of the progress achieved, and revise and update remaining action items in a refreshed strategic plan that will run through 2023.

Interestingly, as we were completing the process, we found ourselves in the midst of unprecedented changes brought on by a global pandemic. The amount and pace of change related to the pandemic has been remarkable, and no strategic plan could have anticipated these sudden developments.  However, the strategic plan we adopted five years earlier put us in a position of strength, which ensured that we were prepared to respond to these challenges. As we launch our refreshed plan, we are moving into a new normal. Yet, our vision and mission will remain the same, and our strategic planning will guide us as we make adjustments and adaptations with confidence that we are continuing to move in the right direction. 

It is important to note that the plan incorporates our fundamental values that help stabilize us and keep us on course. Paramount among those values is our commitment to diversity and inclusion.  The heightened emphasis on equality and justice in our country attests to the importance of the diversity, equity and inclusion programs we began to put in place as a college over a decade ago to bring about much needed growth within our College and in the veterinary medical profession. Commensurate with our effort to refresh our College’s strategic plan, we have launched a new diversity, equity and inclusion strategic plan that will build on our accomplishments and propel us forward in our efforts to bring about a more diverse, welcoming and inclusive learning and working environment for our students, faculty and staff.

This summary of our 2021-2023 Strategic Plan presents the high points, organized around our strategic themes of discovery, learning and engagement, as well as five focus areas that correlate to the particular strengths of our College.  I want to express my thanks to all of the faculty, staff and students who participated in this strategic plan refresh process.  We look forward to the future with boldness as we work together toward a better world for both animals and people, confident that, whatever challenges lie ahead, we will persevere with the persistent pursuit of excellence that characterizes Boilermakers everywhere.

Willie M. Reed, DVM, PhD
Dean, Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine