Strategic Plan

Mission, Vision and Strategic Objectives of the UIC College of Pharmacy Heading link

On November 12, 2018, the faculty of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) College of Pharmacy (COP) adopted the 2019-2023 Strategic Plan. The 23-page plan was developed with input from hundreds of faculty, students, alumni, and external partners, and with the assistance of the Bernard Consulting Group. The full document is available on request and includes a full description of the approach used to develop the plan. Presented here is a condensed version of the strategic plan that includes only the core elements (which have been edited for presentation). These core elements are the differential advantage, vision, mission, and strategic initiatives.

DIFFERENTIAL ADVANTAGE

Established in 1859 and consistently ranked in the top ten nationally, the UIC COP — with a local and statewide, national, and international impact — is renowned for seamless integration of its educational programs with innovative pharmacy services, and impactful and cutting-edge research.

The faculty believe that key characteristics that differentiate the UIC College of Pharmacy from other schools include:

  • Having the lowest student to faculty ratio among top-ranked schools, thus enabling individualized student experiences not available elsewhere.
  • Among the largest and most comprehensive pharmacy practice programs in the nation, including faculty practitioners in essentially all clinical specialties and preceptors in more than 900 diverse pharmacy practice sites.
  • Embedded within the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System (UI Health), which includes the health system clinical enterprise and 7 health science colleges, providing a rich interprofessional environment.
  • Within a public university that is among the most diverse and inclusive in the country, located in vibrant urban settings that serve both urban and rural populations.
  • Consistently ranked among the top ten schools of pharmacy for research funding, and with internationally known research programs that advance pharmaceutical science, clinical pharmacy sciences, and pharmaceutical health services research and outcomes.
  • Among the largest and most diverse alumni networks, with graduates in leadership positions across the world, which creates unparalleled opportunities for existing students and new graduates.

VISION

Our students, faculty and preceptors, staff, alumni, and other strategic partners, working together to be the global leader in innovative pharmacy education, research, and practice to improve human health.

MISSION

The purpose of the UIC COP is to educate the current and next generation of pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, and pharmacy leaders; to conduct impactful and cutting-edge research; and to provide innovative patient care and serve our local, national, and global communities.

We will accomplish our mission by:

  • Attracting the highest quality PharmD, graduate students, and trainees.
  • Providing students with unparalleled education, training, and professional development.
  • Facilitating successful, cost-effective and timely progress toward degree completion.
  • Ensuring that our graduates are competitive in the job market, or for residency and post-doctoral fellowship positions.
  • Continuing to serve and connect with our graduates over their careers.
  • Achieving research goals at the vanguard of drug discovery and development, targeted drug delivery, clinical therapeutics, pharmacy practice, and pharmacy outcomes and policy.
  • Providing the human and material resources to lead the nation and globally in research discoveries and research funding.
  • Being the epicenter for cutting-edge pharmacy services.
  • Being leaders in and advocates for the profession of pharmacy.
  • Creating an internal culture of excellence, collaboration, and inclusiveness.
  • Hiring exceptional faculty and staff, and facilitating successful professional advancement – including the promotion of faculty within the clinical, research and tenure tracks.
  • Developing strategic partnerships to advance all components of our mission.
  • Serving our communities by improving access to pharmacy services and reducing health disparities.
  • Ensuring infrastructure and resources to advance our education, service and research agenda.

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

The strategic initiatives of the UIC COP for 2019-2023 are to:

  1. Optimize the experience of students and postgraduate trainees to ensure the best possible outcomes.
  2. Advance the College’s brand, increase awareness, and promote the College’s differential advantage.
  3. Pursue new and optimize existing opportunities to enhance the long-term financial viability of the College.
  4. Expand and enhance effective partnerships, collaborations, and strategic alliances to advance the education, research and service missions of the College.
  5. Ensure the necessary infrastructure and resources, and attract and retain the highest quality faculty and staff.

For each strategic initiative above, the College has developed a background statement explaining why this is important. Each strategic initiative is supported by several strategic directions, and those each have specific objectives. Timelines for accomplishing these objectives and responsible parties have also been established.