University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences - AR - Assurance Argument - 4/17/2017
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University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences - AR - Assurance Argument - 4/17/2017 Assurance Argument University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences - AR 4/17/2017 University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences - AR - Assurance Argument - 4/17/2017 1 - Mission The institution’s mission is clear and articulated publicly; it guides the institution’s operations. 1.A - Core Component 1.A The institution’s mission is broadly understood within the institution and guides its operations. 1. The mission statement is developed through a process suited to the nature and culture of the institution and is adopted by the governing board. 2. The institution’s academic programs, student support services, and enrollment profile are consistent with its stated mission. 3. The institution’s planning and budgeting priorities align with and support the mission. (This sub-component may be addressed by reference to the response to Criterion 5.C.1.) Argument The Mission of UAMS is to improve the health, health care and well-being of Arkansans and others in the region, nation and the world by: • Educating current and future health professionals and the public. • Providing high-quality, innovative, patient- and family- centered health care and specialty expertise not routinely available in community settings. • Advancing knowledge in areas of human health and disease and translating and accelerating discoveries into health improvements. The mission statement is developed through a process starting with the Chancellor's Cabinet and flowing through both the faculty and staff to assure inclusion of all university stakeholders. The UAMS Mission Statement defines the University as an institution to its constituencies, including the public, while the vision statement represents how the University views itself and its future. These mission documents along with UAMS' core values are expressed in the 2020 UAMS Vision and Strategic Plan, which outlines how the university will manifest its mission and vision in the day-to-day operations of the University and its programs. As highlighted by the recent 2017 UAMS Accreditation Survey, over 88 percent of UAMS’ faculty, students and staff agree or strongly agree that understanding of UAMS’ mission pervades the university, and 97 percent of all UAMS faculty, students and staff agree or strongly agree that the UAMS mission statement accurately reflects its obligation to serve the public good. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences - AR - Assurance Argument - 4/17/2017 The mission permeates all aspects of the institution and is evident in internal communications involving faculty, staff and students. It is at the heart of everything UAMS does including the institutional branding campaign – “We AR Here for a Better State of Health.” Prominent examples of the mission being displayed include: • The mission is included on university websites such as uams.edu (University), uamshealth.org (Medical Center) and on insideuams.edu (intranet). • The mission is noted in all college catalogs and handbooks for students. o College of Medicine Catalog, Handbook o College of Pharmacy Catalog & Handbook o College of Health Professions Catalog, Handbook o College of Public Health Catalog & Handbook o College of Nursing Catalog, Handbook o Graduate School Catalog, Handbook • UAMS TV is a series of institutional videos produced and posted on the front of insideUAMS.edu. It features interviews with faculty and students and regularly focuses on aspects of the mission documents. • The mission is included in monthly videos messages and announcements to students, faculty and staff from the Chancellor as well as presentations to members of the Arkansas State Legislature and the University of Arkansas System Board of Trustees. • Executive blogs written by leadership on the intranet frequently include or illustrate the mission. • The mission is included in the Chancellor’s annual State of the University Address, which is broadcast to UAMS regional centers and included on the intranet. • The UAMS Strategic Plan includes the University’s mission statement, vision statement and core values and is posted on the About UAMS portion of uamshealth.org. • The UAMS mission is discussed as part of employee orientations. As an academic health center, UAMS’ 75 degree and certificate programs reflect its mission to prepare health professionals by providing an array of health and biomedical sciences degree programs. Many of these are offered only at UAMS in the state of Arkansas. They represent all major disciplines (except dentistry) of the health sciences — medicine, pharmacy, nursing, allied health, public health and graduate research work. The UAMS College of Medicine was founded in 1879 and offers the state’s only MD degree. The College of Pharmacy was the single source of PharmD graduates in the state until 2008 when a smaller, second program began at Harding University. Other health science programs are in the College of Nursing, which offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral-level degrees in nursing science (BSN, MNSc, DNP), and the College of Health Professions, which offers University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences - AR - Assurance Argument - 4/17/2017 degrees in 21 allied health disciplines, including physician assistant, doctor of physical therapy, audiology, genetics counseling, dental hygiene and more. New degree plans are developed and approved at UAMS according to a procedure outlined in the Approval of New Education Programs policy, which includes review by the Provost's Office, the Chancellor, the University of Arkansas System President and the UA Board of Trustees. Approved items are forwarded to the Arkansas Department of Higher Education to assure that programs align with UAMS’ official Role and Scope. UAMS does not offer general education classes so it does not maintain graduation rates on first-time full-time entering freshmen. Undergraduate programs in the College of Nursing and Health Professions (AS and BS programs), require that undergraduate general education courses be taken elsewhere and transferred in to satisfy degree requirements. The enrollment profile for UAMS is approximately 3,000 students and is appropriate to its mission and the nature of the institution: a graduate, special-focus institution that is the only academic health center and teaching hospital in Arkansas, and the leading provider of health care professionals in the state. Professional practice and allied health classes have limited slots and are highly competitive, rigorous and resource intensive. (Specialized accrediting agencies frequently mandate limited admissions and seats). Restricted class size serves to assure that there are adequate resources available for resource- intensive programs such as MD, PharmD, PA, and DNP, and to ensure that UAMS is able to recruit the most highly qualified students. Research intensive programs require more specialized equipment and facilities (e.g., clinical skills center, simulation center, gross anatomy lab), and lower faculty to student ratios to ensure instruction quality is maintained at the highest level. The vast majority of students enrolled at UAMS are Arkansas residents (81 percent), in keeping with UAMS’ status as a state-assisted university with a public obligation to serve Arkansans first, then the region and nation. The demographic makeup of UAMS’ student body illustrates that it is committed to its long-term goal of increasing diversity and inclusion. Fall 2016 enrollment data show that 73 percent of the student body was Caucasian, 8 percent African-American, 5 percent Asian, 3 percent Hispanic/Latino and more than 2 percent of more than one race. This distribution is similar to comparable academic health centers. With respect to organizational alignment with its mission, UAMS participated in a pilot project of the Association of Academic Health Centers (AAHC) entitled Aligned Institutional Mission (AIM) Program in the Fall of 2016. AIM is designed to assess the institution along five dimensions: mission alignment, internal and external accountability, Interprofessional Education and Practice and Knowledge Generation. UAMS submitted a written report to AIM then three evaluation team members conducted a three-day visit. The team further identified the following strengths of UAMS: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences - AR - Assurance Argument - 4/17/2017 1. UAMS demonstrates exceptional mission alignment. (In fact, the site visit team noted "UAMS’s alignment of key missions is among the best that the reviewers have encountered at any institution."). 2. The UAMS strategic plan is a strong and vital document. 3. UAMS’s approaches to budgeting support alignment. 4. UAMS demonstrates substantial internal accountability. 5. UAMS has a demonstrated commitment to diversity for which leaders are held accountable. 6. Significant accountability is demonstrated by UAMS to its various constituencies. Given its history, performance and leadership, all evidence indicates that UAMS is well- positioned to fulfill its mission in both the present and the future. More on the administrative structure of UAMS will be discussed in Core Component 5B. Alignment of planning and budgeting priorities will be addressed in Criterion 5.C.1. Sources • 1.1.1 New Educational Programs • 100.3 Constitutional Authority for UA System • 2020 Vision and Strategic Plan • AHECB Approved UAMS Program List • AIM Program - Full Report • Arkansas Department of Higher Education • Chancellor Board Presentation • CHP Catalog • CHP Student Handbook