Planning Process

Planning Process Overview

JABSOM has approached strategic planning and integration of its strategic initiatives first by establishing common values, vision and a clear mission. This leadership and faculty driven effort has been supplemented using periodic mission-focused planning retreats involving JABSOM leadership, faculty & community representatives (see Table 1). Outcomes from these planning initiatives are shared at the JABSOM Faculty Senate and JABSOM Executive Committee meetings and progress is monitored during regular (generally weekly) meetings of the Dean’s Executive Leadership team with feedback to stakeholders via the appropriate Leadership team members. Progress on different initiatives are shared through appropriate faculty/staff committees, eNewsletters, web postings, and news releases. Major initiatives are shared annually in a report to the Mānoa Chancellor.

The strategic planning effort has incorporated strategic initiatives at the University System, Mānoa Campus, Kaka’ako (satellite) Health Sciences Campus, School-wide, Departmental, and Program levels. JABSOM Dean has been active at the University System and Mānoa Campus levels – serving on the Chancellor’s Campus Strategic Planning Committee. In 2014, the UH System emphasized its strategic goals of becoming the following.

  1. High performing university system
  2. Enhancing graduation rates and shortening time to graduation – especially among under-represented minority students
  3. Advancing scientific and educational innovation
  4. Providing modern educational & research facilities. In 2015, these strategic goals were applied at the Mānoa campus level as (respectfully).
    1. Advancement of Mānoa as a Native Hawaiian place of learning & indigenous-serving institution and defining Mānoa’s structure & role in the UH system
    2. Enhancing student success & recruiting a vibrant prepared student body
    3. Advancing the research enterprise and fostering excellent faculty & shared use facilities
    4. Creating 21st century facilities and becoming a sustainable campus

History

2008

In October 2008, the first school-wide retreat with Dean Hedges was held. This inaugural retreat was built upon Tribal Leadership principles (advocated by Dave Logan of the USC Marshall School of Business) and initiated the process of defining the JABSOM shared values, mission, and vision. A representative faculty team led by Ms. Shari Tasaka refined the output of this planning session and developed the final version of these guiding elements, which were subsequently approved by the JABSOM general faculty (04/29/09) after review and endorsement by the JABSOM Faculty Senate and JABSOM Executive Committee. These guiding statements, which incorporate a strong commitment to developing a Native Hawaiian place of learning, are well aligned with the UH System and Mānoa Campus strategic initiatives.

2009

In June 2009, the JABSOM leadership (primarily dean’s office, research leaders and department chairs) gathered again to focus upon development of strategic initiatives to foster the newly defined JABSOM mission. A major commitment was a focus on (general and mission support) resource development with an emphasis on support for teaching & faculty development. It was recognized that this would require advancement of the university practice plan and alignment with community teaching hospitals. This second planning session was followed by a university practice plan retreat in August 2009 to develop related implementation strategies.

In October 2009, the JABSOM leadership held its first research mission retreat to identify research growth and enhancement strategies with an emphasis on JABSOM’s connections with the community, its health disparities research expertise, growing interdisciplinary & interprofessional collaborations, and resources for clinical & translational research.

2011

In 2011, the JABSOM Executive Leadership Team synthesized the overall themes from the multiple strategic planning sessions and developed the strategic planning Summary. This Summary has driven subsequent JABSOM strategic planning and evaluation activities, with the implementation of multiple tactics designed to fulfill the overall goals (short-term, medium-term, & long-term). A strategic planning consultant (Shan Steinmark) worked with many department chairs to help incorporate JABSOM strategic goals into their departmental strategic plans. This Summary has been used in multiple settings to emphasize the JABSOM mission and community service priorities, including during multiple subsequent mission-focused strategic planning sessions.

The overall approach used to advance JABSOM via its strategic planning effort can be summarized as follows:

  • Achieve excellence through development of a culture that strengthens our departments and faculty.
  • Develop and promote innovative and unique educational programs that leverage existing resources.
  • Attain resources and strengthen clinical departments by aligning departments with hospital clinical service lines through a virtual academic medical center concept and practice plan enhancement.
  • Attain resources and recruit additional research faculty members through translational research programs and centers of excellence, especially those addressing health disparities.

Progress

Some actions related to the long-term goals are outlined in Table 2. Although extensive tactical documents have resulted from subsequent strategic planning sessions, the ultimate value of this approach, highlighting these strategic plan concepts and related institutional progress are best delineated in the annual progress reports provided to the Mānoa Chancellor each year.

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