MSCHE Definition of Standard 1:
The institution’s mission clearly defines its purpose within the context of higher education and explains whom the institution serves and what it intends to accomplish.
The institution’s stated goals and objectives, consistent with the aspirations and expectations of higher education, clearly specify how the institution will fulfill its mission. The mission, goals, and objectives are developed and recognized by the institution with its members and its governing body and are utilized to develop and shape its programs and practices and to evaluate its effectiveness.
UMB’s mission, goals, and objectives are developed through a strategic planning process that takes into account the plans of the University System of Maryland (USM), the State Plan for Higher Education in Maryland, and the results of planning processes in UMB’s schools and major administrative units. UMB’s mission statement is reviewed and approved by the USM Board of Regents and the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). The mission statement was revised in 2005 and approved by both bodies.
2.1.1 UMB Mission
UMB's mission statement emphasizes the preparation of highly qualified professionals and researchers in the health professions, law, and social work; the conduct of research and other scholarly activities in these fields; and a commitment of service to the community through the provision of patient care and social and legal services. The University’s mission statement governs the University’s overall activities and provides the context for the mission statements of the schools. The goals and objectives supporting the University’s mission are defined by each school in accordance with its professional goals, objectives, and codes of ethics. These goals and objectives address student learning, professional training, research, provision of clinical services in accordance with ethical norms, and service to the University, the professions, and the broader community including patients, community organizations, and governments at various levels.
The text of UMB’s approved Mission Statement reads as follows:
The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) is the State’s public academic health center and law and social work university devoted to excellence in professional and graduate education, research, patient care, and public service. Our mission is to provide outstanding and innovative education in health care, biomedical science, social services, and the law; to attract and admit diverse students of exceptional character and
accomplishment; to carry out internationally recognized research to cure disease and to improve the health, social functioning and treatment of people; to translate discoveries into public benefit; and to ensure that the knowledge we generate provides maximum benefit to society.
The following are the mission statements of the six professional schools, which are consistent with the overall University mission.
2.1.2 School Mission Statements
Each school has a strategic planning process that includes development of a mission statement. The president approves each school’s mission statement.
Dental School
The Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, Dental School, seeks to graduate exceptional oral health care professionals, contribute to the scientific basis of treatments for diseases of the oro-facial complex, and deliver comprehensive dental care. These accomplishments will promote, maintain, and improve the overall health of the people within Maryland and have a national and international impact.
School of Law
The fundamental mission of the University of Maryland School of Law is to contribute to the achievement of a more just society by educating outstanding lawyers, by advancing
understanding of law and legal institutions, and by enhancing access to justice. Through excellence in teaching, we seek to prepare students for productive leadership and professional success in a wide range of careers and to promote in both students and faculty the highest
standards of public and professional service. In our capacity as scholars, we seek to contribute to the development of legal knowledge and to enhance understanding of the role of law and justice in society. We underscore our public responsibilities as lawyers and our connection to the broader community by providing pro bono legal services and by serving as a resource for the profession, for the state and for community organizations and endeavors.
School of Medicine
The University of Maryland School of Medicine is dedicated to providing excellence in biomedical education, basic and clinical research, quality patient care and service to improve the health of the citizens of Maryland and beyond. The School is committed to the education and training of medical, MD/PhD, graduate, physical therapy and medical and research technology students. We will recruit and develop faculty to serve as exemplary role models for our students.
School of Nursing
The mission of the University of Maryland School of Nursing is to shape the profession of nursing by developing nursing leaders in education, research and practice. This is
accomplished through outstanding baccalaureate, graduate and continuing education programs;
cutting-edge science and research; and the School’s innovative clinical enterprise.
School of Pharmacy
The mission of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy is to enhance health through innovative pharmaceutical education, research, practice and public service. The School has also developed a vision statement for 2010: We lead the way in advancing the profession of pharmacy. In our innovative educational, research and practice settings, students gain the knowledge and skill to excel in a variety of pharmaceutical careers. Employing a spirit of discovery fostered during the course of their studies, our graduates are leaders wherever they practice, conduct research, or teach. They are essential contributors in the dynamic health care arena meeting the need for pharmacists within the State of Maryland and beyond. As a top-five
research school, we apply an integrative understanding of drug discovery, development and utilization in conducting groundbreaking and translational research. The outcomes from this research make a major impact on improving the quality of people’s lives. We are a formidable influence in shaping drug policy and pharmaceutical practice. Our community service programs bring education and care to people in Baltimore City and throughout the State. These endeavors, coupled with our national and international collaborations, improve the effectiveness of
pharmaceutical care throughout the world. Our faculty, staff and students create and sustain a welcoming and supportive environment where people develop professionally and use their knowledge and talents to realize this vision.
School of Social Work
The mission of the University of Maryland School of Social Work is to provide
leadership to the profession by conducting educational programs, research, scholarship, service innovation, consultation and advocacy. In all of its programs, the School promotes social and economic justice and emphasizes advancement of the well-being of populations at risk. The primary way it meets its mission is through a continuum of programs of social work education—
baccalaureate, master’s, doctoral and continuing education—that produces competent and ethical social workers whose practice advances the well-being of all the people served.
The discussion of the strategic planning processes, goals and objectives of the University and the schools is continued in section 2.2, “Planning, Resource Allocation, and Institutional Planning.”