We will deliver a distinctive educational experience that prepares students for meaningful professional lives, develops leadership capacity, and supports success across the full student life cycle.
Why this matters
Alabama and the nation depend on well‑prepared health and education professionals who are ready to lead, adapt, and make a difference from the moment they enter the workforce.
Subgoal 1.1: Student Success and Completion
We will support students’ academic progress, persistence, and timely completion through coherent programs, clear pathways, and meaningful learning opportunities that prepare graduates for professional success and lifelong contribution.
Action Items
- Elevate academic program quality and reputation through employer demand, curricular stewardship, and evidence of student success.
- Ensure clear and relevant course progressions that support academic, professional, and personal goals.
- Align academic programs with societal needs and emerging technologies to foster curiosity and lifelong learning.
- Expand student financial support, including scholarships in areas of high need.
- Strengthen undergraduate learning community initiatives.
- Expand doctoral research fellowships.
- Solidify professional development programs for students.
Subgoal 1.2: High-Impact Learning and Practice
We will expand access to experiential, clinical, research, and community‑engaged learning opportunities that connect classroom learning to real‑world practice and professional contexts.
Action Items
- Ensure all students have access to at least one transformative high‑impact experience.
- Cultivate partnerships to deliver experiential learning opportunities aligned with career pathways.
Subgoal 1.3: Teaching Excellence and Learning Innovation
We will promote instructional excellence and continuous innovation in curriculum and pedagogy, ensuring that learning experiences reflect both foundational knowledge and emerging trends in the field.
Action Items
- Ensure programs and courses reflect foundational and emerging trends in disciplinary knowledge and practical skills.
- Invest in faculty development, effective teaching, and continuing improvement.
- Assess student progress and deliver support to ensure positive academic outcomes, including students’ time to degree.
Subgoal 1.4: Supportive Student Environment
We will foster an environment that supports student well‑being, belonging, and engagement by aligning advising, mentoring, facilities, technology, and student life with the goal of a vibrant and supportive educational experience.
Action Items
- Provide leadership opportunities through college‑ and program‑level student organizations.
- Foster a culture in which every student feels welcomed, valued, respected, and engaged.
- Enhance participation opportunities in disciplinary organizations, advisory groups, and alumni networks.
- Support and enhance student academic advising and professional mentoring.
- Elevate graduate‑level advising and curriculum models.
- Enhance physical and technical infrastructure to support an optimal academic experience.
- Foster a climate of social connection through shared spaces and informal programming.
