USC Chan Strategic Plan, 2019–23
Dear Trojan Family,
I am pleased to introduce Transformation Through Occupation: USC Chan Strategic Plan FY 2019-23!
This inspirational and implementable document outlines a vision for our future, affirms our fundamental mission and values and sets six new goals to guide our programs, priorities and growth through fiscal year 2023.
For questions or comments regarding the USC Chan Strategic Plan, please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Sincerely,
Grace Baranek PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Associate Dean, Chair and Professor
USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC
Steering Committee
Erna Blanche PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Stefanie Bodison OTD, OTR/L, C/NDT
Sarah Bream OTD, OTR/L
Catherine Crowley OTD, OTR/L
Jesús Díaz OTD, OTR/L
Julie McLaughlin Gray PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Katie Jordan OTD, OTR/L
Mary Lawlor ScD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Sook-Lei Liew PhD, OTR/L
John Margetis OTD, OTR/L
Mike McNulty OTD, OTR/L
Stephanie Mielke OTD, OTR/L
Samia Rafeedie OTD, OTR/L, BCPR, CBIS
Pamela Roberts PhD, OTR/L, SCFES, FAOTA, CPHQ, FNAP
Shawn Roll PhD, OTR/L, RMSKS, FAOTA
Lindsey Shomer OTD, OTR/L, CEAS
John Sideris PhD
Shelby Surfas OTD, OTR/L
Emily Sopkin OTD, OTR/L
Janis Wise
Development of the Plan
Dear Trojan Family,
I am pleased to announce that we have achieved our goal to have a comprehensive draft of the USC Chan 2019-2023 Strategic Plan by the start of the Fall 2018 semester! Phase 3 of the strategic planning process began on July 13th, when the Steering Committee met for the last time as a full group to carefully review the latest version of the Strategic Plan. Group discussion catalyzed further refinement to ensure the goals, strategies, and tactics set forth accurately reflect our collective vision for the future of USC Chan.
USC Chan faculty and staff will join in celebrating the official launch of the next step of the strategic planning process, the Implementation Phase, on September 17th, 2018, at the bi-annual full Division meeting. Additionally, a Student Forum will follow on October 1st to introduce new and returning students to our Strategic Plan and discuss how they can also be involved in achieving Division goals and priorities.
At the outset, I wanted to ensure our strategic planning process was purposeful, data-driven, transparent and collaborative. I am pleased with how we have been able to deliver on such objectives with the help of AMC Strategies, LLC. After seven months of tireless and thoughtful dedication on behalf of all individuals involved at every stage of the process, I am confident we have created an inspirational and implementable plan to guide us for the next five years.
Sincerely,
Grace Baranek PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Associate Dean, Chair and Professor
USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC
Dear Trojan Family,
Following the USC Chan Division Strategic Planning Steering Committee working retreat and the faculty and staff town hall forum held at the end of April, consultants from AMC Strategies synthesized the groups’ reflections and feedback to develop an initial draft of the 2018-2023 Strategic Plan. The Steering Committee has since met twice to collectively discuss and revise the drafted plan, making thoughtful additions and edits at each stage to ensure it reflects the priorities and interests of the division. Faculty representatives with expertise in diversity and inclusion, the current and prospective research climate, and clinical practice issues spent additional time outside of these meetings to develop strategies and tactics to meet broader goals. For example, the division’s Diversity, Access, and Inclusion Committee contributed key recommendations for how we can work to expand diversity in our faculty and student populations.
On Friday, June 15th, a draft of the Strategic Plan was presented to the USC Chan Board of Councilors at their bi-annual meeting as the final Phase 2 activity in the overall strategic planning process. The Board offered enthusiastic support for the process and work completed thus far, and agreed the draft successfully and comprehensively addresses key strategic priorities necessary for the division’s future success. They also provided valuable input to optimize how our Strategic Plan may be received and understood by other disciplines, external stakeholders, and the public.
While changes are still emerging, the USC Chan 2018-2023 Strategic Plan will feature:
- A new and inspired vision statement;
- Core values that emerged from stakeholder interviews, the electronic survey, and steering committee group discussion;
- Long-term goals that jointly capture what we would like USC Chan to achieve over the next five years; and
- Multiple strategies and specific tactics to enable us to successfully attain our broader goals.
We look forward to launching Phase 3 in July with a final steering committee meeting, and continuing with an approval, dissemination, and implementation phase beginning at the start of the Fall 2018 semester. A full division meeting and student town hall forum will provide additional opportunities for all faculty, staff and students to participate in discussion regarding the Strategic Plan and future direction of USC Chan.
Sincerely,
Grace Baranek PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Associate Dean, Chair and Professor
USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC
Dear Trojan Family,
On Wednesday, April 25, 2018, the USC Chan Strategic Planning Steering Committee convened for a working retreat, marking the end of Phase 1 and the beginning of Phase 2 activities of the strategic planning process. As a reminder, the purpose of Phase 1 was to comprehensively assess the division’s current position — essentially answering the question, “Where is the division today?” The purpose of Phase 2 is to answer the questions, “Where should the division be in the future?” and “How should the division get there?”
Activities and outcomes of Phases 1 and 2, designed to collectively develop detailed goals, strategies, and tactics, have included the following thus far:
Phase 1 Activities
- Internal Stakeholder Interviews. Eighteen individual one-hour interviews with a representative subset of faculty members, and two group interviews with 4 students and 4 staff members (a total of 26 internal stakeholder interviews) were conducted by AMC Strategies’ consultants. Interviewees were asked about USC Chan’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats; about the division’s current vision statement and core values; opportunities for collaboration and synergy both within the division (across USC Chan’s research, teaching, and practice mission areas) and with outside entities; and significant trends within occupational science and occupational therapy.
- External Stakeholder Focus Group. Nine fieldwork preceptors, alumni, and employers of USC Chan graduates participated in a two-hour focus group covering many of the same topics discussed during individual interviews. This focus group consisted of representatives from the Occupational Therapy Association of California, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles Unified School District, Pediatric Therapy Network, Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Occupational Therapy Training Program, Exodus Recovery, Inc., and the USC Chan Division’s Board of Councilors.
- USC Leader Interviews. Sixteen senior leaders from across USC participated in individual 30-minute telephone interviews facilitated by AMC Strategies’ consultants. Such leaders included USC Provost Michael Quick, deans of USC schools, directors of institutes, and renowned experts in their fields. Interviewees were asked to share their perceptions of USC Chan and to describe potential opportunities for future collaborations with their respective academic units.
- Electronic Survey. 689 respondents completed an electronic survey distributed to all faculty, staff, students, alumni, fieldwork preceptors and members of the Board of Councilors. More than 90 percent of survey respondents endorsed the proposed core values identified by AMC Strategies after their interviews and focus group. Additionally, open-ended comments solicited by the survey pertained to the broad topics of curriculum, cultural sensitivity, and collaboration, among others.
- Environmental Assessment. Steering Committee members Emily Sopkin, Stephanie Mielke, and Mike McNulty compiled quantitative data from numerous internal sources to provide a current snapshot of USC Chan and how it has grown during the last five years. This document provides a data-driven baseline status to inform the goals, strategies, and tactics to be set forth with the new Strategic Plan.
Phase 2 Activities
- Steering Committee Retreat. 25 USC Chan Steering Committee members and 3 consultants from AMC Strategies, LLC met off-site for an all-day working retreat. The morning consisted of reviewing results from all Phase 1 activities. The group then worked collectively to begin to draft a potential vision statement and strategic priorities as informed by those results. After lunch, breakout group discussions generated reflection and innovative thinking on topics pertaining to preparing graduates for the changing healthcare landscape; supporting healthy communities locally and globally; facilitating the translation, dissemination, and impact of our research programs; and cultivating valuable internal and external partnerships.
- Town Hall Forum. On Monday, April 30, approximately 50 faculty, staff, and postdoctoral scholars gathered in the CHP G-37 auditorium and via livestream to review the results of Phase 1 activities and to offer feedback on the strategic planning process to date. Discourse generated poignant questions and novel perspectives on USC Chan, both at present and into the future. Additional town hall forums for faculty, staff, and students are scheduled for early Fall 2018.
On behalf of AMC Strategies and the entire USC Chan Division, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the many people who have generously and thoughtfully contributed to these activities. This invaluable qualitative and quantitative information will continue shaping our Strategic Planning activities and outcomes, as together we look forward to the continuation of Phase 2 and the launch of Phase 3. Thank you, and Fight On!
Sincerely,
Grace Baranek PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Associate Dean, Chair and Professor
USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC
Dear Trojan Family,
On January 7th, we launched the process of building USC Chan’s new five-year Strategic Plan, the document which will set a vision for the future of our division, further affirm our fundamental mission, and guide our programs, priorities, and growth until the year 2023. This comprehensive Strategic Plan will account for internal and external opportunities and challenges; for pressing questions affecting the occupational science discipline and the occupational therapy profession at large; and for contemporary issues in health care delivery, higher education pedagogy, and research excellence. In tandem with the plans of both the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC and the university, our new Strategic Plan will empower us to best fulfill our mission on USC’s campuses, across the nation, and around the world.
To help facilitate this complex process, I am pleased to announce that the division has retained the consulting firm of AMC Strategies, LLC, whose previous clients include academic health systems, universities, schools, research institutes, and academic departments, several of which are also here at USC.
In partnership with AMC Strategies, I am also pleased to announce that Phase 1 of our strategic planning process is well underway. The purpose of this phase is to build a quantitative and qualitative understanding of where the division is today in order to prepare for where we aspire to be in the coming years.
Phase 1 activities have included establishing a Strategic Planning Steering Committee; conducting confidential interviews with a representative subset of faculty, staff, and students; and hosting focus groups and interviews with external stakeholders including employers and clinical community partners, our alumni, and USC collaborators and leaders outside of the division. Faculty members Emily Sopkin, Stephanie Mielke, and Mike McNulty are leading an environmental assessment to examine the current state of our educational programs, research efforts, clinical services, and global engagement. At some point in the weeks ahead, you will also receive an invitation to complete a confidential electronic survey in order to ensure that every member of the USC Chan Trojan Family has a voice in shaping our strategic direction.
Phase 2 of the process, which is designed to crystallize our vision and define the strategic framework necessary for realizing it, will commence in the months ahead. This phase features multiple avenues for soliciting feedback through Steering Committee meetings, a Town Hall Forum, and the Chan Board of Councilors meeting. Phase 3, finalizing the newly developed plan along with implementation strategies, tactics, and metrics, will be completed this summer. Open forums with faculty, staff, and students at the start of the Fall 2018 semester will serve to discuss plan approval and initiate implementation. Regular communication from my team will keep you up-to-date on where we are in this process, which steps have been completed, and which lay ahead.
I want to express how much I value the perspective of each and every member of the USC Chan Trojan Family — faculty, staff, students, alumni, administrators, and partners alike. It is vitally important that our strategic planning process be as participatory, candid, and transparent as possible. I encourage you to share your voice through formal and informal opportunities for input. If you have any suggestions, comments, or recommendations about where USC Chan is today or where you would like to see it heading in the future, please email me any time at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Alternatively, I welcome anonymous feedback submitted through our online Comment Box.
In many respects, the accomplishments of the past five years have far exceeded our greatest expectations; in other respects, unrealized ambitions still wait on the horizon. On behalf of the entire Strategic Planning Steering Committee, I look forward to listening to your ideas, engaging in thoughtful and nuanced conversations, and working together with you as we set into motion our bold plans for the next five years here at USC Chan. Fight On!
Sincerely,
Grace Baranek PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Associate Dean, Chair and Professor
USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC
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