After months of collaborative planning, focus groups, and surveys, the Vision 2020 Initiative is complete and the UW School of Medicine and Public Health is ready to announce its new mission, vision, and values statements.
“Our mission, vision and values statements declare the essence of all that we do, for whom we do it, and why. These words shape our efforts today and our impact in the future,” said Robert N. Golden, MD, Dean of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
“I am grateful to the hundreds of people who contributed their thoughts and time to this initiative.”
Vision 2020 involved a period of reflection that began with a planning stage in November 2019. Learners, staff, and faculty provided insight during a workshop and a school-wide survey in January 2020, four focus groups in February and March, and a second school-wide survey in June to gauge feedback on draft language. The phrasing was shaped by more than 1,030 comments and responses in total.
The final survey in June yielded 672 responses indicating an 89.1 percent favorability rating for the vision statement and a 95.1 percent favorability for the mission statement and values.
“I appreciate that these are brief, but clear and simple,” shared one respondent. “The statements captured the essence of the School especially during this time period,” wrote another.
As powerful as the words are, however, they are only a starting point; it takes the commitment of all members of the school to truly bring the concepts to life. A new series of stories will highlight people and programs that exemplify pursuit of our mission, that illustrate our values in action, and that describe ways in which we can advance our vision. All are encouraged to submit story ideas.