EHHD Strategic Plan, Amended in 2023 to extend through 2026

The EHHD Strategic Plan is intended to support the Montana State University Strategic Plan while creating goals and fulfilling initiatives that are specific to the College of Education, Health and Human Development. The Mission, Vision and Values outlined in the university strategic plan, Choosing Promise, are as follows: 

EHHD COLLEGE MISSION: As part of the state’s land-grant university, the Montana State University College of Education, Health and Human Development integrates education, creation of knowledge and art, and service to communities.   

VISION: Montana State University will transform lives and communities in the people’s interest.

VALUES: Excellence | Integrity | Inclusion | Collaboration | Curiosity | Stewardship

The following shares selected strategies for how the College of Education, Health and Human Development aligns with Choosing Promise:

Intentional Focus 1: Drive Transformational Learning Experiences Creating Outstanding Educational Outcomes for All Students

Goal 1.1: EHHD will broaden access to underrepresented groups and support academic success for all students.

  • Launched the LIFE Scholars Certificate program to provide access to college experience for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
  • Developed more curriculum delivery strategies to improve access and address expressed needs through dual enrollment partnerships with high schools and the Montana Digital Academy, and ongoing articulation agreements with 2‐year colleges and tribal colleges.

Goal 1.2 EHHD will contribute to the expansion of high‐quality graduate education at MSU in a way that maximizes efficiency.

  • Increased accessible and inclusive graduate education programming through further development of distance programs and course work; for example, the Master of Arts in Teaching program.
  • Launched innovative and interdisciplinary doctoral programs, including PhD in Indigenous and Rural Health and Exercise and PhD in Exercise and Nutrition Sciences.

Goal 1.3 EHHD will implement high quality and high impact teaching and learning practices.

  • Developed, where appropriate, industry or clinical advisory boards and other systems for stakeholder or partner feedback to support the growth of high quality and high impact practices (i.e. internships) in EHHD degree programs.
  • Incentivized the development and integration of accessible multicultural experiences into new or existing courses. Provide appropriate faculty training.

Intentional Focus 2: Improve Lives and Society through Research, Creativity, and Scholarship

Goal 2.1 Enhance the significance and impact of scholarship conducted in EHHD.

  • Supported EHHD student research by encouraging faculty mentorship of undergraduate and graduate scholars, including Buffalo Nations Summer Fellowship, McNair Scholars, and Idea Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) Scholars. 
  • Awarded EHHD internal grants to stimulate projects that address the interdisciplinary Grand Challenges of Montana (community health, early childhood, public policy, education and health equity, food security, sustainable food systems and biomedical sciences).
  • Increased impact and strengthened EHHD's reputation in scholarship by encouraging/incentivizing faculty aculty to deliver public presentations to share their scholarship with the MSU Community and Montana’s communities and beyond.

Goal 2.2 EHHD will support the expansion of interdisciplinary scholarship.

Goal 2.3 EHHD will strengthen its institutional reputation and visibility in scholarship, teaching, and community engagement.

  • Hosted scholarly symposia with university, state, national or international audiences.
  • Developed a college level infrastructure for nominating deserving faculty, staff, and students for national/international awards.

Goal 2.4 EHHD will elevate expectations for scholarship

  • Developed an EHHD workload policy that supports ‘investment’ in alternative forms of integrated teaching and scholarship— including undergraduate research and intern supervision, graduate student advising, post‐doctoral mentoring.
  • Increased research expenditures in EHHD, grant success rate, number of funded grants, and the number of PIs involved in grant writing. 
  • Provide support and professional development for faculty to better integrate their research, teaching, and service.

Intentional Focus 3: Expand Mutually Beneficial and Responsive Engagement for the Advancement of Montana  

Goal 3.1 EHHD will increase mutually beneficial collaborations with tribal nations and partners.

  • Continue to facilitate and expand participation in “Common Threads,” a university‐wide indigenous research methodology working group.
  • Continued to develop and share EHHD expertise in Community Based Participatory Research with internally funded seed grants and graduate level coursework.

Goal 3.2 EHHD will grow mutually beneficial partnerships that support rural communities and schools.

Goal 3.3 EHHD will contribute to the university’s culture of collaboration, continuous improvement and individual growth.

  • Used market comparisons to ensure viable starting salaries for new EHHD faculty hires; update CIP codes for market comparisons to account for the diversity of disciplines in EHHD; regularly provide faculty guidance regarding opportunities for added compensation and salary adjustments.
  • Ensured NTT wages that are equitable across EHHD; relatively equitable across MSU; and more competitive with compensation associated with private sector opportunities.
  • Developed staff progression plans and update job descriptions when appropriate. Seek strategic pay increases when appropriate and nominate deserving staff for service excellence awards.
  • Evaluated and improved EHHD communications, marketing, and outreach plan.
  • Implemented goals and strategies in the EHHD Diversity & Inclusion Plan, continuously updating.
  • Develop continuous improvement goals for EHHD scholarship and document the significance and impact of their fulfillment in the annual EHHD Scholarship and Academic Impact report. Communicate expectations to faculty and engage faculty in self‐assessment of impact.