Mission Statement & Strategic Plan
The mission of the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences is to cultivate a dynamic and inclusive learning environment that prepares students to excel in their chosen disciplines. Through innovative education, research, and community engagement, we are committed to preparing graduates to meet the needs of a global society.
Austin Peay State University’s College of Behavioral and Health Sciences is dedicated to recruiting, supporting, and retaining a distinguished faculty, staff, and student body. We cultivate an environment that values respect, intellectual curiosity, and meaningful engagement. By encouraging open dialogue and addressing disparities, we empower individuals from all backgrounds to achieve their fullest potential. Through our academic programs and initiatives, we prepare students to lead with integrity and make a lasting impact in their professions and communities.
College of Behavioral and Health Sciences Strategic Plan 2025-2027
- Goal 1: Foster a culture of scholarship and high-quality instruction.
- Objective 1: Promote faculty learning communities pertaining to scholarship and instruction.
- Objective 2: Highlight high-quality scholarship and instruction in CoBHS communications.
- Objective 3: Ensure that department RTP and AFE criteria include scholarship of teaching and learning.
- Goal 2: Create a sense of unity within the college that represents a variety of viewpoints
and perspectives.
- Objective 1: CoBHS will sponsor opportunities for dialogue concerning issues impacting our mission.
- Objective 2: CoBHS communications will continue to highlight connections among the college and its stakeholders.
- Objective 3: Implement opportunities for input from students, faculty and staff.
- Goal 3: Facilitate interdisciplinary educational opportunities and experiences.
- Objective 1: Develop inter-departmental brown-bag/colloquia focusing on high-impact practices, interdisciplinary research opportunities, and possible community partnerships.
- Objective 2: Examine curriculum to explore opportunities to cross-list courses or create interdisciplinary programs.
- Goal 4: Examine CoBHS curricula to ensure they are linked to community and regional
needs.
- Objective 1: Encourage the establishment of Advisory Boards at college and departmental levels or other activities that promote connection to workforce needs.
- Objective 2: Solicit input from community partners in order to align the curriculum to external needs.
- Goal 5: Update programs to reflect current trends and best practices, including maintaining
and seeking accreditation where applicable.
- Objective 1: Continue accreditation status where applicable. If the program is not accredited, examine the standards set by national organizations and align the curriculum accordingly.
- Goal 6: Examine academic offerings across terms, instructional sites, times of day,
and modalities to improve educational accessibility.
- Objective 1: Perform an audit to examine academic offerings across terms, instructional sites, times of day, and modalities to improve educational accessibility.
- Objective 2: Survey students to determine student needs regarding education accessibility.
- Goal 7: Monitor trends in higher education to identify challenges to CoBHS sustainability.
- Objective 1: Examine institutional data to identify challenges to CoBHS sustainability.
- Objective 2: Create an action plan based on findings.
- Goal 1: Work to ensure that students within CoBHS are aware of supports and resources
available to them to ensure student success through advisement and access to resources.
- Objective 1: Incorporate the student resource modules in D2L in all CoBHS classes
- Objective 2: Ensure all faculty and advisors share created information with students.
- Goal 2: Work with graduate admissions to develop a recruitment, admissions, and completion
strategy related to CoBHS graduate programs.
- Objective 1: Develop a communication strategy within the Slate messaging system.
- Objective 2: Create recruitment plans utilizing past alumni and past graduates.
- Objective 3: Create opportunities for program coordinators to meet and discuss barriers and supports for program completion.
- Goal 3: Increase opportunities for students to participate in high-impact practices
(HIPs).
- Objective 1: Survey high-impact practice opportunities within each department/school.
- Objective 2: Determine strategies to increase student opportunities to participate in HIPs.
- Goal 4: Integrate high-impact practices into the culture of CoBHS.
- Objective 1: Incorporate faculty participation in HIPs into departmental RTP and AFE criteria.
- Objective 2: Publicize HIPs and their impact within the college and community.
- Goal 5: Provide students with discipline-appropriate support and tools to facilitate
labor market success.
- Objective 1: Explore the feasibility of career fairs, expert speaker series, internship opportunities, mentorship programs, and licenses and certifications.
- Objective 2: Explore or update career courses in the curriculum to emphasize career preparedness.
- Goal 1: Highlight community partnerships, internships, field experiences, and volunteer
opportunities that support strong links between our departments and the community.
- Objective 1: CoBHS newsletter will highlight community partnerships, internships, field experiences, and volunteer opportunities that support strong links between our department and the community at least once a year.
- Goal 2: Strengthen community partnerships with public service, social, and health
agencies.
- Objective 1: The Institute for Community Health and Progress (ICHAP) and similar organizations will survey current CoBHS partnerships with these agencies.
- Objective 2: Develop a plan to increase and enhance these partnerships to assure future growth.
- Goal 3: Offer programming in conjunction with community partner programming in alignment
with faculty expertise within CoBHS.
- Objective 1: Facilitate/Develop a list of faculty who will participate in programming.
- Goal 4: Foster meaningful connections between students and alumni by creating opportunities
for mentorship and networking.
- Objective 1: Departments will connect with alumni through means such as social media, surveys, and networking events to leverage alumni expertise to help prepare students for future careers.