Dear Colleagues, Faculty, Staff, Students, and Friends:
I’m honored to unveil this 5-year strategic plan for New York University’s School of Global Public Health (GPH). At the heart of this plan is the recognition that improving public health outcomes in a world that is more interconnected than ever must address the social, political, economic, cultural, and environmental determinants of health. In facing the ever-changing nature of global health, GPH needed an updated strategic plan to re-define how best to prepare our students as future public health practitioners and leaders, forge relationships with community organizations furthering health worldwide, expand the reach and impact of our research, and streamline our organizational effectiveness. After careful review and consideration of all of your feedback and insight, I am anchoring our strategic pathways on three major priorities, namely (1) student success, (2) revolutionary science; and (3) global impact, which is integrated throughout GPH’s new goals and objectives.
The power of this strategic plan is in the collaborative process that created and shaped it. In partnership with Enspark Consulting, we engaged a Strategic Planning Committee comprised of faculty, staff, and students to reimagine GPH’s strategic priorities, initiatives, and objectives. We held a Vision Summit to capture and synthesize the needs, wants, insights, and aspirations of GPH’s internal and external community members, along with multiple feedback sessions to refine and clarify each aspect of the plan. This five-year strategic plan is the culmination of the GPH community’s collective experiences, wisdom and aspirations.
A fundamental, shared value that emerged from our discussions was a deep commitment to the equitable safeguarding of public health. We are dedicated to better health outcomes for everyone, regardless of geographic, economic, political or social systems. Inspired by a belief that education, research, and practice are the cornerstones of progress, we are poised to make a profound impact on the global health landscape.
I thank everyone who contributed to developing this plan for positive change and improved well-being for all. I want to especially thank GPH’s recently appointed Senior Executive Vice Dean, Dr. Melody Goodman, who will be leading the implementation of this plan, as well as the EnSpark team, for harnessing their collective expertise to facilitate inclusive dialogues that will bring about actionable strategies to move our strategic plan from aspirational to operational. I also want to thank the very committed GPH Dean’s Council and our amazing Alumni Board.
I invite you all to explore this strategic plan with openness and enthusiasm as we shape an exciting new future for GPH and our ever growing impact on the global health landscape.
Sincerely,
Dean Furr-Holden
Table of Contents
This strategic plan outlines priorities, goals, and strategies to advance global public health research, education, and practice at New York University (NYU) School of Global Public Health (GPH). The plan serves as an anchor of our work and a compass to guide us as we strive to make more equitable health outcomes a reality for all people. Because world circumstances can quickly change, this plan is intended to be a living document that we revisit and adjust to meet internal goals as well as emerging global public health needs.
Creating an aspirational document capable of practical implementation necessitated a holistic, system-wide approach. For nearly seven months, internal community members participated in various forms of discussions, debates, and introspection to clarify GPH’s unique characteristics, strengths, principles, and priorities. It was an iterative process intended to be fully representative of our diverse faculty, staff, and students. We strove to incorporate feedback from all constituents to ensure that we captured the fundamental priorities of our collective GPH community. The overriding opinion from our various methods of feedback was that the right to quality health should transcend geographical, economic, and social systems.
The section below provides an overview of the Foundational Statements and Strategic Goals. To effectively capture the aspirations of our community, we reframed our foundational vision, mission, guiding principles, and values statements. The purpose was to reinforce the fundamental aspects of our school, so our efforts are aligned with the transformational impact we want to have on the world’s global public health needs. To operationalize the foundational statements, we identified specific goals to support and advance our research, education, practice, and organizational effectiveness.
We envision a world where all people experience health and well-being as a human right rather than a geographic, economic, social, or political privilege.
Mission
Our mission is to prepare public health professionals and communities to solve global public health challenges through cutting-edge research, transformative education, partnership, and collaboration.
We think big. We see challenges as opportunities. We conduct research that is responsive to the needs of our world, even if unpopular. We broaden intellectual boundaries through innovative inquiry and actions.
We go far. We work in partnership with communities around the world. We are committed to increasing local public health capacity and sustainability. Our research, education, practice, and service have no boundaries.
We learn together. We value all lived experiences and our ability to learn from each other.
We inspire change. We challenge the status quo and unite toward an inclusive society where all voices are sought, heard, and valued.
Equity: Our highest value is ensuring optimal health for all people.
Diversity: We honor individual differences as sources of strength.
Discovery: We generate breakthroughs to solve global public health challenges.
Collaboration: We create the future we envision by working together.
GOAL #1: Expand our public health impact through growing our research enterprise both domestically and globally.
GOAL #2: Build research partnerships with community organizations, policymakers, and non-academic global partners to ensure our work is relevant, sustainable, and creates real change in public health.
GOAL #1: Prepare public health professionals with the skills and knowledge to effect change in the diverse communities in which they work.
GOAL #2: Support learners to excel throughout their academic journey.
GOAL #3: Evaluate existing programs and create new offerings to meet the evolving needs of the public health workforce.
GOAL #1: Provide a public health practice experience that equips students with the skills and competencies they need to be successful in their professional roles.
GOAL #2: Build GPH's reputation as a leader in preparing outstanding public health professionals and practitioners.
GOAL #1: Align our people, processes, tools, and resources to achieve our mission and enable sustainable growth.
GOAL #2: Diversify and increase our revenue and funding sources.
Creating a strategic plan that was reflective of GPH’s diverse community and upheld our shared vision for social justice in public health took months of dialogue, debate, reflection, and iteration. Strategic plans are generally developed by deans and department heads. However, we wanted this strategic plan to be a collaborative process in recognition of the unparalleled knowledge, wisdom, and creativity that comes from the lived experiences of our many community members. As shown in the image below, there were multiple processes, methods, and modalities to involve internal stakeholders in developing a plan for GPH’s contribution to more equitable health for the world.
The strategic planning process formally began in April 2023 when GPH contracted EnSpark Consulting to facilitate a collaborative, iterative process for development of a 5-year strategic plan. An immediate task was the development of a Strategic Planning Committee that had representation from each of GPH’s faculty, staff, and student populations. The eight-person Strategic Planning Committee was charged with developing the core elements of the plan, including the reimagined Vision, Mission, Guiding Principles, and Values Statements. The committee also has the task of iterating and editing the final strategic plan elements based on feedback received from community members.
STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE | |
| Mari Armstrong-Hough, Assistant Professor of Social & Behavioral Sciences and Epidemiology | Mike Merson, Interim Chair, Global & Environmental Health Department, Clinical Professor of Global & Environmental Public Health |
| Yuyu (Ruby) Chen, Doctoral Student, Biostatistics | Andrea Muraca, Assistant Dean, Student Affairs |
| Lisa Kroin, Director, Registration & Academic Services | Peter Navario, Clinical Associate Professor of Public Health Policy & Management; CEO, HealthRight International |
| Molly Lieber, Chief of Staff, Office of the Dean | Donna Shelley, Vice Dean for Research; Professor of Public Health Policy and Management; Co-Director, Global Center for Implementation Science |
| Kayleigh Blaney, Senior Fellow to the Dean, Office of the Dean, Ex Officio Member | |
In addition to the Strategic Planning Committee, Strategic Goal Teams were identified to develop strategies and metrics for GPH’s focus areas of research, education, practice, and organizational effectiveness. More information on each of the strategic goals will be detailed in the section on Strategic Goals.
STRATEGIC GOALS TEAMS | |
Research Melody Goodman, Senior Executive Vice Dean; Professor of Biostatistics Martin McDonough, Assistant Dean for Research Operations, Sponsored Programs, and Clinical Facilities | Organizational Effectiveness Chris Tang, Vice Dean for Finance and Administration Molly Lieber, Chief of Staff, Office of the Dean |
Education Danielle Ompad, Vice Dean for Academic Affairs; Director of Doctorate of Philosophy in Public Health Program; Professor of Epidemiology Martina Lynch, Assistant Dean, Academic Affairs Andrea Muraca, Assistant Dean, Student Affairs Chris Tang, Vice Dean for Finance and Administration | Practice Karyn Faber, Director of Public Health Practice; Director of Undergraduate Experiential Learning; Clinical Assistant Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences Jo Ivey Boufford, Director of the Doctor of Public Health Program; Clinical Professor of Global Health Joyce Moon Howard, Director of Undergraduate Programs; Clinical Associate Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Community Health Science and Practice |
One of the most pivotal steps of the strategic planning process was a community-wide Vision Summit that allowed for inclusion, ideation, and engagement. An in-person two-day summit (May 2023) and a shorter online summit (June 2023) were held to allow as many constituents as possible of the GPH community to share their hopes, desires, and aspirations for the future of GPH. The number of people who participated was both exciting and motivating. More than 75 faculty (tenure system, clinical, and visiting), staff, and students took part in the in-person or online Vision Summit.
The Vision Summit was pivotal for the strategic planning process for two main reasons: it fostered a sense of inclusion for the GPH community, and it allowed us to discover our shared commitment to social justice in global public health.
The collaborative process included one-on-one interviews, surveys, and a series of feedback meetings with a cross-section of GPH faculty, staff, and students. Prior to finalizing the strategic plan, we once more gathered community members. Faculty, staff, students, and alumni (n=70) attended Feedback Sessions to share their reflections on draft strategic plan elements.
One central theme that emerged from all of the conversations was a dedication and commitment to social justice and equity in public health. Across all of the GPH core functions, on research, education, or practice, the GPH community is passionate about making a measurable difference in health for all of the world’s populations.
Participants in the strategic planning process also emphasized GPH’s diverse community as a core strength. GPH attracts and serves people from all parts of the world, uniquely positioning it to address global health needs.
The dedication, commitment, and motivation to address global public health challenges is underscored and supported by the collaborative creation of the Strategic Plan.
To operationalize the aspirational vision, it was important to specify goals for each of GPH’s focus areas (e.g., research, education, practice, and organizational effectiveness). A SMARTIE goals framework was employed for maximum effectiveness. SMARTIE is an acronym for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound, inclusive, and equitable goals. Strategic Goal Teams were assigned for each focus area to ensure all of them received the necessary time and attention. Each of the Strategic Goal Teams worked to generate goals and strategies that would be achieved over the next 5 years.
The Research Goal Team generated an overarching meta-goal to guide the development of the two main research goals. META-GOAL: Conduct research to develop, implement, and evaluate real-world solutions that address the most pressing public health issues both present and future.
For the research goals, the definition of ‘research’ includes all scholarship, whether internally or externally sponsored or non-sponsored. It is intended to be broad in context rather than narrow. Tackling complex public health issues necessitates collective efforts from all corners of the world. Strategies that include the term “community partners” are also intended to be expansive. Community partners refer to the wide range of health-based stakeholders, including but not limited to, health departments, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, non-governmental organizations, service-based organizations, policymakers, and health systems.
| GOAL #1: Expand our public health impact through growing our research enterprise both domestically and globally. | |
Strategy #1 Strengthen existing Centers | Metrics for Strategy #1 Submit at least 1 collaborative cross-Center grant per year 5% increase in gifts to centers 10% increase in external communications (media) on existing Center work Submit at least 1 mega-grant per year |
Strategy #2 Support early career faculty with an appropriate mentorship plan | Metrics for Strategy #2 80% of early career faculty have a network-model mentoring team, 100% meeting with mentorship committee each year 75% mid-career (Associate) and senior (Full) faculty are mentors or sponsors for early career faculty |
Strategy #3 Identify and increase opportunities for our students and postdocs to engage in research through collaboration with the Practice Office, Doctoral Studies Office, and Faculty Affairs | Metrics for Strategy #3 25% of GPH students are engaged directly in research 5% increase in postdoc positions |
Strategy #4 Strengthen the internal review process | Metrics for Strategy #4 Decrease the number of exceptions to standard operating procedures (SOPs) and rushed grants to less than 10% of all grant submissions |
Strategy #5 Provide support for grant proposal development | Metrics for Strategy #5 25% of internal research support funding going to proposal development resources |
Strategy #6 Increase the quality of submissions, including mega-grants | Metrics for Strategy #6 Move into Top 20 in Blue Ridge rankings Increase in dollar amount of school's portfolio by 5% 75% of faculty supported by extramural funding |
Strategy #7 Increase visibility of non-sponsored research, practice, and evaluation work | Metrics for Strategy #7 5% increase in monthly internal communications acknowledging non-sponsored and early career researcher projects/grants, practice, and evaluation work Highlight non-sponsored research, practice, and evaluation work during research spotlights at 1 faculty meeting per semester |
Strategy #8 Highlight and center the work of early career faculty and scientists of diverse backgrounds | Metrics for Strategy #8 5% increase in submissions of diversity supplements 5% increase in media hits for early career faculty Include at least one early career faculty in research spotlight at faculty meetings each semester |
| GOAL #2: Build research partnerships with community organizations, policymakers, and non-academic global partners to ensure our work is relevant, sustainable, and creates real change in public health. | |
Strategy #1 Establish policies and practices that foster trust in the school | Metrics for Strategy #1 90% satisfaction ratings among existing and new community partners about working with GPH |
Strategy #2 Be a trustworthy academic partner by fostering relationships and developing programs that focus on and elevate the importance and contributions of community organizations around the world | Metrics for Strategy #2 5% increase in community-partnered grants submitted 5% increase in citations & publications of community-partnered research 10% increase in sub-recipient funding for community partners |
GPH's Education META-GOAL is to cultivate a dynamic learning environment, providing didactic training and practice experiences that promote student success to prepare the next generation of global public health practitioners and researchers.
To achieve our meta-goal, the Education Goal Team developed three education goals that underscore the importance of both rigor and community in all aspects of a student’s academic journey, whether in the classroom, in experiencing the practice of public health through required internships, or in collaboration with other students as well as professors. It was also important to acknowledge the rapid pace of change in our world, and the need for GPH’s curriculum to be prepared to adjust accordingly without compromising on the necessary rigor and comprehensiveness.
| GOAL #1: Prepare public health professionals with the skills and knowledge to effect change in the diverse communities in which they work. | |
Strategy #1 Implement a systematic curriculum review process | Metrics for Strategy #1 Masters, doctoral, certificate, and dual degree programs’ curricula are reviewed every 4 years 80% satisfaction rating for curriculum-based questions on course evaluation 80% of alumni 1-5 years post-graduation report that their academic experience made a significant impact on their public health and professional skills |
Strategy #2 Improve and elevate innovative teaching modalities | Metrics for Strategy #2 80% of Course Assistants (CA)/Teaching Assistants (TA) participate in pedagogy training at least once during their program 80% of new Assistant Professors participate in pedagogy training before their third-year review 50% of Associate and Full Professors participate in pedagogy training at least once every 3 years 80% satisfaction ratings on course evaluations regarding teaching modalities Each semester at a faculty meeting, highlight success stories of innovative use of teaching technologies |
Strategy #3 Expand our capacity to provide global courses, internships, and study abroad opportunities, and expand access to these opportunities | Metrics for Strategy #3 Offer at least 4 study abroad and global courses annually 5% increase in global internship opportunities 25% of student program fee covered by scholarships for each global course 2 full program fee scholarships for each global course |
| GOAL #2: Support learners to excel throughout their academic journey. | |
Strategy #1 Provide comprehensive and inclusive personal and professional development services | Metrics for Strategy #1 80% satisfaction rating on evaluation scores for student engagement and activities 50% attendance goals met for each program and event 80% of student clubs and affinity groups are active and engaged 50% of faculty and staff utilize NYU Connect for referral tracking in the first year of launching 70% satisfaction rating reported on annual exit survey for career advising 80% of graduates report being employed or continuing their education within one year of graduation |
Strategy #2 Foster a more diverse and inclusive student population | Metrics for Strategy #2 Increase average scholarship for students from 10.5% to 25% by 2028 85% retention rates for students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds 70% of masters students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds graduate within 4 years 60% of doctoral students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds graduate within 7 years |
| GOAL #3: Evaluate existing programs and create new offerings to meet the evolving needs of the public health workforce. | |
Strategy #1 Develop new degree and concentration offerings at both Masters and Doctoral levels | Metrics for Strategy #1 Obtain approval and matriculate two PhD students annually in Global and Environmental Health Obtain approval and matriculate 5 students in a new masters program concentration in partnership with Stern |
Strategy #2 Develop and implement a five-year plan for the DrPH | Metrics for Strategy #2 Meet enrollment targets as defined in the 5-year plan 70% satisfaction rating on student exit survey following the DrPH program |
Strategy #3 Assess existing non-degree programs (e.g. certificate programs) | Metrics for Strategy #4 Advanced certificate programs’ curricula are reviewed every 4 years Discount non-degree certificate programs by at least 25% 20% increase in enrollment in non-degree programs |
Strategy #4 Expand access to GPH educational offerings for non-degree seeking learners | Metrics for Strategy #5 Develop a business plan for micro-credentialing or continuing education programs Provide free public access to at least two GPH webinars or virtual events each semester 80% satisfaction rating on participant evaluations for non-degree educational offerings |
Strategy #5 Provide scholarships to enable a more diverse and inclusive student population in the DrPH program | Metrics for Strategy #6 25% scholarship for all DrPH core courses |
Strategy #6 Develop pathways for undergraduate and non-degree programs into GPH masters and doctoral programs | Metrics for Strategy #7 10% increase of NYU undergraduates and non-degree students enrolling in GPH masters and doctoral programs |
GPH’s Practice META-GOAL is to train a diverse workforce of public health practitioners, in collaboration with local and global partners, dedicated to protecting and promoting health, addressing health inequities, and ensuring a healthier future for all.
To achieve our aspirations, the Practice Goal Team developed two main practice goals which emphasize the significance of fostering a culture of practice at GPH.
Public Health Practice involves interdisciplinary approaches used by Public Health professionals to improve health in communities and populations. Also known as “applied public health”– where the knowledge gained through research and scientific inquiry is applied to public health challenges. This includes the creation of and participation in activities, programs, interventions, policies, services, and processes designed to prevent disease and promote health for all people. Collaboration, partnership, and community engagement are at the heart of effective practice.
| GOAL #1: Provide a public health practice experience that equips students with the skills and competencies they need to be successful in their professional roles. | |
Strategy #1 Center practice as a core component of students’ academic training | Metrics for Strategy #1 Develop a policy and implementation plan to include practice components into appropriate core and elective courses 80% of MPH students starting their second year have completed the internship hours requirement Evaluate and revise GPH practice curriculum and learning objectives every 2-3 years |
Strategy #2 Evaluate Practice Experience | Metrics for Strategy #2 Conduct annual data collection on preceptor perceptions of the GPH student practice experience |
Strategy #3 Cultivate relationships with alumni to facilitate student internships | Metrics for Strategy #3 GPH alumni participation in events (e.g., seminars, panels, internship fair) featuring working in practice settings |
Strategy #4 Cultivate relationships with organizations to generate more practice partnerships | Metrics for Strategy #4 Establish new partnerships between GPH and external organizations to place GPH students in internships. |
Strategy #5 Increase opportunities and support for practice-focused students at GPH | Metrics for Strategy #5 One donor-sponsored fellowship for a student to pursue a masters degree at GPH and complete a practice-based internship at an organization aligning with the goals of the fellowship position |
| GOAL #2: GPH is known for preparing outstanding public health professionals and practitioners. | |
Strategy #1 Increase visibility of GPH's practice program | Metrics for Strategy #1 Implement and sustain annual practice experience culminating event (e.g., poster session) with 20% of non-student attendees coming from outside of GPH Identify one organization for a GPH Alumni Organization award annually Nominate one faculty member for the ASPPH practice award each year |
Strategy #2 Increase communication about GPH practice work | Metrics for Strategy #2 Develop a communications/marketing plan for GPH practice-focused work annually |
Strategy #3 Increase GPH practice faculty | Metrics for Strategy #3 Professorship(s) focused on public health practice |
The goals for the area of organizational effectiveness focus on the capacity and capability of GPH to achieve its declared vision and mission. Our META-GOAL is to optimize administrative structures and resources to support the school and our people’s full potential. Our 2 primary organizational effectiveness goals serve as the bedrock upon which all other goals are launched and executed. Faculty, staff, and students must have available to them the systems, processes, and resources that support cutting-edge research, transformative education, and exemplary public health practice.
| GOAL #1: Align our people, processes, tools, and resources to achieve our mission and enable sustainable growth. | |
Strategy #1 Improve GPH’s organizational capacity | Metrics for Strategy #1 Develop and track target staffing and space metrics (e.g., faculty to admin staff ratio, grants/PIs to pre/post award ratio, admin staff to student ratio, classroom space, office spaces) Conduct review to evaluate misalignment of positions to work priorities Document routine work processes, assign owners, eliminate unnecessary steps, and assign target completion timeframes Generate a plan to improve technology hardware and software tools to improve efficiencies, accuracy, and quality of work (e.g., Salesforce, Grammarly), data storage, and security |
Strategy #2 Become an employer of choice by strengthening employee engagement and improving GPH’s work culture | Metrics for Strategy #2 Culture surveys completed with at least a 70% response rate and 75% satisfaction ratings by year 2 and sustained annually Develop and execute change management plans by year 2 Achieve 70% attendance at school-wide events such as the State of the School and Graduation
Pilot professional development plans for 10% of staff within year 1 Develop, evaluate, and launch a professional development plan for all staff by year 3 |
| GOAL #2: Diversify and increase our revenue and funding sources. | |
Strategy #1 Accelerate the pace of development efforts and increase total annual funds raised | Metrics for Strategy #1 Hire dedicated NYU development staff focused on GPH Create a school-wide fundraising strategy Raise $50 million by 2030 Double the number of donors by 2025 |
Strategy #2 Diversify tuition revenue | Metrics for Strategy #2 Sustain annual Fall enrollment of at least 425 new Masters students Create new revenue generating initiatives and increase non-tuition, non-donor revenue to $1 million annually 20% increase in enrollment in non-degree programs |
This strategic plan embodies our unwavering commitment to a world that works for everyone and in shaping the future of public health as an inclusive field for both professionals and those we serve. Rooted in our core values of equity, diversity, discovery, and collaboration and led by our guiding principles, we stand ready to generate new solutions to the ever-evolving challenges of global public health. While the challenges are daunting, we are unwavering in our dedication to transformative improvements accessible to all.
The next steps in moving from aspirations to operations of the strategic plan will be the development of a change management plan to prioritize our goals and strategies, assess the current state of affairs, and further refine SMARTIE goals. Implementation of the strategic plan will follow with ongoing monitoring and evaluation of processes and metrics. We will continue to communicate with and engage our entire GPH community and external partners in operationalizing our strategic plan.
The collaborative process used to create this strategic plan has moved our young school forward, setting a tone for our future that embodies community. As we move forward with this strategic plan, we do so with deep gratitude for the time and effort put into this document by so many throughout our community. Together, we can create a healthier and more equitable world where optimal health knows no boundaries!