Compliance Certification Report

2.4

The institution has a clearly defined, comprehensive, and published mission statement that is specific to the institution and appropriate for higher education. The mission addresses teaching and learning and, where applicable, research and public service. (Institutional Mission)

Narrative:

The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston mission statement is as follows:

The mission of The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston is to provide scholarly teaching, innovative scientific investigation, and state-of-the-art patient care in a learning environment to better the health of society.

UTMB’s education programs enable the state’s talented individuals to become outstanding practitioners, teachers, and investigators in the health care sciences, thereby meeting the needs of the people of Texas and its national and international neighbors.

UTMB’s comprehensive primary, specialty, and sub-specialty care clinical programs support the educational mission and are committed to the health and well-being of all Texans through the delivery of state-of-the-art preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services.

UTMB’s research programs are committed to the discovery of new, innovative biomedical and health services knowledge leading to increasingly effective and accessible health care for the citizens of Texas.

This mission is specific to UTMB and responsive to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s (THECB) directive that each Texas institution of higher learning should address the fundamental purpose of the institution with respect to its teaching, research, and public service responsibilities. The mission statement must meet the present and future education and research needs of Texas and the county in which the institution is located.

The UTMB mission statement appears on the UTMB website (1) and on the websites of the four UTMB schools (2) (3) (4) (5). It is also printed on the first page of the General Information Catalog (6). It is also reflected in the Institutional Plan for Distance Education and Off-Campus Instruction (7).

In accordance with Texas Education Code requirements, the THECB reviews the role and mission statements of all Texas public institutions of higher education at least every four years (8). The UTMB mission statement was last reviewed and approved in 2004 (9).