Vision
Our vision is to create the future of veterinary medicine through unparalleled excellence in education, clinical and diagnostic care, and research. Realizing our vision will result in a new generation of veterinarians and scientists who are ready for the challenges of tomorrow; research breakthroughs that meaningfully enhance animal and human health; high quality, innovative veterinary care with enhanced access; and positive impacts on the health and wellbeing of the state of Wisconsin and the world.
Information on this page is current as of April 21, 2025.
Objectives
Student Learning
Strategic direction: Create and sustain an environment where our learners are inspired and empowered to shape the future, flourish personally and professionally, and address the most pressing challenges in veterinary medicine and biomedical science with confidence and expertise.
Train the next generation of veterinarians: Ensure veterinary medical students graduate with confidence, curiosity, and skills to meet the evolving needs of the profession and their communities.
Develop future scholars: Enhance the recruitment and education of house officers, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows to strengthen the pipeline of academicians, specialists and biomedical scientists
Expand and enhance educational facilities: Modernize educational infrastructure to support leading-edge experiential learning and accommodate growth in our DVM class size.
Cultivate an innovative student mindset: Develop future leaders, change makers, and entrepreneurs who embrace the Wisconsin Idea and SVM’s innovative spirit.
Patient Care & Clinical Services
Strategic direction: Be a national leader in innovative, high-quality, and compassionate veterinary care.
Optimize hospital operations: Strengthen hospital operations through clear communication, shared expectations, and efficient workflow.
Strengthen strategic partnerships: Foster bi-directional relationships with regional partners and provide valuable practitioner education.
Enhance reputation for innovative care: Expand our reputation as a provider of leading-edge, individualized and compassionate patient and client care.
Deliver exceptional client service: Provide outstanding client and referring veterinarian experience.
Research & Innovation
Strategic Direction: Empower research breakthroughs that enhance animal health, human health, and society and respond to an adapting and dynamic environment.
Advance discoveries through innovation and collaboration: Advance interdisciplinary team science initiatives that tackle complex research challenges.
Accelerate research translation: Facilitate entrepreneurial pathways that empower researchers to translate discoveries into impactful, market-ready solutions.
Integrate research and practice: Develop a robust clinical/translational research infrastructure that promotes collaboration between foundational scientists to foster innovation in clinical practice and accelerate basic research into clinical applications.
Diversify research portfolio: Expand and adapt research areas (or portfolio) to address evolving industry and societal needs, ensuring long-term relevance.
Integrate research into education: Infuse research innovation and information literacy throughout the DVM curriculum.
Outreach
Strategic direction: Enhance and improve engagement with our varied communities to inspire and educate.
Strengthen community engagement: Support deliberate, organized and regular engagements with varied communities that foster a bidirectional exchange of knowledge and resources aligned with the Wisconsin Idea.
Increase awareness of the school’s impact: Create awareness of SVM’s excellence and accomplishments in patient and client care, teaching and training, and discoveries that benefit animal and human health.
Inspire future professionals: Enhance engagement with K-12 and undergraduate students to encourage careers in veterinary medicine.
Organizational Health
Strategic direction: Foster a supportive, accountable, and engaging environment that maximizes resources, reduces barriers, and empowers individuals to collaborate, grow, and shape the future of veterinary medicine.
Achieve operational excellence: Ensure financial stability, optimize resource utilization, champion adaptability, and cultivate an ethos of continuous improvement.
Enhance communication and participatory decision-making: Promote open, transparent, and effective communication while fostering active participation in inclusive decision-making.
Cultivate an engaged community : Foster a culture of engagement, empowerment, respect, and recognition that drives innovation, belonging, and collaboration.
Support team growth and development: Provide meaningful support, ensure equitable access to resources, and promote a culture of mutual accountability to empower professional growth.