Strategic Plan for Physical Therapy

Context For Planning

The faculty of the Department of Physical Therapy is committed to graduating clinicians who demonstrate excellence in clinical practice, education, consultation, and research. In 2016, the Department expanded to three cohorts of 60 students each. In addition, for the first time since the Programs inception in the 1980s, the Department will face competition from another west Michigan university, as it moves to begin its own DPT Program. The combination of internal growth and external competition will have a meaningful impact on the Program, most notably with respect to faculty recruitment/retention and clinical placements for our students. Also, there will be competition for the best students.

Thus, one of the crucial issues for the Department will be maintaining an adequate number of quality clinical placements that provide opportunities for students to obtain the breadth of required clinical education experiences in the curriculum. This competition will likely require the Department to further incentivize clinical sites/educators through enhanced perks, perhaps including financial allocations. As approximately 20-30% of our faculty approach retirement age in the next five years, it is essential that the Department have a viable plan for attracting, replacing, and maintaining qualified faculty. The competition, at both the state and national levels, will be significant.

Finally, as student debt is burgeoning, the Department will be challenged to maintain and further develop the quality of its didactic and clinical education components. The Department must be intentional in its efforts to offer the most current, evidence-based curriculum that it can put forward without adding to the substantial debt our students accrue.

Mission

To prepare exceptional physical therapists who will optimize the health, well-being and movement ability of individuals and society.

Vision

The GVSU DPT program will develop autonomous, collaborative and reflective physical therapists who are specialists in assessing, diagnosing, and treating the human movement system using evidence-based practice. Our graduates will be recognized in their communities as the provider of choice to prevent and manage movement-related disorders across the lifespan, thereby optimizing health and function at both the individual and community levels. As life-long learners, they will be professional and community leaders who effect change in their organizations and communities to best meet the healthcare needs of a diverse, multi-cultural society

Value Statement

Professional and ethical behavior

Respect and appreciation of differences

Life-long learning

Excellence in teaching, scholarship, practice

Appreciation of personal well-being

Collegiality and collaboration

Social responsibility

Evidence-based practice

Reflective practice

Advocacy Leadership

Strategic Priorities, outcomes, and key objectives

Strategic Priority Area 1: Actively engage learners at all levels.

Outcome A: Grand Valley's learning environment is personal, challenging, and transformational, supporting excellent academic programs and co-curricular opportunities.

Objective 1.A.1

The Department of Physical Therapy will charge each of its curricular subgroups to annually assess the need for new content, revised content, or alternate/updated teaching methodologies in order to offer the latest, evidence-based content within the Program.

Baseline

Currently, there is no intentional assessment or Departmental mandate in this regard.

Progress

2019 Status
Substantive Progress
The faculty who provide instruction in the neurological content of the program had a mini-retreat to review (and make recommendations for change of) the material that is presented in that component of the Program. This review included adjunct instructors in neuro as well. The latter group provided a strong clinical perspective on the discussion. The faculty who provide instruction in orthopedic content have also begun a similar review and this should be completed in 2020.

2018 Status
Substantive Progress
This year the Department Chair formed an ad hoc committee to evaluate a significant component of the curriculum; that is, our research component. The committee was formed from a group of faculty members that represented each of our 3 standing committees in the Department. Moreover these 4 individuals represented the full spectrum of the whole faculty's perspectives on how much to change (or not) the structure of the research portion of the DPT curriculum. A survey of the faculty determined that its members were divided such that some wanted no change, others wanted wholesale change, and a number wanted to make "minor-to-moderate tweaks" in the research process. The key issue is whether or not to continue to require all students to complete a research project, as opposed to making the students good consumers of the literature without engagement in a research project. The ad hoc committee has completed its preliminary analysis of multiple factors and will provide a report at our year-end faculty meeting.

Outcome B: Grand Valley is diverse and inclusive.

Objective 1.B.1

The Department of Physical Therapy will develop initiatives to attempt to increase the cumulative diversity of the College of Health Professions students, faculty, and staff.

Baseline

Baseline: Approximately 5% of DPT students are currently from underrepresented groups (URGs). There are no minority faculty or staff at the current time.

Progress

2019 Status
Minimal Progress
The Program's number of students from underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities remains at 5% or less.

2018 Status
Minimal Progress
Currently, the program has ~ 3% of its students reporting that they are from underrepresented groups in the greater community.

Outcome C: Grand Valley has mutually beneficial relationships, partnerships, collaborations, and connections with local, state, national, and world communities.

Objective 1.C.1

The Department of Physical Therapy will reactivate its advisory board made up of adjunct faculty and/or community members, and meetings will be held at least once per year.

Baseline

The Department of Physical Therapy has not had an advisory committee in place since the DPT program was initiated

Progress

2019 Status
Achieved
Our DPT Advisory Board is active and meeting annually, or biannually.

2018 Status
Achieved
The DPT Advisory Board is fully re-activated and functioning at this juncture. Our 3rd meeting is scheduled for March, 2019.

Objective 1.C.2

The Department of Physical Therapy will allocate greater resources (personnel, finances, benefits, and continuing education collaborations) in order to secure and maintain a strong position in terms of clinical education opportunities. Clinical instructor training programs (CCIPs) will be offered at least annually.

Baseline

Currently, the Department/University offer the Preceptor Perks package. The Department offers 1 clinical instructor training program approximately every-other-year, depending on supportive funding. There are 2 full-time clinical educators who devote a portion of their workdays to securing clinical education sites.

Progress

2019 Status
Substantial Progress
The Program continues to do well in this regard. We have 2.5 FTE's devoted to working with our clinical community to ensure the optimal clinical experiences for our students, in addition to establishment of new (and maintenance of existing) clinical affiliations for our Program. In addition, the Program is actively involved in clinical instructor training programs for physical therapists that train our students in the clinic. We are engaged in two of these per year (typically) and the response from the professional community has been positive.

2018 Status
Substantive Progress
Members of the program's faculty continue to offer training to clinical instructors that serve to improve the quality of clinical education that our students receive. In addition, the Program continues its own continuing education program for the professional community. Once again, 3 such programs were offered in 2018. The department also provided support to allow one faculty member to complete the Train-the-Trainer for the Level 2 Credentialed Clinical Instructor Program.

Objective 1.C.3

The Department of Physical Therapy will annually receive adjunct faculty feedback regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the Program.

Baseline

There are no such efforts at the current time.

Progress

2019 Status
Minimal Progress
The Program did not take in this specific information from our adjuncts in 2019. Informal discussions were undertaken, but no formal feedback was solicited or collected.

2018 Status
Minimal Progress
The Program is now receiving targeted feedback on the Program through members of the DPT Advisory Board who are also adjunct faculty members.

Outcome D: Grand Valley supports innovative teaching, learning, integrative scholarly and creative activity, and the use of new technologies.

Objective 1.D.1

The Department of Physical Therapy will actively explore innovative teaching strategies for their ability to enhance teaching and learning in the DPT Program.

Baseline

Currently, there is no intentional tracking or Departmental mandate in this regard.

Progress

2019 Status
Substantive Progress
Faculty are making a good effort to increase awareness of teaching technologies and strategies for enhancement of learning in the Program. Faculty regularly attend national and state meetings where they are exposed to the latest technologies. Faculty attend FTLC seminars and other events on-campus where new teaching methods are shared (e.g., fall start-up meeting and the like). At our faculty meetings, faculty also share ideas about new strategies they employ in the classroom or in our labs.

2018 Status
Substantive Progress
The Program has made some progress in this regard. One of our faculty used Socratic for administering quizzes this past year. Other faculty members used more intentional questioning of students in the lab to promote clinical reasoning development. There was also some use of Blackboard Collaborate in the classroom. One faculty member brought in a speaker from the Middle East using this technology.

Objective 1.D.2

The Department of Physical Therapy will formally assess the impact of new teaching strategies on student learning.

Baseline

Baseline: Currently, there is no intentional assessment or Departmental mandate in this regard.

Progress

2019 Status
Not Yet Initiated
The Program has not undertaken any formal assessment of new teaching strategies employed this past year. It is anticipated that that assessment will begin in the current academic year, as the new strategies or technologies are employed over an entire term.

2018 Status
Substantive Progress
One of our faculty used Socratic for administering quizzes this past year. Other faculty members used more intentional questioning of students in the lab to promote clinical reasoning development. There was also some use of Blackboard Collaborate in the classroom. Analysis of the impact of these strategies/technologies is on-going.

Outcome E: Grand Valley strategically allocates its fiscal, human, and other institutional resources.

Objective 1.E.1

The Department of Physical Therapy will create at least one fully endowed scholarship for a student from an underrepresented group (URG).

Baseline

Currently, there are none

Progress

2019 Status
Achieved
There is one fully endowed scholarship for underrepresented groups within the Program.

2018 Status
Achieved
There is one fully endowed scholarship for a student from an underrepresented group, the Urban Schools Endowed scholarship.

Objective 1.E.2

The Department of Physical Therapy will hire and integrate highly qualified faculty as it fills new positions and replaces retiring members.

Baseline

No hires have been made in past 3 years.

Progress

2019 Status
Substantial Progress
Good progress was made in this regard in 2016-18, as reported previously. There were no new hires in 2019.

2018 Status
Substantial Progress
The Department hired a Mechanical Engineer to work in our BMPL this past August. She is highly qualified and adds an excellent dimension of expertise to our lab.

Strategic Priority Area 2: Further develop exceptional personnel.

Outcome A: Grand Valley's learning environment is personal, challenging, and transformational, supporting excellent academic programs and co-curricular opportunities.

Objective 2.A.1

The Department of Physical Therapy will annually provide opportunities for professional growth and development of its adjunct and clinical faculty members.

Baseline

Baseline: There are no such efforts at the current time

Progress

2019 Status
Achieved
Members of the DPT faculty are involved annually in providing advanced training for our clinical educators such that the latter can obtain credentialing through the American Physical Therapy Association as Clinical Instructors.

2018 Status
Achieved
The Department is hosting and organizing continuing education events that are offered at a discount rate and with first-preference to these consituents

Outcome B: Grand Valley is diverse and inclusive.

Objective 2.B.1

More than one-half of the DPT faculty and staff will participate in educational opportunities afforded through extramural and/or intramural agencies to increase cultural diversity, sensitivity, and awareness.

Baseline

Baseline: Only 3 members of the DPT faculty/staff have completed cultural diversity, sensitivity, and awareness training via the Inclusion Advocacy program.

Progress

2019 Status
Achieved
The DPT faculty was engaged in in-service training provided through the CHP and the Inclusion Action Committee in 2019. At least 3/4 of the faculty from the Department were engaged in two training sessions presented in this calendar year.

2018 Status
Achieved
The entire DPT faculty and staff have engaged in cultural sensitivity training in the CY as of this date. This has occurred through the College-wide faculty meetings.

Objective 2.B.2

After the completion of intramural and extramural training initiatives related to inclusion and cultural sensitivity, the DPT faculty and staff will demonstrate a higher level of awareness of their own biases and an improved knowledge of and attention to cultural sensitivity and diversity matters in all phases of the Program through an instrument to be used at the College level.

Baseline

Baseline: 2016 IDI results

Progress

2019 Status
Minimal Progress
An inventory of the faculty's progression along the intercultural awareness spectrum will be evaluated when the IDI is administered once again. This is slated for AY 2020-2021 by the Inclusion Action Committee. So, there are no meaningful and objective data to offer at this juncture.

2018 Status
Substantive Progress
The faculty and staff have participated in Inclusion & Diversity training this calendar year.

Outcome C: Grand Valley has mutually beneficial relationships, partnerships, collaborations, and connections with local, state, national, and world communities.

Objective 2.C.1

At least 50% of the DPT faculty will demonstrate engagement at the national, state, or district level with a relevant professional association by virtue of leadership positions held or committees served upon.

Baseline

TBD by survey

Progress

2019 Status
Achieved
The majority of the DPT faculty are now involved in professional leadership positions at the national, state, or district levels.

2018 Status
Substantial Progress
Roughly 40% of the faculty is now serving in one of these capacities at a local, state, and/or national level.

Outcome D: Grand Valley supports innovative teaching, learning, integrative scholarly and creative activity, and the use of new technologies.

Objective 2.D.1

2.D.1: 50% of the adjunct DPT faculty will have training in the use of Blackboard technology as offered by the FTLC.

Baseline

Less than 10% of the adjunct DPT faculty currently have this training.

Progress

2019 Status
Minimal Progress
While some adjunct faculty are using Blackboard technology (approximately 50%), none have received formal teaching from FTLC to that end. Instead, they are learning "on the job" with guidance, as needed, by regular DPT faculty.

2018 Status
Not Yet Initiated
No inventory has been undertaken in this regard.

Outcome E: Grand Valley strategically allocates its fiscal, human, and other institutional resources.

Objective 2.E.1

Increase the amount of annual funding available to DPT faculty for Professional Development to $2500.00.

Baseline

Currently, each full-time faculty member is allocated $1,350.00 on an annual basis.

Progress

2019 Status
Minimal Progress
Per last year's entry: this funding has been reduced across campus. However, additional funds are available through the CHP, if a faculty member has a particular, justifiable need for increased funding.

2018 Status
Minimal Progress
The university has tightened the restrictions on funding for professional development. However, there are also other mechanisms in place now whereby an individual faculty member can actually obtain more money for professional development than in the past.

Strategic Priority Area 3: Ensure the alignment of institutional structures and functions.

Outcome B: Grand Valley is diverse and inclusive.

Objective 3.B.1

The Department of Physical Therapy will evaluate the procedures of its Standing Committees and ad-hoc committees to ensure that reasonable policies and procedures are in place for consideration of equal opportunity for persons from all backgrounds.

Baseline

No intentional initiative has been established to date.

Progress

2019 Status
Substantive Progress
The two, standing committees in the Program, to which this item most closely pertains, are the Admissions Committee and the Curriculum Committee. Both have made strides in assessing ways to make the Program more inclusive.

2018 Status
Substantive Progress
In addition to the work done by the Admissions Committee in the Program (and reported in the previous year), the Curricular & Assessment Committee has initiated its own efforts in this regard by taking an inventory of where efforts were being made to promote inclusion and diversity throughout the curriculum.

Outcome E: Grand Valley strategically allocates its fiscal, human, and other institutional resources.

Objective 3.E.1

The Department of Physical Therapy will evaluate its past recommendations from its accrediting body and attend to those as it prepares for the next visit in 2022.

Baseline

To date, limited reflection on the past recommendations has been conducted.

Progress

2018 Status
Substantive Progress
The co-chairs of assessment and curriculum committee have initiated this process and are working now with the DC to bring those findings forward for consideration.

2017 Status
Not Yet Initiated
The Department's Curriculum and Assessment Committee will begin to address the CAPTE recommendations from the 2012 site visit in the calendar year 2018.

Objective 3.E.2

The Department of Physical Therapy will consider the new standards of its accrediting body and address those in preparation for the next site visit in 2022.

Baseline

To date, no formal assessment/planning has taken place in this regard.

Progress

2018 Status
Minimal Progress
The DC and co-chairs of the Assessment & Curriculum Committee have begun to assess the newest CAPTE standards and will be meeting to formulate planning to address any needs identified.

2017 Status
Minimal Progress
The Department's Curriculum and Assessment Committee is making some progress in looking at the new CAPTE standards and making recommendations to the Program.

Strategic Priority Area 4: Enhance the institution's image and reputation.

Outcome A: Grand Valley's learning environment is personal, challenging, and transformational, supporting excellent academic programs and co-curricular opportunities.

Objective 4.A.1

Improve the first-time pass rate on the NPTE to 95% or greater.

Baseline

The current first-time pass rate runs 89-95%.

Progress

2019 Status
Minimal Progress
In 2019, our first-time pass rate was 93.2%.

2018 Status
Substantive Progress
The first-time pass rate was 94.8% this year.

Objective 4.A.2

Improve the ultimate pass rate on the NPTE to 100%.

Baseline

The current ultimate pass rate runs 94-100%.

Progress

2019 Status
Minimal Progress
In 2019, our ultimate pass rate was 94.9%. This is down from the previous year, but students who did not pass are still working to pass the exam, so a final number may still trend upward in coming months.

2018 Status
Minimal Progress
The ultimate pass rate for last year [2017] now stands at above 98%. With the final count still in process for 2018, we are running at over 96%.

Outcome B: Grand Valley is diverse and inclusive.

Objective 4.B.1

The Department of Physical Therapy will receive university recognition for its efforts to improve the percentage of applicants from Underrepresented Groups (URGs). Baseline: No such recognition has been received in the past. The Department has not formally measured the percentage of applicants from URGs.

Baseline

No such recognition has been received in the past. The Department has not formally measured the percentage of applicants from URGs.

Progress

2018 Status
Minimal Progress
Even though the Department continues to engage in training that is designed to enhance cultural awareness and sensitivity, it has not achieved recognition for those efforts.

2017 Status
Minimal Progress
While the Department is fully engaged in a number of initiatives to increase the awareness of the profession and a career in physical therapy, for students from URG's, the impact of those initiatives is likely not to be felt for several years. The reason is that we are directing our efforts to middle- and high school students, who won't be eligible for PT application for several ears.

Outcome C: Grand Valley has mutually beneficial relationships, partnerships, collaborations, and connections with local, state, national, and world communities.

Objective 4.C.1

The Department of Physical Therapy will organize no less than 3 continuing education opportunities per year for the professional community in order to enhance the university's reputation as an institution committed to lifelong teaching and learning.

Baseline

The Department has offered no more than 1 event per year in the past.

Progress

2019 Status
Achieved
Between our CCIP (credentialing for clinical educators) and our Clinical Education programming for the community-at-large, we are reaching this goal annually.

2018 Status
Achieved
The Program offered three more Continuing Education events for 2018.

Objective 4.C.2

The Department will allocate resources (personnel, funds, and reassigned time) to develop the Biomechanics and Human Performance Lab's reputation and impact on its students and the community.

Baseline

No regular funding is available to the lab. One faculty member has 12 hours of reassigned time to administrate the lab and coordinate student and faculty engagement in the lab.

Progress

2019 Status
Substantive Progress
The Department has allocated the equivalent of 1 FTE to the lab through the expertise of a part-time engineer and a part-time physical therapist, working in tandem in the lab. There are studies ongoing in the lab that involve both intramural and extramural researchers.

2018 Status
Substantial Progress
The Program has seen excellent progress in this regard. In 2018, we added an additional part-time faculty member whose assignment is to the lab. Dr. Yunju Lee is a Mechanical Engineer and serves as a complement to our current faculty assigned to the lab.

Outcome D: Grand Valley supports innovative teaching, learning, integrative scholarly and creative activity, and the use of new technologies.

Objective 4.D.1

The Department of Physical Therapy will secure adequate reassigned time to increase the number and amount of grants from extramural funding to support faculty lines of research.

Baseline

Faculty currently have no more than 6 credit hours of reassigned time, which includes research, administrative functions, and service. Currently, there are 2 faculty members who are utilizing grant funds from extramural sources.

Progress

2019 Status
Minimal Progress
No additional reassigned time was acquired in 2019.

2018 Status
Substantive Progress
The Department did receive an additional 12 hours of significant focus to support the addition of a new, part-time faculty member who will work in the BMPL.

Objective 4.D.2

The Department of Physical Therapy will secure greater reassigned time to support opportunities for its members to secure leadership positions within related professional organizations.

Baseline

Faculty currently have no more than 6 credit hours of reassigned time, which includes research, administrative functions, and service.

Progress

2019 Status
Not Yet Initiated
The Department is no longer seeking increased reassigned time for this purpose due to the fiscal climate at the university and given the percentage of PT faculty who're already holding these positions without the advantage of additional reassigned time.

2018 Status
Not Yet Initiated
As reported last year, reassigned time is more carefully scrutinized, so no progress is made in this area, specific to support of service opportunities.

Outcome E: Grand Valley strategically allocates its fiscal, human, and other institutional resources.

Objective 4.E.1

Acquire the assistance of the CHP web page designer to assist the Department of Physical Therapy with revision and maintenance of its website.

Baseline

The Department currently does not have an Instructional Designer at its disposal.

Progress

2017 Status
Achieved
The Program's website has been reviewed and is updated on a regular basis now by the Program's Assistant Chair, Dr. Meri Goehring, with the assistance of the Department Chair and the entire DPT faculty.

2016 Status
Achieved
The unit has had the web site reviewed and modified with the aid of a web site designer in 2016.

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