Delaware State University

This strategic plan, titled 'PRIDE 2020: Personal Responsibility in Delivering Excellence,' serves as a roadmap for Delaware State University's future direction. It is built upon six strategic goals: creating an exceptional intellectual climate, ensuring student success, advancing research and scholarship, strengthening outreach and engagement, promoting sustainability, and enhancing institutional and operational effectiveness. Key focus areas include preparing for the future with a focus on STEM, establishing expertise in community health and wellness, strengthening international partnerships, and improving student retention, graduation, and job placement. The plan aims to prepare future leaders, invest in community well-being, meet global challenges, and invigorate the economy and culture of Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic Region.

The Interdisciplinary Health Equity Research Center (IHER) at Delaware State University is dedicated to supporting and expanding biomedical, behavioral, and social research related to health conditions with a disparate impact on underserved individuals and communities. Its strategic aims focus on enhancing research infrastructure for DSU investigators, recruiting new faculty and fostering interdisciplinary research teams, developing the next generation of health equity researchers through comprehensive training and mentorship, and building collaborative relationships with stakeholders to advance health disparities science.

The meeting included a chair report commemorating a deceased member and discussing future plans to honor the family. Logistics for graduation and related events were reviewed. The board discussed the upcoming official swearing-in of a new trustee and entered into an executive session to address personnel and legal matters. Additionally, the board planned for the upcoming election of officers for the next term.

This document outlines the evaluation plan for the Interdisciplinary Health Equity Research Center (IHER). The IHER aims to expand biomedical, behavioral, and social research focusing on health conditions with disparate impacts on underserved populations. Key objectives include enhancing research infrastructure, recruiting and supporting interdisciplinary research teams, developing the next generation of health equity researchers through training and mentorship, and fostering collaborative community relationships for dissemination of scientific findings. The plan employs a continuous improvement approach based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) model.

The meeting focused on academic and student success, including the approval of degree candidates for summer and fall 2025 and spring 2026. The board also approved the conferral of honorary doctorates in humane letters for upcoming graduation speakers and a degree in memoriam for a student. Additionally, the board discussed upcoming university events, internal board committee meeting schedules, and the annual meeting planning, including officer elections and the swearing-in of a new board member.