Strategic Planning Task Force on Clinic and Corporate Partnerships

Dear Harvey Mudd Community,

As part of our strategic planning conversations, members of the HMC community have expressed a desire to explore ways to assess and expand both the Clinic Program and the types of external partnerships the College engages in through offices such as Career Services (OCS) and Sponsored Research and Projects so that they may better serve our students. We believe in the importance of including student voices in the types of partnerships that Harvey Mudd College pursues through these important programs.

To address these issues and this important aspect of our strategic planning work, I am establishing a Strategic Planning Task Force on Clinic and Corporate Partnerships (including OCS and Sponsored Research and Projects).This strategic planning task force will engage with the broader HMC community, including students, faculty, staff and alumni, to make recommendations on how we might improve and strengthen these key educational programs and partnerships.

The task force’s work will begin by partnering with the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness to develop comprehensive surveys to gather more information from our various constituencies—particularly current HMC students, faculty, staff and alumni (including Clinic liaisons)—to better understand both the successes of the current programs as well as which parts of these programs might evolve through opportunities to expand future offerings. I ask that this group provide ongoing updates on their work and findings and engage the entire HMC community in informing recommendations for what changes should be considered with an eye toward the larger issues developed in the strategic plan that might require additional internal and external financial support. It is my expectation that a final set of recommendations should be made in advance of the Board of Trustees’ January 2025 meeting.

The Clinic Program is a critical component in the College’s academic curriculum, which is ultimately controlled by the faculty. Substantive changes to that program—including issues such as how we determine with which organizations we will partner—will need to be made in partnership with Clinic faculty and with the faculty more broadly.

This is a major undertaking. If we are to evaluate our educational and co-curricular programs as part of the College’s strategic planning effort, we will need to work together to explore innovative potential solutions. It is my hope that we can all partner through this new task force to ensure the future excellence of our curricular and co-curricular programs.

In addition to the Clinic Program directors and leadership in OCS and the Office of Sponsored Research and Projects, I will work with ASHMC to get suggestions of students who would be willing to serve on this task force to help in this critical work for our community. I anticipate the composition of the task force also may include other faculty, staff, alumni and trustees. I hope to share more details about the task force and its charge before the end of the semester so that this important work can begin as soon as possible.

Thank you again for your willingness to participate in our strategic planning process. I look forward to our continued efforts to further strengthen and evolve Harvey Mudd College to meet the challenges facing our world—reinforcing our shared commitment to innovative approaches that educate future leaders through our unique focus on a liberal arts STEM education so that our students may gain a deeper understanding of the impact of their work on society.

Sincerely,

Harriet B. Nembhard
President, Harvey Mudd College