Strategic planning is a type of logical and organized thinking that transitions the college from its current state to its aspired future. The strategic plan aims to establish a roadmap that enables the college to achieve its objectives, both at the university level in general and specifically within the College of Dentistry.

This updated strategic plan for the College of Dentistry at Taibah University covers the period from 2015 to 2020. It is part of the college’s long-standing initiative to enhance its competitive capabilities and promote a culture of quality and institutional and academic standards within the university community. The plan represents an update to the previous strategy to align with Saudi Arabia’s Tenth Development Plan, Vision 2030, the Afaq Plan, and the updated strategic plan of Taibah University.

Significant efforts were made in developing the initial version of the college’s strategic plan, which was the result of collaborative work among all departments and specializations. The Strategic Planning Committee was responsible for gathering, analyzing, and summarizing data, while also benchmarking against national and international strategic plans.

The committee adopted a sound methodology, including an environmental scan based on the Health Statistical Yearbook published by the Saudi Ministry of Health in 1430 AH. Stakeholders and experts were invited to contribute their insights, and a SWOT analysis was conducted to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Additionally, the college sought to establish an agreement with the College of Dentistry at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah to review and benchmark against their strategic plan.

Based on these efforts, strategic directions, goals, and initiatives were identified to address all inquiries raised during the SWOT analysis. This plan also strengthened the quality framework by identifying seven strategic directions aimed at graduating top-tier students, serving the community effectively, and achieving international standards in research. The strategic plan was divided into two phases: a short-term phase (2010–2015) and a long-term phase (2015–2020), serving as a roadmap aligned with Taibah University’s mission and vision, while remaining flexible to accommodate internal and external changes.

With Taibah University undergoing unprecedented development in its future direction to align with Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program, the university has updated its strategic plan. The adoption of the third version of Taibah University’s overall strategic plan in 1440 AH reflects the university’s maturity in strategic thinking and its growing culture of quality.

Internally, the College of Dentistry’s Curriculum Committee, led by the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, updated and revised the academic courses to align with the new Bachelor of Dental Surgery program. This update aimed to satisfy all educational stakeholders and align with the college’s program plan and university requirements.

Given the evolving environment and the intense local and global competition, the college administration recognized the urgent need to update its strategic plan. To this end, the Dean of the College, Dr. Ahmad Abdul Karim Al-Nazawi, formed a committee to review and update the 2010–2020 strategic plan. The committee, headed by the Dean and Vice Dean for Development and Quality Dr. Al-Baraa Al-Olayan, included faculty members from both male and female sections. Their goal was to identify areas for improvement and incorporate them into the updated plan through internal and external environmental analysis and addressing educational, administrative, and research challenges.

In crafting the strategic plan, the college was divided into seven strategic directions, each with its own goals and projects. These directions reflect the differences in internal and external factors and whether each area requires development, reduction, or continuation. The seven directions focused on excellence in teaching and learning, advancement of scientific research and graduate studies, building true community partnerships, ongoing improvement in administrative and financial systems, diversification of income sources, and the creation of an attractive and integrated academic environment.

Finally, the plan aims to elevate the college’s local, regional, and global standing and rankings. To monitor progress, five key performance indicator packages were adopted: (1) Taibah University’s general strategic plan indicators, (2) National Center for Academic Accreditation and Evaluation indicators, (3) Afaq Plan indicators (1450 AH), (4) National Transformation Program 2020 indicators related to higher education, and (5) the Tenth Development Plan indicators for higher education.

The final version of the plan included the methodology, implementation, and monitoring mechanisms. It was informed by a review of similar national and international plans, institutional standards, implementation challenges, and mitigation strategies. It covered environmental analysis, vision, mission, core values, strategic goals, policies, implementation mechanisms, and risk management. The execution of the plan was laid out through specific projects within a defined timeline and was aligned with the university’s strategic plan, charting the college’s future through 1440 AH.