At its meeting on September 4, Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Council of Trustees accepted the mission statement of IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine.
The mission statement accepted by the Council is as follows:
“The mission of Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine, recognizing our roots as a public institution, is to increase the number of community physicians throughout rural and underserved Pennsylvania while creating a national model for rural healthcare. We will fulfill this goal by providing an innovative program of osteopathic medical education that is evidence based, inspiring, compassion focused, holistic, community centered, and affordable.”
In August, IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine earned “Candidate Status” from the American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation. Candidate Status means that COCA recognizes that IUP has done the required planning and has the resources necessary to apply for pre-accreditation status within two years.
The next step in the accreditation process is “Pre-accreditation Status,” which means that IUP can begin recruiting students to its proposed college of osteopathic medicine. Pre-accreditation Status follows additional reports and site visits from COCA’s accrediting team; it is expected to take up to 16 months. The proposed college of osteopathic medicine team is working on that application right now.
“The action by the Council to accept this mission statement is part of our ongoing work in the accreditation process, but this is not performative,” IUP President Michael Driscoll said. “Every member of the Council of Trustees has offered unwavering and public leadership for this project since the Council’s December 2022 decision to endorse the exploration of a possible development of a college of osteopathic medicine at IUP.
“Council members continue to support this initiative in all ways, including through significant financial support, that has enabled us to move the proposed college of osteopathic medicine forward in our critically important goal of addressing the rural healthcare crisis,” he said.
“Accepting this mission statement at its public meeting demonstrates the Council of Trustees’ ongoing commitment to IUP’s intention to meet the healthcare needs of our communities through the establishment of Pennsylvania’s first college of osteopathic medicine at a public university.”
There are only three colleges of osteopathic medicine in Pennsylvania, all at private universities.
“This mission statement follows meaningful conversations and collaborations with the IUP Council of Trustees and with many members of the IUP community, especially the IUP faculty; leaders in healthcare throughout our commonwealth; our legislative partners and stakeholders; our alumni and friends; and our advisory board and steering committee,” IUP proposed college of osteopathic medicine Founding Dean Miko Rose said.
“On behalf of the proposed college of osteopathic medicine team, I want to express our gratitude and appreciation to everyone involved in the development of this mission statement and thank the members of the Council of Trustees for their leadership and support.
“This mission statement is not just words on a website,” she said. “This is our guide, the true north on our compass, providing the direction for our path forward in our call to action to address the healthcare needs of our rural communities and, as it states, ‘to make our mark as a national model for rural healthcare,’” she said.
Rose was hired as the founding dean of the proposed college of osteopathic medicine in November 2023; the hiring of a founding dean is one of the first steps to establishing the college. Since that time, two associate founding deans have joined the team: Founding Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education Ryan Smith and Founding Associate Dean of Pre-Clinical Affairs Luke H. Mortensen.
Securing clinical training sites for students also is part of the successful accreditation process. Typically, students in colleges of osteopathic medicine spend the first two years of their education in the classroom; during the third and fourth years, students are based in the community at clinical sites.>
As of September 1, IUP has formally signed clinical training affiliation agreements with 17 medical centers and health agencies, all in rural communities (in both western and eastern Pennsylvania), and has secured 230 percent of the clinical training spots needed, surpassing the 120 percent required for accreditation.
The Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation is recognized by the US Department of Education as the accreditor of colleges of osteopathic medicine; only 42 colleges of osteopathic medicine, operating at 68 sites, are accredited by COCA.
IUP’s Indiana Campus Long-Range Facilities Master Plan update, approved in January 2024 by the IUP Council of Trustees, recommended Johnson Hall, Uhler Hall, and Stright Hall be the site for the health sciences cluster. This three-building renovation will provide a transformative modern medical education facility, supporting and housing the proposed college of osteopathic medicine and related IUP health science programs in the College of Health Sciences.
IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine and IUP’s commitment to addressing the rural health crisis have resulted in funding from individual donors, foundations, agencies, and legislators totaling more than $34.3 million.
Support for the proposed college of osteopathic medicine is part of IUP’s Impact 150 $150-million comprehensive campaign, launched on August 23 in conjunction with IUP’s sesquicentennial. As of August 1, the campaign has secured $81.2 million—54 percent of the campaign goal—through the generosity of 11,673 donors.
Since its founding in 1875, IUP has evolved from a teacher-training institution into a doctoral research university recognized for its commitment to student success and achievement. As IUP celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2025 and through the Impact 150 comprehensive campaign, the university honors a legacy of educational excellence while looking to its next 150 years of student success, innovation, leadership in healthcare education, and public service.