On August 1, 2025, the Center for the Study of Community Health (CSCH) convened faculty, staff, and community members for a pivotal Town Hall to launch our 2025–2030 strategic planning process. The event brought together a diverse set of voices to reflect on CSCH’s mission, identify current challenges, and co-create a vision for the future.
Reflections and Findings
The Town Hall opened with a retrospective overview of CSCH’s 30+ year history, including our designation as a CDC Prevention Research Center and the establishment of our 501(c)(3) status. We also presented results from a recent SWOT analysis that highlighted:
- Strengths: Trusted community partnerships, pilot funding, long-standing reputation
- Weaknesses: Limited visibility, unclear strategy, inconsistent communication
- Opportunities: Rebranding, cross-campus collaborations, new leadership, and community training
- Threats: Political shifts, funding instability, and community mistrust
Participants offered thoughtful feedback on the structural and cultural shifts needed to move the Center forward. Across the board, attendees emphasized the importance of embedding community members in all levels of our work—from research to governance.
Emerging Themes
Key areas of discussion included:
- Identity and Structure: Support for rebranding the Center and aligning with the National Network of Public Health Institutes
- Community Partnerships: Clear calls to ensure that at least 50% of grant funding be directed to community collaborators and support to navigate UAB systems
- Faculty Collaboration: Interest in regular cross-center meetings, unified communication systems, and “liberating” meeting formats to increase engagement
- Education and Training: Opportunities to expand IRB training, grant writing workshops, and community-based education programs, including faith-based outreach models and undergraduate involvement through UAB’s new QEP
Next Steps
Based on feedback from the Town Hall, CSCH is moving forward with the following actions:
- Finalize and implement our 2025–2030 Strategic Plan
- Strengthen our internal and external communication infrastructure
- Develop guidelines and training for equitable community engagement in research
- Build new systems for faculty collaboration and grant development
- Host regular gatherings and updates to foster transparency and alignment
As we move into this next chapter, we are deeply grateful for the energy and insight shared at the Town Hall. These conversations are the foundation of our work—and we look forward to continuing this journey with our community.
For more information or to get involved, please contact us at csch@uab.edu
