Vision, Mission, Shared Values
At UAB, we have never settled on merely finding what’s next—we have helped build the future through new ideas and initiatives in the classroom, the laboratory, the studio and the clinic. UAB’s vision, mission and shared values provide a foundation for the strategic plan, Forging the Future.
Vision
One university inspiring and empowering the creation of knowledge that changes the world.
Mission
UAB serves students, patients, the community and the global need for discovery, knowledge dissemination, education, creativity and the application of groundbreaking solutions. We are a leader among comprehensive public urban research universities with academic medical centers.
Shared Values
- Integrity – We act ethically and do what is right.
- Respect – We treat others with courtesy and civility.
- Diversity and inclusiveness – Everybody counts every day. We actively seek varied perspectives in our decision-making.
- Collaboration – We trust each other and work cooperatively across disciplinary boundaries in the spirit of shared governance.
- Excellence and achievement – We constantly innovate, solve problems and improve ourselves and others through learning.
- Stewardship – Fiscal and environmental sustainability guide our decisions.
- Accountability – We are answerable to each other and act with the best interests of the university in mind.
Our vision, mission and values provide a framework and common language for collaboration and strategic goals that will build on our strong foundation. We serve students and patients while recognizing that we are also embedded in a vibrant community.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) traces its roots to the 1859 founding of the Medical College of Alabama and the 1936 opening of the Birmingham Extension Center of the University of Alabama. In 1945 the Medical College of Alabama was moved from Tuscaloosa and the University's Medical Center was founded in Birmingham. In 1954 the Extension Center was moved to a newly constructed facility adjacent to the Medical Center, bringing together for the first time the University's two academic components in Birmingham. Later, in November of 1966, the Extension Center and the Medical Center were administratively merged to form the "University of Alabama in Birmingham," an organizational component of the University of Alabama (in Tuscaloosa). In 1969 UAB became an independent institution, one of the autonomous universities within the newly created three-campus University of Alabama System.
Today, UAB is a comprehensive urban university with a nationally recognized academic health center. UAB is the only public, four-year degree granting university in the state's largest metropolitan area. UAB is the largest research institution in the state of Alabama and is the largest single employer in the state.
A comprehensive chronology of the history of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and its predecessor entities is found below. Underlined and bolded items in this list may be selected to see portraits or photographs about the specific person or event.
