Building a Process for Program Quality Enhancement in Pharmacy Education: Report of the 2003–04 Academic Affairs Committee

Abstract

According to the Bylaws of the AACP, the Academic Affairs Committee shall consider the intellectual, social, and personal aspects of pharmaceutical education. It is expected to identify practices, procedures, and guidelines that will aid faculties in developing studentsConsistent with a theme of exploring how AACP might foster organizational improvement and success among its institutional members, President Robert A. Kerr asked the 2003-04 AACP Academic Affairs Committee to suggest appropriate program assessment measures, indicators, and processes to guide institutions in responding to the question "How do you know if you have a quality program?" It was anticipated that the program assessment process model developed would incorporate the results of institutional research to identify 1) evidence of effectiveness, and 2) indicators of needed change in a continuous quality improvement environment. In addressing its charge, the committee focused on identifying and producing resources and tools to facilitate systematic program assessment and use of assessment results to improve the curriculum and enhance student learning and student services. FACILITATING EDUCATIONAL QUALITYPROPOSED POLICY STATEMENT 1: AACP supports and encourages the implementation of ongoing program assessment processes at member institutions for the purpose of enhancing the quality of educational programs and student services.The national higher education environment. Assessment, which began as a national movement in the mid-1980s, is now considered an essential element for enhancing quality in higher education. 1 Accreditation standards promulgated by regional accreditation agencies and by specialty accreditation organizations include the need for documentation of the design, implementation, and outcomes associated with a prospective, systematic, and comprehensive assessment plan. Contemporary challenges are to use efficient, valid, and sound methods for the collection, analysis, and application of assessment data. Both national survey processes and local assessments are useful in program evaluation. Efficiency, validity, and benchmarking can be enhanced through the use of national surveys. However, assessment and the analysis and use of assessment data for quality improvement must also be specific for a given institution and program.The aggregation and use of individual student assessment data in a meaningful, efficient manner has proven useful in institution-wide and program-specific assessment. The question "How do you know if you have a quality program?" is inextricably linked to how much students learn; to what extent they achieve stated desired outcomes for a unit, course, or program; how well they perform desired tasks; and to what extent they are able to demonstrate desired skills and abilities. Student assessment data are foundational to the evaluation of program quality. A systematic, comprehensive assessment plan

Report of the 2007–2008 Academic Affairs Committee

“…After reviewing its charges, the Committee decided to take the following approach to review a total of eight Academic Affairs Committee reports from 1999-2007 [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] which were focused on the following topics: Subsequently, the Committee met several times to discuss the findings and come to consensus on its relevance to the three identified priorities, developed a ranked list of these report recommendations inclusive of suggestions and policy statements, and identified recommendations that have not been implemented (e.g., those for which no evidence of action was found). In addition, the Committee provided recommendations regarding actions that can be taken by AACP regarding the reports' recommendations as well as their implementation status.…”

Developing an Assessment Process for a Master’s of Science Degree in a Pharmaceutical Sciences Program

“…The report indicated that a useful assessment program incorporates results of institutional research to identify; "(1) evidence of effectiveness, and (2) indicators of needed change in a continuous quality improvement environment." 2 An increase has occurred in program-level assessment at US schools of pharmacy. A survey by Bouldin and Wilkin in 2000 found that only 29% of respondents had a formally adopted assessment plan in place.…”

Beginning an Assessment Project: A Case Study Using Data Audit and Content Analysis

“…17 In their report, the 2003-2004 AACP Academic Affairs Committee recommended that colleges and schools of pharmacy use the Astin model as a framework for organizing their data management. 18 Table 2 provides an example of UKCOP data sources sorted into this framework. The committee urges that use of the I-E-O model should depend on the purpose of the assessment questions that the college or school is asking.…”