New Chair Blazing a Clear Path Toward Reaccreditation

The American Council for Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) ensures that professional degree programs adequately meet a national basis for quality assurance. Accreditation also improves the professional services available to the public, as accredited programs are expected to modify their requirements consistently to reflect advances in knowledge and practice.[1] Additionally, ACPE Standards 2016 and the corresponding rubric and guidance document summarize requisite elements to achieve accreditation.  In concert with ACPE Standards, professional programs must be reviewed for reaccreditation every eight years.

The professional degree program for the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health (CoPPS, IPH) is scheduled for evaluation by ACPE in November 2021. To lead the College’s reaccreditation efforts, Dean Johnnie L. Early, II, appointed Dr. Tonya Martin to the newly created administrative position of Assistant Dean for Curriculum and Instructional Development and as chair of the accreditation committee in March 2020. With a master’s degree in education with an emphasis in curriculum and instruction from the University of Phoenix, Martin assumed the helm and devised a dynamic plan with faculty, staff, and learners to place the College on a clear trajectory toward full reaccreditation.

When considering the tedious process for reaccreditation, the workload for the committee and, more especially, the chair is daunting. However, after meeting consistently with the accreditation committee, faculty, staff, alumni, and learners for approximately 1.5 years and devising a draft self-study with communal input, Chair Martin recently planned and facilitated a ratification session in August 2021. This ratification afforded several opportunities for questions on the 25 ACPE standards and the College’s draft narrative.  Ultimately, after much debate, stakeholders approved the draft with minor comments. The final narrative is scheduled for submission in September 2021.

“As the former chair of the accreditation committee, I speak from a position of knowledge and understanding,” said CoPPS, IPH Executive Associate Dean and Professor, Dr. Marlon S. Honeywell. “Dr. Tonya Martin is to be commended for executing as chair the magnanimous feat of successfully preparing her alma mater for a full reaccreditation visit. Although we still have a few months before the visit, I must say thank you to Dr. Martin for a job well done! After a thorough appraisal of the College during the self-study process, we are truly prepared because of your leadership, focus, and diligence.”

[1] Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. Accreditation Standards. https://www.acpe-accredit.org/pharmd-program-accreditation/. Accessed September 20, 2021.