Use of adjunct faculty members in classroom teaching in departments of pharmacy practice

Objective. To determine trends among departments of pharmacy practice regarding use of adjunct faculty members for classroom-based teaching and to assess departmental support provided to these faculty members.Methods. Chairs of pharmacy practice departments in US colleges and school of pharmacy were contacted by e-mail and asked to complete an 11-item electronic survey instrument.Results. Chair respondents reported an average of 5.7 adjunct faculty members hired to teach required courses and 1.8 adjunct faculty members hired to teach elective courses. Compensation averaged $108 per lecture hour and $1,257 per 1-credit-hour course. Twenty-five percent of the respondents expected to hire more adjunct faculty members to teach required courses in the upcoming year due to curricular changes, faculty hiring freezes, and the shortage of full-time faculty members. Only 7% of respondents reported that they provided a teaching mentor and 14% offered no support to their adjunct faculty members.Conclusions. Departments of pharmacy practice commonly use adjunct faculty members to teach required and elective courses. Given the pharmacy faculty shortage, this trend is expected to increase and may be an area for future faculty development.     

Perceived Barriers to Scholarship and Research Among Pharmacy Practice Faculty: Survey Report from the AACP Scholarship/Research Faculty Development Task Force

Objectives

To identify problems that pharmacy practice faculty members face in pursuing scholarship and to develop and recommend solutions.

Methods

Department chairs were asked to forward a Web-based survey instrument to their faculty members. Global responses and responses stratified by demographics were summarized and analyzed.

Results

Between 312 and 340 faculty members answered questions that identified barriers to scholarship and recommended corrective strategies to these barriers. The most common barrier was insufficient time (57%), and the most common recommendation was for help to “identify a research question and how to answer it.” Sixty percent reported that scholarship was required for advancement but only 32% thought scholarship should be required. Forty-one percent reported that the importance of scholarship is overemphasized.

Conclusions

These survey results provide guidance to improve the quantity and quality of scholarship for faculty members who wish to pursue scholarship, although many of the survey respondents indicated they did not regard scholarship as a priority.     

Pharmacy faculty members' perspectives on the student/faculty relationship in online social networks

Objective

To describe pharmacy faculty members'' use of the online social network Facebook and compare the perspectives of faculty members with and without Facebook profiles regarding student/faculty relationships.

Methods

An electronic survey instrument was sent to full-time faculty members (n = 183) at 4 colleges of pharmacy in Ohio seeking their opinions on student/faculty relationships on Facebook. If respondents answered “yes” to having a Facebook profile, they were asked 14 questions on aspects of being “friends” with students. If respondents answered “no,” they were asked 4 questions.

Results

Of the 95 respondents (52%) to the survey instrument, 44 faculty members (46%) had a Facebook profile, while 51 faculty members (54%) did not. Those who had a profile had been faculty members for an average of 8.6 years, versus 11.4 years for those who did not have a Facebook profile. Seventy-nine percent of faculty members who used Facebook were not “friends” with their students. The majority of respondents reported that they would decline/ignore a “friend” request from a student, or decline until after the student graduated. Although a limited number of faculty members had used Facebook for online discussions, teaching purposes, or student organizations, the majority of universities did not have policies on the use of social networking sites.

Conclusion

Online social network sites are used widely by students and faculty members, which may raise questions regarding professionalism and appropriate faculty/student relationships. Further research should address the student/preceptor relationship, other online social networking sites, and whether students are interested in using these sites within the classroom and/or professional organizations.     

Assessment of Impostor Phenomenon in Student Pharmacists and Faculty at Two Doctor of Pharmacy Programs

Objective. To evaluate the prevalence of impostor phenomenon in student pharmacists and faculty members at two educational institutions in the United States.Methods. Participants anonymously completed an electronic self-report survey instrument that included the validated Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS) from April 2020 to May 2020. Demographic data including age range, gender, and other characteristics were collected. The Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale scores were reported as means (SDs), and data were compared between institutions and demographic groups using t tests.Results. The overall mean CIPS survey score (N=209, 35.5% response rate) was 63.8 (SD=15.1). The mean student pharmacist CIPS score for Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) was 64.7 (SD=14.4) vs 63.8 (SD=16.1) for Sullivan University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (SUCOPHS), which was statistically similar. Mean faculty CIPS score for NEOMED was 59.2 (SD=14.0) vs 64.7 (SD=16.8) for SUCOPHS, which was statistically similar. Mean CIPS score for the combined student pharmacist group (NEOMED and SUCOPHS) was 64.3 (SD=15.1) vs 61.2 (SD=15.1) for the combined group of faculty members, which was statistically similar. Overall, most respondents fell in the “moderate” to “frequent” CIPS score classification range (36.4% and 44%, respectively).Conclusion. Impostor phenomenon feelings were common among responding student pharmacists and faculty members at the institutions surveyed; however, little is known about the implications of these findings. Future research should seek to elucidate factors predictive of or associated with impostor phenomenon as well as assess the impact of strategies to prevent or manage impostor phenomenon.     

Assessment of Full-time Faculty Preceptors By Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy in the United States and Puerto Rico

Objective. To identify the manner in which colleges and schools of pharmacy in the United States and Puerto Rico assess full-time faculty preceptors. Methods. Directors of pharmacy practice (or equivalent title) were invited to complete an online, self-administered questionnaire.Results. Seventy of the 75 respondents (93.3%) confirmed that their college or school assessed full-time pharmacy faculty members based on activities related to precepting students at a practice site. The most commonly reported assessment components were summative student evaluations (98.5%), type of professional service provided (92.3%), scholarly accomplishments (86.2%), and community service (72.3%). Approximately 42% of respondents indicated that a letter of evaluation provided by a site-based supervisor was included in their assessment process. Some colleges and schools also conducted onsite assessment of faculty members.Conclusions. Most colleges and schools of pharmacy assess full-time faculty-member preceptors via summative student assessments, although other strategies are used. Given the important role of preceptors in ensuring students are prepared for pharmacy practice, colleges and schools of pharmacy should review their assessment strategies for full-time faculty preceptors, keeping in mind the methodologies used by other institutions.     

Perceptions of Tenure and Tenure Reform in Academic Pharmacy

Objectives. To determine the academic pharmacy community’s perceptions of and recommendations for tenure and tenure reform.Methods. A survey instrument was administered via either a live interview or an online survey instrument to selected members of the US academic pharmacy community.Results. The majority of respondents felt that tenure in academic pharmacy was doing what it was intended to do, which is to provide academic freedom and allow for innovation (59.6%). Respondents raised concern over the need for faculty mentoring before and after achieving tenure, whether tenure adequately recognized service, and that tenure was not the best standard for recognition and achievement. The majority (63%) agreed that tenure reform was needed in academic pharmacy, with the most prevalent recommendation being to implement post-tenure reviews. Some disparities in opinions of tenure reform were seen in the subgroup analyses of clinical science vs basic science faculty members, public vs private institutions, and administrators vs nonadministrators.Conclusions. The majority of respondents want to see tenure reformed in academic pharmacy.     

A Pharmacy Faculty Academy to foster professional growth and long-term retention of junior faculty members

Objectives

Implement a Pharmacy Faculty Academy designed to foster professional growth of new faculty members in an outcomes-oriented, “frames”-based manner and to evaluate the impact on faculty satisfaction and retention rates.

Design

A Faculty Academy was designed based on critical themes relevant to junior faculty members and important symbolic, structural, human resource, and political considerations. The year-long program included concentrated sessions during the first 4 weeks of employment followed by longitudinal activities requiring an advancing level of faculty performance.

Assessment

Qualitative and quantitative metrics for engagement and professional growth improved dramatically during the implementation period. The 21 faculty members who completed the program from 2005-2007 provided positive feedback.

Conclusion

An individualized, systematic approach to faculty development resulted in more highly engaged and productive faculty members who were more likely to remain long term within the College.     

Perceptions and Use of iPad Technology by Pharmacy Practice Faculty Members

Objectives. To explore the potential of tablet technology to address the specific workload challenges of pharmacy practice faculty members and to evaluate tablet usage after a department-wide iPad initiative.Methods. After conducting a needs assessment to determine pharmacy faculty attitudes towards tablet technology and to identify potential usage scenarios, all faculty members in a department of pharmacy practice received an iPad. After iPad distribution, training sessions and virtual tutorials were provided. An anonymous survey was administered to evaluate the pilot.Results. The needs assessment survey revealed positive attitudes towards iPad technology, identified use scenarios, and led to a department-wide iPad pilot program. Most faculty members used iPads for connectivity with students (86%), paper/project annotation (68%), assessment (57%), and demonstration of tools used in practice (36%). For teaching, 61% of faculty members used iPads in seminars/laboratories, 57% used iPads in the experiential setting, and 43% used iPads in the classroom. Use of iPads for patient-care activities varied and depended on site support for mobile technology. The 23 faculty members with external practice sites used iPads to a greater extent and had more positive attitudes towards this technology compared with campus-based faculty members.Conclusion. Integration of tablet technology into the pharmacy education setting resulted in faculty-reported increased productivity and decreased paper waste. It also allowed faculty members to experiment with new teaching strategies in the classroom and experiential setting. Administrators at institutions exploring the use of tablet technology should allocate resources based on faculty needs and usage patterns.     

Faculty Members’ Opinions of What Defines a “Star” in Academic Pharmacy

Objective. This study sought to identify attributes or performance aspects, most notably those defining what constitutes a “star” faculty in academic pharmacy, and to describe differences in perceptions of the strength of these aspects across faculty varying by discipline, academic rank, experience, type of institution employed, and supervisory experience.Methods. An electronic survey was distributed via email link to a census sample of 3378 members within the2018 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) list-servs. Performance aspects were derived from key literature enumerating academic responsibilities and behaviors. Reminders were employed to maximize survey responses. Frequency distributions and Kruskal-Wallis tests were conducted to describe the data.Results. Responses from 463 persons identified the importance of quality rather than quantity of teaching; publishing in refereed journals, and demonstrating collegiality to be among the more salient aspects defining a star faculty member. There were differences in perceptions of what constitutes a star mostly by institution type employed and among pharmacy practice respondents vs those from other disciplines. Respondents from private institutions indicated that their deans and chairs were less likely to recognize and attempt to retain star faculty. However, responses were generally in the same direction and congruent, even between those with vs without supervisory responsibility.Conclusion. This study highlighted the importance of demonstrating collegiality along with high-quality teaching and productivity as qualities warranting star status in academic pharmacy. Given the importance of faculty stars, academic pharmacy organizations, particularly private institutions, should make an effort to recognize and retain them.     

A Train-the-Trainer Approach to a Shared Pharmacogenomics Curriculum for US Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy

Objective. To assess pharmacy faculty trainers’ perceptions of a Web-based train-the-trainer program for PharmGenEd, a shared pharmacogenomics curriculum for health professional students and licensed clinicians.Methods. Pharmacy faculty trainers (n=58, representing 39 colleges and schools of pharmacy in the United States and 1 school from Canada) participated in a train-the-trainer program consisting of up to 9 pharmacogenomics topics. Posttraining survey instruments assessed faculty trainers’ perceptions toward the training program and the likelihood of their adopting the educational materials as part of their institution’s curriculum.Results. Fifty-five percent of faculty trainers reported no prior formal training in pharmacogenomics. There was a significant increase (p<0.001) in self-reported ability to teach pharmacogenomics to pharmacy students after participants viewed the webinar and obtained educational materials. Nearly two-thirds (64%) indicated at least a “good” likelihood of adopting PharmGenEd materials at their institution during the upcoming academic year. More than two-thirds of respondents indicated interest in using PharmGenEd materials to train licensed health professionals, and 95% indicated that they would recommend the program to other pharmacy faculty members.Conclusion. As a result of participating in the train-the-trainer program in pharmacogenomics, faculty member participants gained confidence in teaching pharmacogenomics to their students, and the majority of participants indicated a high likelihood of adopting the program at their institution. A Web-based train-the-trainer model appears to be a feasible strategy for training pharmacy faculty in pharmacogenomics.     

Education,Training, and Academic Experience of Newly Hired,First-Time Pharmacy Faculty Members

Objective. To describe the education, training, and academic experiences of newly hired faculty members at US colleges and schools of pharmacy during the 2012-2013 academic year.Methods. A survey regarding education, training, and academic experiences was conducted of all first-time faculty members at US colleges and schools of pharmacy hired during the 2012-2013 academic year.Results. Pharmacy practice faculty members accounted for the majority (68.2%) of new hires. Ambulatory care was the most common pharmacy specialty position (29.8%). Most new faculty members had a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) as their terminal degree (74.8%), and 88.3% of pharmacy practice faculty members completed a residency. Of new faculty members who responded to the survey, 102 (67.5%) had at least 3 prior academic teaching, precepting, or research experiences.Conclusion. New faculty members were hired most frequently for clinical faculty positions at the assistant professor level and most frequently in the specialty of ambulatory care. Prior academic experience included precepting pharmacy students, facilitating small discussions, and guest lecturing.     

Pharmacy faculty retirement at colleges and schools of pharmacy in the United States and Canada

Objectives. To examine the work-related activities of full-time faculty members 55 years of age and older; to describe the retirement plans and perceptions of these faculty members; and to examine the factors, perceptions, or conditions that might influence the retirement decision.Methods. Pharmacy faculty members aged 55 years and older in the United States and Canada were invited to participate in an online survey regarding their perceptions on issues related to their retirement planning behavior.Results. Four hundred eighty-eight faculty members completed the survey instrument. The typical respondent worked 50 hours per week on work-related activities, was active in teaching and service, and had published an average of 5 refereed papers during the previous 36 months. The number of articles published was positively related to the respondent''s target retirement age. The average anticipated retirement age was 66.6 years, and most respondents participated in a defined benefit plan. The majority would revise their target retirement age downwards if conditions were favorable.Conclusion. The primary factors that influence the pharmacy faculty retirement decision include financial status, academic productivity, and higher order needs such as the opportunity to participate in meaningful activities. These findings can be used by administrators in strategic planning related to attracting and retaining quality faculty members.     

Faculty perceptions of appropriate faculty behaviors in social interactions with student pharmacists

Objective

To determine faculty and administrator perceptions about appropriate behavior in social interactions between pharmacy students and faculty members.

Methods

Four private and 2 public colleges and schools of pharmacy conducted focus groups of faculty members and interviews with administrators. Three scenarios describing social interactions between faculty members and students were used. For each scenario, participants reported whether the faculty member''s behavior was appropriate and provided reasons for their opinions.

Results

Forty-four percent of those surveyed or interviewed considered interactions between faculty members and pharmacy students at a bar to be a boundary violation. Administrators were more likely than faculty members to consider discussing other faculty members with a student to be a boundary violation (82% vs. 46%, respectively, P <0.009). A majority (87%) of faculty members and administrators considered “friending” students on Facebook a boundary violation.

Conclusions

There was no clear consensus about whether socializing with students at a bar was a boundary violation. In general, study participants agreed that faculty members should not initiate friendships with current students on social networks but that taking a student employee to lunch was acceptable.     

A Peer Review Process for Classroom Teaching

Objective

Describe the planning, implementation, and faculty perceptions of a classroom peer-review process, including an evaluation tool.

Design

A process for peer evaluation of classroom teaching and its evaluation tool were developed and implemented by a volunteer faculty committee within our department. At the end of the year, all faculty members were asked to complete an online anonymous survey to evaluate the experience.

Assessment

The majority of faculty members either agreed or strongly agreed that the overall evaluation process was beneficial for both evaluators and for those being evaluated. Some areas of improvement related to the process and its evaluation tool also were identified.

Summary

The process of developing and implementing a peer-evaluation process for classroom teaching was found to be beneficial for faculty members, and the survey results affirmed the need and continuation of such a process.     

Evaluation of a Train-the-Trainer Program for Cultural Competence

Objectives

To develop, implement, and evaluate the impact of a cultural competence train-the-trainer workshop for pharmacy educators.

Methods

A 2-day train-the-trainer workshop entitled Incorporating Cultural Competency in Pharmacy Education (1.65 CEUs) was provided to pharmacy faculty from schools across the United States. Baseline, posttraining, and 9-month follow-up surveys assessed participants'' (n = 50) characteristics and self-efficacy in developing and teaching content.

Results

At baseline, 94% of faculty members reported no formal training in teaching cultural competence. After completing the workshop, participants'' self-rated confidence for developing and teaching workshop content significantly increased. The number of participants who rated their ability to teach cultural competence as “very good” or “excellent” increased from 13% to 60% posttraining. Participants reported teaching 1 or more aspects of the workshop curriculum to nearly 3,000 students in the 9-months following training.

Conclusions

The workshop significantly increased faculty members'' perceived and documented ability to teach cultural competence. The train-the-trainer model appears to be a viable and promising strategy for meeting the American Council for Pharmacy Education accreditation standards relating to the teaching of diversity, cultural issues, and health literacy.     

Learning Styles and Teaching Perspectives of Canadian Pharmacy Practice Residents and Faculty Preceptors

Objective. To characterize and compare learning styles of pharmacy practice residents and their faculty preceptors, and identify teaching perspectives of faculty preceptors.Methods. Twenty-nine pharmacy residents and 306 pharmacy faculty members in British Columbia were invited to complete the Pharmacists’ Inventory of Learning Styles (PILS). Faculty preceptors also were asked to complete the Teaching Perspectives Inventory (TPI).Results. One hundred percent of residents and 61% of faculty members completed the PILS, and 31% of faculty members completed the TPI. The most common dominant learning style among residents and faculty preceptors was assimilator, and 93% were assimilators, convergers, or both. The distribution of dominant learning styles between residents and faculty members was not different (p=0.77). The most common dominant teaching perspective among faculty members was apprenticeship.Conclusion. Residents and preceptors mostly exhibited learning styles associated with abstract over concrete thinking or watching over doing. Residency programs should steer residents more toward active learning and doing, and maximize interactions with patients and other caregivers.     

Comparison of Learning Styles of Pharmacy Students and Faculty Members

Objectives. To compare dominant learning styles of pharmacy students and faculty members and between faculty members in different tracks.Methods. Gregorc Style Delineator (GSD) and Zubin’s Pharmacists’ Inventory of Learning Styles (PILS) were administered to students and faculty members at an urban, Midwestern college of pharmacy.Results. Based on responses from 299 students (classes of 2008, 2009, and 2010) and 59 faculty members, GSD styles were concrete sequential (48%), abstract sequential (18%), abstract random (13%), concrete random (13%), and multimodal (8%). With PILS, dominant styles were assimilator (47%) and converger (30%). There were no significant differences between faculty members and student learning styles nor across pharmacy student class years (p>0.05). Learning styles differed between men and women across both instruments (p<0.01), and between faculty members in tenure and clinical tracks for the GSD styles (p=0.01).Conclusion. Learning styles differed among respondents based on gender and faculty track.     

Faculty attitudes and scholarly productivity resulting from a seminar course

Objectives

To determine faculty attitudes toward a professional seminar course for PharmD students, document scholarly production derived from the course, and ascertain whether that scholarly production or other faculty characteristics affected attitudes toward the course.

Methods

Faculty members served as facilitators for pharmacy students enrolled in a professional seminar course. A 34-item survey instrument intended to identify faculty attitudes toward the course and document scholarly productivity was developed. All 40 faculty facilitators involved in the course were asked to complete the survey instrument.

Results

Of the 30 (75%) faculty members who completed the survey instrument, 20 had an overall positive attitude toward the course. Faculty members had generated approximately 90 peer-reviewed scholarly works over a 9-year period as a result of the course. Significant associations were found between faculty members'' attitudes toward the course and academic rank, academic department, and scholarly production derived from the course.

Conclusions

Faculty members who had advanced academic rank, an appointment in the pharmacy practice department, and scholarly productivity as a result of serving as a facilitator for a Professional Seminar Course were more likely to have positive attitudes toward the course.     

The Power of Peer Mentoring to Support Women Pharmacy Faculty Personally and Professionally

Regardless of a faculty member’s career stage, effective mentoring is critical for successful professional development and a thriving academic career. Traditional mentor-mentee relationships can be effective but may present challenges for some faculty depending on their individual needs and institutional resources. The use of peer mentoring circles, where group members serve as both mentor and mentee, may provide additional resources and benefits to faculty at all career stages and appear especially beneficial for women faculty because of their focus on interconnectedness and collaboration. However, literature is scarce regarding effective mentoring strategies for women pharmacy faculty. As members of one women faculty-only peer mentoring circle, we describe our experiences using this mentoring strategy and offer recommendations for other faculty members considering this approach.